So, it’s actually been closer to twenty-one years since the original release of “Beyond Good & Evil” which was released during the PS2 era back in November of 2023. Clearly a 20th Anniversary Edition does roll off the tongue better though. While the game was always a critical darling and developed a cult following over the years, it did so because it unfortunately never did all that great as far as sales. This isn’t even the first remastered release of this title, back in 2011 Ubisoft Shanghai released an HD version during the PS3 era. One thing that had me very intrigued with this new release, which was Ubisoft adding a brand-new side-quest for the game that will have connections to the upcoming sequel. Granted, “Beyond Good & Evil 2” has been announced and has been in some kind of development going all the way back to 2008, but for such a long period of silence, it’s nice to see Ubisoft acknowledging that the game is still being worked on and they are taking it seriously.
So, what is this game even about? “Beyond Good & Evil” follows the journey of Jade, an investigative reporter living on the planet Hillys. It is set in a dystopian future where the planet is under attack by the alien race known as the DomZ. Jade discovers a conspiracy involving the DomZ and their collaboration with the oppressive government, the Alpha Sections. She joins a resistance movement called IRIS to uncover the truth. As you play as Jade, you explore Hillys, solve puzzles, engage in stealth missions, and combat enemies. Jade’s camera is a crucial tool for capturing evidence and exposing corruption. Throughout the game, she gains allies, including her uncle Pey’j, a pig-like mechanic, and Double H, a loyal IRIS agent. Together, they work to reveal the secrets behind the DomZ invasion and the Alpha Sections’ true intentions.
When playing this game again, while I still consider it a classic, I do believe I did have some rose tinted glasses when praising this game to other people over so many years. It isn’t a perfect game, even with the graphical changes now being in 4K 60FPS, it still doesn’t look as great as I always remembered it in my mind. I also didn’t realize how much it now reminds me of other action-adventure games of that time, such as Zelda games like “Ocarina of Time.” Not necessarily a bad thing to take inspiration from, but clearly one has grown fonder memories with gamers than the other. While I still love how the story takes unexpected twists, which lead to Jade and her friends to uncover hidden truths about Hillys, the DomZ, and their own identities. The game’s blend of action, exploration, and emotional storytelling is what really created a memorable experience for me.
With this new edition a few extra goodies are given to the fans, such as a gallery showing off a lot of nice development art and screenshots, cosmetics for characters and weapons, as well as new speedrun mode, which I’ll probably never check out but there is a strong speedrun community out there and I’m happy for them. So, what about that new side-quest? Well, it wasn’t as meaty as I was hyping it up to be, but it did what it probably needed to do, which was to get me excited for the sequel, which hopefully doesn’t take another decade to release. While this game isn’t the most polished classic out there, I still consider it a classic. If “Beyond Good & Evil” slipped past you all these years, this new edition is certainly worth checking out.
8/10
For more information, visit https://bgegame.com/20th-anniversary
Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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