Video games - Beyond Good & Evil

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	Video games - Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil is a video game for the GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox platforms. It was designed by Rayman
-creator Michel Ancel, developed by Ubisoft in-house (with Ancel on the team) and released in late 2003. It focuses around the exploits of Jade, a female reporter and the game's protagonist. It has been called "the best game that nobody ever played". One developer said that the title refers to Jade's quest for the truth, as the truth "goes beyond good and evil".

Gameplay

Beyond Good & Evil combines elements of an action-adventure game with those of a stealth-based game, among other genres. While Jade has the ability to attack enemies with her Daï-jo combat staff, she can also crawl and sneak around when necessary to avoid confrontation with enemies that outnumber her or are too powerful to engage in combat. At times, it is only possible to advance or defeat a certain enemy with the help of her friends Pey'j and Double H, creating an additional element of teamwork. Pey'j and Double H are mostly AI-controlled in that the player does not ever directly control them; however, the player can tell them to execute specific actions when those actions become available.

Being a reporter, Jade has access to a camera. This camera is mostly used to take pictures of animals and to get evidence of certain actions or objects that may help to disprove the claim of the government that the DomZ have agreed to peace.

Getting around the world of Hillys is accomplished via an upgradeable hovercraft, which is also used for races and other mini-games. The main city in which the player begins serves as a hub world allowing you access to the various areas you must explore in order to expose the conspiracy.

The game also has an on-line component called "" where registered players may enter scores. The score depends on a number of variables, such as the number of "pearls" you have found, the number of pictures you have taken, the mini-games you have won, and the time taken to get there. The score works the same no matter what platform the game is played on. After entering your code, there is an online mini-game that, upon winning, gives you an in-game code unique to your save file. This code unlocks a customizable mini-game.

Development history

The game was developed by Michel Ancel, the creator of Rayman
at Ubisoft's Montpellier studios in France. The game was reviewed highly, and was considered noteworthy for its immersiveness, strong voice acting, and a hauntingly beautiful score. However, unfortunate timing of the release against other titles led to disappointing sales. The game was intended to be the first part of a trilogy of games, but the game's poor sales placed those plans on indefinite hold.

Language encompassment

The North American version of the game features both English and Spanish versions. The European version, reflecting the continent's linguistic diversity, had versions in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch, each fully dubbed in the target language.

It is unclear what the "original" language of the game is, although it is most likely that it would be French, given that the game was written and designed by French designers in France. This is one of the few games available on the market that gives practically no clues as to the native language, as everything is localised, including signs.

Plot

The planet of Hillys is plagued by the frequent attacks of the alien DomZ army. The Alpha Sections, an army which came to Hillys to stop the DomZ, has been doing next to nothing to stop the kidnapping of the citizens by these aliens. The IRIS network, a group of journalists creating an underground paper to stop the Alpha Section's propaganda, has come to Hillys to stop the lies.

Meanwhile, Jade has been looking after the children whose parents have been captured by the DomZ, together with her pig-human uncle Pey'j. Jade, like most of the citizens of Hillys, initially believes that the Alpha Sections are doing all they can to defend the planet. When money runs low, Jade is forced to take a mission to photograph a rare animal in the depths of Black Isle, an extinct volcano. She finds that the reporting mission is merely a cover for a recruitment to the IRIS Network. Seeking the truth behind the DomZ war, Jade joins them, under her chosen pseudonym Shauni. From here, Jade goes on various assignments to publish reports to bring down the DomZ and the Alpha Sections. Her mission encompasses going to and retrieving information (via photograph) from three key areas of DomZ and Alpha Section activity: An abandoned Factory, Slaughterhouse, and finally, Hillys' moon. She suffers losses such as the capture of Pey'j and the children she is looking after, and travels throughout Hillys investigating the conspiracy of the Alpha Sections and the DomZ, alongside fellow IRIS agent, Double H, who joins her shortly after the capture of Pey'j. Jade had rescued him from a DomZ torture device in the Factory and from being taken over by a DomZ spore.

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