Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context VideoGame / BeyondGoodAndEvil

Go To

1[[quoteright:289:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beyondgoodevil-001_1995.png]]
2
3->''"Expose the conspiracy. Capture the truth."''
4
5In a distant star system, presumably, sometime in the future, there is a peaceful mining planet named Hillys. The peace of this planet was shattered not long ago, when mysterious alien monsters called the [=DomZ=] invaded this part of the galaxy, striking in surprise attacks, and kidnapping people away to who-knows-where. A military organization called the Alpha Section appears to be keeping the [=DomZ=] attacks at bay, but they don't seem to be doing a very good job.
6
7In ''Beyond Good & Evil'' (2003), the player assumes the role of Jade, a young woman who lives on Hillys with her adoptive uncle, [[PigMan Pey'j]]. She makes a living as a freelance photojournalist and runs an orphanage in the lighthouse she lives in. One day, after a [=DomZ=] attack, she is contacted by the Iris Network, a subversive underground press organization and resistance group, that seeks to expose the truth about the Alpha Sections and rally the people of Hillys against them. She accepts their offer, reluctantly at first, and infiltrates Alpha Section facilities to take pictures of their suspicious activities.
8
9Designed by Michel Ancel of ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' fame, the game plays like a [=SciFi=] twist on ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. It combines simple yet engaging combat, with vehicle action, puzzle solving, stealth, and photography challenges. The environments are detailed and beautiful, and the characters are interesting and well-animated, in a stylized balance of cartoonish and realistic. It was released for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows, Platform/{{Xbox}}, Platform/PlayStation2, and [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], but sold few copies on any platform.
10
11The game got a download-only HD remaster for Platform/Xbox360 and Platform/PlayStation3 in 2011, simply called ''Beyond Good & Evil HD''.
12
13The PC version of the game was even packaged free with a [[http://www.giantbomb.com/news/get-beyond-good-evil-free-withcheese/946/?linktags=home,home-news certain brand of cheese]] in Canada in early February 2009.
14
15In 2008, ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil2'' was announced but ended up stuck in DevelopmentHell, before briefly emerging in 2017, though with no substantial news having emerged since, it is safe to assume that it is back there. See its trope page for more information.
16
17In the late July of 2020, Creator/{{Netflix}} announced that a film based on the game is in development. Rob Letterman, who previously directed another video game-based film, ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'', has been tapped to direct. While the film has yet to materialize, characters from the game are set to appear alongside other Ubisoft properties in the 2023 animated series ''WesternAnimation/CaptainLaserhawkABloodDragonRemix''.
18
19Not related to the book by Creator/FriedrichNietzsche under the same title. ''[[NonIndicativeName At all]]''. Or, for that matter, the second game in the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' trilogy. And not to be confused with the AboveGoodAndEvil trope.
20
21----
22!!''Beyond Good & Evil'' provides examples of:
23
24* AchillesHeel:
25** The Alpha Sections are vulnerable in their air tanks, and can be taken out if hit from behind. (One will fix another's tank, if there are two of them together. This can actually let you knock the buddy out, too, if you get the first one to face away while being fixed.)
26** Pey'j, on the first boss: "In the eye, Jade! That's his AchillesHeel!"
27* ActionGirl: Jade, who fights head-on with her dai-jo staff.
28* ActionMom: ''Adoptive'' mother, but it still counts--especially given that Jade's need to provide for her kids is what catapaults her into the story in the first place.
29* AdventureGame: A pretty straightforward example of the 3-D action/adventure genre.
30* AirVentPassageway: Jade crawls through many of these during levels, which can be used for traversal and stealth purposes.
31* AlienInvasion: Hillys has been undergoing one from the [=DomZ=] for years, but they thankfully have the Alpha Sections to help turn back the tide! [[spoiler:Except not really.]]
32* AmbiguouslyBrown: Poor, poor Jade. The surest way to start FanWank regarding this game is to ask this simple question: "So what ethnicity is she anyway?" Depending on who you ask, she's black, Hispanic, Native American, olive-skinned European, Asian, Arab, Caucasian but with a tan, or any mixture of the above. Evidence seems to be that you see her as what you want to see, and some think that she was deliberately created to be ambiguous so more people could identify from her, with InTheFutureHumansWillBeOneRace as justification.
33** As we learn in the ending, [[spoiler:she's actually [[AmbiguouslyHuman not human at all.]]]]
34** A number of other characters seem to have this going on as well. Double H is very tan, but it's not clear if he's just suntanned or if it's his natural color. The same applies to Hahn, but he's rather pale and also appears somewhat Asian.
35* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Yoa. The camera insists she's "Homo Sapiens," but most humans don't have bluish-white skin.
36* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Pulled with sidekicks instead of the main character, but it still fits.
37* AntiFrustrationFeature: While dying in most places makes you lose any items you used after the checkpoint, the Looter's Caverns and final boss return items to you after you're sent back to a checkpoint.
38* ArcWords: "Shauni"
39* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Several of the game's music tracks contain lyrics in nonsensical languages, with a few recognizable phrases sprinkled in. (The exception is "Fun and Mini-Games/Spanish Bar," which is, in fact, in Spanish.)
40%%** Propaganda!
41*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJeBUaLpxUU Propaganda, misheard lyrics]] by Zetragild for a funny take on the lyrics.
42* AttackItsWeakPoint: The Alpha Sections have a brightly colored tank on the back of their armour that incapacitates them if hit with a disk, and sends them flying into the atmosphere if kicked.
43* BadassCreed: The code of [[FictionalDocument Carlson & Peeters]], at least in ''theory.'' Double H seems to apply ''liberal'' amounts of MundaneMadeAwesome to his interpretation of it, though...
