Ubisoft officially re-revealed Beyond Good and Evil 2 at its E3 2017 press conference. Platforms were not announced.
Beyond Good and Evil is a prequel to the original game featuring new characters. Ubisoft has also launched a “Space Monkey Program” inviting community members to participate in the development of the title.
Here’s an overview of the game, via Ubisoft:
The world – or rather worlds – of Beyond Good & Evil are back on the horizon with the unveiling of Beyond Good and Evil 2, a prequel and spiritual successor to the beloved 2003 classic. Helmed once again by developer Michel Ancel, Beyond Good and Evil 2 invites players to explore System 3, a vast solar system and a hub of interstellar colonization and commerce in the 24th century – and fans have a chance to help shape it by taking a role in the development process.
System 3, as it turns out, is a place where limited resources are viciously warred over by various private enterprises. The struggle for survival amid a rich milieu of evolved species and diverse cultures from Old Earth creates an ideal environment for space piracy, as a new generation of captains rise up to carve out a piece of the galaxy for themselves.
As you rise from lowly pirate to legendary captain, you’ll traverse System 3 at light speed to explore freely on your own or with friends. Presenting its solar system as a massive, seamless online environment, Beyond Good and Evil 2 gives players the chance to dive into the foundations of the franchise’s universe while traveling between diverse planets and moons in search of adventure.
“We know the expectations for Beyond Good and Evil 2 are enormous,” says Creative Director Michel Ancel. “We’re creating a sci-fi space opera, a game where players fight for freedom alongside unforgettable characters and explore a stunning and vast solar system, all while capturing the spirit of Beyond Good and Evil.”
Ancel wants your help to do it, too. The Beyond Good and Evil 2 team at Ubisoft Montpellier is looking for fans to help by sharing ideas and feedback, and encourage players to sign up now for the Space Monkey Program.
Ubisoft debuted a new cinematic trailer and pre-alpha gameplay, and announced a partnership with collaborative creative platform HitRECord for Beyond Good and Evil 2 during its E3 2018 press conference.
Here are the details on the HitRECord partnership, via Ubisoft.com:
Ubisoft is taking that process one step further by partnering with HitRECord – a collaborative creative platform founded by Joseph Gordon-Levitt – and inviting artists to create content for the game, such as poster designs, radio ads, and music.
Open to artists of all skill levels and fields, the partnership encourages participants to work with others – including the developers of Beyond Good and Evil 2 themselves – and will offer creative briefings to guide the process. Artists will be able to link their HitRECord and Space Monkey Program accounts, and start submitting content with the tag “BGE2” for review by the development team. Creators can submit designs or music, and can build on pre-existing content in the site’s archives. Creators will also be credited and paid for their contributions based on item type, scope of work, and intention for its use. If you’ve ever wanted to see your work appear in a major videogame, now’s your chance to make it happen.
To contribute, head to HitRECord, and link your Space Monkey Program account at hitrecord.org/bgegame.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 private demo showcase set for E3 2018
Ubisoft will showcase a private demo of Beyond Good and Evil 2 to a few select members of the Space Monkey Program at E3 2018, the company announced in an e-mail sent out to members of the program.
Selected Space Monkeys selected will receive a free Gamer Pass to attend E3 2018 and see the demo on June 14. Travel and accommodation, however, will not be provided by Ubisoft.
Users interested in attending the E3 2018 and the private demo can RSVP here. But before doing that, you should make sure you are registered as a Space Monkey. RSVPing does not guarantee you will be selected.
Here is the full e-mail sent out to Space Monkeys:
The Beyond Good and Evil 2 team is opening up the private demo of the game to a few select members of the Space Monkey Program at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles, California. This is a unique opportunity to see first-hand the ongoing development of Beyond Good and Evil 2 and to meet the team in person!
So, inquisitive Space Monkey, how is all this going to work?
* Registered Space Monkeys who have RSVP’d to this invitation and are selected for the limited number of spaces will receive a free Gamer Pass for entry to the Los Angeles Convention Center and access to the Beyond Good and Evil 2 demo area.
More details, such as assigned demo session and meeting time / place, will be provided in the confirmation e-mail sent to the Space Monkeys selected for the Beyond Good and Evil 2 private demo.
* All Beyond Good and Evil 2 private demo sessions will take place at E3 2018 on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
* Important: Please do not RSVP unless you know for sure that you’ll be in Los Angeles and available to see the demo on the morning of June 14.
