Ubisoft wants you to know that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still coming, nearly two decades after it was first announced. Yet, for some reason, very few are hoping that the game will ever see the light of the day. Perhaps knowing this, Ubisoft wants to cheer the handful of remaining fans up by re-releasing the first game in time for its 20th anniversary.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board lists a “Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition” on its website at the moment, suggesting that a new version of the formerly criminally underrated title is on the horizon.
According to the listing, Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as well as the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and even the PC. It even links to multiple storefronts, but as of yet, the webpages aren’t live yet so you can’t pre-order the game let alone buy a copy.
Unfortunately, that’s all we have for Beyond Good and Evil right now, except maybe if you think re-reading the same “Rating Summary” from the original game is news.
The first Beyond Good and Evil holds a special place in the hearts of many, which is why some are still holding out hope that the second game will be out sooner rather than later.
It’s unclear what improvements the new Beyond Good and Evil will entail but we’re thinking that it’ll be better than the incumbent version that’s available on Steam. The same “port” currently runs at HD resolutions but it’s not the best way to play the 2003 title – it’s buggy with no controller support and the overall “improvements” leave plenty to be desired.
At this point, a proper re-release that fixes the said issues will make plenty of fans happy while giving newer audiences a chance to experience a modern classic.
The only way Ubisoft can fumble this is if it charges a premium for the re-release of Beyond Good and Evil, which could be the case. After all, Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive got away with digital murder with Red Dead Redemption after it topped the sales charts despite not really making any improvements.
If nothing else, Ubisoft could be using this to gauge interest in Beyond Good and Evil after spending what seems to feel like forever working on the sequel. After teasing the follow-up in 2008, Ubisoft went radio silent on Beyond Good and Evil 2 until E3 2017, where it confirmed that it will instead be a prequel. Then, in 2020, Ubisoft revealed that a feature film adaptation is in development over at Netflix. We’ve not heard of anything about neither project since, except for the departure of Michel Ancel, the creator of Beyond Good & Evil and Rayman, and Guillaume Carmona, the managing director of Ubisoft Montpellier.
With Beyond Good and Evil 2’s creative director, Emile Morel, passing away in July, we shouldn’t expect to hear anything about the game anytime soon.
The good news is that Ubisoft is setting itself up to enjoy a big hit in October with Assassin’s Creed: Mirage. The return-to-roots installment received an earlier release date in order to avoid the congested month. The hopes are high that this will help kickstart renewed interest in the franchise after the last series of games disenchanted long-terms.