44* BashBrothers: How Jade and her teammates fight. When she's fighting alongside her sidekick, they can even use a combo "Super Attack" to send enemies flying.
45* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:The [=DomZ=] plan required Jade and the Hillyans to try to take out their lunar base]].
46* BeamSpam: Jade's "super attack" is somewhere between this and a MacrossMissileMassacre.
47* BeastMan: There are several non-human races that resemble Earth animals.
48* BigBookOfWar: '''''CARLSOOOOOON AAAAND PEEEEETERSSSSSS!'''''
49* BigCreepyCrawlies: The flies, the Crochax, and the Arachnis are all pretty large, though there are normal-sized creepy-crawlies around.
50* BigFriendlyDog: Woof, who is, sitting up, at ''least'' as tall as Jade herself.
51* BilingualBonus:
52** At least one song in the game isn't ''all'' in ForeignSoundingGibberish--the mini-game/competition song has some lyrics in Spanish, about pretty much what you'd expect a mini-game-song to be about (specifically, racing).
53** Bits and pieces of Secundo's dialogue are in Spanish. And Italian. And French.
54* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Unabashedly so - Jade and the IRIS Network are completely 100% good, the Alpha Sections and the [=DomZ=] are completely evil. Several reviews specifically criticized it for this, as its ([[ExecutiveMeddling publisher-mandated]]) title seemed to imply a greater degree of moral ambiguity. [[spoiler:The title rather refers to the initial premise of hyllians fighting the evil Alpha Sections being a tip of an iceberg, which gets partially revealed in the end (what with Jade's true origin and all).]]
55* BlackSpeech: The [=DomZ=] language. It certainly doesn't help that a lot of the time it's either being spoken with a deep, snarling voice in the recurring Dancing With [=DomZ=] theme or by the [=DomZ=] High Priest's VoiceOfTheLegion.
56* BlaseBoast: Pey'j, accidentally. [[spoiler:When Double H relates to him about being trapped in a mind-wiping machine for 16 hours and barely got out intact, Pey'j casually mentions he was in there for three weeks.]]
57* BoisterousBruiser: Pey'j. His politeness runs from "informal" to "obnoxious", [[LargeHam he's very capslock]], he likes to hang around in bars, he's full of wise advice, his presence is bigger than his physical size, and [[spoiler:he's the leader of his very own rebel organization]]. However, he's TheSmartGuy rather than TheBigGuy. But if he's not TheBigGuy, he gets to be [[PigMan The Pig Guy]].
58* {{Bookends}}: The game begins and ends with a shot of Jade awakening from a meditative trance, accompanied by variants of the same song.
59* BorderPatrol: At the borders of the main map, you'll get the warning "you are now leaving territorial waters". If you continue, you'll get picked up and carried back.
60* BraggingRightsReward: Collecting all the pearls gets you a minigame that has no effect on the game proper, and taking pictures of every animal gets you an album containing all the pictures you took of said animals.
61* BunnyEarsLawyer: Both Pey'j and Double H have abilities beyond what their [[PluckyComicRelief comical exteriors]] would suggest.
62* ButtMonkey: Bad things happen to Jade and Pey'j because it moves the story along. Bad things happen to Double H because it's funny. Even a pre-teen goat boy gets away with picking on him...
63* CallASmeerpARabbit: The "Teratosaurus" shares its name with a real prehistoric reptile, but it looks like a cross between a dragon and a centipede.
64* CallingYourAttacks: "Jet Boots Attack!"
65* CameraSniper: Used in the opening.
66* CanisLatinicus: All the {{Beast M|an}}en have taxonomical names that ''end'' in ''Sapiens'' but are of different ''genus''; for example, Jade's "uncle", Pey'j, is a "Sus Sapiens" or "Sentient Pig."
67* CannedOrdersOverLoudspeaker: Alpha Sections leader General Kehck on the floating screens in the market.
68-->"'''[[IncomingHam Loyal Hillyans!]]'''"
69* CarnivoreConfusion: Not only do we have an anthropomorphic cow bartender ''and'' a slaughtered cow corpse in a freezer, we also have several jokes about eating Pey'j. It's a ''little'' more understandable given that the anthropomorphic animals are shown to be separate species from their non-anthro counterparts, but it's still kind of weird to look at.
70** Interestingly, several of the cow-bartender's patrons are ''sharks'' (one of whom quips about eating families). Seems like it'd be hard to keep the peace.
71* CatGirl: Meï, the VoiceWithAnInternetConnection.
72* ChekhovsGun: If you check Pey'j's inventory you'll spot an [=MDisk=] you can't do anything with. [[spoiler:Later on, Pey'j gives Jade the [=MDisk=] just before he's captured by the Alpha Sections, and it turns out the it contains important information about Jade's past, as well as telling you about the Beluga.]]
73* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:Secundo is seen onscreen twice at the start of the game. You hear his voice every time you acquire certain items, and he comes in handy at the climax.]]
74* CityOfCanals: The city area of Hillys, which makes sense for a planet that's mostly made up of water.
75* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Alpha Sections and the Hillyan Army wear massive PoweredArmor.
76* CloudCuckoolander: Double H, at least when you first meet him. To be fair, [[EasyAmnesia it isn't entirely his fault]]. He gets better, but still retains a few somewhat airheaded traits.
77* CollectionSidequest:
78** The animal photographs. You only need to take two at the very least, enough to pay your bills and advance the plot. The first eight also give you the enhanced zoom, which is highly useful for both the rest of the photographs and missions. Its primary purpose after that is to earn money, which can be done other ways. It's the easiest way to make money, though, and will give you plenty of overhead, especially if you buy the animal tracker which marks targets on the map.
