Beyond Good and Evil HD

By Simon Parkin Published 10 February, 2011

The Hillys are alive.

Jade, plucky photo-journalist and guardian to a lighthouse full of orphans, was never a pin-up heroine. With her short shock of black hair, loose trousers, furrowed brow and smear of green lipstick, she always exuded a tomboyish quality. She seemed at odds with gaming's ever-fashionable, always sassy big-titted female protagonists.

As individual as early years Lara, Beyond Good and Evil's main character nevertheless has a Parisian sort of appeal. Her sexiness is derived from a depth of character, inner strength and air of continental detachment, not her voulez-vous-coucher-avec-moi eye shadow. With that in mind, is it wrong to be excited by the prospect of spending time with her in high definition?

Jade, much like the game she fronts, has always inspired infatuation. Partly it's a sense of pride in her achievements. Here is a woman who, from BGE's opening moments, shows a selflessness and generosity in caring for those weaker than herself that is rare in videogames.

The very first act in the game is one of protecting the weak - albeit expressed in the down-to-earth-challenge of topping up an electricity meter that's run out of credit, in order to fire up the shields protecting the orphans' home from invasion.

Then, over the long haul of the game, the narrative curtain draws back to reveal a woman who grafts at her profession. By photographing trafficking atrocities, Jade inspires a planet to rise up against its invading captors.

1

BGE's tortured development process led to Ancel once saying it was really BGE2, the design having changed so much since day one.

She can fight too, of course, but gaming's default language of violence is muted in favour of other, more cerebral tools in her arsenal. That's the sort of theme to power an inspirational Hollywood blockbuster, not a videogame: a protagonist who saves the day using steely determination rather than weapons. And since the game's launch, those who spent time in her presence have long clamored for her return.

So the answer to the question of whether it's wrong to be excited by spending time with Jade in high definition is: no, not at all. The only definition that ever really mattered in Beyond Good and Evil was found beneath the skin, and it's as sharp today as it ever was.

But while the most exciting prospect of this XBLA/ PSN re-release is the opportunity to revisit one of the Xbox's most beloved and idiosyncratic releases, it's important to give appropriate credit to Ubisoft Shanghai for what seems like an assured, technically accomplished overhaul.

The game appears to breeze along at 60 frames per second and loading times have been vastly reduced. The updated textures and models solidify and add detail to what were always fairly handsome clusters of polygons.

The world of Hillys may not have had its boundaries expanded, but it has been smoothed and rendered for a modern audience. With the help of the extra definition we see creator Michel Ancel's vision more clearly.

The addition of leaderboards, no doubt to ensure the game falls in line with Xbox Live Arcade technical certification requirements, seems a little superfluous. But alongside the introduction of achievements and trophies, these new features do nothing to diminish BGE's appeal.

And that appeal resides primarily within the way the game tells its story, more than the story itself or the game mechanics fleshing it out. With Beyond Good and Evil, Ancel - currently hard at work on the true sequel at Ubisoft Montpellier - first displayed his keen ability to tell stories through videogames. This attracted the attention of Peter Jackson who, as a direct result of this title, hired him to create the game adaptation of King Kong.

At the start of the game you are dropped into a world caught between two evils: the invading aliens and the totalitarian army. The army's role is ostensibly to serve and protect, but its troops mainly end up adding to people's woes.

Initially, your job is to raise funds for the orphanage by photographing the wildlife found on Hillys. Via a glorified yet satisfying mini-game, the snaps you take of Hillys' fauna are uploaded to scientists seeking to catalogue all remaining life on the planet in exchange for credits.

But soon enough your photographic remit expands to take in the brutalities you encounter as you explore. These images are printed in the resistance's underground newspaper and begin to have a social impact.

There's a nippy pace to the game, more filmic than ludic. Delight comes more from the moment-by-moment twists and turns than the overarching storyline. Peter Jackson once said that he didn't choose Ancel to turn King Kong into a game because of his plot-writing abilities; he chose him because of what a good storyteller he was. Right from the get go, it's clear this is where the game's enduring appeal is to be found.

2

Despite the commercial failure of the original BGE, Ubisoft announced a bona fide sequel in 2008 - also being developed by Ancel.

