Beyond Good & Evil HD

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 113
  3. Negative: 4 out of 113

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  1. NerdRage85
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    If you haven't played the original on the PS2, or Gamecube this is a must buy. For $10.00 this is a steal. I recommend this game to anyone who likes action games. It's a few years old but it doesn't feel dated. Only thing that still bugs me is the camera. This is a GREAT classic game at a GREAT price. Download today!
  2. durantemj
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    Obviously the gameplay is still the same, which isn't bad from a nostalgic standpoint. The graphics are smoothed over and essentially you are given the pleasure of playing this under-appreciated classic. Whether it holds up by today's standards is arguable, but that's not what you should be looking for with this game. It was great when it came out and it is honestly one of the bestObviously the gameplay is still the same, which isn't bad from a nostalgic standpoint. The graphics are smoothed over and essentially you are given the pleasure of playing this under-appreciated classic. Whether it holds up by today's standards is arguable, but that's not what you should be looking for with this game. It was great when it came out and it is honestly one of the best games you've never played. Remember that thing you used to have when you were a kid...what was it? .....ah yes, fun! Well that's this game. It's good clean, imaginative fun. Enjoy it.… Expand
  3. unironedman
    Aug 7, 2011
    10
    As a kid I played this game obsessively, but in the end I was rubbish at being sneaky, didn't understand what was going on and had an overwhelming sense of achievement when I photographed a dead whale. Still somehow Beyond Good and Evil spoke to me and has made me regret the ridding of the gamecube for a long while. So I bought an xbox, purely to play this and hope for a sequel. An amazingAs a kid I played this game obsessively, but in the end I was rubbish at being sneaky, didn't understand what was going on and had an overwhelming sense of achievement when I photographed a dead whale. Still somehow Beyond Good and Evil spoke to me and has made me regret the ridding of the gamecube for a long while. So I bought an xbox, purely to play this and hope for a sequel. An amazing soundtrack, brilliantly thoughtful plot and wonderful gaming style has made this impressive action puzzler one of the best overlooked games of the noughties. I seriously recommend you give it a try, and a full game for only a few quid makes it immensely great value!… Expand
  4. benoski
    Mar 3, 2014
    10
    A fantastic game from start to finish! If you've played the original release (like I did), then pick this up, right now! If you haven't played the original release, still pick this up!

    The most overlooked title of 2003. Period.

    Lets hope that Ubi releases that sequel soon!
  5. wordy_actions
    Mar 13, 2011
    9
    The greatest game you've never played. Seriously. I can't recommend this game enough. The setting and story are unique, as are the characters. The gameplay is a perfect mix of combat, stealth, puzzle solving, and platforming. What more could you as for? Actually now that I think about it, probably a sequel.
  6. Vashall
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    Nothing has really been changed at all...and that's the best part. The same great smooth graphics, colourful environments with lively soundtracks. It's the classic adventure game mechanic of run around and button smash to fight without the need for fancy unnecessary maneouvers with a little bit of stealth later on. It's a classic nostalgic candle that holds up well even to this day.
  7. UndeadBatman
    Mar 2, 2011
    9
    Its a delight to come back to classic that most have never heard of or played. Its a wonderful throw back to ps2 era and all the hidden gems the system hides
  8. remy4
    Mar 3, 2011
    9
    i played through the first 3 hours and i have to say that the critics are right: this is a unique action-adventure with a great story and beautiful art direction. its story is in some ways comparable to bioshock or half life 2 and also as well told. the brutal regime of the government in hillys, the place you start the game, is everywhere in the city, on big screens, telling lies to thei played through the first 3 hours and i have to say that the critics are right: this is a unique action-adventure with a great story and beautiful art direction. its story is in some ways comparable to bioshock or half life 2 and also as well told. the brutal regime of the government in hillys, the place you start the game, is everywhere in the city, on big screens, telling lies to the people. I was dragged into the story after 10 minutes already and after each mission i can't wait for the next thing to happen. rating: 9/10… Expand
  9. Forza182
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    Was really looking forward to trying this game out, however the camera settings are inexplicably cruel. You can only have one axes inverted at a time - Normalising one inverts the other. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE for me to control the camera properly. I hope an update sorts this problem out so I can give this game a good shot.
  10. JabbaTheSlush
    May 28, 2012
    9
    While the game at times seems sparse in detail and side adventures, it still is by and large a solid game for those wanting to give it a chance. Camera issues persist, though most current games of this same type have the same issues. It is a game with heart, made by a group of persons and not a jumble of different studios. Highly recommended.
  11. limelight
    Dec 8, 2011
    9
    SO glad I gave this game a second chance on XBLA. When it came out for PC in 2002 I played for about 30 minutes and thought it was a game about taking pictures and nothing more. 10 years later I finally bought the xbox 360 (XBLA) version, and today I'm going to finally beat the game. I see why they felt the need to bring it back to the mainstream.