79** To a lesser extent, the Pearls. Yes, you need a certain amount to purchase the appropriate upgrades in the game, but getting them all nets you a mini-game.
80* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: [[spoiler:The [=DomZ=] and Jade are both green.]]
81* ComicBookTime: Trying to keep track of how much time as passed in the main plot can be a little disorienting. When you bring Double-H back to headquarters to save him from the [=DomZ=] parasite, you're told it'll take a few weeks for him to recover, but as soon as you leave the room he's perfectly fine, [[spoiler:and no matter how quickly you get to the Moon, Pey'j will have spent three weeks in a [=DomZ=] torture device.]] Either there's a lot of unseen {{Time Skip}}s, or Jade is spending days, if not weeks, inside the Alpha Sections facilities.
82* ContextSensitiveButton: There are two "action" buttons in the game: One for Jade, and one for whoever is following her. The gameplay is heavily based on this.
83* ContinuingIsPainful: When continuing after dying Jade will only be at half of her maximum health, or just four hearts if you've collected enough health increases. This is painful in some moderately tricky stealth sections which feature instadeath traps. Some players don't bother healing up from there since another death is probably just around the corner.
84* CurseOfTheAncients: Pey'j both plays this one straight and subverts it. On one hand, he's prone to several "Consarnits!" and "Conflabbits!" On the other hand, his favorite epithet appears to be the decidedly less ancient "Sweet Jesus!"
85* {{Cutscene}}: In-engine, and very well done.
86* {{Cyborg}}: The [=DomZ=] robot is made out of metal factory parts and raw flesh, potentially making it this.
87* DamnYouMuscleMemory
88** Controls for taking photographs switched camera control from one joystick to the other in the [=PS2=] port. This is hell when trying to take a photo during combat.
89** And if you're playing on the [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], try going between this game and ''VideoGame/StarFox Adventures.'' (Or better yet, don't--unless you like mad flailing.) Both have staff combat. Both have partner mechanics. Both have similar inventories. Both are Zeldalikes. Both have ''completely different controls.'' (Yet not different enough to stop you from getting confused.)
90** Controlling the (game) camera is a pain as the X and Y axis cannot be reversed separately and they operate halfway between most games standards. (Most games have tilt left to look left but tilt up to look down, this has left for left and up for up and you can only reverse both at once.)
91** [[spoiler:The final boss inverts your movement controls, which happens between checkpoints so you have to use both the normal and inverted control in the same checkpoint if you fail.]]
92* DeathCourse: In particular, this game loves the LaserHallway.
93** Alpha Section HQ, an optional sidequest area, stretches your stealth skills to the limit. Avoid detection by the dozens of guards at all costs, or get ''instantly'' vaporized!
94* DefeatEqualsExplosion: All the enemies. Exploding on death must be a quirk of the [=DomZ=]'s physiology.
95%%* DeflectorShields
96* DetailHoggingCover: The "box art" for the [[http://www.bgemyth.net/visionneuse.php?code=g_bgehd_officiel_14 HD rerelease]] ''really'' ramps up the detail, to slightly creepy extent. The HD game does look slightly nicer, but the cover suggests an almost complete graphical overhaul.
97* DevelopersForesight: Since Jade [[spoiler:picks up an upgrade that lets her shoot unlimited energy discs in the Factory, the switches opening the various DoorToBefore are usually located around the next corner and/or require a special key to use, preventing the player from shooting them from the "wrong" side.]]
98** One console in the factory that needs a code is right behind a guard. Should Jade have sneaked behind that guard instead of defeating it (and most players will defeat it, as it's facing its back to Jade), the cutscene will play differently, with Jade being in a crouching position while the cutscene plays and double checking that the guard didn't notice anything.
99* DialogDuringGameplay: Jade and her companions talk very frequently. Sometimes it's to [[ExpositionFairy explain things]], but sometimes it's just for entertainment.
100* DoorToBefore: See that laser fence? The button to deactivate it is on the other side. You know what to do...
101* TheDragon: [[spoiler:General Kehck, who is helping out the [[DomZ Priest]]]].
102* EasterEgg: If you talk to Yoa at various points in the game, she'll tell you some incredibly helpful things. The problem-she barely speaks a word of English, so what you understand amounts to a vague and unhelpful hint, and you probably won't figure out what she meant until it comes up in the course of the plot. The only indication that she's said anything important is her use of the phrase "batahn-batahn", which context suggests is roughly "tadah".
103** Just a little thing, and it's not exactly hidden, but Pey'j waves if you point the camera at him.
104** The PC version contains a ParodyCommercial featuring Ed, the protagonist from Ancel's ''VideoGame/TonicTrouble'', on the giant screens above the racetrack.
105** One of the creatures you can photograph is the ''Aedes raymanis'', a VideoGame/{{Rayman}} mosquito.
106* ElectricJellyfish: "Sweet Jesus! Jellies!" Pey'j reacts with ''zeal'' to being zapped by one, though that's probably his BoisterousBruiser side showing through.
107* ElectricTorture: Double H undergoes this until Jade thankfully rescues him.
108* EmpathyDollShot: If the [[spoiler:destroyed lighthouse]] wasn't depressing ''enough...''
109* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:Pey'j grows a [=DomZ=] eye on his palm at the end.]]
110* EnemyWithin: [[spoiler:Jade, who is revealed to be the human incarnation of Shauni, possible queen or goddess of the [=DomZ=], who is important for their survival.]] Though it isn't really a split personality, but [[spoiler:Jade herself actually being Shauni.]] Might add a bit of FridgeHorror to the story.
111* EnergyWeapon: The Alphas' hammers can sometimes shoot these.
