It’s hard to believe it’s been over 20 years since the original release, but Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition has arrived to try and breathe some new life into this classic adventure. The good news is that it’s still a great game and this is easily the best way to play it. This is almost entirely the same game that fans know and love, but the visual overhaul and a handful of other differences really do make for a more pleasing experience all the same.
Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is still about Jade, a young reporter who gets wrapped up in a conspiracy that sees people get kidnapped, brainwashed, or worse by an evil force hellbent on deceiving and manipulating the population of her home of Hillys. The game’s story is still one of its strongest characteristics, even if the presentation is still very much in line with other games from the same era.
The biggest difference here is that everything has been re-textured. From the environmental textures to clothing and vehicles, a lot of work was put in to improve this aspect of the game’s presentation. You’ll also find new foliage and skyboxes, as well as higher resolution effects and the like. The new textures look good, while still very much preserving the original art direction for the most part. The models seem to be unchanged, although I do see some people that are more than a little confused by this.
Aside from textures, the camera has been markedly improved from the original. Where it tended to snap back into place after being manipulated (at least in the original PC version,) it now moves freely. On controller, the original PC release also had inverted horizontal camera movement that couldn’t be changed. Here there’s no such issue. Putting that version above 60 frames per second would also result in some problems. While you can’t change the framerate in Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition through the menu, you can add new lines to the game’s config and play at high framerates with no issue.
Fans will also appreciate seeing an all-new quest that’s meant to tie in with the long-in-development sequel. Seeing as the game is pretty short, having even a bit of new content is a plus. As for how well the gameplay held up, the title is primarily divided into a few components. The first of these is extremely simplistic combat consisting of mostly mashing one button, dodging, charging up strikes, and calling for your helper to slam the ground and aid you. Then you’ve got simple stealth where you mostly just avoid enemies. A big chunk of the game also requires you to drive a hovercraft around on the water, which includes races as well as sections where you’re navigating to your destination.
Much of the gameplay has you grabbing collectible pearls that you need to purchase upgrades for your hovercraft. Plus, you’ll find upgrades that improve Jade’s health or the health of the hovercraft. Sidequests include races and chasing after bandits in caverns for the most part. The game feels decent to play, but it’s clear how dated it is. Then again, it’s been over 20 years, so this isn’t surprising. All-in-all Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is a very solid remaster that features plenty of bonus material that digs into various aspects of the game’s development, among other neat inclusions. Longtime fans will appreciate the new coat of paint and a very playable PC version, even if the game won’t exactly feel modern to newbies.
Beyond Good and Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition : Just as charming as it's ever been, the new textures and quest make this is the best version of the game, even if its simplicity and some clunkiness will make things a tougher sell for new players. – Andrew Farrell
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