If you’re like us, you’ve been eagerly awaiting any news from Ubisoft on what’s happening with Beyond Good & Evil 2. Unfortunately, we’ve been treated to near-radio silent the past few months. But, if any publisher can drag it from the pits of development hell kicking and screaming, Ubisoft can. Just look at Skull and Bones. And in that spirit, we have Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition.
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A nip and tuck on the visuals of the ground-breaking Beyond Good & Evil, the 20th Anniversary Edition also folds in some modern quality of life improvements. Perhaps of most interest to long-suffering series fans is there are a few bits of added content.
Switch Sides
The game sees you playing as Jade. A young photojournalist in the year 2435 on the mining planet of Hillys, in a remote section of the galaxy. Along with her ‘uncle’ Pey’j, a boar-like creature, the pair look after an island lighthouse. One that doubles as a home for children orphaned by DomZ attacks, for whom they care.
This sets the scene for adventure on an galactic scale. Jade truly fulfils her role as both a reporter and photojournalist, uncovering an immanent DomZ invasion.
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Jade also stumbles across the news that a military dictatorship called the ‘Alpha Sections have taken over power on Hillys. And, it turns out that the Alpha Sections are in league with the DomZ.
It’s a compelling tale that is extremely well written. Both the lead and support cast are given depth and reasons to exist. And this gives the narrative and its players an endearing element. All of this is then only reinforced by solid voice acting that sells the whole thing.
Hillys Uncovered
In addition, Hillys itself is a rich and storied locale. The world bursts with colour and charm in equal measures. The variety, too, only adds to the feeling of being lived in. Packed market streets give way to lush forests as you explore its every corner.
That Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition runs now at a mostly smooth 4K 60 FPS only helps bring the world to life. There are some random frame drops here and there. The odd bit of texture pop will happen. But, on the whole, the Beyond Good & Evil – 20th looks sharp and crisp while maintaining the series’ signature art style.
Along with the solid voice acting that helps immerse the player, the soundtrack is outstanding. The score has been rearranged, but, like the visuals, keeps the original charm intact.
Feeling 20th Anniversary
Even with a few tweaks, Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition feels like a 20-year-old game. Combat, stealth and overall movement feel clunky and stiff. At times, the mechanics can feel a little overly simplistic. Credit to the devs for tweaking and adding what they could, but the original game’s vintage is hard to escape in play.
Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition is a third-person action adventure affair. There are also some light vehicle sections, that punctuate the platforming, occasional stealth and scraps with the local wildlife.
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The game also features a camara-based mini-game. This feels and play a lot like Pokémon Snap in ways, where you snap a shot of everything on a list, then bank extra credits to help with upgrades.
Pearls are the secondary main currency of the game and are used to unlock new areas and upgrade your trusty hovercraft boat thing. Though pearls can only be earned by completing missions and defeating bosses, so more of a progression-based system than they credit.
Between Hub and Dungeon
Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition offers players a hub area in the vein of classic Zelda titles. From here you take missions, both main and side, which have you explore a number of different areas and dungeons.
Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition adds a showcase to the game. This is a sort of history lesson on the original title. It’s packed with concept art work and behind-the-scenes footage for superfans to enjoy.
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The20th Anniversary Edition also adds a speedrun mode, if you’re looking for a real challenge.
Another addition is the ‘treasure hunt’ mode, which contains links, hints and nuggets supposedly linked to the second game. Which is cool if the game still definitely exists.
Treasure Never Forgotten
Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition is a solid remaster that ticks all the boxes you would expect, while just having one too many hangovers from the source, as they stayed that little bit too faithful to the source.
If you’re a fan biting at the bit for anything Beyond Good & Evil this will scratch that itch till the future of the second game becomes clear – with its clean update, as well as new elements. Whereas newcomers will find a perfect stepping on point to find out just why this series is seen as a true cult classic.