112* EruditeStoner: The Mammago brothers. Despite being the best mechanics in the land, they're rather, uh, "mellow." Suspiciously mellow. The [[http://www.bgemyth.net/visionneuse.php?code=g_artwork_24 original concept art for their garage]] had a marijuana leaf on the door, but they cut that for some unfathomable reason. And while in English the three have the names Hal, Babukar and Issam, in the original French the first one is called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile]].
113* EscapeSequence: Two of the Alpha Section bases Jade breaks into feature these at the end, forcing you to flee the BeamSpam of the soldiers chasing you.
114* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Jade's first act is to go MamaBear on some child-stealing aliens.
115** Pey'j jumping into the pit to save her, while shouting at the top of his lungs. He immediately makes himself a distraction, buying Jade time and defeating the monster.
116** Double H, mangling Jade's name even as he's enthusiastically swears his loyalty to her. Right after that, he uses his head to get them out of there, and then falls down a pit because he forgot to stop in time.
117* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Double H always goes by his codename, despite the fact that he never addresses anyone else by ''their'' codenames. There's one cutscene where he gets called "Hub," though.
118* TheEvilArmy: The Alpha Sections, [[spoiler:who are conspiring with the [=DomZ=]]].
119* EvilIsHammy: General Kehck. His death scene is a marvel of thespian excess.
120* EvilSoundsDeep: The [=DomZ=] priest sounds like he's slowly dying of some disease.
121* ExploringTheEvilLair: [[spoiler:Jade and Double H fly to the moon and infiltrate the [=DomZ=] main compound in the climax]].
122* EyeScream: [[spoiler:The [=DomZ=] Priest. RIGHT in the eye, hell yeah.]]
123* {{Fartillery}}: Pey'j's Jet Boots run on, er, "home-made biocarburant" and "pressurized methane." If his battle cries are anything to go by, he ''does'' have a penchant for Mexican food...
124* FirstNameBasis: When Double H stops referring to Jade as "Miss," things have officially Gotten Serious.
125* FirstPersonSnapshooter: One of the central mechanics. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since Jade is a photographer.
126* FlunkyBoss: The starting boss, first "real" boss, and the FinalBoss. The enemies they summon range from relatively harmless ElectricJellyfish to [[spoiler:[[ShapeShifterGuiltTrip guilt-tripping]] shapeshifters with BIG hammers.]]
127* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: Some species on Hillys look like they should be underwater rather than in the air. The Vorax, the Teratosaurus, both Mantas, and the Nautilus are all major offenders.
128* {{Foreshadowing}}:
129** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZHqh19LQdo first combat track of the game]] is made up of an ethereal chorus and [=DomZ=] BlackSpeech, but one word is distinctly discernible: "Shauni". [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Jade is revealed to not be human, but a being called Shauni that is very important for the [=DomZ=].]]
130** When Jade first asks Pey'j if he's heard of the IRIS Network, he panics and quickly warns Jade that it might be a trap. [[spoiler:Makes sense, since he's secretly the leader and doesn't want to get Jade wrapped up in the Alpha Section's conspiracy.]]
131** Jade passing out at the start of the game and Pey'j yelling about getting her some kind of serum in the distance is a fairly easily-forgotten scene. [[spoiler:Then you find out at the end of the game that Jade isn't exactly human.]]
132** Jade can smack around armored soldiers and aliens with her wooden staff, which glows at the ends, and has an unexplained Super Attack she has to charge up. She also takes minimal damage from hammer strikes and point-blank mine explosions, and doesn't have the technology and bulk like Pey'j or Double H. [[spoiler:Turns out it's not just RuleOfFun, or the game's ''Zelda'' inspirations; she actually has preternatural abilities.]]
133* ForgotToPayTheBill: In the opening cutscene, the shield protecting Jade's house from alien invasion gets shut off because of this trope.
134* FriendToAllChildren: All three of the main characters. Jade and Pey'j most obviously, since they ''do'' run an OrphanageOfLove, but Double H shows his kinder side off in the PhotoMontage during the credits.
135* FunnyAnimal: Many characters are non-human, animal-like humanoids. For bonus tidbits, they also have plausible taxonomic classifications, like ''Sus sapiens,'' which literally means "wise pig".
136* GameBreakingBug:
137** On some playthroughs, the second triangle key doesn't become accessible, requiring a save state editor in order to continue.
138** Also, sometimes Double H will disappear in the Slaughterhouse and never reappear. Hope you have an earlier save!
139* GentleGiant: Double H is surprisingly playful when he's not pounding things into the dirt with his hammer.
140* GlobalCurrencyException: Mammago Garage only accepts (illegal) pearls. There are, however, hints that pearls weren't always illegal currency.
141* GoForTheEye: Many of the [=DomZ=] enemies.
142* GoodScarsEvilScars:
143** What's with that scar across Pey'j's eye, huh?
144** Fehn (the literal kid) also has one across his nose. Fehn could have gotten it when the [=DomZ=] took away his parents in an attack.
145* GottaCatchEmAll:
146** Your first quest is to take photos of an example of ''every single living thing on the planet.'' It keeps you well funded so long as you keep up with it, and you get an album of all the photos you took if you manage to get all of them.
147** And then, to a certain extent, the pearls. You don't need all of them to progress, but you get a fun little reward for it.
148* GroinAttack: Shoot a projectile at the crotch of a guard and watch them double-up in pain. It's fun!
149* GuideDangIt: ''The final boss''. You have to hit him [[PuzzleBoss in a very specific order]] and you can't let him hit you or the entire sequence resets, potentially letting the fight drag on ''forever''. The InterfaceScrew he throws at you doesn't help in the least.
150* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Even if you mercilessly slaughter their buddies, you can run around a corner and they'll dismiss you as "nothing."
