The cult-classic adventure game Beyond Good And Evil from Ubisoft is getting yet another reissue far ahead of its long-awaited successor. Strangely, this is only coming after an astonishing, record-setting 16 years since the sequel was first announced.
The reissue, dubbed Beyond Good And Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition, was announced during a Thursday livestream from Limited Run Games, showcasing critically acclaimed digital-only games getting physical releases this year. This updated version of Beyond Good And Evil will feature high resolution visuals, an added art gallery of the game’s development, an upgraded soundtrack, and some promised exclusive content we don’t have more details on yet. This new edition is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Ubisoft’s subscription service next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, physical copies of this anniversary release are dropping on July 12 through Limited Run Games. It will mark the first time physical copies of the game have been made available since its original release on PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube way back in November 2003.
The game follows Jade, a journalist living in a science-fiction universe full of charming, anthropomorphic animals, evil aliens, and greedy corporate forces. Players use a combination of Jade’s martial arts, photography, puzzle-solving, and platforming work to unravel an expansive conspiracy threatening her home planet and beyond.
Beyond Good And Evil getting a reissue celebrating its 20th anniversary is a fantastic development. It’s an underrated action-adventure game from three console generations ago. It wasn’t a huge hit when it was first released 20 years ago, but it would later gain cult status thanks to free giveaways with cereal boxes in the 2000s and steep discounts at retail.
Today, it is widely remembered as an inventive, surprisingly poignant game for its time. But as the publisher continues to celebrate such a beloved title in its classic catalog, it draws attention to how much this beloved property has languished over the last decade and a half.
Way back in 2008, Ubisoft first announced that Beyond Good And Evil 2 was in development, providing hope to players who wanted to see the original game’s cliffhanger ending get resolved. But the publisher went radio silent about the game for nine years before it resurfaced in 2017, now as a prequel. But the update came with no release date attached, and the company went silent about the follow-up once more.
In 2020, a troubling update from the team offered a peak behind the scenes of the sequel. Michel Ancel, the director of the first game and its sequel (and the creator of Rayman), left the games industry abruptly. Shortly after his sudden departure, French publication Libération reported Ancel was being investigated by Ubisoft for running a toxic workplace. The story revealed that Beyond Good And Evil 2 had undergone several changes in scope and direction under Ancel, who cultivated a culture of working long hours that left more than a dozen employees suffering from exhaustion and depression.
Ubisoft reassured the public after the controversy that the game was still in development, despite big leadership changes. It would reiterate that the game was still in production in a statement to Eurogamer last year. More than 16 years after its initial announcement, Beyond Good And Evil 2 currently holds the Guinness world record for the longest-ever development cycle for a AAA video game.
To put things into perspective, the 20th Anniversary Edition isn’t even the first time the game has been re-released since its sequel began development. In 2011, the game came to then-modern digital storefronts on PS3 and Xbox 360 under the title Beyond Good And Evil HD, with cleaned-up visuals meant for contemporary high-definition displays. At the time, it seemed like the perfect way to precede its upcoming sequel.
Beyond Good And Evil deserves the hallowed treatment it’s getting. This 20th Anniversary Edition further preserves this classic, allowing new players to discover what made it so special two decades ago. But one can’t help but wonder what’s going on with its sequel after such a long time behind closed doors. Players can only hope that next week’s milestone release is followed up by a substantial update on what’s happening with the long overdue sequel.
