Starting tomorrow, PC gamers with an active Ubisoft Uplay account will be able to download the digital Windows version of Beyond Good & Evil free of charge. The giveaway will continue through November.
Released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, PCs, and the original Xbox, Beyond Good & Evil is a third-person action game that cites gameplay inspiration from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series. Taking control of veteran photojournalist Jade, players explore a vast alien world in the hopes of unraveling a deadly conspiracy.
Though it’s considered a commercial failure, Beyond Good & Evil won a dedicated fanbase due to its memorable characters and varied gameplay, and a visually upgraded version premiered for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PCs in 2011.
Fans remain hopeful that a Beyond Good & Evil sequel will one day materialize, and newly posted teasers have reignited gaming community speculation in recent weeks. Though designer Michel Ancel announced a Beyond Good & Evil sequel as far back as 2008, he recently revealed that the project was still in the pre-production phase, ensuring that fans have a few more years of anticipation ahead of them.
Regardless, many fans see this month’s giveaway as confirmation that Ubisoft still considers Beyond Good & Evil to be an important franchise worthy of a return.
“Beyond Good and Evil is a unique game in Ubisoft history: created by Michel Ancel, this game is the most beloved game of our communities!” Ubisoft explains on its giveaway site. “Released in 2003, this game was a creative bet that took all trends in reverse: the hero was a young girl with skills and wits, Jade, who was very different from women characters in video games at that time.
“The game had a unique style mixing Japanese and traditional cartoon. It remains a unique experience with lovable characters, brilliant storytelling and gameplay mixing driving, fighting, collaborating, [and photography].”
Beyond Good & Evil will be free to download starting on October 12.