151%%* HealThyself
152* HeartContainer: The PA-1 devices hidden around Hillys are almost literal examples, with 13 of them in total. There are also 6 "Impulsers" to be found that increase the Hovercraft's health by one Wrench each.
153* HeroicBSOD: "Who did you think you are? Did you think you'd actually be able to make a difference? Well, you were wrong. ''Completely and utterly wrong.''"
154* HonoraryUncle: Pey'j. He's technically Jade's godfather, but if you dare suggest that they're [[TrueCompanions anything less than real family]], you're liable to get pounded.
155* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Double H is about a head and half taller and three times as wide as Jade. Heck--most non-child male {{NPC}}s dwarf her. Of course, her and Pey'j [[TinyGuyHugeGirl invert this trope]]--she's a head and a half taller than ''him,'' although much skinnier...
156* HumanResources: The [=DomZ=] use the Hillyans as a power source.
157* HyperspaceArsenal: A literal one, the S.A.C.(Synthetic-Atomic-Compressor) device on Jade's hip stores physical objects as energy patterns for later retrieval.
158* IdleAnimation: Jade places her hands on her lower back and thrusts her chest out, stretching. And that's pretty much the only bit of {{Fanservice}} you get. Jade's partners have them, as well; there are a couple different ones for each character.
159* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The Alpha Sections soldiers in both chase scenes. Even their leader isn't immune to it! It's an AcceptableBreakFromReality, though; if they kept their usual accuracy, those sequences would be downright impossible to beat.
160* ImprovisedWeapon: Although Pey'j's wrench is ostensibly intended to be used for fixing machinery and cutting wires, it makes a handy bludgeon.
161* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: One Alpha Section compound is full of them. [[MalevolentArchitecture With laser fences that serve no other purpose than to keep you off.]]
162* InsurmountableWaistHighFence: You can't climb or jump over a box that's waist high. But you can leap over the waist-high laser beams next to it.
163* InterfaceScrew: The [=DomZ=] Priest.
164* IntrepidReporter: Jade, of course. She has her own agency and ends up right in the thick of the biggest conspiracy in Hyllian history.
165* InUniverseGameClock: Days do pass, but they're mostly atmospheric. A few animals for the CollectionSidequest do pop up only at certain times of day, though.
166* InvisibleWall: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. The field of play is bounded by sentinel spires that shoot oddly harmless bursts of energy to turn Jade back if she attempts to "leave territorial waters." It fits well with the general theme of a government that doesn't trust and can't be trusted.
167* IOweYouMyLife: Double H is ''extremely'' grateful to Jade for saving his life.
168* IronicNickname: "Peepers," the blind man who fronts for IRIS. (Well, ''ambiguously'' blind, anyway. He always wears dark glasses, his gaze is unfocused, and he identifies Jade by ''smell,'' but he somehow knows when she approaches, doesn't have a cane, and somehow manages to "see" a picture put up on a screen.)
169* ItsQuietTooQuiet: Double H says "It's too quiet around here. [[BeingWatched Somebody's watching us,]]" [[spoiler:when he and Jade first enter the external corridor to the Cloister on the moon.]]
170* JamesBondage: Both Pey'j and Double H get their time in the, uh, cage.
171* JustifiedCriminal: One of the pearls (which is hardly necessary to complete the game) is located inside an apartment. Covertly stealing the room code and the pearl within causes Jade to comment that she has more need of it than its previous owner.
172* KentBrockmanNews: Fehn Digler's news program at the beginning of the game.
173** Final broadcast from "The Hillyan Word", mouthpiece for the Alpha Section. [[spoiler:"The truth has finally been revealed by our trustworthy colleagues from the [=IRIS=] Network. The Hilllyan People have joined forces to drive the Alpha Sections out of Hillys. Once again, the honorable journalistic profession was able to show that it had a preponderant role in history."]]
174* LanternJawOfJustice: Double H has one. A briefly visible, DummiedOut early character model for him actually suggests that it used to be ''bigger,'' and Hahn had one as well.
175* LaResistance: The IRIS Network is dedicated to stopping the Alpha Sections and taking back control of the planet.
176* LargeHam: Pey'j ([[FunnyAnimal no pun intended]]) and Double H. Plus the announcer at the races. And General Kehck in his public announcements.
177* {{Leitmotif}}: Guttural [[OminousLatinChanting chants]] for the [=DomZ=].
178* LifeEnergy: The [=DomZ=] suck you dry of this stuff.
179* LightAndMirrorsPuzzle: Near the end of the game.
180* LighthousePoint: Where the orphans are taken care of. It's a non-creepy variant.
181* LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy: On Hillys, humans and anthropomorphic animals like pigs, cats, sharks, and rhinos live alongside regular animals like dogs. While Hillys has its own animal life, none of them have anthro counterparts. It's revealed in the prequel that these anthros are actually called "hybrids" and were genetically engineered by humans from Old Earth to colonize the stars.
182* LiteraryAllusionTitle: Sort of a Literary Allusion NonIndicativeName, though. ExecutiveMeddling caused the title; it was originally ''Between'' Good and Evil.
183* LivingMacGuffin: Also, possibly, [[spoiler:SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan]], but it's unclear.
184* LonelyPianoPiece: The piece "Enfantes Disparus," that plays when [[spoiler:you return to the destroyed lighthouse.]]
185* ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway: While Hillys has anthropomorphic beings based off of Earth animals along with humans and is part of a larger solar system, there's no mention of Earth anywhere.... but then, the prequel game confirms that Earth exists, or rather ''did''.
186* MamaBear: Just because they're not Jade's biological children doesn't mean you should mess with them. ''You will get your alien behind handed to you in a plastic bag.''
187* MartialArtsStaff: Jade's choice, as a martial arts master.
