*Spoiler Warnings*
Throughout Beyond Good and Evil we are treated the cycling propaganda messages, news reports for either the Alpha Sections or the Iris Network. Each group purports the others to be the villains not working for the interest of the people of Hillys. Being that it must be one or the other the goal of the game is to search for the truth. Early on you are approached by the Iris Network to investigate the Alpha Sections and the imagery from their propaganda is much more denoting of villains. While there are two conflicting groups the game is directing you towards a single answer and the revelation of what it is.
The main goal and objectives of the game are centered on investigating and taking photographic evidence to reveal the truth. So while the question of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is going on’ are prevalent it is obvious to the player. The saw tooth face of the Alpha Sections commander and the incessant domineering control they seem to have over the planet leads the player to see them as an opposing force to a decent life for Jade and her family. In a meta sense we have the idea of the player conditioned to play as the lone hero. Given the circumstances of the story this role takes the form of an investigative photojournalist.
Though the argument can be made for that this one sided view could be Ancel’s commentary on the nature of viewpoint and subjective truth as it pertains to world view, but I feel that this is not corroborated by several facts of the game. You take control of Jade for the entire game and her entourage are solely made up of members of the Iris Network, including her uncle Pey’j. You could say this naturally colors her view point sociologically, or the fact that she is an entity that the Domz are after and that obviously opposes them that that could color her perception of the relative positions of right and wrong. I find that inconclusive and a little beyond the scope of what the game is presenting.
Beyond Good and Evil takes a simple art style and direction meant to enhance certain tonal qualities of the game. The areas result from a basic color pallet and the characters are set in certain representational color schemes meant to denote symbolic representation and association. Much like the color schemes of superheroes, to simplify the perception and make them instantly recognizable. From this point of view Jade has more in common with the Domz than she does the other members of the Iris Network of Pey’j. She is represented by green, yellow and white like the Domz, while many of the Iris Network have the colors yellow, blue and brown the same as Pey’j. Given the later revelation that she has a deep connection with the Domz, which isn’t completely explained, but seems to be symbiotic in nature, would denote any natural viewpoint from her to be naturally attributed subjectively to the Domz. Instead she works to uncover their plot and reveal the truth the Hillys population.
Furthermore, speaking of character viewpoint it makes sense to examine player viewpoint, which is decidedly in third person. The only time we actually look through Jade’s eyes is in fact when she is looking through the objective lens of her camera. At all other times we view the world from a rotating third person angle. Jade’s camera is the key to objectivity in Beyond Good and Evil. It can capture the moment as it was, not as we think it was. It is the item that captures the evidence and is your primary tool throughout the game. Being a tool of objectivity makes objectivity a primary goal of the plot.
A major theme of the game is objective truth, not subjective truth. The title Beyond Good and Evil when explored means it is representative of something not to be considered within the realm of the two terms themselves. Good and evil are opposites on a spectrum and the title is asking to look beyond them. Good and evil, however, are subjective terms, they have meanings, but what values that they constitute are not set in stone. In asking to look beyond subjective terms we are not asked to make a declaration or take one side or the other, but to look at what is there regardless what it is.
The animals you are asked to photograph are not good or evil. Your actions in taking their pictures may be beneficial, but it is an example of seeing what is there. There is no judgment only what is there. Another part of the world that exemplifies the objective truth of the world is the volcano. Near the beginning of the game you are told a rumor about a cache of pearls at the top of the volcano. This area is only reachable at the end. It starts only as a rumor, an unsubstantiated claim. Jade goes there, however, and turns it from a subjective belief into an objective reality. There is a cavern and there is a cache of pearls to be found. That is all well and good, but I think the two opposing groups represent the real meaning behind the title of the game best. The Alpha Sections and the Iris Network both have their own propaganda reels delivered to the people of Hillys. As is obvious to the player for one reason and another, the Alpha Sections are the evil and the Iris Network is supposed to represent the good. From both groups, however, comes some pretty hard to digest propaganda that is really in you face and difficult to take seriously. The Iris Network issues really make one cringe, because you know they are right, but their delivery makes them sound like insane conspiracy theorists. It’s only at the end in a final plea to the Hillys people themselves does everything change. No one is screaming or pointing fingers. There is no more fear mongering from either side; it comes down to a heartfelt plea and listing of the facts to the people. In a way this is Jade and company’s last stand.
Here it transcends the good and evil squabbles of the two groups and both groups’ attempts to win the hearts and minds of the people. Instead, we have a few investigators telling the truth and showing the evidence of what has been happening. They have moved beyond both the Alpha Sections and the Iris Network in this move. It is by far the most important report made. The others may have gotten gradual support, but this is the one that caused the people to wake up and rise up in their own defense.
It is rather a hopeful message that the power of the people is all that it takes to drive off evil. What Ancel believes in here, is when presented with the truth and being a dangerous and horrendous truth, the people will do something about it. Whatever reasons a person may have for acting, be it self interest, survival, revenge, justice or any number of other motives the people will rise to right a wrong. It may seem not like much, but as I’ve said before it takes the power of the people to start things off. With their approval the governor can send the Hillys forces to defend their world.
