With the 2003 Holiday Season finally over, we will now see which games were the best selling/most popular. It is a shame that so many games where released over the past eight weeks, because a lot of high quality games will likely have fallen under the radar. Hopefully a game called Beyond Good and Evil did really well over the holidays because it is one of most inventive and best games I have played during this season.

The planet of Hillys is under constant attack by the evil aliens known as the Domz. The Alpha Section is a sophisticated military group who is constantly fighting the Domz, but they seem to be getting nowhere. Players take on the role Jade, a young reporter that has a mysterious past. For the past few years she and her friend Pey’j (who has raised Jade since she was a little girl) have lived in a light house taking care of all of the orphans in the area. It does not take long, but soon Jade gets recruited to help uncover a conspiracy against the Alpha Section, and hopefully find a way to end the war. Are you up to the challenge?

Beyond Good and Evil cannot be summed up into any one genre, because it mixes up so many different game ideas and puts it into one nice playable package. During the course of the game, players will be doing hand-to-hand combat, sneaking around like a secret agent, solving several puzzles, and doing many other things. Many developers would have crumbled while trying to fit so much into one game, but Ubisoft did it perfectly!

To help prevent any repetition in this game, which you will be hard pressed to find any, one of the main objectives in the game, is to take photographs of the animal life. This helps players get adjusted and familiar with using the camera, they also can get some cash and nice prizes for doing so, such as an upgrade zoom for the camera and even coveted Pearls. Besides taking pictures of any wildlife, the camera is also used to find many things in the world, by using its scanning function (think Metroid expect quicker and better). Be prepared to use this functionality a lot in the game, because it can be a lifesaver, and time saver.

One of the best things about this game is the variety of gameplay that is to be had. While Jade is on her missions, she can go explore the world and do mini-games or take in the sights. For example in the beginning of the game, after she gets her hover boat, you can go directly to the mission or you can explore and find some of the secrets in the game. You can go into the town and grab information, sign up to get subscriptions to the current events in the world, go play some mini-games and win cash, or do a variety of other things.

The game looks gorgeous and is teeming with details! For example in the city, players will see many different NPCs, vehicles, TV monitors, and many other things. While in the hover boat, once players hit the water, it will ripple from the force of the boat. It is all very inspiring and great to look at. The effects used in this game also make it look really nice, from all of the lighting, shadowing, and many other things seen, gives Beyond Good and Evil a really nice atmosphere.

The camera in this game is a blessing and never a hindrance. Beyond Good and Evil has one of the best cameras I have ever seen in this genre. The camera will intelligently follow you around, and while players have full control over the camera, it is a rare occasion when they have to adjust it. Even when you are trapped in certain places, just like ANY 3D game, the camera will help find the best view, and if that is not good enough, it will take a few seconds or less to find a better view. I am amazed on how great this camera is, and you will be as well!

The character designs and animations are also really nicely done. Jade is full of detail from her clothes and accessories she wears. The population of the world is not lacking in details either like they are in other games. Players will run into unique and detailed NPC’s as she continues on her journey. Another thing that makes this game look so good is how fluid everything is. Jade has a great animation set, and so does everything else in the world of Hillys. All of Jades moves are very fluid, and there is not any “jerky” animation in-between moves, which makes this game look smooth.

The voice acting in Beyond Good and Evil is top notch! The game had witty writers that delivered great dialog that always keeps the player interested to know what is going to happen next. The voice actors took this well written dialog and gave it life, and the players will appreciate it while they are playing.

The music and sound effects are really good as well. The music changes depending on your location in the world, it can go from a “techno-ish” tune to something more contemporary and mellow. Players will never get bored as they hear the wide variety of music as they play through the entire game. The sound effects used are top notch, from the boat engines, gunfire, and other noises heard throughout the game.

One of the only (and biggest) disappointments in this entire game is the length. The game will last around ten hours, and this is a real disappointment. There is so much going on in this game that you feel that it will last at least twenty or so hours. This is compounded further because once Beyond Good and Evil is over; the game leaves you craving for more of its excellent storyline, great gameplay, and great looking graphics. This is also really good on the developer’s part to make a game of this caliber and leave you craving for more once you are completed.

Beyond Good and Evil is rated T for Teen for Violence and Comic Mischief. It will take up 20 Memory blocks for saves.

Gameplay: 9.3
The game plays like a dream. The mixture of all the different gameplay elements into this game is perfect!

Graphics: 9.4
Beyond Good and Evil looks gorgeous, from the landscape to the character models, they are all brimming with detail. The in-game camera is also one of the best I have seen in a long time!

Sound: 9.1
The voiceovers are great! The actors put a lot of time trying to get all of the wit, sarcasm, and story telling elements perfectly.

Difficulty: Medium
The game can teeter on hard and easy on many different levels, but it is nothing that will prevent players from pulling their hair out. The hardest parts of the game are the stealth levels, but some of the most fun gameplay can also be had in these levels as well.

Concept: 9.0
The mixture of all of the gameplay elements is perfect. The game has an original premise and gamers will eat it up because of that. It is hard to put the controller down once you load this game up.

Overall: 9.2
If you own a GameCube purchase this game immediately. This is one of the few really good third party games released for this system this holiday season. This game mixes up a lot of elements in many other games and it comes together perfectly. Please don’t pass up this gem because you will regret it if you do!