188* MeaningfulEcho: Double H has a tendency to rattle off Carlson & Peeters-isms at random, so none of them seem incredibly important, at first. [[spoiler:However, when he [[TakeMyHand saves Jade from plummeting to her doom]], he turns one of them from a generic "[[FauxtivationalPoster fauxtivational]] statement of team solidarity" to a genuine admission of his [[TrueCompanions care and trust for her]].]]
189** "D! B! U! T! T! Don't break up the team!"
190* MeaningfulName:
191** Jade (the stone) symbolizes immortality and resurrection. [[spoiler:Jade (the girl) can bring people back to life.]]
192** Jade's alias "Shauni" is an in-universe example. [[spoiler:It's the name with which the [=DomZ=] refer to their deity.]]
193* MegaMicrobes: A good number of animals that can be photographed are gigantic one-celled organisms, especially in the Ancient Mine.
194* MiniGame:
195** Francis' Pallet Game in the Akuda Bar.
196** Issam's Pearl Game, [[spoiler:which is your reward for finding all the pearls in Hillys.]]
197* MissionBriefing: The IRIS network is fond of these before missions.
198* MissionControl: The IRIS network.
199* MoodWhiplash: Silly setting plus serious plot--and TearJerker scenes combined with outright slapstick--equals one very confused, but at least entertained, audience.
200* MookChivalry: Crochax will always attack one at a time, even when they outnumber you five to one. Averted with many other enemies, though, such as the Alpha Sections soldiers.
201* MookMaker: Several areas include devices that continuously vend robot enemies on demand. This is meant to help you disable certain barriers by turning them into projectiles.
202* MrExposition: Hahn.
203* MysteriousWaif: Yoa. She has no plot significance that we know of--yet--but she's so ''strange'' it's hard not to wonder. Plus, she is either a spy or [[WaifProphet prophetic]].
204** Yoa has a strong physical resemblance to Yorda in ''VideoGame/{{ICO}}'', and even has speaks an unknown language like Yorda. Possibly a ShoutOut.
205* NarrativeFiligree: One of the things the game was initially praised for was for the way its setting actually felt like a ''world,'' with little details like advertisements, Jade's friendship with seemingly random [=NPCs=], and all the animals.
206* NoHeroDiscount: In addition to the normal "making you pay for things even as the world is ending" deal, the game starts off with the energy field that protects you from the aliens failing--''because you forgot to pay your power bill''.
207* NoIndoorVoice: Pey'j. Being on a stealth mission won't stop him from yelling "I'M COMIN', JAAAADDDEEEE!"
208* NonSequiturThud: "They...shoes...the..." *whump*
209* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: As dictated by "[[BadassCreed Carlson and Peeters!]]"
210* OhCrap: Probably how Jade and Pey'j feel when they realize [[spoiler:how huge and terrifying the Pterolimax is]].
211* OlderSidekick: And two of them, to boot: Pey'j and Double H.
212* OminousLatinChanting: The song "Dancing With [=DomZ=]", the final boss theme, "Sins of the Fathers," and many other themes involving the [=DomZ=].
213* OneSteveLimit: A rare aversion: Both the orphan Fehn and the reporter Fehn Digler have the same name.
214* OrphanageOfLove: Jade's Lighthouse Shelter.
215* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: Averted hard, as the passcodes for various locks in the game are randomly generated for each playthrough, and while they always follow the pattern "Letter-Digit-Letter-Digit", this leaves 67,600 possible combinations (26 x 10 x 26 x 10).
216* PermanentlyMissableContent:
217** Averted with the [=DomZ=] serpent RecurringBoss. Even if you beat all of them without ever taking a photograph, you can find the skeletal remains of one in a cave that you can photograph instead. Likewise, the Pterolimax doesn't die after being defeated, and it is possible to go back into the mine and photograph it bouncing around at any later point. The [=DomZ=] sarcophagus is a different matter; don't get a picture while fighting them in the Slaughterhouse? Well, you'll have to wait till the final battle to get one, and by then you'll have more pressing concerns.
218** One animal that does count as permanently missable is the SpaceWhale that's found on route to the final area of the game. Its in a block of ice and you need to shoot at it to free it. Since its a one way trip, you won't get the chance to photograph it again.
219* PermaStubble: Double H has a case of this that doesn't get any better or worse after you rescue him.
220* PhotoMontage: The ending credits.
221* PickupHierarchy:
222** '''Primary:''' Pearls
223** '''Secondary:''' PA-1's/the vehicle equivalent, Animal Photos
224** '''Tertiary:''' Materia Crystals (money)
225* {{Planetville}}: Almost the entire story takes place in what is essentially one population center. Possibly justified, as there doesn't appear to be anything but water outside of town and the Governor of the planet lives there herself.
226* PlanetLooters: The [=DomZ=], who take away a very valuable resource: [[spoiler:the life force of living beings]].
227%%* PlayfulHacker: Nino.
228* PlotCoupon:
229** The pearls, used to purchase equipment for your vehicles in order to gain access to other areas of the world.
230** Also the photographs during missions and the first few animal photos get you a new zoom for your camera that you'd be pretty helpless without.
231* PluckyComicRelief: Pey'j is comic relief and he knows it; he supplies plenty of jokes, [[ButtMonkey is the butt of a few]], and always keeps his chin up. He's even a bit of a BoisterousBruiser at times. Double H comes off as comic relief due to his [[BunnyEarsLawyer weird mannerisms]], though it's suggested that he's actually quite self-aware.
232* PluckyGirl: Jade isn't afraid to get into danger to discover the truth and is rarely discourage.
233* PoirotSpeak: Secundo, again. What's weird is that it's never established whether the thing is supposed to be French, Spanish, or Italian. It actually uses idioms from all three languages. (And his grammar is ''terrible''.)
