Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Tested on: PC
Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition – Review
It’s hard to believe that two decades have passed since Beyond Good & Evil first graced the CRT screens of gamers around the world. While the game didn’t really find commercial success immediately after it was released on PS2, GameCube, and the original Xbox, it received critical acclaim and eventually grew a dedicated fanbase. Ubisoft did take notice, releasing a more successful remaster in 2011, ahead of the eagerly anticipated Beyond Good & Evil 2, which was announced in 2008. Alas, the sequel never saw the light of day, and it seemed like Beyond Good & Evil had become a dead franchise. Until now, that is, with the original game rising from the ashes like a phoenix, with a new 20th Anniversary Edition. Does this new remaster provide a third wind for Beyond Good & Evil or is it just a glorified final lap?
Story
Our story is set in Hillys, a world inhabited by both humans and anthropomorphic animals. Humanity is at war with the DomZ, an alien race. It is against this background that we meet our protagonist, Jade. She’s a freelance reporter working on uncovering the truth about Alpha Section, who are supposedly the protectors of Hillys. Jade has discovered that Alpha Section is secretly in league with the DomZ. Together with her allies from IRIS, a resistance group, Jade is committed to exposing the truth about Alpha Section and stopping these traitors in their tracks, dealing a massive blow to the DomZ in the process.
Graphics
This isn’t the first time that Beyond Good & Evil has received a visual upgrade, but the new graphics blow previous iterations out of the water, while still sticking to the early 2000s aesthetics. Granted, beneath that new coat of digital paint is still a PS2-era game, so some of the character animations are on the clunkier side. The cartoonish early 2000s aesthetic also isn’t necessarily overly detailed, but this makes it all the more impressive to see just how well it all holds up, especially with the new lighting and reworked textures. Adding to this is the game’s buttery smooth performance, which keeps up a steady frame rate.
Sound
One of the 20th Anniversary Edition’s biggest selling points is that a live orchestra has completely re-recorded the game’s soundtrack. The result sounds deep and rich, and fans of the original soundtrack are going to want to add this new version to their playlists. Character voices haven’t been rerecorded as far as we know, although there is still new voice content here -more on that later. It all sounds fantastic regardless.
Gameplay
It probably bears repeating that this 20th Anniversary Edition is a remaster first and foremost, and not an outright remake. This means that the vast majority of changes made to the game can be found in Beyond Good & Evil’s audiovisual presentation rather than in the core gameplay. For better or worse, the game’s base mechanics are identical to the original. Fortunately, for the most part, that original has aged like a fine wine, with the game holding up incredibly well. Now, if you’ve never played the original, or the previous remaster, you’re probably wondering what the gameplay entails. Beyond Good & Evil is a semi-open-world action-adventure game, with a heavy focus on stealth. Taking control of Jade, you’ll visit different islands, where you need to infiltrate the bases of both Alpha Section and the DomZ to gather incriminating evidence of their illegal alliance.
Back when Beyond Good & Evil was originally released, the game definitely was ahead of its time, pioneering concepts that have become standards by now. It’s easy to see the roots of open-world gameplay here, with elements like vehicular travel making the comparatively small world map feel much larger than it actually is. Ideas that felt unique at the time, like using Jade’s camera to both snap pictures of Alpha Section’s crimes and exotic animals as a way to earn money retains its freshness. And while we haven’t gone back to compare with the GameCube version of the game, controls do seem exceptionally responsive and snappy, so we do suspect some tightening up has happened under the game’s hood. Combat in particular is a highlight, despite being relatively simple by modern standards. The one gameplay element that didn’t quite age as well is the game’s stealth sections, which are overly long, awkward, and clunky. They can also be frustrating, because there is very little margin for error, and messing up leads to instant game over. This is somewhat mitigated by the inclusion of a new autosave feature, but if there’s one aspect of the game we’d wanted to have reworked, it would be this.
By modern standards, Beyond Good & Evil isn’t a very long game, clocking in at 12-14 hours for the main story. As such, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Ubisoft has priced the game at a very reasonable RRP €19.99. That’s without even mentioning the generous helping of bonus content that makes the 20th Anniversary Edition feel like more than just a new coat of paint. There’s a museum mode that offers an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the history of the game, which is probably worth the price of admission alone for fans of the series. And yes, we do say series, because there is a new treasure hunt quest line with an alternate ending that sets up a sequel for the game. Don’t be surprised if Beyond Good & Evil 2 is finally announced very, very soon, after years of rumors and fan wishlisting. Rounding things out are a dedicated speed run mode and a set of unlockable outfits for Jade. The latter are purely cosmetic and probably unnecessary, but including them was a nice touch that really helped with making this feel like the definitive edition of a bona fide classic.
Conclusion
This is how you bring back a beloved IP. Not only does Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition do the original game justice, but it also confirms that Ubisoft is going to deliver what the fanbase has been waiting for since 2008. The only true “flaws” here are inherent to the design philosophies of the original game, and are more than compensated for by the slew of new content. Both newcomers and veterans alike will find plenty of reasons to fall in love with Beyond Good & Evil (again) here. And all of that comes at a budget price too! Take note, Nintendo!
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