Beyond Good and Evil HD

Since its original release way back in 2004, Beyond Good and Evil has garnered a strong cult following, and is now widely regarded as an under-appreciated classic of the last gaming generation. A perfect example of how innovation and originality don’t necessarily result in success, the game received positive reviews but flopped on the commercial market. Now, seven years and one sequel announcement later, Beyond Good and Evil HD gives this gaming gem a new lease of life, but has the magic of the original survived the polishing process?

Set on the lush planet of Hillys, you play as Jade, a photographic reporter running an orphanage from a lighthouse with her engineer uncle, Pey’j, who also happens to be a pig-man (not so surprising when many of the inhabitants are half-man, half-something). The game begins with an alien attack from the race known as the Domz during which the lighthouse is destroyed and the orphans kidnapped. From a simple rescue mission, Jade and Pey’j are soon sucked into an underground resistance movement attempting to uncover secret government conspiracies. The story is fantastic, and it’s just as entertaining as it was seven years ago.

Gameplay wise, Beyond Good and Evil HD incorporates stealth, platforming, exploration, melee, racing and much more. It’s an impressive mix, but the game fails to nail any single element. That said, the competent and interesting blending of genres, coupled with the environment of the game, results in a totally unique experience. Think Zelda with added wit, humour, aliens and government conspiracies.

Alongside the main quest is Jade’s objective to photograph every single species on the planet for a local scientific centre. It’s a wonderful distraction, and attempting to photograph bosses mid-battleproves difficult and entertaining. The soundtrack is also worth mentioning; Christophe Héral’s atmospheric overture still holds up today, perfectly capturing Hillys’ cultural diversity, from the other-worldly music of the DomZ base to the Caribbean drums of Mammago Garage, owned by a group of Jamaican Rhino-men. Yep.

Despite the amazing visual upgrade and improved controls, a few issues remain. The camera is still appalling during some moments, and a few new glitches seem to have found their way into the game (falling into black nothingness proved amusing), but perhaps a patch in the near future will correct these issues. The map system is still rather complicated, and A.I. is questionable in places, but then again the game is seven years old. To still play as well as it does is really a testament to how ahead of its time Beyond Good and Evil was. The voice acting is top notch, and the quirky character models really bring the whole game to life – even minor characters have their own unique personalities. Overall, the game really is unmissable.

One can only hope that this HD re-release is a run-up to the sequel dropping sometime in the near future. In the meantime, download the original and bask in its eclectic glory. Looking and playing better than ever for the cheap price of 800 points (just under £7), you’d be a fool to miss out.

Beyond Good and Evil HD is available now on Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available on PSN in May.

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