234* PoweredArmor: The Alpha Sections wear massive suits of powered armor. The regular Hillyan army does too--while it doesn't look special, it ''is'' laser-proof, and it does provide some kind of strength augmentation.
235* ProjectedMan: Secundo, the Artificial Intelligence assistant in Jade's PAC, is mainly shown via hologram.
236* PropagandaMachine: These are found everywhere in town, delivering the word of the Alpha Sections and [[MaliciousSlander denouncing]] the [[LaResistance IRIS network]].
237* PunctuationShaker: Obviously with Pey'j; more subtly with a minor character named Yoa who speaks in apostrophe-laden babble. The game's original story also featured a LastEpisodeNewCharacter named Toy'l.
238* TheQuisling: Fehn Digler. [[spoiler:The instant you defeat TheDragon, he even puts out a news report sucking up to the IRIS Network!]]
239* RecurringRiff: Two of them. The first, "Redemption," is the game's theme and appears in various places--most notably, as part of the basic lighthouse music and finally in full in the last cutscene. It's the "high point" riff. The second is the music that appears in numerous battle scenes, and even in the LonelyPianoPiece. It's the "low point" riff.
240* RingMenu: S.A.C, which combines HyperspaceArsenal and the pause menu, arranges items in a circular pattern with the cursor rotating through them. The keypads for unlocking doors is also arranged in a spiral.
241* RodentsOfUnusualSize: ''Rattus giganteus'' and their relatives, ''Rattus albus''.
242* RoofHopping: The very, ''very'' cool rooftop chase scene, [[spoiler:where the leader of the Alpha Sections, General Kehck, chases Jade himself before she makes her getaway.]]
243* SavePoint: Any of the various [=MDisk=] Decoders is this.
244* SceneryPorn: The various settings of Hillys give way to this. The lively city, all of the boats in the water, a sky with individual constellations, the various nature settings, all beautifully rendered. [[spoiler:And it continues when you get into space!]]
245* SchizoTech: The game's setting is... eclectic, to say the least, with elements from past, present, and future. There's a still-functioning lighthouse, most buildings are made from stone, pictures are stored on film, travel is commonly done by boat or hovercraft, the lighthouse doubles as a shield projector, and the flying cars resemble modern-day cars without wheels.
246* ScreamingWarrior:
247** '''Double. H.''' "ATTTAAAAAAAAACK!"
248** And Pey'j. [[LargeHam "CHILI CON CARNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"]]
249* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip: Pulled in the FinalBoss in order to convince Jade to give in.
250* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Gender-flipped, but otherwise played straight:
251--> '''Fehn:''' ''[overlooking Double H]'' So, I see you're bringing home [[PoweredArmor canned food]] now?
252--> '''Jade:''' I swear, he's not like the others!
253* ShockwaveStomp: This is the first part of the team attack--your partner creates a shockwave, sending all ground-bound enemies into the air. (The second half involves you attacking them, which allows you to throw them into the wall/an arc of electricity/another enemy/a bridge that needs knocked down/materia crystals.)
254* ShorterMeansSmarter: Pey'j is about three and a half feet tall. He's also the smartest person on the planet, probably.
255* ShoutOut: There's a pretty obscure reference to the creator's most well known creation, ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}''.[[note]]In a fairly out of the way hidden area in the Factory dungeon, you can find a cow skeleton. If you examine the skeleton, you can find a small bug sticking on to it. The bug is Aedes Raymanis, or Rayman mosquito. Fittingly enough, the mosquito is Bzzit, the first boss from the original Rayman and one of Rayman's friends.[[/note]] There's even a fairly well-hidden reference to ''VideoGame/TonicTrouble,'' an even ''more'' obscure game by the same creator.[[note]]The lead character of that game, Ed, advertises K-Starkos, a health item.[[/note]]
256** The official name for the two-legged factory boss appears to be [[VideoGame/MetalGear Metal Gear [=DomZ=]]], if the soundtrack is anything to go by. This is quite fitting considering you fight it after a long stealth section.
257** According to Michel Ancel, the long black car that appears in the first mission is a reference to ''VideoGame/FullThrottle''.
258* SmoochOfVictory: [[spoiler:Double H tries this on Jade when you beat the final race. Jade's reaction is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq2J4DlRrCU&feature=player_detailpage#t=444s mixed]], at best.]] Since we don't get to see the actual thing itself, interpret the reaction however [[ShipTease you]] [[ShipSinking will]].
259* SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear: Averted when Pey'j [[spoiler:gets captured]]; any [[HeartContainer PA1s]] you've given him [[spoiler:will be dropped nearby]] for you to retrieve.
260* SopranoAndGravel: Dancing With [=DomZ=], the [=DomZ=] {{Leitmotif}}. One half is sung in a mostly monotone female voice (though some parts get downright operatic,) the other half is chanted in a deep, snarling VoiceOfTheLegion.
261* SpaceBase: The location of the Alpha sections' primary base is on the moon.
262* SpaceMarine: Double H, by-the-book member of the Hillyan Army.
263** The Alpha Sections count, as an evil counterpart.
264* SpaceWhale: ''Megaptera Anaerobia,'' or "whale that doesn't need oxygen."
265* StealthBasedGame: Any area with Alpha Section soldiers will lock down automatically if they spot you. Only by killing them all or sneaking past can you progress. Combat against the Alpha Sections is possible most of the time, but difficult because their shields block your attacks and only drop when they swing their hammer, which has a fair bit of reach. Some areas render it difficult or outright impossible by adding insta-kill floating laser cannons that zap you if the guards see you in their field of fire and guards which cannot be covertly killed. One saving grace is that a guard with a [[AttackItsWeakPoint ruptured air tank]] can't see you, which can be exploited to covertly assassinate them if they're isolated.
