If you are a Zelda fan, check this game out.

[Gadfly2317]

"Beyond Good and Evil" is getting a lot of Zelda comparisons, which is why I thought visitors to the Gamecube forum would be interested in it, even though its available on all systems as well as PC. It is getting great reviews, and the graphics are absolutely gorgeous. Here's a snippet from the IGN review, which is one of the more thorough reviews available:

"Can a game offer plenty of finger-twitching action, wow-worthy visuals, and still tell a story that's sophisticated, even profound? Can videogames convey social and political messages and still be a lot of fun? The answer, of course, is yes. It's just that in an industry so focused on technical accomplishment and razzle-dazzle, it's rare when all that style meets some very real substance. With Beyond Good & Evil, we've got one of those rarities. And it's a darned good time, too.

In one sense, it's easy to describe Beyond Good & Evil, the latest game from Rayman creator Michel Ancel. Its core game play is very similar to recent Zelda titles, especially the generally excellent The Wind Waker, with puzzle-laden "dungeons," vehicular transport to different parts of the game world, an intuitive combat system, and even heart containers. Add to this plenty of stealth levels, hovercraft racing, classic shooting sequences, and even some platformer-style elements (though somehow without the frustrating jumping). Then wrap it all up with a sophisticated story involving rich characters in a vivid, beautifully realized game world. Quick summary? It's Zelda for grown-ups, without the annoying fetch-quests."

Check it out, Gamecube and Zelda fans. Nintendo's not the only developer out there making great games for the little purple system.

[ilnadmy]

Yeah, I was considering this game too. There are a couple of things going against it though.

First, its length. It's noticeably shorter than Wind Waker. I believe BG&E clocks in around 15-20 hours. Not shabby, but not comparable to WW's 40 hours (I believe).

Second, its combat system. I downloaded the PC demo and played, and one thing it is sorely lacking is a Z-targeting system. Basically, to fight, you have to point your character at the enemy and repeatedly bash the attack button, and the character does automatic combos. Also, in the demo, the battle field had an invisible barrier around it, so you could not exploit the whole of the area you were fighting. However, it is important to note that this didn't take place in a level, but it was sort of a story set-up fight, so it took place in a battle arena of sorts.

I haven't played any of the console versions, and the GC version is coming out later (PS2 and Xbox versions are out) because Nintendo told them they needed some more bug squashing.

[Gadfly2317]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Yeah, I was considering this game too. There are a couple of things going against it though.

First, its length. It's noticeably shorter than Wind Waker. I believe BG&E clocks in around 15-20 hours. Not shabby, but not comparable to WW's 40 hours (I believe).

Second, its combat system. I downloaded the PC demo and played, and one thing it is sorely lacking is a Z-targeting system. Basically, to fight, you have to point your character at the enemy and repeatedly bash the attack button, and the character does automatic combos. Also, in the demo, the battle field had an invisible barrier around it, so you could not exploit the whole of the area you were fighting. However, it is important to note that this didn't take place in a level, but it was sort of a story set-up fight, so it took place in a battle arena of sorts.

I haven't played any of the console versions, and the GC version is coming out later (PS2 and Xbox versions are out) because Nintendo told them they needed some more bug squashing.</div>

I haven't gotten this game yet, but I decided I'm going to get it before I get Prince of Persia. I've got all the gaming I can handle for right now, so I'm going to get it right after christmas. This game looks to be very cool, and thing is, seems like everyone's buying Prince of Persia so it should be showing up used and/or drop in price quicker. Even though BG&E is Zelda like, it seems like it features a very cool, more adult story line, and what I know about it appeals to me more than the story and setting of PoP, even if that game got slightly better reviews for its excellent graphics and controls.

That's too bad it doesn't have Z-targetting, if it was going to go with a Zelda style game-play it should. One other comparison with PoP, I've heard that game is only around 12 hours, and a padded 12 at that. But length isn't really an issue. I often have trouble finishing games because the next big thing is out before I'm done with the last one. I do like to finish games, and the chances are better with games that run 12-20 hours, which seems like the right lengtht to me. Many games that are longer, are longer because of lots of trecking around, leveling up, or sidequests. I guess I'm not really looking to get my money's worth in lenght or replay. I just like a good solid, tight story/adventure and they pack a lot more punch at 15 to 20 hours.