It’s often very hard to understand the logic of some video game publishers. Ubisoft recently had their not-E3 Ubisoft Forward showcase, where they focused on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws but also gave some time to their other franchise. In their wisdom, they chose not to mention anything about releasing a new remaster of Beyond Good & Evil this month or that it contained new content that implied the long-delayed sequel was still on the way.
As such, there’s surprisingly little context for why this remaster exists and why exactly it’s been released now. There was already a perfectly good remaster during the Xbox 360 era and while this one is unquestionably better it’s still nowhere close to being a full remake, and so you still have to put up with the legacy of PlayStation 2 era cameras, controls, and impenetrable storytelling.
Although it was never very successful when it was first released in 2003 (the November release date can’t have helped it) Beyond Good & Evil has remained a cult favourite ever since, thanks to its ambitiously open world environment, eclectic cast of characters, and simple but enjoyable action. At the time it was often compared to The Legend Of Zelda but the resemblance is slight and to this day Beyond Good & Evil remains endearing unique.
A labour of love by Rayman creator Michel Ancel, the first thing that strikes you about the game is just how French it is – and we mean that as a compliment. Younger gamers probably don’t even realise that Ubisoft are French, but in the early days it was very obvious in many of their games, with a particular brand of Gaelic weirdness that is sadly unknown in today’s gaming world.
In fact, it was the commercial failure of Beyond Good & Evil (and XIII, which was, inexplicably, released at the same time) that seems to have convinced Ubisoft to switch strategies and instead pretend to be an American company, with the embracing of Tom Clancy gun fetishism and, a few years later, Assassin’s Creed.
The other thing that hits you at the start of game is a sense of utter bewilderment as to what’s going on. The game has a dense backstory that it absolutely refuses to tell you about, but the opening introduces you to photojournalist Jade (back in 2003 female leads were still rare, especially sensibly dressed ones) who is running an orphanage on a planet undergoing nightly raids from invading aliens, but which is also under the yoke of an evil, dystopian government.
We’re not even going to get into why half the population are anthropomorphised animals but as baffling as it all is you quickly get a feel for what the game is and what you’re going to be up to in it. Jade being a journalist is more than just a passing detail, as she makes money by cataloguing wildlife and takes on random jobs from clients – each of which inevitably leads to the uncovering of a planetwide conspiracy.
With access to a hovercraft and, later, a spaceship, you’re free to explore and pick up side quests as you please, although the game world is far smaller than it first seems and tiny by modern standards. Jade has a staff with which she can defend herself but she’s not superhuman and so stealth, and some light platforming, becomes vital to exploring the more structured dungeon-like levels.
Stealth was still very big in the early 2000s and most action games at the time thought it necessary to force at least one stealth level into every game, no matter whether it made sense or not. These sections are the worst part of Beyond Good & Evil, with the usual problems of it being unclear when or why enemies can see you. Although the biggest issue is that they’re just so long-winded and boring.
The combat isn’t great either, with very little nuance, as you mash the attack button and little else. Here at least you can rely on the help of ‘uncle’ Pey’j (who is a pigman) and resistance member Double H for help. Plus, the controls have been reworked from the original, so while the combat is never complicated it’s also not the chore it sometimes used to be.
Obviously, the graphics are another clue as to the game’s age, but the cartoonish art style makes it much easier to paper over cracks, when compared to PlayStation 2 games that were aiming for photorealism. This isn’t a remake but many of the characters and objects have new textures and character models, while there’s also a new lighting system and other modern effects. Oddly there’s still a second or two’s loading pausing when moving between locations though, even on a PlayStation 5.
All the content is essentially the same as before but now there is a new questline that promises to link up to Beyond Good And Evil 2, which appears to be a prequel. On top of this is some of the best museum content we’ve ever seen in a retro game, with expansive galleries of artwork and videos, plus a speedrun mode and new trophies/achievements.
This is undoubtedly one of the best PlayStation 2 remasters ever made and quite the birthday present for Beyond Good & Evil fans (even if the 20th was technically last Christmas). The game definitely shows its age at times, but this remaster makes a compelling argument for why a sequel should happen. But even if it doesn’t, we’ll always have the original and this newly definitive version of it.
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Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition review summary
Pros: A fascinatingly weird world that’s still a delight to explore, with newly tweaked graphics that hold up surprisingly well. Excellent museum gallery and new questline. Jade is great.
Cons: The camera, combat, and stealth are all varying degrees of clunky and the ending’s still rubbish.
Score: 7/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £17.99
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Virtuos (original: Ubisoft Montpellier)
Release Date: 25th June 2024
Age Rating: 12
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