Grand Theft Scratchy
Banned
I have been playing through Beyond Good & Evil for the first time recently and it just feels like a completely different kind of game from Ubisoft's usual modern works. Of course they didn't know how to market it so it ended up being little more than a cult classic and it does have a generous checkpoint/save system that hardcore gamers might not like but it reminds me of platformers like Jak & Daxter (the original being my favorite) with some funny lines. It is also really interesting to look at most of the environments, both the art style and ideas for environment props give the world its own unique visual identity. Jade also sounds very natural throughout the game and there is no eye-rolling, tryhard cool dialogue. Even Jade's character death animation is cool to watch although with how easy it is to upgrade your maximum health and collect/purchase orbs... the game is easy but I don't think that's a bad thing, really. The boss fights are fun and emphasize teamwork and they make it a point to direct the camera view for you; it kind of feels like you're playing a PS1 game but with much better graphics. Beyond Good & Evil, by Rayman creator Michael Ancel, is in my opinion worth playing through at least once. Oh, and the music - just about everything you hear from "Propaganda" to "Mammago's" to the credits theme sounds beautiful.
I'm not sure what's going on with the sequel. Rewatching the trailer I get the feeling that it will be a different, somewhat less interesting game but I hope I'm wrong as the original is really good and they did plan to make it a trilogy. There is something about the way the game is designed that makes it feel like a genuine, honest gaming experience, if that makes sense. Who would have thought that it would be fun to take pictures of all of the different creatures within levels or carefully navigate the hidden underground quarters of the Alpha Section (quickly move past the red lasers, stay in the shadows as you move up the elevator) which can get tense but once you get to the end of these levels, both large and small, it just feels good. I don't know how else to describe it but I feel like if you're a fan of platformers and the ol' PS2 visual aesthetic and you want to play something different, get a little lost in a unique world and play as a female character whose gender or race or whatever doesn't distract from the overall experience, then you should play Beyond Good & Evil. Simply put, this is a good game.
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