Beyond Good & Evil
Description official descriptions
In the future, on the planet Hillys, the population suffers from constant attacks from the alien DomZ. The situation is gradually getting worse, as the rate of DomZ kidnapings increases. The Alpha Section forces, who are in charge of protecting citizens, seem to be completely ineffective, not even fighting the DomZ. In the midst of this situation, the secretive organization IRIS alleges that the Alpha Section is involved in a massive government conspiracy, and seeks to expose the truth through journalism.
The player controls a young reporter and photographer named Jade with her companions Pey'j and Double H. After experiencing first-hand a DomZ attack, she is contacted by IRIS, who recruits her as an action reporter. Jade is now tasked with infiltrating the Alpha Section, exposing the government conspiracy, and ultimately finding the truth for herself.
Beyond Good & Evil is an action game with diverse gameplay. Much of the game is based on stealth and puzzles, but there are sequences of racing, shooting, combat, and platform action. Jade fights with her staff and also uses various abilities to execute long-ranged attacks and solve puzzles. Many of the puzzles require switching between the characters and using their special abilities; often it is necessary to coordinate the actions of two characters to achieve precise co-operation that leads to a puzzle's solution. Besides hostile areas with puzzles and enemies, there is also a city and other friendly areas to explore, where various items and gadgets can (and sometimes must) be bought. There are several mini-games and even an online ranking system (used by entering codes online after they are assigned in-game when the game is saved).
Spellings
- За гранью добра и зла - Russian spelling
- 撕裂的天堂 - Chinese spelling (simplified)
- 神鬼冒險 - Chinese spelling (traditional)
- 超越善恶 - Ubisoft Store Chinese spelling (simplified)
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Screenshots
Promos
Credits (PlayStation 2 version)
318 People (219 developers, 99 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 87% (based on 104 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 295 ratings with 16 reviews)
Incredible game, full of substance, drama, and fun
The Good
EVERYTHING. Incredible storyline, the characters are perfectly developed, the gameplay mechanics are constantly fun, and most of all, the game is COMPLETELY fresh and original.
The Bad
Nothing! I didn't find a negative aspect in this game!
The Bottom Line
Please guys, do yourself a favor and get one of the best games to ever grace gaming. The storyline is fresh, and dramatic. characters are colorful and original. Gameplay has something for everyone. Music score is absolutely amazing, one of gaming's best.
PlayStation 2 · by gordon freeman (1) · 2004
Creative genius. Simple, amazing, fun.
The Good
Creative gameplay, combat system, good pace, great music, lots to do. The gameplay is multi-faceted. Bits of stealth, action, searching, taking pictures(it's a lot more fun than it sounds most of the time), combat, and lots to do on the side.
The Bad
Overly predictable story line. Big, corrupt(though outwardly seeming good) group assisting evil race bent on domination/destruction. Rebel group recruits you, and things go from there. This game is very inappropriately mistitled, as it's all about Good & Evil.
The Bottom Line
A great game, with many innovative ideas, revolutionary methods, multifaceted-gameplay, decent story if predictable.
Xbox · by Andrew Carter (1) · 2005
If you like Zelda, get this, if you don't like Zelda, get it anyway..
The Good
Almost everything.
The unique universe, the lush landscapes, the feeling of exploration. There's lots to do and see in the game, and many sections that just makes you go "whoa!". It has a high degree of replayability, because the gameplay is non-repetitive, and there's lots of opportunity to "improve" your game. Races, Collecting Stuff, Photos....even an online scoring system (and secret mini games to unlock)
This game has it all.
The Bad
A bit too short, and a few bugs in it.
eg.
all the control pads plugged in rubble when you are hit, not just #1
However, these dont effect the game too badly :)
The Bottom Line
Superb Game, LBA and Zelda combined with racing and stealth added into it.
Wonderful Landscape to explore, huge replayability and cool story.
You will be sad when its over.
GameCube · by Darkflame (14) · 2004
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Beyond Good & Evil appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Jade
Jade's character design is actually based on her French voice actress Emma De Caunes.
