Beyond Good and Evil Review

Ted Puffer review: 4 stars

Beyond Good and Evil reminds me of Twinsen Relentless and Twinsen's Odyssey, which is a wonderful thing to happen. Relentless was a fantastic game which was totally immersive, meaning that you could get lost in the artificial world presented in the game within minutes, and when the game was over you'd be asking for more. What an adventure! A third installment of Twinsen is badly needed to round out the trilogy.
Good and Evil has the same cartoonish feel, but adds its own steampunk atmosphere which is beautiful and makes exploring every nook and cranny of the landscape a treat. In this game you play Jade, a judo photographer on a mission. With the help of your trusty friends you seek to uncover the forces behind a global war which is decimating the world and causing the unexplained disappearances of countless citizens. Your closest friend is a talking pig.
Yes, a talking pig.
I'm not sure about the symbolism of this, but the game was released with voice files for multiple countries which could explain the pig part. Maybe somewhere on Earth there's a country where having a talking pig as a best friend is normal, or a sign of good fortune. However it came about, it works. I'm sure there was a reason behind this character at some point in the development of the game, but by the time the game was completed the original explanation was lost. They kept the character and the game is better for it. Normally I'd think that having conversations with a protective porcine would interrupt the suspension of disbelief which is vital for the best games to capture the imagination. But in this case it works.
There is talk about a sequel, but nothing solid. Actually the last news announced the indefinite suspension of work on the project, but it’s hard to read anything into that. Gloomy forecasts are normal for any game in development and this may not be sounding the death knell for the project. I hope it doesn’t. This is a world that I’d love to revisit. And I’d like to talk to the pig again.