Beyond Good & Evil HD Review (XBLA)

I don't have much nostalgia for old videogames. While some classics maintain the test of time, most games from my youth no longer hold my interest when put up against more modern titles. Michel Ancel's seminal 2003 classic Beyond Good & Evil may not be ancient, but the industry's evolved a lot since then. So I went into its high-def port with trepidation, expecting yet another fond memory to be dashed. Happily, I found that BG&E was so far ahead of its time that today’s games are still playing catch up.

BG&E HD tells the story of Jade, a reporter on quest to uncover the truth about an alien invasion against her planet Hillys. Conceptually, the narrative is sound. Starring a sensibly dressed female protagonist who doesn't use guns, rarely fights, and uses the power of investigative journalism to turn the tide of war, BG&E HD avoids many of the cliches of the genre.

In practice, however, the writing is pedestrian. Within the game's opening moments it's abundantly clear that the suspicious military presence known as the Alpha Section is up to no good. When Jade eventually learns this hours later she reacts with shock ("But the Alpha Section is here to protect us!"), despite them having been obviously sinister from the get go.

The rest of the populace is equally daft, and while it's fun to see their attitudes change based on Jade's accomplishments, it's hard to shake the feeling that most of the characters in the game are easily influenced sheep, or worse, racial stereotypes. Despite the game's title, there aren't many shades of gray in its story. In a game as narrative heavy as BG&E HD, its simple parable falls short. It's worth noting that BG&E was planned as a trilogy, so these issues will likely be addressed in a sequel (which Ubisoft insists is still being made). But taken on its own, the game’s story never wraps up in a satisfying way.

The script isn't entirely a pandering mess, as there are some great character moments surrounding Jade. A standout moment involves a monologue to a dog; it’s particularly moving and gives real depth and pathos to our unlikely heroine. It's moments like these that make people remember Jade all these years down the line.

While its storytelling is uneven, BG&E HD's design is top notch. A semi-linear adventure in the vain of Zelda, BG&E mixes dungeon crawling, puzzle solving, combat, stealth, racing, shooting, and photography as harmoniously as any game ever has. As the game avoids being tied to any one genre, BG&E's malleability serves to make Jade's adventure feel more epic than its brief length would suggest.

There's a real efficiency to Ancel and his team’s design work, making BG&E HD the most concise, streamlined open-world adventure I've played. Getting 100% isn't a daunting chore thanks to the game’s small scale, smart pacing, and meticulously detailed sidequests. Each side-story, be it a military base full of traps, a high speed chase, or an offshoot of air hockey, is refined and at least as good as what's on the main story path. If you're like me, you'll want to track down every single pearl (the game's primary collectible/currency to upgrade Jade's ship), not for whatever reward may lie ahead, but because the acquisition of each one is an enjoyable act in and of itself.

The game does a fantastic job introducing players to its many mechanical elements in an organic way, ensuring the adventure stays exciting and unpredictable. For example, one mandatory mission requires players to sneak into a facility through a hidden entrance… in a race. This blending of sidequests, mini-games, and main story make the game's world feel cohesive, yet varied.

Perhaps my favorite ongoing sidequest throughout BG&E HD is Jade's freelance assignment to snap photographs of every animal species on the planet. This encourages players to pay extra attention to their surroundings in order to chronicle its more camouflaged critters. The presence of dozens of harmless creatures  about really helps make Hillys feel alive.

The only aspect of BG&E HD's design that feels dated is its lack of controller customization, not allowing players to mix and match which axis they invert. 

(Editor’s note: I should say that this is something that won’t be a big deal to some, but will be a deal-breaker for others. I, unfortunately, fell into the latter camp. I was so excited to finally play this game, but the lack of an invertable Y-axis made it very difficult for me to enjoy. Your mileage may vary, but if you prefer your Y-axis inverted, I would advise that you download the demo and make sure you can handle the camera before you buy the full game.)

Unconcerned with things like drawn-out game length or multiplayer, Beyond Good & Evil HD never overstays its welcome and ensures that not a single element feels out of place or superfluous. Its script may toggle wildly between over- and underexplaining and its lack of controller options feels antiquated. But all the same, it is an enjoyably amorphous, cleverly designed beast that never stops surprising players right up until the end.

Beyond Good & Evil HD was developed and published by by Ubisoft. It is available digitally via the Xbox Live Arcade.

Jeffrey Matulef is a freelance videogame journalist based in Portland, OR. His work has appeared at G4TV, Eurogamer, Joystiq, and Gamasutra among other places. He can be found on twitter @mrdurandpierre.

Watch the trailer for Beyond Good & Evil HD: