Since June, Ubisoft has given away a game a month from its back catalogue free-of-charge in celebration of its 30th anniversary. The aptly named Ubi 30 initiative has seen seven complimentary games go up for grabs since—however the entire archive is being made available from today until Sunday, December 18 on the off-chance you missed any.
Assuming you're willing to sign up for the Ubisoft Club (which is free), this means you can net yourself Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the original Splinter Cell, the wonderful Rayman Origins, online race 'em up The Crew, Beyond Good and Evil, Far Cry 3's '80s throwback Blood Dragon, and Assassin's Creed 3—all without spending a penny.
They're all free, but Beyond Good and Evil is easily the pick of the bunch there. We learned recently that the elusive sequel is actually happening—with Michel Ancel on board, no less—so now would be a great time to experience the original if you haven't already. Edwin's words on what made the original special are easily some of my favourite on the subject. Here's a wee snippet of an article you should absolutely read in its entirety:
"There’s plenty to cherish. Beyond Good & Evil’s war-torn garden planet is a pebble-strewn puddle even by the standards of its era, but everything in it is necessary—and everything feels hand-crafted, from the flying cars that zip past as you steer your squat bumblebee of a hovercraft through the capital, to the drawings on the walls of the orphanage Jade runs when she’s not saving the world. Much as in the Zelda games, nothing has been added for the sake of detail alone—all the pieces hint at a narrative universe larger than the technology and design constraints can supply.
"The technology in-game calls to mind the dazzling but reassuringly homely fantasies of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. It mixes the trappings of ‘serious’ sci-fi with archaic touches and a splash of whimsy—there’s a Cortanaesque AI hologram, but he’s a flamboyant Spaniard with a pencil moustache, and the game’s spaceships are bulbous, wheezy fistfuls of jets and fins that might as well run on steam."
Ubi 30's catalogue of free games are available now until Sunday, December 18.