In mechanical terms, Beyond Good and Evil is showing its age a little. The stock components of contemporary action adventure games are all present and correct: hand-to-hand combat, stealth, mini-games and collectibles.

But even at the time of the original's release, those less enamoured by the story and setting declared these elements were rendered too simply. Taking each one in isolation when playing the game today, they each appear unsophisticated to a contemporary audience.

In 2003, the game's various elements pulled together to deliver an experience that's more than the sum of its parts. Returning to the first couple of hours of the game now, eight years on, the experience is surprisingly fresh. The game has a tight, slimline feel which shows up many contemporary releases for being bloated and unwieldy.

All of which makes the prospect of this digital release enticing. At 800 Microsoft Points (Ģ6.80), the chance to revisit Hillys in HD is irresistible. The game is being re-released on the right platforms at the right price. But more than that, it's the right time to reunite with Jade, the elfin lighthouse-keeper, who still has so much to teach us.

Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A core contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, he is also a critic and columnist on games for The Guardian.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (62) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • RodHull #1 1 year ago

    Adored this game on Xbox, can't wait to have another surreal trek through.

  • beastmaster #2 1 year ago

    Never played the original. At 800 points, this seems too good to be true.

  • JonFE #3 1 year ago

    It will be hard to resist revisiting BG&E; I already finished the original on my xbox and will surely try this one. Hopefully it will generate enough interest for a proper sequel.

    EDIT:
    "BGE's tortured development process led to Ancel once saying it was really BGE2, the design having changed so much since day one."

    So, we've all be asking for something we already had all along?!? 8-)
    Edited by JonFE at 10/02/11 @ 17:16

  • butler` #4 1 year ago

    Great write up.

    Particularly interesting to hear your opening paragraphs talk about Jade. I put her up alongside HL2's Alyx as one of the only truly developed and interesting female characters - lead or otherwise - in a video game history. And BG&E is worthy of note for that if nothing else.

    (If anyone can name five better candidates I'll happily stand corrected.)

  • QPRHOOPS81 #5 1 year ago

    can we have inverted controls please.

  • Kami #6 1 year ago

    I will be buying this in the vain hope it speeds up the development of BGE2. I bought the original and didn't regret it, will buy this and not regret it... and if and when it arrives, BGE2 will be bought with no regrets (I hope...).

  • gjgjg #7 1 year ago

    Was expecting 1200 pts. Sold!!!

    See Acti, a couple of maps s stuff is not worth 1200!!!

  • Markusdragon #8 1 year ago

    Ubi could easily ask for a higher price for this, but I suspect that this re-release is more about building the brand than making a quick buck out of an old game, otherwise they could have just pulled a SEGA and dumped the original game in glorious 4:3 ratio and dummied or replaced any assets they didn't want to pay to re-use.

    If I remember correctly, a few months back Ubi said that they were scrapping Shovelware and working only with high quality blockbusters. Between the low price, the reworked models and textures, and the releasing it in the middle of one of Microsoft's big XBLA advertising pushes, it seems like they really want this one to pull the numbers. Could Ubi be bringing back Ancel's classic as the latest in it's lineup of big name franchises? One can only hope.

  • randompanda #9 1 year ago

    Wait, this is Ģ6.80 on the PSN?

  • JohnnyWashnGo #10 1 year ago

    One of the best games on the Gamecube and a definite purchase on the PS3 for me.

    Can't wait.

  • RobotRocker #11 1 year ago

    If they removed that utterly ridiculous part in the end game where The final boss reversed your controls then I am sold.

  • vibroguy #12 1 year ago

    I plan on purchasing this the very minute it appears in the XBLA marketplace, and not getting up from my sofa until I have completed it with every achievement.
    Easily one of my favourite games of any generation, I'm actually really excited about this being released

  • MORZTAN #13 1 year ago

    This game is really, really good!!!

  • darc #14 1 year ago

    I'm planning on buying it (and actually playing this version...) I've got a good feeling about the sequel and I want to be caught up when it hits.

  • L0cky #15 1 year ago

    I had a stab at this on pc a long time after it was released and although I was liking the game itself, it doesn't play too well on newer hardware (also tried again when it was released on steam).