Nietzsche
In an interview on LadyGamers.com, Tyrone Miller explains how the game relates to Nietzsche:
Many people assume that Beyond Good & Evil is a reference to the Friedrich Nietzsche book by the same name. Although you could probably make an argument – this game really has no connection to the German philosopher. As an action reporter, players need to investigate beyond the superficial facts of what is good and what is evil – which is dictated through government propaganda in the game. The player has to see what nobody else can see, what is hidden to the people of Hyllis. This theme is relevant to issues we face today – understanding the reasons behind the apparent facts.
Promotional websites
The publishers registered the websites for both the iris network (www.irisnetwork.net) and the Hyllian gov. (www.hylliannews.com) both featuring promotional material and assorted stuff.
Save games code
All the saved games in Beyond Good & Evil are marked with an "Internet Code". The purpose of this code is two-fold, first it enables you to go to the official website and check your ranking against all the other BG&E players in the world. Secondly, upon completion of the main game, you'll be able to use your saved game code on the official website and obtain instructions on how to go about obtaining missing MDisk #13 within the game.
Soundtrack
- In the Beginning
- Dancing With Domz
- Home Sweet Home
- Hyllian Suite
- Mammago's Garage
- Isle de Noir
- Mineshaft Madness
- Say Cheese, Fellas
- Akuda House Propaganda
- Ancient Chinese Secrets
- Don't Fear the Reaper
- Fear the Reaper
- Fun and Mini-Games
- Funky Bar 100
- When Domz Attack
- Slaughterhouse Scramble
- Sneaky Jade Suite
- Organic Beauty
- Violent Jade Suite
- Heart of Darkness
- Metal Gear Domz
- Something Completely Different
- Behind Enemy Lines
- Free Your Mind
- Thoughtful Reflections
- Enfants Disparus
- Above and Beyond
- Unacceptable Losses
- In Hot Pursuit
- Sins of the Father
- Redemption
In February 2004, Ubisoft released MP3s of Beyond Good & Evil soundtrack to NintendoInsider.com. These are still available for download, but as of April 2005, downloaders must register with the web site and go to the Members-Only Board to receive a frequently changing password.
Title
According to Michel Ancel, the game was originally to be named Between Good & Evil, but the marketing department did not like that name, so it was changed to Beyond Good & Evil.
The original title I gave the game was Between Good & Evil (see my first logo included) - which the marketing department didn’t like back then. For me, the meaning of this title is that you are always in the middle of an internal and external conflict, based on our conception of good and evil. In this game and in our world, propaganda thinks in our place; tells us these are our enemies and these are our friends. When you go beyond the appearances, you discover your own truth. That’s the theme of the game and marketing finally accepted this title, and just replaced the between by beyond, which fits better with the vast universe and story.
Awards
- 4Players
- 2003 – Best PC Action-Adventure Game of the Year
- 2003 – Best Console Direction of the Year
- 2003 – Best PC Music of the Year
- 2003 – Best PC Direction of the Year
- 2003 – Biggest PC Surprise of the Year
- EGM
- February 2006 (Issue #200) - #171 out of 200 of the "Greatest Games of Their Time"
- GameSpy
- 2003 – #3 Game of the Year
- 2003 – #2 GameCube Game of the Year
- PC Powerplay (Germany)
- Issue 06/2005 - #8 Likeable Secondary Character (for Pey'j)
Information also contributed by Big John WV, Mark Ennis, Sciere, Terrence Bosky, WildKard, WindowsKiller and Zovni
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Related Sites +
-
Beyond Good & Evil
Official Web Site -
Beyond Good & Evil Revolution
A Beyond Good & Evil fansite forum -
Developer Interview
Xequted interviews Michel Ancel about Beyond Good & Evil. (March 5, 2004) -
Download Page
Obtain the Windows Patches from this UbiSoft's download page. -
GameFaqs Guides
Strategies and Walkthroughs for BG&E on all platforms -
Khryon's Walkthrough for Windows version
posted on Gameboomers.com
Identifiers +
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Kotario.
PlayStation 3 added by Lain Crowley. Xbox 360 added by Sciere. Xbox One added by MAT.
Additional contributors: Jeanne, Zack Green, Sciere, Ilya Atkin, Klaster_1, firespot, lasttoblame, Paulus18950, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, FatherJack, 一旁冷笑.
Game added December 11, 2003. Last modified March 28, 2024.