Inside PlayStation Network - Beyond Good & Evil HD

The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.

Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We've got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.

For our latest entry, we take a gander at the HD revamp of classic platform romp Beyond Good & Evil.

-------------------

Developer: Ubisoft
Region(s) available: Europe
Players: 1

The very embodiment of a cult classic, Beyond Good & Evil originally hit stores back in 2003 garnering critical acclaim in the process, though ultimately failed to resonate with the buying public. The brain child of Michel Ancel, Beyond Good & Evil nonetheless maintained a cult following that continues to this day, with a sequel currently in the pipeline. Now re-released in sumptuous HD for PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade, the celebrated platformer has another shot at achieving the mainstream success it rightly deserved nearly a decade ago.

Beyond Good & Evil centres on heroine Jade, a photojournalist and orphanage-operator who finds herself inexorably drawn into a political uprising on the planet Hillys. Accompanied by her pig of an Uncle Pey’j (and we don’t mean figuratively either, as the bloke is literally a talking pig), the pair find themselves caught up in a struggle against a nefarious alien threat known as the DomZ. Indeed, the story attracted much praise upon release for its originality and rich, thought-provoking political undertones.

Beyond Good & Evil is an amalgam of popular gameplay conventions ranging from stealth, exploration, RPG and combat. You’ll venture through numerous urban-based locations, including military installations and industrial complexes, while moving from one Island hub to the next. Jade makes use of her photography skills by taking pictures of various life-forms, which rewards you with pearls used to upgrade your hovercraft. This in turns allows you to venture to new locations, as well as unlock new skills.

Fundamentally, your time will be spent exploring locations, gobbling up pearls and unlocking new upgrades while progressing through the main storyline. And, while Jade will go toe-to-toe with foes throughout her adventure, the aforementioned stealth mechanics will allow you to circumvent confrontations from time to time. Getting into a scrap shouldn’t be much problem though, as Jade is highly proficient in melee-based combat thanks to her Dai-jo staff, and isn’t too shabby at ranged battle either, lobbing discs at distant enemies.

Beyond Good & Evil also ensures both sides of the old Grey Matter are given a solid workout, with various puzzles punctuating the bread-and-butter core combat and exploration. Furthermore, this HD revamp also supports Trophy support and online leaderboards, giving long-time fans yet another reason to revisit Hillys aside from having a butcher’s at Jade’s glorious 1080p makeover.

Join us again tomorrow for another glance Inside PlayStation Network.