    I'll be picking this up as soon as it hits XBLA to give it a proper play :)

    @QPRHOOPS81:

    Inverted controls are mandatory on 360 iirc :)

  • dagas #16 1 year ago

    It was a good game, but I never understood why people were so crazy about it. Certainly not a classic like some would want people to believe. Looking at the list of notable video game releases of 2003 on wikipedia I don't think it even makes Top 5, but probably top 10, not enough to be considered a classic.

  • Fixxxer #17 1 year ago

    I expect a torrent of negging for this but I was never too keen on this. I think the fact that it was originally overlooked and features a decent and fairly mature story that strongly suggests a sequel (which those that enjoyed the game loudly demanded both to the developers and to people who hadn't played the original to get more people interested) has seen it hugely overhyped.

    That said I did complete it so make of that what you will. It certainly wasn't a bad game, but nor was it great.

  • Lee_Morris #18 1 year ago

    We have the power to get BGandE released guys and gals. Let us vote with are virtual wallets (or I will when the the PSN version is released)

  • prettyboytim #19 1 year ago

    Aha! a new word to learn!

    /Looks it up online...

    " Ludic derives from Latin ludus, "play," and is an adjective meaning "playful." "

  • paul_haine #20 1 year ago

    All you had to do was turn your controller upside down in your hands and then it was easy!

  • Scimarad #21 1 year ago

    I'm getting this the second it's up; Love the game and Jade's definitely a PROPER female lead as Simon said.

  • Orikk #22 1 year ago

    I still have fond memories of playing this on the PC. Will be getting this without a shadow of a doubt.

  • Old_Books #23 1 year ago

    "But while the most exciting prospect of this XBLA/ PSN re-release is the opportunity to revisit one of the Xbox's most beloved and idiosyncratic releases..."

    Was also a GC and PS2 release EG. Just sayin' like.

  • Oli Verified Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net #24 1 year ago

    @Waggle_Master
    I know your heart's in the right place, but you should understand that Ellie is the deputy editor of this site and is "allowed" to do more or less whatever she likes. In fact, she's in charge of previews and features, and therefore the person who gave this to Simon to write about.

    I know, a woman in charge! What are things coming to.

    /loosens tie, goes to sideboard in office, knocks back two tumblers of Canadian Club and goes to sleep on sofa

  • dr_lha #25 1 year ago

    Regarding Jade's atypically in the world of videogame heroins. The only difference between Jade and Lara Croft is that Jade is the typical masturbatory fantasy of a French person, whereas Lara Croft fills that role for the Anglo-American audience. Its all down to taste, rather than any higher morals. For whatever reason, the french love petit, small breasted girls with short dark hair.

    Great game though.

  • RobotRocker #26 1 year ago

    I know, a woman in charge! What are things coming to.

    Brb, sending this to the Mail on Sunday Editor.

    /Also what the hell is wrong with you people. The reverse-me-do was clearly the worst part of one of the best games of the last gen. Of course I am buying this but I hope they do something about that part because it was silly ass game design.

  • Ninja_Tino #27 1 year ago

    I replayed this a year ago to entertain my niece (who LOVED it) and, gee, what a game. I'm still gonna download this version, regardless of the exceptional price. It's sales may determine the future of the series. God, I'd love a sequel. Also, this 'feminist' argument that's started is silly.

  • metalangel #28 1 year ago

    Jade is physically very similar to her voice actor in the original French version, Emma Du Caunes (yes, daughter of Antoine from Eurotrash)... I wonder why?

    @dr_lha: I must have been French in a previous life! I find Jade far more attractive than Lara Croft.

    @TheDriffter: What is a good game, please? You moaned in the True Crime article that there've been no good sandbox games this generation either.
    Edited by metalangel at 10/02/11 @ 20:43

  • betahoven #29 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • Kaminari #30 1 year ago

    Although it's not the masterpiece some people would like to remember, I still like BGE very much precisely because of its potential -- this is a game that promises a lot right from the beginning, but ultimately fails to satisfyingly deliver in terms of open world, exploration and gameplay mechanics.

    I still remember the bitter disappointment when I got the exciting VTOL towards the end of the game, but realised that those frustratingly unreachable cliffs in the distance didn't actually offer any new places to discover except for low-res windmills.