266* StringyHairedGhostGirl: Although not actually a ghost, Yoa has the appearance of such, and apparently the ability to predict the future.
267* SuperWindowJump: Pey'j is introduced diving from one of the lighthouse windows and onto the eye creature that has grabbed Jade.
268* SurrogateSoliloquy: Jade, to Woof after [[spoiler:the raid on the lighthouse, sadly ranting about how Woof, and by extension herself, couldn't help save the kids.]]
269* TheStinger: After the credits roll, [[spoiler:it looks like things might have gotten back to normal...but there's something REALLY wrong with Pey'j's hand...]].
270* TakeMyHand: Jade is saved from a nasty fall by Double H reaching out for her hand.
271%%* TentacleRope
272* TimedMission: Saving Double H from the [=DomZ=] disease and getting out of the exploding moon base.
273* TheWorldIsJustAwesome: After [[spoiler:leaving the atmosphere]] in the Beluga for the first time, Jade momentarily forgets the solemnity of her mission in order to have a moment of pure {{squee}}:
274--> '''Jade:''' [[spoiler:Algenib? The Omega Dipper? We--we're surrounded by stars, Double H...]]
275* TomatoInTheMirror: [[spoiler:Jade, who turns out to have been Shauni this whole time.]]
276* ThrowTheMookAtThem: Early on in the FinalBoss Battle, you can launch the mooks [[spoiler:that are disguised as Pey'j]] at the boss to damage him.
277* TopHeavyGuy: Double H.
278* TreasureIsBiggerInFiction: There are eighty-eight pearls in the game, each of which is roughly the size of Jade's head.
279* TrueCompanions: Just before the meeting the final boss, Jade invokes this near literally with Double H and Pey'j (the music helps).
280-->'''Jade''': Thanks for everything...My companions.
281* TwentyFourHourArmor: Double H never goes anywhere without his armor. This is apparently {{Hand Wave}}d somewhere in [[AllThereInTheManual the Manual]], saying that wearing armor makes him feel manly and empowered.
282* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Pey'j. He does have a reason for coming back, though.]]
283* UniformityException: Double H was a member of the Hylian Army, and [[StillWearingTheOldColors still wears his armour]] despite his fellows being subservient to the villains.
284* UsedFuture: Hillys isn't exactly opulent or shiny. The general aesthetic wouldn't look out of place from ''Franchise/StarWars'', especially the original trilogy.
285* UseYourHead: Double H, though he uses a forcefield when doing so.
286* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Ready to face the final boss, well, time for a 3D battle in space!
287* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: This game is notoriously prone to game-breaking bugs that will end your progress if you save after encountering them.
288** The most common is the dreaded "lost partner" glitch, where Jade's NPC ally will either fail to spawn where they need to, or become incapable of doing a certain action that's required for you to continue. In particular, during TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, if you attempt to backtrack right after [[spoiler:releasing Pey'j from his crystalline prison]] but before [[spoiler:spying on the BigBad's meeting with his [[TheDragon Dragon]] and taking a picture of them]], you are guaranteed to get stuck. Definitely make a note of backing up your save data before you fly the Beluga to [[spoiler:the moon]].
289** One area has an enemy that drops a necessary key when defeated. However, a bug occasionally causes the key to spawn in the wrong place, making it unreachable. Worse is that the spot where this happens is right next to a save spot. A player unaware that they're supposed to be picking up a key might save after the fight and find themselves stuck.
290** If you don't take Pey'j's Boots from a Locker, then you can't go back and get them later when you need the randomly generated code to get the spaceship you need to finish the game.
291* VideoGameFlight: The Beluga lets you take to the skies--though you'll still need the dinky Hovercraft to actually get ''into'' places.
292* VirtualSidekick: Secundo, an AI who runs Jade's online accounts and [[BagOfHolding digitizes items]] for later use. [[spoiler:He also hacks Alpha Section's comm satellite in the climax.]]
293* VoiceClipSong: [[http://www.bgemyth.net/?page=plus_d_infos/creation_du_jeu/interview_christophe_heral/interview_christophe_heral.php In an interview]], the game's composer, Christophe Heral, said that a significant portion of fan favorite track "Propaganda" was created by remixing portions of a telephone conversation between himself and a Bulgarian woman. In the original version, dialogue from the game production team was included, but got cut. (The Bulgarian phone conversation remix is still there.)
294* VoiceOfTheLegion: [[spoiler:The [=DomZ=] Priest speaks like this.]]
295* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Meï
296* WeNeedToGetProof: Jade's a professional photographer, what did you expect?
297* WhackAMonster: The first boss, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Volvagia fight from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''.
298* WhatAPieceOfJunk: Mr. Hovercraft's more resilient than it looks.
299* WhatTheHellPlayer:
300** Pey'j and Double H get quite irritated if you hit them. "RESPECT THE HOME TEAM!"
301** If you keep all the health-increasing PA-1's to yourself, your ally will complain.
302--->'''Pey'j:''' You overestimate me, Jade. If you don't give me some of those PA-1's, I'll be a burden to ya.
303* YouAreTooLate:
304** No matter how fast Jade goes through the Factory, [[spoiler:she will be too late to rescue Pey'j from being loaded onto a shuttle and flown to the Slaughterhouses.]]
305** And once Jade [[spoiler:reaches the Slaughterhouses, Pey'j has already been loaded onto a freight cruiser and taken to the moon.]]
306* YouHaveFailedMe: When you reach the end of the Factory area, you overhear the Alpha Sections chief telling his [=DomZ=] boss that the intruders have been captured. As they both notice Jade, the Alpha offers to take care of her himself, but the [=DomZ=] kills him.

Top