# Beyond Good and Evil, the best game you're not playing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2004, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090 "2004-05-14T08:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/1 "2004-05-14T08:28:35Z")
Beyond Good and Evil is a great game, mixing a good storyline and good game play with sharp visuals and great music. It ends with a twist, setting up a sequel and has gotten near universal praise. The only problem is that not enough people have bought it to warrant a sequel, and that’s driving me nuts. Please do you and me a favor and pick up this game so that I can find out how this story ends. It won’t kill your pocketbook since the lack of demand for the game has dropped the price to $20 for all three systems and PC. Plot wise the game is set in the future where you have control of a character named Jade who is a freelance reporter. The planet she lives on is subject to raids and bombardments from the evil aliens the Domz. The only defense against the Domz is the elite army group The Alpha Sections. To make things difficult, getting in the Alpha Sections way is the terrorist network IRIS, a group of people allied with the Domz who use espionage and propaganda to interfere with the Alpha Sections. Or is it all the other way around…? It’s your job to find out. The game basically plays as a cross between The Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear Solid and Pokemon Snap (this is good, trust me). You have a reasonably large world to explore with many people contained therein to converse with; when you go into the bad guys’ lair you sneak around in third person, fight when you can’t sneak around, and take pictures of whatever evil-doings that might be going on. There are plenty of side-games and extra activities in the game to keep you from ever getting bored. There are hovercraft races, a disc game (too hard to explain, you have to play it), looters to nab, multiple ways to improve your character and crafts and for some extra cash you can take pictures and catalogue every animal on the planet, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The reviews for this game have been overwhelmingly good: [Beyond Good and Evil, PS2, 96% on Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/BeyondGoodEvil-709810/) [X-Box, 90%](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/BeyondGoodEvil-709756/) [Gamecube, 100%](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/BeyondGoodEvil-709799/) [PC, 100%](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/BeyondGoodEvil-710053/) We’re looking at over 90% of reviews being positive towards this game. A quick check of Gamefaqs sees the same from Joe Blow on the street: [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/review/37001.html](http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/review/37001.html) [http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/review/32972.html](http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/review/32972.html) [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/37008.html](http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/37008.html) [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/review/33177.html](http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/review/33177.html) I promise you that if you buy this game you will not regret it! I have no idea why this game is not a smash hit, and if you cruise around on the boards at GameFaqs or elsewhere for this game you will see that I’m far from the only one. It’s only $20! Buy this game! ---
**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/2 "2004-05-14T11:01:37Z")
The thread title could not be more accurate. I bought _BG&E_ just after the '03 Christmas season. I haven’t played it yet. I haven’t played _Prince of Persia_ yet either. Too many games, too little time! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/3 "2004-05-14T14:09:08Z")
I picked it up a while ago, and I’ve tried to get into it a couple times, but it’s just not catching my eye for some reason. I really want to play it, cause everyone says it’s so great, but I’m just having trouble. I guess I’ll try again. ---
**Author:** ![Offensive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@Offensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Offensive)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/4 "2004-05-14T16:49:55Z")
Could probably be decent, but the camera control single-handedly ruins the entire game. Gave up as soon as I hit some indoor levels. Not much use for good story and _amazing_ graphics, when I spend half the fking game staring at the back of the main character’s head. Maybe it plays properly on whatever console they ported it from… Oh, and while the combat admittedly isn’t the main focus of the game, it boils down to “left click, repeat as needed”. That was seriously all. Click, click, click, click, click, woohoo I won! Then again, I used to play the original Diablo. I can live with clickfests, but the camera, oh man… ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/5 "2004-05-14T18:01:28Z")
I agree with **Asylum** 100%. I bought BG&E around Christmas time when it was $10 at Circuit City, and it has become one of my favorite games of this generation, right up there with Devil May Cry, Ico, and Grad Theft Auto3/Vice City. It has a great atmosphere, great charactersa, music, and a great sense of high adventure. It’s easy enough for kids, challenging enough for adults. I would reccomend this game to everyone. It really would be a shame if this game didn’t recieve a sequel. **Offensive** what version of the game did you play? Because I have the PS2 version and never had too hard of a time with the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/6 "2004-05-14T19:29:56Z")
**Offensive** , I think it might be that you’re playing it on the PC. I have it for the Gamecube and the second analog stick is for camera control, and with a little practice it becomes second nature to constantly adjust the camera to the best possible angle. I did have some problems with the camera when I got into fights in confined spaces, but that was pretty much it. ---
**Author:** ![Offensive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@Offensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Offensive)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/7 "2004-05-14T21:01:36Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > **Offensive** , I think it might be that you’re playing it on the PC. I have it for the Gamecube and the second analog stick is for camera control, and with a little practice it becomes second nature to constantly adjust the camera to the best possible angle. I did have some problems with the camera when I got into fights in confined spaces, but that was pretty much it. Yep, it’s the PC version alright. We always seem to get the ass-end of the stick when it comes to ports don’t we :(. Well, except for FPSs and RTSs. Actually nevermind… Even with porting issues though, it’s obvious that there is a really good game hidden under there. Shame. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beyond-good-and-evil-the-best-game-youre-not-playing/245090/8 "2004-05-14T21:10:26Z")
You forgot to mention the absolutely top-notch music and voice work. It’s a fairly short game, even if you take it slow. It’s definately worth a rental, because you can get everything there is to get within a weekend. However, enough sales may convince UbiSoft that there is potential for a sequel…