Ubisoft's cult classic returns in a new polished package
By Paul Hunter
Gaming has changed a lot since 2003, but one thing that's remained the same is Ubisoft was a top developer and publisher back then and that remains true some 21 years later. What has changed though is Ubisoft used to focus on more compact, traditional experiences like Rayman, Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil while today it's all about the gigantic open world Assassin's Creed and Far Cry games. But with the new Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition, Ubisoft is allowing us to relive one of their classics with a lick of new paint and many welcome new features.
It's sad but true that Beyond Good & Evil was not the commercial success its creators might have hoped for when it launched in the PS2 era. Nevertheless, the game quickly gained cult status and has been one of Ubisoft's most beloved franchises. Back at E3 2016, the company announced Beyond Good and Evil 2 and despite eight years passing, there's still hype and excitement surrounding the new game. While we wait for the successor, Ubisoft is celebrating the original games' 20th Anniversary (21 years to be exact), with a polished remastered version that lets us relive this landmark gaming experience.
It's worth pointing out this is a remaster and not a full-fledged remake in the same vein as games like Dead Space or Final Fantasy VII: Remake. It's essentially the same game we played 20 years albeit with retouched visuals, new features and many quality-of-life improvements.
If you haven't played the original, to recap, the story it's a sci-fi set on the planet Hillys inhabited by humans and intelligent animals of all kinds. We play as Jade, a photojournalist, spy and martial artist who lives with her uncle Pey'j in a lighthouse for orphaned children. This world is under constant threat from a mysterious insectoid alien race called the DomZ.
Protecting, and I use that word loosely, the planet is the military force Alpha Sections that always conveniently arrives to the rescue late and is seemingly powerless to stop the aliens. Following an attack on the lighthouse, Jade comes in contact with the shadowy IRIS Network that aims to expose a larger conspiracy behind the DomZ attack. The story is extremely well written overall and still holds up with the best of them today. Characters like Jade, Pey'J and Double H steal the show with their layered storytelling, witty one-liners and expressive personalities.
As mentioned, the 20th Anniversary Edition contains largely the same content as the original, so you can expect a playthrough to last around 12-15 hours. Perhaps most interesting is how the game seamlessly blends multiple genres into one. There is a modest-sized open world to explore, four large Zelda-inspired dungeons with very clever environmental puzzles, acrobatic combat and plenty of boss battles, and even some air hockey and racing sections to boot. The game also channels its inner Pokémon Snap by tasking you to photograph over 100 animals, some of them sneakily hidden in the environments. Photographing is integral to the game as you not only get rewarded with currency to buy upgrades but also precious pearls used to upgrade your vehicle.
All of the genres blend together effortlessly, offering one of the most unique game experiences to date. But keep in mind it's a product of its time so the one-button combat, occasionally fiddly camera and sticky vehicle movement can feel dated. That doesn't mean the gameplay isn't fun though, it still holds up well, but it does take some adjusting to.
Graphically, Ubisoft has done a great job modernizing the game's looks while retaining its retro charm. There's new real-time lighting, improved textures, characters have better facial definitions and there's enhanced animations overall. The resolution has seen a significant bump up to 4K, but just as impressive is how the gameplay now runs at a buttery smooth 60 fps, except for the Nintendo Switch version that's set at 30 fps. Needless to say, this is the best-looking and best-running version of this classic title.
Audio has also seen plenty of upgrades, including a newly remastered and re-orchestrated soundtrack, including 15 tracks supervised by the original composer Christophe Héral. Updated tunes in Akuda's Bar and Mamago's Garage, among other locations, are a nice bonus and go a long way towards modernizing the audio.
There are numerous new features big and small in Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition. For starters, the game auto-saves and cross saves, you can skip cutscenes and there are more than 20 new trophies to collect. Controls have been remapped as well, including a new dedicated interact button. A new Speedrun mode has been added, allowing you to track your best times, and there's a new Anniversary Gallery with photos and videos, some of which have never been seen before. You can also nab new outfits for Jade, Pey'J and Double H.
Finally, there's an interesting new Treatures Hunt side quest that ties directly into the highly anticipated Beyond Good & Evil 2. To complete this quest you'll need to search all of the dungeons thoroughly, and doing so will let you learn more about Jade's childhood. There were some doubts that the sequel (or is a prequel?) would eventually be released, but this side quest confirms the game is still coming out.
Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action Adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Gaming has changed a lot since 2003, but one thing that's remained the same is Ubisoft was a top developer and publisher back then and that remains true some 21 years later. What has changed though is Ubisoft used to focus on more compact, traditional experiences like Rayman, Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil while today it's all about the gigantic open world Assassin's Creed and Far Cry games. But with the new Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition, Ubisoft is allowing us to relive one of their classics with a lick of new paint and many welcome new features.
It's sad but true that Beyond Good & Evil was not the commercial success its creators might have hoped for when it launched in the PS2 era. Nevertheless, the game quickly gained cult status and has been one of Ubisoft's most beloved franchises. Back at E3 2016, the company announced Beyond Good and Evil 2 and despite eight years passing, there's still hype and excitement surrounding the new game. While we wait for the successor, Ubisoft is celebrating the original games' 20th Anniversary (21 years to be exact), with a polished remastered version that lets us relive this landmark gaming experience.
It's worth pointing out this is a remaster and not a full-fledged remake in the same vein as games like Dead Space or Final Fantasy VII: Remake. It's essentially the same game we played 20 years albeit with retouched visuals, new features and many quality-of-life improvements.
If you haven't played the original, to recap, the story it's a sci-fi set on the planet Hillys inhabited by humans and intelligent animals of all kinds. We play as Jade, a photojournalist, spy and martial artist who lives with her uncle Pey'j in a lighthouse for orphaned children. This world is under constant threat from a mysterious insectoid alien race called the DomZ.
Protecting, and I use that word loosely, the planet is the military force Alpha Sections that always conveniently arrives to the rescue late and is seemingly powerless to stop the aliens. Following an attack on the lighthouse, Jade comes in contact with the shadowy IRIS Network that aims to expose a larger conspiracy behind the DomZ attack. The story is extremely well written overall and still holds up with the best of them today. Characters like Jade, Pey'J and Double H steal the show with their layered storytelling, witty one-liners and expressive personalities.
As mentioned, the 20th Anniversary Edition contains largely the same content as the original, so you can expect a playthrough to last around 12-15 hours. Perhaps most interesting is how the game seamlessly blends multiple genres into one. There is a modest-sized open world to explore, four large Zelda-inspired dungeons with very clever environmental puzzles, acrobatic combat and plenty of boss battles, and even some air hockey and racing sections to boot. The game also channels its inner Pokémon Snap by tasking you to photograph over 100 animals, some of them sneakily hidden in the environments. Photographing is integral to the game as you not only get rewarded with currency to buy upgrades but also precious pearls used to upgrade your vehicle.
All of the genres blend together effortlessly, offering one of the most unique game experiences to date. But keep in mind it's a product of its time so the one-button combat, occasionally fiddly camera and sticky vehicle movement can feel dated. That doesn't mean the gameplay isn't fun though, it still holds up well, but it does take some adjusting to.
Graphically, Ubisoft has done a great job modernizing the game's looks while retaining its retro charm. There's new real-time lighting, improved textures, characters have better facial definitions and there's enhanced animations overall. The resolution has seen a significant bump up to 4K, but just as impressive is how the gameplay now runs at a buttery smooth 60 fps, except for the Nintendo Switch version that's set at 30 fps. Needless to say, this is the best-looking and best-running version of this classic title.
Audio has also seen plenty of upgrades, including a newly remastered and re-orchestrated soundtrack, including 15 tracks supervised by the original composer Christophe Héral. Updated tunes in Akuda's Bar and Mamago's Garage, among other locations, are a nice bonus and go a long way towards modernizing the audio.
There are numerous new features big and small in Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition. For starters, the game auto-saves and cross saves, you can skip cutscenes and there are more than 20 new trophies to collect. Controls have been remapped as well, including a new dedicated interact button. A new Speedrun mode has been added, allowing you to track your best times, and there's a new Anniversary Gallery with photos and videos, some of which have never been seen before. You can also nab new outfits for Jade, Pey'J and Double H.
Finally, there's an interesting new Treatures Hunt side quest that ties directly into the highly anticipated Beyond Good & Evil 2. To complete this quest you'll need to search all of the dungeons thoroughly, and doing so will let you learn more about Jade's childhood. There were some doubts that the sequel (or is a prequel?) would eventually be released, but this side quest confirms the game is still coming out.
The Verdict
Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition is certainly a game of its time, but its quality still shines bright. The story is unforgettable, the dungeons are cleverly designed, the characters are brilliant and the soundtrack is impeccable. This is an iconic title and an easy must-play, but more importantly, it's an amazing nostalgic trip down memory lane before the promising sequel finally drops.Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition details
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PCDeveloper: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action Adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)
A key was provided by the publisher.