Imagine a normal day in your life: you wake up, you go to school or work, and everything seems fine. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, everything that you know is turned upside down. You find yourself in the middle of a sneak attack from hidden enemies, you discover that the government is perpetrating a massive conspiracy against the populace, and you’re also sought after by a rebel movement that wants you to expose the dangerous truth to the world. Sounds like a lost episode of the X-Files, right? Well, it’s actually the latest title from Michel Ancel, creator of the well-known Rayman series. Prepare yourself to come with me Beyond Good And Evil, from Ubi Soft. The plot revolves around the planet Hyllis and the game’s main character, a young woman named Jade. A caretaker of a number of young children, Jade’s home is suddenly assaulted from outer space by an alien species. Sprinting for shelter, Jade quickly discovers that her home’s defenses have unexpectedly failed, leaving her, and more importantly, the kids vulnerable. Fortunately, thanks to some hidden abilities and the help of her friend and mentor Pey’j, she’s able to repel the alien invaders and save her friends. However, the publicity of her actions embroils her into a global conspiracy that threatens to destroy the entire world. Jade comes across like the Lara Croft from the original Tomb Raider, only more realistically proportioned. Strong, independent and self-reliant, Jade’s primary protection against attacks is wielding a long staff which she can channel energy through to perform more powerful hits. Extremely agile, many of her attacks involve spins, jumps and rolls as she assaults the aliens invading her world, which resemble odd bugs or serpents. However, she isn’t alone in her journey. Pey’j, her aforementioned mentor, also wields a mean crescent wrench, and assists Jade in her missions, fixing broken equipment, solving puzzles and lending a hand in the midst of battles. She also gets some information and help from her PDA, a digitized entity named Segundo who analyzes and collects items for Jade, as well as provides hints. These friends aren’t the only ones to help Jade as she adventures around the seemingly open-ended world of Hyllis. Jade will often return to the local garage whose Jamaican-influenced mechanics will repair and retrofit her hovercraft with the latest jet engines and weapons to attack sea monsters and other airborne threats. To build up her health and gain new equipment, she can trade the local merchant for goods that she finds along the way. Perhaps the most intriguing facet is the scientific study that she also undertakes. With the world under constant attack, Jade is tasked by the science institute to record every species on the planet she can find, with the promise of money or items for each success. A fledgling photographer, Jade can snap off photos to record each creature to acquire her rewards. There’s a ton to see and do in this game that I haven’t even mentioned in this preview, and while we were lucky to get our hands on early preview code, what we saw promises an amazing amount of gameplay for the main story, sidequests and mini-games. An interesting mix of animation and 3D modeling. Beyond Good And Evil hosts plenty of large, expansive areas, smooth, well-animated combat and scenic cutscenes. The music is also nicely done, from the ambient sounds within the city to the rising and falling score that accompanies every enemy encounter. Beyond Good And Evil should find its way to stores sometime next month, so check back then for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Beyond Good & Evil for the PC and all next-generation consoles? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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