Ancel's standalone adventure, mixing stealth, photography, hovercraft racing and simple combat. A deeply lovable world, memorable characters and a quietly political plot rare for the medium. Short but lasting, an underrated classic.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Photographer Jade battles a secret conspiracy on planet Hillys in this Ubisoft GameCube masterpiece. Published by Ubisoft, released in the United States in November 2003. Action-adventure with Jade and her uncle Pey'j, investigation into an alien race and varied gameplay mixing combat and photography.
Beyond Good & Evil review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Few worlds feel as warm as planet Hillys, woven from mingled cultures, vivid colours and expressive faces. Jade's camera lens becomes a genuine aesthetic principle, inviting you to look at this world as much as to roam it. Coherent down to the smallest NPC, this timeless style explains its cult status.
From Christophe Héral springs a mixed sonic world, where world textures, reggae accents and moving flights answer one another. The mock propaganda jingle and the most intimate themes alike stay etched long after the final image. This sensitive, inventive music feeds the game's cult status to the full.
On the planet Hillys, photojournalist Jade chases the truth behind a suspiciously convenient war: the Alpha Sections meant to protect the people are in league with the DomZ invaders. Armed with her camera, she joins a resistance network and dismantles the propaganda. An investigative story, rare in games, carried by an unforgettable heroine.
The NTSC release of Beyond Good & Evil is the US version of Ubisoft Montpellier's game in a modest print that paradoxically reinforced the game's cult status. Collector value has risen sharply since Ubisoft announced the prequel, retroactively raising the value of every original pressing of the first entry.
Is Beyond Good & Evil still worth playing in 2026?
An oddity by Michel Ancel and Ubisoft, Beyond Good & Evil mixes adventure, stealth and photography on planet Hillys, victim of an alien invasion against a military plot backdrop. The inspired art direction, memorable characters like Jade, Pey'j and Double H, plus the Christophe Heral soundtrack sign a rare auteur work. Short and technically imperfect, the title retains an emotion and singularity that few productions have matched since. Essential for anyone wanting to understand the modern narrative adventure game today.
