REVIEW – The situation with Ubisoft and the Beyond Good & Evil IP is strange: despite the Netflix adaptation, there is currently one episode of the franchise, a PS3/X360 remaster (who remembers that?), and now another remaster. And the sequel is “in the works”, but somehow Ubisoft just doesn’t seem to finish it. It’s not much, and Jade should be more than that.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 is what Ubisoft wants to follow up with the 20th anniversary version (even though the first one came out in 2003, LOL), but this game is already in a worse position than Duke Nukem Forever. That needed 14 years to be done, this was announced 16 years ago…

Camera in hand

Michel Ancel’s (Rayman’s creator who left the gaming industry during Ubisoft’s harassment cases) masterpiece still holds up today. It’s still as good an action-adventure with stealth and puzzles as it was in 2003 (so why not a 21st Anniversary Edition?), but there’s been a visual change. The assets have been reworked, but perhaps not all of the visuals look as outstanding. Character models are acceptable, dynamic lighting and additional visual effects are good. The French publisher didn’t really touch the art direction, but it’s better that they didn’t change it, so it’s mostly the same style as the original (you can still buy it on GOG for €1.5, otherwise it’s €5 by default). But this minor modernization on older foundations is not entirely a good idea. It’s like adding a more modern graphics card into an older computer: it works, but only modestly. It might have been better to leave the whole thing untouched.

It’s like the PlayStation Network/Xbox Live Arcade version took that approach. The soundtrack, on the other hand, has seen some major changes, but you can’t complain about the new orchestration, and it wasn’t a bad idea to update the already weak OST (sometimes the end result isn’t perfect, see Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster). The gameplay hasn’t changed much either, as it’s still inspired by The Legend of Zelda, as there are dungeons, they’re mostly linear and there’s little room for maneuver in how you want to advance the story. It’s a bit of a letdown, but that was common at the time, but perhaps an optional crutch would have been nice, as not everyone will know that collecting pearls is essential to upgrading your vehicle. It is a bit strange that you see loading screens a lot. On a PS2 it’s understandable (PS2 because Jade’s story first came out on it, followed by PC in 2003 and then the Xbox/GameCube pair in 2004), but on a PlayStation 5 it’s a bit anachronistic of an experience.

From one game to another… or back to the sequel?

The stealth is still outdated (it was the standard back then, sans Metal Gear Solid 2), the camera angles are sometimes just as shocking (there have been worse), but the convenience features make up for it. Automatic saves, the ability to skip cutscenes, better controls (X and Y axis can be inverted separately), but the emphasis is still on adding a bit of content. There’s the Anniversary Gallery, which contains a surprising amount of images, concept art, and even a video summarizing how Ancel’s idea became a finished video game, and we even get to see a bit of cut content. There’s the Speedrun mode, which removes the ability to save your progress, instead expecting you to complete courses as quickly as possible – a Platinum trophy surely requires you to do so.

There are also new cosmetic items, but the most important is the treasure hunt you can start once you gain access to the Beluga spaceship. These are used to get video diaries, and that’s how Ubisoft connects BG&E 2 to the first part. It also reveals who Jade’s mother is, and she confirms it herself in one of these scenes (which are hand-drawn, by the way). Fans will love this, and Ubisoft has put an end to a long-running debate. But you still have to wonder if Double H, Pey’j and the rest are worth $20. On PC, the answer is a resounding NO, because it’s loaded with Denuvo, and Ubisoft Connect is a must-have. GOG was mentioned for a reason: we get the same thing for a fraction of the price and it can be played OFFLINE at any time. It’s a shame that Steam has removed the original version and you can only buy the new one.

Not convincing compared to the old version

This is where it gets tricky. If we had to rate Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition’s extra content, it would get a 7. The base game is a bit dated, so it would also get a 7. But it cannot be recommended in place of the original. It’s worth buying on GOG (as old as the game is, it doesn’t need a modern PC) and playing THAT. If that’s not an option, it’s only recommended on console if you like the old-school gameplay (and platforming).

-V-

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Virtuos/Ubisoft Montpellier

Style: action-adventure

Release: June 25, 2024.