Truth is a difficult thing to nail down and differing voices make it hard to see everything objectively. We have to fight for it against all odds for it is the right thing to do and truth like it did quite literally to the people of Hillys, will set you free.
I really loved the color association you found; I’d never really thought about that outside Jade and the DomZ, but it totally makes sense considering this crazy lecture I went to by a Bethesda employee on how to use color in level design to create associations and feelings.
As to the argument for objective reality and good and evil as subjective, we’re really not coming from the same ideological planes here. Snapping a picture is not objective, because you choose the frame (this was a problem from the very beginnings of photography and documentary, not just coming with the advent of Photoshop).
Good and evil are subjective, as you say, which is why it’s boring that this game presents so obvious an evil to the player–the DomZ (even though it does push through the rhetoric of Alpha and Iris). The book that this game’s title derives from holds that Truth itself is necessarily as subjective as Good and Evil. Everything you’ve written only confirms my assertion that the designers (and most of the game’s players) rely on naive assumptions about control, truth, and photography.
The color associations I came up with come with came to me after rereading Scott McCloud’s “Understanding Comics.” In chapter 8 he talks about the use of color and the talked of certain colors comming to symbolize the characters. Jade is heavily identified with green as her name would imply and shows that there is a certain amount of purpose and meaning attached to the colors.
I agree, I don’t think we see eye to eye ideologically. To me there is a truth, because there exists a world without interpretation. Without man the world could not be interpreted, but it would still be. That is the objective reality. If a man we to cross the street that is an objective action. Why he crossed the street would be an interpretation. His motive could be good or evil, but whatever the subjective application to his action, he still crossed the street.
This is what I am saying. The two groups are applying their own subjectivity to the actions of the other, but when it is all stripped away it does not change the fact that the Alpha Sections are kidnapping the Hillians and that is a threat to the people.
I agree with you on the existence of an objective reality (which is, of course, not a universally accepted idea). And I agree with your assessment of the game on a narrative level, I think the sole place we disagree is with how well the designers crafted their story and their ideas.
Would your interpretation and assessment be different if the game was no called Beyond Good and Evil? How much of your own critique is influenced by that title?
That’s a really good question… one that I can’t really answer because what I’ve read is kind of a fundamental part of who I am and how I think, you know? I definitely don’t think that the book is the end-all-and-be-all of ethical writing, but I doubt the makers were ignorant of the book when they made the game. The idea of taking a work without it’s title only works if the title never meant anything in the first place (as in, if the game were called “Ubi Game No. 467”).
Aside from that, my views of documentary/filmic reality and objectivity don’t have to do with the book, but rather from learning about them as a film student and a journalism researcher. The core of my critique is from the journalistic perspective, not from the Nietzsche stuff.
I’m not sure where I first heard it but I believe the original title was going to be Between Good and Evil, and the final title was only settled on near the end of the project. Also Jade was original a younger character, with less ability in direct combat.
If we are going to consider the nature of objective\subjective truth in the game it’s worth looking at the culture in which the game was created. At that time the US and Coalition forces were involved in military action in Afghanistan and barely six months before the game was released Coalition forces entered Iraq. France had never really supported either action so it’s not a huge leap to see the game as a criticism of the way the media are exploited to justify acts of aggression. Consider the first time you meet the Alpha Sections, and they have an embedded journalist with them who’s clearly more interested in a story of how well the Alphas are doing than the real story of the suffering of the people of Hillys.
I’ve often wondered if Beyond Good & Evil was saying something about the nature of truth, that somehow people can tell what is true even when it’s not presented objectively. I agree with Simon that photography is no more objective than anything else as what is not included in the shot, is just as important as what is. At the start of the game the people of Hillys are willing to accept the Alpha Sections at their word because the Iris Network isn’t really getting their message across. The moment Jade starts to work for them and get her images out to the public the reaction of the people on the street starts to change quite rapidly. They know what they are seeing from Jade is the truth even if they are also aware that it is as subjective as anything presented by the Alpha Sections.
I wonder if the message behind Beyond Good & Evil is that truth will out.
Well Justin both Brainygamer and myself beleive so. I was just thinking that it goes beyond even that to symbolize the need and effect of truth in a population.
While the camera in the real world is not objective anymore than the person behind it, I think in the game it is meant to represent such a tool. It is a simple function and is much more a device of simple point and shoot. It’s simplicity and the simplicity of the photogrpah targets try to strip away the subjective elements of the camera. Yes leaving out something in a shot is important to understanding it, but in Beyond Good and Evil that is never a concious consideration. Certain pieces of information need to be found out. And while facts can be spun any which way, the fact themselves are an objective reality.
As for looking at the time in which the game was created and any indication of how it is a commentary on modern media I have no doubt that it is, though an underdevloped commentary. Even more so is how the Hillian Word changes its tune when its proved that the Alpha Sections are no good and calls Jade intrepid and investigator instead of terrorist. I think it would be close to an idea that there has to be a journalistic responsibility.