It seems like we’ve been waiting forever Beyond good and evil 2 to tide us over until then, Ubisoft has now released a new remaster of the original release – this time celebrating the game’s 20th anniversary. Yes, this year marks two decades since the original title debuted on the first Xbox (which was later followed by a high-definition release for XBLA in 2011 on the Xbox 360). So is this new version worth the 20 units?
First, if you haven’t played this action adventure before (and we will forgive you because now he is 20 years old …), he plays “action reporter” Jade who is assigned to investigate alien attacks on the land of Hillys – a futuristic mining environment set in System 4 where its citizens rely on a not-so-trustworthy group known as the ‘Section Alpha’ for him. protect them, even though all is not as it seems. Jade, codenamed “Shaun”, is sent to investigate what’s going on, and is joined by her “uncle” Pey’j (who isn’t really her uncle, or the same kind for that matter), and eventually Double H, a “homo sapien” fellow with a military past.
Jade, with the help of these characters and her trusty weapon: the Daï-Jo, must save the day by going on an adventure, collecting gems, upgrading and unlocking equipment, taking out bosses and bad guys, solving puzzles and even participating in automobile races. and mini-games while capturing the entire experience with her camera. Eh!
When you first launch Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition, you’ll immediately see the new speedrun mode and a special gallery filled with “never-before-seen” artwork and videos, exclusive anecdotes and a few secret surprises. However, when you jump into the core experience, you’ll (hopefully) be flooded with all sorts of nostalgic thoughts about the original, or maybe even the HD version.
Overall, it looks and feels the same, but the reality is that it’s now running enhanced graphics at 4K resolution and a frame rate of 60 FPS (along with “resolution” and “performance” rendering options). Thankfully, there’s no charm lost – with characters, environments and action each feeling more alive than before with all life forms in the catalogue. To add to this, the audio and soundtrack have both received an update, including re-recordings with a live orchestra, making the game sound better than ever. There are also some quality-of-life improvements, like the ability to skip cutscenes and autosave, and then there are some tie-ins to the long-awaited second game in the form of a new treasure hunt.
What some fans might not necessarily welcome with open arms are the controls. Even recovered, they still feel a little clunky in certain sections. Movement (and sometimes camera angles) can also be a struggle, especially during the hottest moments, but none of that should come as a surprise to returning players, and it’s somewhat refined. Some other parts of the game’s design, like the puzzles and select mechanics, including stealth, obviously haven’t aged as nicely as the gameplay in some other titles from 20 years ago, but your muscle memory should kick in before that. before you know it, you’ll be enjoying BG&E like you’re back in the early 2000s.
CONCLUSION
For the asking price, this 20th anniversary remaster of Beyond Good & Evil is a great experience – with respectable visual upgrades, sound upgrades, some quality-of-life improvements, and bonus content to round it out. While the gameplay, mechanics, and environments don’t always feel as fresh as they once did, Jade’s story is still as charming as ever. Now, for the next adventure…