  • neonxaos #31 1 year ago

    That's "Hyllis" :)

  • rob_of_the_robots #32 1 year ago

    My brother had a broken copied version that wouldn't save the game at all so I could only ever get so far and I was never able to buy a copy myself. I loved the small bit that I played and am really glad it's coming to Live, for a steal too.

  • spekkeh #33 1 year ago

    Jade a tomboy and not a pinup? I always wonder, am I the only one who sees a low cut tanktop with bare belly on a girl with a lithe body and voluptuous lips? Sure, she's short haired, but still.

  • spekkeh #34 1 year ago

    I've never played it. What makes it overated? Is it generic and a bit boring?

    It's a Zelda-like game with charm in a day and age when there were very little. Not sure how it has aged, guess it's okay, but it's bound to be a bit more familiar and dated now.

  • ShiroBen #35 1 year ago

    800 points? SOLD. The Gamecube version was aces but I only rented it--could never find it to buy.

  • bf #36 1 year ago

    Sounds like I'll get my um lets see fifth copy of this game then.

  • atomised #37 1 year ago

    it was one of the best Gamecube releases and reminded me of a handful of titles last gen (metals arms as another) that kinda disappeared quickly. i do wish that you could still just play 'em on the latest console with the old software mind...

    i guess i could just turn on my ps2 eh? ha!

  • GloatingSwine #38 1 year ago

    So much want.

  • Deepo #39 1 year ago

    Double-dip on this for me: I want to spend as much as I can on this. Hopefully, the money will go towards the development of part 2.

    Please don't squander it on Splinter Cell: Complexion or something...

  • benfresh76 #40 1 year ago

    Absolutely loved this game, I really hope it's stood the test of time and isn't one of those 'shoulda just held on to the memory' experiences.

  • Lemming81 #41 1 year ago

    "But while the most exciting prospect of this XBLA/ PSN re-release is the opportunity to revisit one of the Gamecube's most beloved and idiosyncratic releases"

    Fixed. Credit where it's due, it was a GC game first, I believe.

  • udat #42 1 year ago

    Jade was the sexiest female video game character since Sophia Hapgood in Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Not sure there's ever been better since, either. Alyx Vance, mayyybe.

  • Veracity #43 1 year ago

    Propaganda. Does this mean they'll have to put the website back up so you can actually get that disc you needed it for?

    If you played this on PC, is an "HD" update actually going to do much for it? Higher-res textures, I guess. It does work on vaguely recent hardware, though as far as I recall it's one of those things you really want to limit to one core, or it'll behave peculiarly. I think I also needed xpadder or its ilk to compensate for it assuming PC folk don't know what controllers are for. Considering how big a deal it is to some people they probably just want to throw money at it in the hope of encouraging a sequel to come out in their lifetime.

  • Ranger_Ryu #44 1 year ago

    Really looking forward to this :)

  • Genji #45 1 year ago

    Oh come on, admit it. You like Jade for her body. Yes, the selflessness is there, the charisma and tomboyish pluck and all that - and that helps - but she also has large boobies and a tight figure.

    I doubt the author would be looking forward to spending more time with her in HD if she was short and stumpy. :)

    Anyway, loved this on PC. I might pick it up again!

  • smithdown #46 1 year ago

    I bought the original twice, but never got round to playing much of either copy for reasons not related to the quality of the game, which was evident even from the first hour or two that I managed. This is definitely on my list.

  • ubergine #47 1 year ago

    I'm surprised this is 800 points when Originals are 1200.

    Not complaining though! I remember it being a short game for all its quality.

  • samadriel #48 1 year ago

    Got paid by the word for that one, eh?

  • elvenearth #49 1 year ago

    One of the games I remember with a warm hearted glow from the Gamecube (along with Eternal Darkness). This is very, very tempting I must say.

  • gamerhuggster #50 1 year ago

    Amen to that! I still have my Xbox original copy of this game, but I will still happily shell out the 800 points to play again in sumptuous HD. Now we just need the sequel please...

  • dr_faulk #51 1 year ago

    Does everyone remember when this was released, what, two weeks before Christmas Day, the slashed the price to Ģ25 even though it was a new release?

    It was the only reason I bought the game in an otherwise OK Christmas line-up. Still stands out as a real favourite.

