Beyond Good and Evil: A 20th Anniversary edition 21 years on
A review of the remastered cult classic Beyond Good and Evil’s 20th anniversary edition.
Hyderabad: Writing about Beyond Good and Evil’s just released 20th anniversary edition without addressing the two elephants in the room is impossible.
The first is the endless wait for a successor to the cult classic—announced in 2008 and then again at E3 in 2017. However, 16 years on, we are still patiently waiting. The second is the sudden and unexpected availability of the 20th-anniversary edition on Ubisoft+ last November, allowing a few players to experience the game. A few months later, however, here is the review of a game that promises quality of life upgrades and a new mission that establishes a narrative link to the sequel.
In my first few hours with the game, I absolutely relished what this second remaster offered (the first in June 2011)—a 4K experience that preserved the aesthetic style of the original and a thorough remapping of the original game’s controls onto modern controllers.
I found the experience so simple and seamless that I was soon off repairing my hovercraft and firing my guns at serpents from space that unleashed sea-mines. The experience here was just as garish and crazy as I remember it from 2003.
Despite the simple combat and the aging game mechanics, there is a lot here to explore and enjoy. You can find hidden paths or admire the game’s unique flora and fauna with your trusty old camera.
The 20th anniversary edition promises a few quality-of-life upgrades, which I was most looking forward to trying but ultimately found a bit disappointing. For a remaster marking a game’s 20th anniversary, there could have been more effort. For example, the loading screens could have been eliminated, given the SSDs and higher memory capacities in modern consoles.
Additionally, the game’s inputs could have better utilized the features of modern controllers. Jade’s attacks, for instance, could have been linked with haptic feedback, as well as the special attacks from support characters and the game’s racing aspects.
However, I do appreciate the addition of a speed run mode and the meticulous presentation of the original game’s making journey—these are aspects that fans are bound to love.
This is a great experience for those who loved the original and have been patiently waiting for the sequel. For those who have never tried the original, this could be a fun game to explore – could be a great way to pass the time as we continue the long wait for the sequel right?
Sneak Peek:
Title: Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition
Developer: Ubisoft
Game Type: Single PlayerAction Adventure
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
Price: Rs. 1,399 on Steamand the PlayStation Store
Verdict (all scores out of 10):
Innovative Gameplay: 7
Game Handling & Quality: 8
Value for Time: 8
Value for Money: 8.5
Overall: 7.9
What Stands Out: The remaster captures the essence of the cult-classic in detail. It is wonderful to see that mechanics over 20 years old haven’t been tampered with.
The open-world exploration in the hovercraft and the aquatic combat remain just as fun as they were 21 years ago.
Fails to impress: Despite the quality of life updates the game promises, there are a few bugs and glitches that remain. For example, my game on the PS5 crashed when I was trying to reach Black Isle, and specific loading screens/sections refused to load.
There could have been a bit more effort in the remastering of certain elements. For example, inputs in combat sequences could make better use of the haptics and vibrations that new controllers offer. Experiencing Jade’s staff on a DualSense controller, for instance, would have been great.
