Beyond Good & Evil (Multi, 2003)

• Mostly linear structure (can do some challenges (looter chases, animals to photograph, mini-dungeons in the city) and mini-games in any order, key gating on various sub areas early on, can't get the hovercraft and ship upgrades out of order (except via a bug) nor do the main dungeons out of order, mostly linear dungeons - can do the three main parts of the slaughterhouse in either order)

• Pretty frequent save points (three slots per game, shows current location only)

• Frequent checkpoints (regain half your health when dying)

• No backtracking to previous dungeons with new tools/abilities to progress or for optional items - only in the overworld and the city sub area

• Pretty good map system (2D TD view map of layouts, shows all floors in the current area and what you've explored as well as items that you've bought a detector for (pearls, animals - can get these after the first dungeon)+some points of interest on the current floor, zoomable though there's only two levels of zoom, quest objective markers), No mini-map, No maps for optional sub areas like Vorax's lair, Can't place markers or notes on the map - buildings aren't marked on it (photos can be used but their quality and size is so-so and you can't add notes or coordinates to them)

• The compass accessed while in a vehicle shows some points of interest but not the actual cardinal directions

• Lifebar and vehicle energy upgrades (found and bought over the course of the game) as well as charge attack upgrades. The charge attack is an AoE attack and the upgrade lets you shoot a few homing projectiles while performing it

• Some interesting tools/abilities for progression (hovercraft jump upgrade, flight and space flight via the ship; disc launcher lets you press some switches and move some objects from afar; the partner tools are used like keys during exploration)

• Fight and explore alongside a CPU ally for most of the game (Secret of Mana/Evermore and Silver)

• Some shortcuts, No teleporters (small world though)

• Some interesting mechanics (take photos of points of interest or different species and send to a science lab to make money (similar to Spider-Man (MD) and scanning in Metroid Prime)+for proof against the corrupt alpha sections), aimed knocking of stunned enemies and bombs into objects to progress/reach optional items/extract smaller crystals (money) from large crystals while the game pauses for a few seconds - similar to Ori 1 and Guacamelee, can subscribe to newsletters from the Iris network and Domz army to get both sides of the conflict, CPU ally moves triggered by the player - the pig can stomp to stun enemies, use food to lure out an animal at one point)

• Various neutral creatures

• Basic dialogue trees and you can offer items to your CPU allies (can actually offer health bar upgrades to them though it's generally better to keep them for yourself) - can also ask almost anyone about plot relevant subjects and get a variety of responses which generally feel believable which adds to the immersion

• Item drop magnet (so-so reach when on foot though)

• Some voiced assistance during action segments that also doesn't pause the action (can't review these if you miss them though; Half-Life?)

• Some good puzzles (electrical puzzles in dungeon 2, spatial reasoning in the slaughterhouse, some timing puzzles, code to room 2 in the bar) and some decent (light reflection puzzles, some block puzzles, some stealth, etc)

• Some scripted events during exploration (Pey'j getting caught, surprise chase scenes in the city, alien attacks and attack on your home)

• NPC conversations and behavior in the city evolves over the course of the game

• Optional stealth in some areas (can fight your way through but it's harder, can stun guards by hitting a weak spot on their backs but not silent takedowns - if there's another guard they'll be notified and go restore the stunned guard)

• Can ask your current CPU ally for tips at times

• Fight alongside CPU ships during the finale (this part is too short though)

• Can keep 11+ inventory health items for later use - OP

• Get fined for attacking civilian or military vehicles at sea (there's also friendly fire if you hit Pey'j during combat though it doesn't seem to do any damage)

• Kinda small areas between loading times (they're short though)

• Can't switch to the CPU allies (could've been used for puzzles or to use their abilities to explore)

• More than one entry point to one sub area (the city which is like a hub inside the hub which is the overworld)

• Some enemies respawn while others don't and shop items in dungeons don't (sometimes there's a switch to let you spawn more enemies for puzzles)

• Partial bestiary (alpha sections units)

• Unskippable cutscenes

• Partial log/journal feature (the game does save e-mails and mission briefing disks however, no dialogue message log)

• Usually stupid CPU allies and you can't order them to follow any sort of tactic without your input (see Secret of Mana, Wing Commander or Baldur's Gate for example)

Playthrough - Video Retrospective - Mini Review

Influenced by: Zelda series, possibly Ratchet & Clank or Jak and Daxter, Metroid series, Wave Race 64, Pokemon Snap, Soul Reaver series

Influenced: Legend of Kay?, Alice: Madness Returns?