    Pros: -By far some of the best    SO glad I gave this game a second chance on XBLA. When it came out for PC in 2002 I played for about 30 minutes and thought it was a game about taking pictures and nothing more. 10 years later I finally bought the xbox 360 (XBLA) version, and today I'm going to finally beat the game. I see why they felt the need to bring it back to the mainstream.

    Pros:
    -By far some of the best platforming around.
    -60 frames per second.
    -Clean, colorful graphics.
    -Fun mini-games (side quests). The racing games are surprisingly a lot of fun!!
    -Great music.
    -Great voice acting. -Characters are likeable.
    -Lots of things to collect and take pictures of to earn more credits (money). -Good campaign length (myself Im at 11hrs and about to do the last mission).

    Cons:
    -Combat is simplistic. -Even though the right analog stick controls the camera, if Jade is backed up against a wall and you try to rotate the camera it will refuse to go (the camera "hits" the wall and stops if you know what i mean).
    -Main map is great and very helpful- however it would have been 100x better if they added a HUD with a mini-map instead with an added "GPS" feature to pinpoint exactly where I want to go.    … Expand
  12. Rumsy
    Mar 6, 2011
    9
    I played this game six years ago on the 'Gamecube' from a recommendation on a review and was so amazed, being a fan of Zelda and other adventure games I had quite high expectations as it was more or less scoring the same. This game is wonderful, it feels to me as a mix of 'Abe's Oddysee' and the Zelda games, you would be crazy not to check this out at this ridiculously low price on the XBLA.
  13. thepain37
    Mar 6, 2011
    10
    this game is spectacular, highly recommended, this is a unique action-adventure with a great story and beautiful art direction. its story is in some ways comparable to bioshock or half life 2 and also as well told. the brutal regime of the government in hillys, the place you start the game, is everywhere in the city, on big screens
  14. UhOhZombies
    Mar 3, 2011
    9
    This was an overlooked gem of the last gaming generation and well worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time on XBL Arcade. It plays identically to its previous iterations, but the graphics have been updated for 1080p resolution and it looks great for an older title. I did run into some issues along the way, however. I had several instances where characters would bug and freeze inThis was an overlooked gem of the last gaming generation and well worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time on XBL Arcade. It plays identically to its previous iterations, but the graphics have been updated for 1080p resolution and it looks great for an older title. I did run into some issues along the way, however. I had several instances where characters would bug and freeze in place at a critical moment, causing a death and/or forced restart. I also experienced a complete lock-up of my system (a brand new 360 slim), requiring a hard reset of the console. Programming glitches aside, the game is fantastic and I highly recommend it to someone looking for a good 10-12 hour experience to tide them over until the big releases this month.… Expand
  15. norse
    Mar 8, 2011
    10
    God, it was good to play Beyond Good and Evil again. This was one of my favorite games back in the day, and I always felt it got shortchanged. Glad to see it make a strong comeback. The price is worth it for the music alone, the story is deep and the game mechanics are fun. Go do yourself a favor and get it from the marketplace :)
  16. wb33brown
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    This is a game that deserved as much commercial success as it did critical acclaim....but it didn't. Now all the neglecters have a second chance to play this astonishing game. The story is great, but far from being as good as lets say KOTOR or Mass Effect. Combat is simple, enjoyable, although not in an epic kind of sense.What makes this game unique is its weird yet fantastical world andThis is a game that deserved as much commercial success as it did critical acclaim....but it didn't. Now all the neglecters have a second chance to play this astonishing game. The story is great, but far from being as good as lets say KOTOR or Mass Effect. Combat is simple, enjoyable, although not in an epic kind of sense.What makes this game unique is its weird yet fantastical world and art style. Exploring is fun, vehicle gameplay functions just fine and is enjoyable, and the camera gameplay function works surprisingly well. But my favorite part of the game by far is its fantastical soundtrack which makes everything about the game even more enjoyable. I'm not going to say that everyone should play and enjoy this game,because not everyone is going to enjoy it, but if you are interested in a very interesting world with an unique art style/story, backed up with a fantastical soundtrack then I think this is the right game for you,my friend.… Expand
  17. SUPERFLY
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    What a find !!!! In a sea of xbox live arcade dross shines this gem. Anyone who is hitting or in there 30s, and can remember what good games used to be like, will love this game. I'm ashamed to admit that I missed it on it's original release back in the day, so THANKS to someone at Microsoft for letting this happen. There are hours worth of quality gaming in Beyond Good & Evil HD thatWhat a find !!!! In a sea of xbox live arcade dross shines this gem. Anyone who is hitting or in there 30s, and can remember what good games used to be like, will love this game. I'm ashamed to admit that I missed it on it's original release back in the day, so THANKS to someone at Microsoft for letting this happen. There are hours worth of quality gaming in Beyond Good & Evil HD that would be cheap at twice the price. Don't get me wrong, it's no Ocarina of Time, but it still rocks. If you're asking "What is an Ocarina of Time?" then shame on you, you don't deserve to play this game. Joking aside, this is an excellent game that doesn't coddle players and hand you everything on a plate like so many modern games. My only criticism is the camera control. I'm an inverted stick player (the proper way it should be done) but if you invert in this game it also inverts left and right. It's a shame but not enough to ruin the experience. Buy this game, play this game, enjoy this game, and stand tall as a true gamer.… Expand
  18. Wheezy247
    Mar 26, 2011
    8
    I highly regret not picking this up when it was originally released. Beyond Good and Evil is a great game, and it is sad that it did not sell well when it was released. The graphics have been improved since it was put into HD, and the game runs very smoothly. The cartoon style of the game is enjoyable and works perfectly well. The story is interesting and the characters are enjoyable. TheI highly regret not picking this up when it was originally released. Beyond Good and Evil is a great game, and it is sad that it did not sell well when it was released. The graphics have been improved since it was put into HD, and the game runs very smoothly. The cartoon style of the game is enjoyable and works perfectly well. The story is interesting and the characters are enjoyable. The combat is smooth and fluid, and I can see now that this was a pioneer game in combat systems. Ubisoft uses similar combat in games like Assassin's Creed. There are a lot of collectibles and animals to take photos of. The game took me roughly 12 hours to complete 100%, but it is entirely worth it. The game is only $10. If you missed the game when it was originally released, you should definitely check it out now.… Expand
  19. Kranitoko
    Mar 30, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beyond Good and Evil was released all the way back in 2003 on the Xbox, PC, PS2 and Gamecube. Sadly, it did not sell well, but a sequel was still announced. Beyond Good and Evil HD is like a second chance for the game, hoping to slightly boost the fan base ready for its sequel. Now personally, I never played this when it first came out, so it was a totally new experience to me.

