> When we think of photo-journalists, lowlife vultures who pick the flesh off of corpses often spring to mind. The main character of Beyond Good & Evil, namely Jade (a woman who likes to wear green clothes and green lipstick to match her peculiar green eyes) is a little different though. The game is set on the world of Hillys, a planet under constant siege by a mysterious alien race known only as the DomZ who have kidnapped thousands of people for no discernible reason. The Alpha Sections, an elite military brigade present on the planet, has sworn to protect the people of Hillys at all costs, yet the attacks continue with no signs of relenting. Why, is the pressing question on most people's minds. The Alpha Sections also have a habit of showing up after attacks have taken place, and not before or during when they are needed the most. The lead character Jade and her uncle Pey'j (a pigman), have adopted some of the orphans created by this kidnapping spree for no other reason than out of the kindness of their hearts. During a DomZ attack, the shield protecting their lighthouse home goes offline because Jade has simply run out of money to power it. And so the story begins. Later Jade is offered work cataloging all the different species of animals inhabiting Hillys, which turns out to be the solution to all her immediate financial problems. As the plot thickens, Jade sets out to expose the truth regarding the DomZ with little more than her trusty camera and the help of her most trusted friends.

     > How anyone can consider this not to be a fun and worthwhile experience is mind-boggling. Why so many games (especially Japanese RPGs) are now forced to fit tried-and-tested molds if they hope to stand any chance of selling isn't something I like to ponder. IMO, bringing games to the masses was the best and worst thing that ever could've happened to them; no one can deny that the games industry has now been enslaved by the tastes of casual gamers (gamers who view games as nothing more than a form of general entertainment). We need games to make new molds every now and then instead of treading the same ground over and over again (of course that might sound a little hypocritical from a guy who wants to see a sequel to this particular game, but the point I've made remains a good one). Beyond Good & Evil strayed too far from tried-and-tested gameplay for its own good, and paid the ultimate price for being different. Am I wrong? While female characters are primarily used to bait in a male audience, Jade doesn't even come close to fitting this stereotype. She just acts natural. It's tragic when female lead characters rarely have any selling power among consumers unless they are half naked porn stars who pose for the camera at every available opportunity (some people might hate me for saying this, but I really doubt that Bloodrayne would've sold as many copies as it did if Bloodrayne were a man). In my opinion, Beyond Good & Evil is definitely worthy of a place in your collection of Xbox games no matter what any critic has to say.