Why Beyond Good & Evil is one of the greatest games ever made

Then there’s Double H, a fellow member of the anti-Alpha Sections IRIS Network, who, though slightly brainwashed, is eager to assist in any way he can. Plus, he looks almost exactly like Buzz Lightyear, and he frequently spouts hilarious nonsense--the mere fact that he calls Jade “Miss Thyrus” for half the game (an after-effect of his brain damage at the hands of Alpha Section) is downright endearing. And then, of course, there’s Secundo, Jade’s Spanish-speaking AI, whose giggle-worthy appearances are absolutely delightful.

These characters frequently help Jade in combat, too. Despite her knack for mid-battle back flips and cartwheels (and the fact that she has a disc launcher that was OBVIOUSLY ripped straight from Revolution X), she’s not exactly trained in the art of fighting armored soldiers. But that’s one of the great things about this game: It’s not about being a one-person army or single-handedly defeating evil. Hell, Jade usually gets flat-out owned when taking on more than an enemy or two at a time.

Instead, she and her team are simply catalysts whose purpose is to spark a revolution, to rouse the citizens of Hillys from their blind trust in a manipulative entity concerned only with self-serving interests. Each mission concludes with new dirt being spilled on the sketchy organization, with scandalous images being sent out to the citizens in order to fuel their revolt. Thankfully, those citizens will believe every photo they see without being all like, “lol, Photoshopped.”

Take a look at the trailer for the HD version of the game

Indeed, storytelling is one of Beyond Good & Evil’s greatest strengths. Playing the game is kind of like watching a Pixar movie: At its most basic level, it’s full of stuff that anyone can comprehend and enjoy--the ensemble of fantastic gameplay mechanics, humor, and (lest we forget) the astounding soundtrack all have broad appeal. But the experience is packed with deeper implications, analogies, and parallels. Playing it through an “all growed-up” lens unveils some true, meaty substance that’s absolutely worth your attention.

It’s a game that explores a world controlled by militarism. The word of the Alpha Sections is law, and they enforce their authority through a climate of fear and terror. Their wickedness can only be unveiled through investigative reporting, and it can only be overcome by the widespread effects that reporting has on Hillys’ population. Watching the population revolt against its malignant guardians is one of the game’s finest moments, and knowing they did it as a result of your actions makes it all the sweeter.

So no, Beyond Good and Evil doesn’t reinvent or innovate. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, it just has a story to tell, and it tells it really well, earning it a spot on our list of the 100 best games of all time. Plus, even if you don’t care for its political undertones, you can bet you’ll still have a great time hunting for pearls and taking a bunch of photos of goat children.

"Why _____ is one of the best games ever made" is a weekly feature that goes through GamesRadar's list of the 100 best games of all time and highlights different titles, explaining why they're on the list, what makes them so amazing, and why we love them so much.