    Set in the year 2435 on the planet known as Hillys, you first meet Jade, a woman who usually dresses in green (get it? Jade?). She looks after orphans, whose parents were killed by the DomZ. Jade is also in charge of bringing up the shield to protect the area from the DomZ. But she is out of money, so the shield can not go up, meaning Hillys is free to being attacked. When it is attacked, the DomZ attack Jade and speaks to her in a weird way. That's where Pey'j comes in, an anthropomorphic pig, who comes in and saves her. Once the DomZ is destroyed, Jade is in a bad situation. She is out of money and wonders how long she'll be able to protect the orphans for. She then learns about a job of being a photographer, and taking photos of the creatures of the planets before they suddenly may be wiped out by the DomZ. She is then asked to undergo some missions from the IRIS network, as they believe that the Alpha Sections are working with the DomZ, and ask Jade to find out the truth.

    The story is rather confusing to understand at first, and the ending will certainly confuse you, but as you think the story through, you'll get it in the end. Nowadays, stories are usually a lot more complex, so it's good that we've gone back to a time where stories made a little more sense.

    The game is free roam (Ubisoft is usually known for it's free-roam games) and you travel around using your Hovercraft. The way your defeat your enemies is by using your staff. The way you make money is by taking pictures of animals found all over Hillys. As you progress through the game, you pick up Pearls, which help you receive upgrade for your Hovercraft. Before you think you can avoid these upgrades, every one of them is crucial in some aspect. When you lose health, you need to use food to regain it again (it does not automatically replenish itself. Sorry). The two types of food you use are a "Starkos", which replenishes 1 heart, and "K-Bups", which replenish all your health. Hidden around Hillys are PA-1's, which increase your total health by one, and usually replenishing all lost health at the time of finding a PA-1, so if you are on one heart of health and no food, you better hope there is a PA-1 around the corner.

    There are quite a few boss fights, and no doubt there will be some which will make you want to destroy your controller. In order to get to those bosses, you have to make your way through a series of puzzles, which could take you up to 15 minutes on what to do next, so you really need to be patient with the game. I did also encounter a couple of bugs. Sometimes I got stuck in a wall for a few seconds, or it would look as if I was glued to the floor before I could start moving again. There was also a huge lack in fighting abilities. All you could really do is press X to fight, and then hold X for a charged attack.

