Beyond Good and Evil is like an all-platform version of The Wind Waker – stylish, engaging, but a bit too ambitious for its own good.
As mentioned above, Beyond Good and Evil's core gameplay is very reminiscent of Miyamoto's vibrant opus, though the two couldn't be further apart in tone. While they both share the same genre mainstays, (context sensitive interface, annoying stealth sections, mind-numbing puzzles, massive item searches, and water-drenched overworld) Beyond Good and Evil's atmosphere is much bleaker than the series from which its gameplay is derived. Whereas Zelda and even Dark Cloud have a fairly upbeat, fluffy tale to spin, Beyond Good and Evil's plot is chockful of government-sanctioned slavery, conspiracy, and the turmoil of war.
However, while the game's story is rather bleak (though engaging nonetheless), the graphics and art design are nothing short of awe-inspiring. On your travels, you'll encounter cities and underground bases that almost seem like cartoon versions of the Matrix's Zion, rhino men with Jamaican accents, and a talking pig, who serves as your faithful sidekick and trusty mechanic. Impressive particle effects and lighting round off the impressive package of eye candy. Your ears will be almost as happy as your eyes, as the game's score is epic in tone, and voiceovers are definitely better than the genre standard.
Beyond Good and Evil isn't as much of a revolution as the hype would have you believe, but that doesn't hinder it from remaining a shining example of how to make a gorgeous, solid adventure title using established genre precepts.
-George
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