“A mixed result” – Digital Foundry gives tech verdict on Beyond Good & Evil on Switch
Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is now available on Switch and overall it’s a successful release from Ubisoft, boasting upgraded visuals from the original along with some meaningful additional content. We gave the game a 8/10 in our ratingand you should definitely check out our thoughts while you can.
But, of course, with cross-platform games like this, the Switch version unfortunately suffers a few downgrades when compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The most noticeable change is in the textures: characters, objects, and environments are significantly less detailed than the console versions of the game, although the use of lighting is at least on par across all systems.
Reflections are also slightly affected. When surfing on the water in Hillys Land, the reflections on the Switch run at half the resolution when compared directly to the PS5. Additionally, the lack of Gaussian blur makes jagged edges much more prominent. This is a small detail that might not be noticeable unless you compare both versions side by side, but it’s still noticeable.
Finally, as we noted in our review, the game runs at 30fps. While that’s a bit disappointing, at least the game is stable. However, it’s also worth noting that it can occasionally drop to around 20fps and even 12fps if you’re, as DF puts it, “standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
We definitely agree with all the points made here, although we’re not sure they’re serious enough to detract from the experience. We still think it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of the original or want to see what all the fuss is about.