    But fighting isnâ    … Expand
  20. drlowdon
    Nov 5, 2016
    8
    Originally released back in 2004 to critical acclaim but underwhelming sales word of mouth eventually lead to a cult following and a HD rerelease via Xbox live in 2011. Fortunately Beyond Good and Evil still largely stands up.

    Taking on the role of Jade, a photojournalist, the player is pulled into a political uprising on an Earth-like planet called Hillys. Joined by her uncle, Pey'j    Originally released back in 2004 to critical acclaim but underwhelming sales word of mouth eventually lead to a cult following and a HD rerelease via Xbox live in 2011. Fortunately Beyond Good and Evil still largely stands up.

    Taking on the role of Jade, a photojournalist, the player is pulled into a political uprising on an Earth-like planet called Hillys. Joined by her uncle, Pey'j (who for some reason is an actual pig) the two soon join an underground resistance group hoping to discover the truth behind an alien threat known as the DomZ as well as the Alpha Section who are supposedly charged with protecting the population.

    In terms of gameplay comparisons can certainly be made with the Zelda series with the main game world providing access to dungeon like areas. These dungeons are fairly inventive and involve a good mix of combat, exploration and (sometimes overly long) stealth sections. Being a photojournalist Jade is also armed with a camera that can be used to take pictures of the wildlife and enemies found within the game. This provides currency that can be used to purchase items and upgrades. Semi-Optional side quests such as hover craft racing also provide entertaining distractions from the main game and are a good way of earning 'pearls'. These can be traded at the local garage to add the improvements to your hovercraft that allow you to access new areas of the game world.

    Being a seven year old game there are of course problems, the biggest being the camera controls. It has been marginally improved on the Xbox live version but which ever iteration you play you are sure to spend significant time wrestling to get the right perspective. The in game map is also not as helpful as it could be, particularly in dungeons, meaning that you will find more than a few occasions where you are not quite sure where you should be going.

    These flaws are far from game destroying however and the in the end the games charm easily shines through. Don't miss out a second time as good sales could see the much anticipated sequel finally arrive.    … Expand
  21. superturtle
    Dec 14, 2011
    9
    This game is awesome! I just got it from XBL arcade for only 400 points... it may seem outdated in gameplay and graphics, but it's still very enjoyable! The story is really creative and interesting, and the gameplay kind of reminded me of the first time I played Rayman 2 for N64. This little game is a very fun adventure at a great price... definitely a top XBLA title!
  22. omnigate
    Sep 14, 2013
    8
    Very engaging game, keeps the action and rewards coming. I finished it in about 14 hours, great weekend game. Menus and hotkeys are intuitive, music is awesome, and graphics and sound are very good, but I couldn't figure out what age range they were shooting for and I thing that's a good thing. Felt like I was playing Tomb Raider Underword with all the good puzzles but also all theVery engaging game, keeps the action and rewards coming. I finished it in about 14 hours, great weekend game. Menus and hotkeys are intuitive, music is awesome, and graphics and sound are very good, but I couldn't figure out what age range they were shooting for and I thing that's a good thing. Felt like I was playing Tomb Raider Underword with all the good puzzles but also all the questionable camera control. I enjoyed the characters and voice acting, but don't expect to know too much about each character unfortunately. The game was virtually crash free except for the warehouse ending, which seems to be biting a lot of people. It would be nice if the developers put out a patch for this, although you can get by it, just might take several tries and rebooting your XBOX each time. There is no changing the axis during flying which made it a little difficult getting used to, and didn't try reversing the camera. Overall great game, great ending boss battles and cinematic.… Expand
  23. CenkAlp
    Jan 3, 2018
    6
    Hikaye = 7
    Oynanış = 6
    Grafikler = 5
    Sesler = 6
    Keyif = 5
    Atmosfer = 5
    Süre = 5

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
75
#75 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
16
#16 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. Worth Playing
    Jul 12, 2011
    80
    No doubt inspired by Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series, Beyond Good & Evil HD is an ambitious title that deserves to be played. It may not be groundbreaking today, but it is a key title on any essential list of video game gems. If you can force yourself to adapt to the controls, the experience is worth the hassle.
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  2. Gamer Limit
    Apr 24, 2011
    80
    Beyond Good and Evil has aged very well, looks great in HD, and continues to be a fun, charming experience.
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  3. GameWatcher
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    Boasts enough variety to keep it consistently entertaining, and so that you never know where you will end up.
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