Beyond Good & Evil

Title
Developer
Publisher
Genre
ESRB Rating
Demo Release Date
Full Release Date
Platforms

Official Website
Demo Download Size
Review Date

Beyond Good & Evil
Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Action Adventure
Everyone
13th October 2003
2nd December 2003 Buy Now
PC (Reviewed), PS2, GameCube, Xbox
http://www.beyondgoodevil.com
160MB
28th May 2008

What did I think before playing?
Beyond Good & Evil is one of those games that the critics loved, along with players that took the time to play it. Unfortunately it came out during a busy Christmas period and got lost in the wash. I know I've had a copy of this game for the Xbox at one point, but never put it in the tray. I'm not really sure what the gameplay is like, but I'm expecting something slow and RPG like. Let's see what I'm missing.

What is included?
I think this is the opening 20~30mins of the game. Enough to teach you the basics of what you have to do.

What did I think afterwards?
I was hugely surprised. First of all, this is a four and half year old game so I am expecting this to be a bit of a clunker, but there are benefits to playing a title that old. The demo download is relatively tiny at 160MB compared to most modern day equivalents and the game installs, boots and runs very quickly. The whole thing just feels very lightweight which is extremely refreshing. Then there is the fact it isn't going to tax modern hardware, a point proved by the graphics which are superb. The animation flows smoothly and the cartoon-ish art style means the game fairs a lot better over the years when compared to other titles that strive for realism.
The characters were unique in terms of design and well acted. The controls were intuitive but had on screen prompts to let you know what your button presses would accomplish, just to be sure. Menus are laid out so that you don't need to take your fingers away from your mouse and WASD keys. Subtitles can be enabled which include avatars by the text so you know exactly who is speaking, even if they are off camera. The whole thing just feels well thought out and lovingly polished.
You jump straight into the game and start out with an intro scene. It seems some kind of long running alien war has been raging and an attack soon starts around our character's house. A quick fight and the introduction of a few of the characters later (partly through a simple choose-your-question text chat system,) and you soon go back into the house to have a few more gameplay elements explained to you, such as taking photos of the creatures on the planet, collecting items, using your inventory, using save points, completing objectives, etc. It all feels very natural and before long you are driving a vehicle and spending money in the store to upgrade your ship. The other items available give an idea of the progression of the game, with the most expensive item being an engine that lets you go into space. You end with a high action battle against a large alien, while shooting out of your vehicle. It is a disappointing end in that I would expect one last cutscene in celebration so I know exactly what the characters are going to do next, but hey, it must have worked since it has left me wanting more.
(Update: And wouldn't you know it? Ubisoft today teased a sequel. Talk about good timing!)

Would I buy the full game?
Yes. I'm going to see if I still have that old copy for Xbox packed up in the attic somewhere. If not, perhaps it will be a cheap download on Steam?

Demo Pros
Small download that runs well, sets up the premise and gives a good idea of the game play. Since the game itself is good, (I assume,) it would be hard for the demo to go wrong.

Demo Cons
I wanted to end on a cutscene, but thats about it.

Demo Rating 9 / 10

Thoughts after playing the full game?
If I play the full game I will put comments here about whether I feel the demo was representative of the final product and if I am happy with the purchase.

Sales Figures
If I can find sales information about a game after it has been released I'll add that here. It may be useful to track demos to sales performance.