  • kangarootoo #52 1 year ago

    @TheDriffter

    "Trust me Beyond Good and Evil is nothing special."

    Many of us have already played it, and liked it very much. We don't need to "trust" you on it, muppet.


    Edit: reading on, its clear you didn't enjoy BGaE. Fair enough, taste is subjective. However, please don't act you are "right". There is no right. I know what I like, and I liked BGaE a great deal, and I'm not alone. Play whatever makes you happy by all means, but don't patronise everyone just 'cos this one didn't float your boat. Seriously.
    Edited by kangarootoo at 11/02/11 @ 09:27

  • speedjack #53 1 year ago

    Day one purchase for me - and at 800 points ?!

    BLIMEY.

    I assume HD update means they'll have got rid of the horrible 50hz boarders on the Xbox version.
    Edited by speedjack at 11/02/11 @ 10:01

  • Cappy #54 1 year ago

    "Fixed. Credit where it's due, it was a GC game first, I believe."

    Actually, Beyond Good and Evil came out on the PS2 first. The Gamecube & Xbox versions were ported over and followed a month later in the US, later still in Europe.

  • Vin #55 1 year ago

    so.excited.

  • geeza2020 #56 1 year ago

    good times. I picked this up on the original xbox a few years back, soona after the 360 launch, and while everybody was creaming themselves over the new console I was happily snapping pictures and saving the planet in BGE. For 800 points I'll gladly go through it again :)

  • gudnikristinn #57 1 year ago

    Iīve been noticing recently that gamers donīt mind buying older games with pretty much nothing improved but the resolution.
    I have also noticed that IT IS FINE as long as its not Nintendo doing it.

    Itīs so strange going from the comment section here (or the sly HD collection or GOW HD collection)where everybody is just exited, and then going to the comment section of other games (from Nintendo) .(Zelda:ocarina 3D or Starfox 3D).. and people are bitchin about how they are just lazy and blablabla(even though these games are getting much more of an overhaul)...

  • DAN.E.B #58 1 year ago

    so this price is set in stone?
    I only ask because in the past some DLC prices have gone up at the last minute
    day one for me either way as Ive never played it but always wanted to

  • the_inchworm #59 1 year ago

    God I am sick of yet another preview banging on about sexual stereotyping in games and, inevitably, poo-poo-ing the whole thing to appear clever. This whole article was full of 'pat me on the back' waffle. Infuriating nonsense. Jade has 'so much to teach us'. Oh please. Higher definition allows us to 'see Ancel's vision more clearly'. /groan. A good game is being remade - hopefully with the control issues corrected (not addressed in the preview in favour of more pseudo-intellectual nonsense) - more on that and less NGJ would be a welcome change.

  • Tinrib72 #60 1 year ago

    Hmm, just dont know if i'll go for this as I have still it for my old xbox which has been relegated to a portable tv in a spare room, but I am tempted to play it on a big screen in HD. Decisions, decisions..

  • Dylbot #61 1 year ago

    This has made me seriously tempted to dig out my PS2 copy and give it another whirl. Don't know whether I should do that or hold out until this is released, as I'd be happy to pay 800 points for it.

  • Sgt_Petter #62 1 year ago

    I got this from my uncle years ago on the Xbox, I didn't like it much, so I never got far into it, but then again, I was much younger then, played mostly Star Wars Battlefront. With my original Xbox gone, and lack compatibility with the 360, I never got to try another go, even though I wanted to (as I was convinced that it was a good game, and beleived that I would to be older to really appreciate it. (I was also very easily scared back then, particularily by video games, and one green monster in particular was very scary. (I'm not likely to pick up Dead Space 2 now either, and I haven't gotten through the place with all the zombies and rotating circle-saws in Half-Life 2, but I'm still better now then I was.))). So when I saw BG&E was on a sale on Steam almost two months ago, I had to have it, however, many other games were also on sale at the time, so I didn't play BG&E right away, actually I didn't play it until today, but I just played it for 4 hours, and there's no doubt this is a great game. I'll finish it this time, I can guarantee you that!

    As far as the HD version go, I'm a little uncertain right now, the graphics doesn't seem like it's all that different (at least from the PC version), some updated textures and UI, but I think it would need some more polygons.