Ubisoft Montpellier masterpiece unjustly forgotten at launch. Jade is a memorable heroine, the dystopian universe unique, gameplay varies between investigation, stealth and combat. A game every adventure game fan should play.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Jade, a journalist and photographer, investigates an alien conspiracy eating away at the planet Hillys from within. Published by Ubisoft, released in 2003 in the United States and Europe. Semi-open world alternating combat, stealth, and photographic investigation, with hovercraft races, puzzles, and a critically acclaimed jazz-reggae score by Christophe Héral.
Beyond Good & Evil review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
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.
A courageous reporter caught in a state conspiracy, Jade investigates a truth that the authorities smother with propaganda. Beneath the adventure runs a surprisingly political point about manipulation and resistance. Carried by an endearing heroine and a striking finale, this humanist tale has lost none of its relevance.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Alternating between photographic investigation, quiet infiltration, staff-based combat and hovercraft races, this is an adventure of remarkable variety that never feels muddled. Each mechanic stays crystal-clear, and the pacing balances exploration and action with rare care. A few systems have aged somewhat, but the overall harmony and Jade's momentum keep a charm that still feels lively in the hand.
A cult adventure by Michel Ancel, Beyond Good & Evil follows reporter Jade through an endearing world of stealth, photography and conspiracy, a commercial failure become an object of devotion. Printed in measured quantities, it has seen its value climb among connoisseurs. Its interest combines this misunderstood-gem status and a real physical scarcity.
An underrated gem
Praised by critics but shunned on shelves, this journey in which a reporter exposes an alien conspiracy never found the commercial success it deserved. Its endearing world, memorable heroine and clever blend of action, photo investigation and hovercraft nonetheless earned it cult-classic status. Worth (re)discovering before any eventual sequel.
Is Beyond Good & Evil still worth playing in 2026?
Michel Ancel's 2003 cult favourite remains one of the most heartfelt narratives Ubisoft ever shipped. The planet Hillys, its animal cast and Jade's investigation through a free press still hit with a tone nobody else really copied. The mix of stealth, photography, light combat and hovercraft exploration asks for some patience with stiff controls and a fussy camera, but the writing, the music and the pacing remain remarkable. Fans of personal scale adventures and anyone curious about Ubisoft's most ambitious creative era will rediscover it with genuine pleasure.
