Somehow, eight years have passed since I last played Beyond Good & Evil. As I made my way through the caves, canals and industrial facilities of a freshly remastered Hillys, I was continually surprised by how much more I was enjoying this playthrough.

Don't get me wrong: Beyond Good & Evil has its flaws. Hillys is a little too small to completely realize the intended scope of the game's conflict. The main story feels a bit rushed and awkwardly paced. The enemy AI is very silly. The controls and cinematic camera feel very "of the time."

But something about it hits different now. Maybe it's the remaster, maybe my tastes have changed, maybe I'm a little more mature or patient now. For whatever reason, I found myself appreciating all the game does right:

• The Mediterranean-inspired environments with an emphasis on canals instead of roadways give Hillys such a uniquely charming vibe.
• Rather than try and fail to render realistic characters within the technical constraints of 2003-era consoles, Beyond Good & Evil opts for more stylized, cartoony models I find really expressive and appealing. The cast of humanoid and anthropomorphic NPCs is well-voiced for the time and easy to grow attached to.
• Christophe Héral's eclectic soundtrack feels familiar yet alien. It is supremely catchy.
• The game's emphasis on exploration, photojournalism and stealth over combat is distinct and special.
• While I found the stealth segments frustrating before, this time they felt quite approachable. Enemy AI is simple and checkpoints are frequent.
• There's so much to miss if you're laser-focused on the main story. From its side quests to collectibles to minigames to little world-building details, I always felt rewarded for wandering around between bigger set pieces.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the scope of the remaster. Similar to Metroid Prime Remastered, almost every model and texture has been upgraded while respecting the original intent. Cosmetics and a small amount of story content were added in a seamless way. The bonus section of behind-the-scenes materials is far more thorough than I would have expected. I experienced one crash and two stuck loading screens while playing, but autosaves are frequent and no progress was lost.

So I've bumped my rating up from four stars to five. Whether its sequel ever escapes development hell or not, Beyond Good & Evil deserves a place alongside games like Jak and Daxter and Psychonauts in my all-time favorites of the sixth console generation.