Travel to / from Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Convention Center, accommodation, as well as any and all personal expenses related to E3 2018, are the sole responsibility of each Space Monkey selected for a private demo session. You will, however, receive a free pass for entry to E3 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
* To participate, you must be a Space Monkey at least 18 years or older.
* If you’re going to be at E3 2018 and are interested in checking out the Beyond Good and Evil 2 demo, click below to register for a chance to be selected as one of our lucky Space Monkeys.
Please RSVP by June 1 (8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET).
We’re excited to have this opportunity to invite a select number of Space Monkeys to experience the Beyond Good and Evil 2 demo at this year’s E3.
Ubisoft has released a new work-in-progress pre-alpha gameplay video of Beyond Good and Evil 2 showcasing how players can navigate the world via jetpack and ship, how groups of co-op players can stay close when traveling at high speeds by forming an armada, and how melee combat is coming together.
Additionally, during today’s “Space Monkey Report #2” live stream, Beyond Good and Evil 2 creative director Michel Ancel said the development team is preparing many surprises for E3 2018, which runs from June 12 to 14 in Los Angeles.
Here is an overview of the game, via Ubisoft:
Journey to System 3, for the prequel to one of Ubisoft’s most beloved games! Fight alongside unforgettable characters in a stunning new solar system, as you struggle for freedom and the right to determine your own fate among the stars. Play the adventure by yourself or with friends in a vast and seamless online playground.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the spiritual successor to the cult classic, a prequel that will transport players into a profoundly multicultural world, capturing the spirit of the original with grandiose decors and intense dramas that play out across a vast universe. Through the Space Monkey Program, Ubisoft Montpellier will be developing the game alongside its community of fans.
System 3 has become the center of interstellar trade and colonization in the Milky Way of the 24th century, thanks to the creation of Hybrid slaves. While private enterprises fight over resources and power, the first colonists weave together the rich and diverse spiritual and cultural heritages of Old Earth to give meaning to their existence. In this new era of piracy, we will rise from lowly pirate to legendary captain at the helm of massive star-faring vessels, adventuring alongside crews of colorful characters to fight for freedom and the right to determine our own fate among the stars!
A release date and platform(s) for Beyond Good and Evil 2 have yet to be announced.
Following its first in December 2017, Ubisoft will host the second “Space Monkey Report” live stream for Beyond Good and Evil 2 on May 3 at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET, the company announced. You’ll be able to watch it on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook.
“”It’s Space Monkey Report time again! Get an update on by joining us for our live stream with the dev team,” Ubisoft teased.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 was re-revealed at E3 2017 nine years after its original announcement.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 ‘Ship and Crew Update’ developer diary
Ubisoft has released a new developer diary for Beyond Good and Evil 2 providing an update on the game’s ships and crews.
During an hour-long live stream today, the development team at Ubisoft Montpellier shared more information about the game. Here are the notable tidbits, via Eurogamer:
The game can be played single-player, but the team wanted users to be able to play with friends. Senior producer Guillaume Brunier said, “A part of the story will be the story you tell as you meet and play with friends,” and added that there will also be traditional narrative-lead stories “with a beginning, middle and end, with strong characters, which will emotional.”
Your crew will help progress the story, rather than chat with an AI helper. “Here we want [to feature] the crew members, the officers, you will meet on your journey,” said creative director Michel Ancel. “Like Pey’J and Double H. We don’t want to force an AI – we want players to meet characters. A bit more digital and a bit less physical”
In one storyline, you meet a chimp named Knox whose planet you visit and meet his family. Because of the game engine’s ability to create animal hybrid characters that look like others, Knox’s family will look similar to him.
The game engine allows for seamless transition from a small teahouse somewhere in a big city to a giant spaceship in space.
The development team has almost tripled in size since E3. Right now the focus is building “a real, vibrant city for people to explore,” according to Brunier, referring to the city shown in the E3 2017 trailer.
Regarding whether Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a prequel, Ancel said, “The first idea for Beyond Good & Evil was to make three games, a trilogy. But when we started thinking about the next game we thought the [series’] world was so big, so dense it would be a shame to not talk about its origins. Who is Jade? She’s very mysterious. She has a dark side. We want to go deeper into these things.” He continued, “And will continue going through the episodes, the stories of this world,” he added. “But we wanted to start with a prequel.”
Ubisoft has released a walkthrough of the in-engine demo Beyond Good and Evil 2 shown behind closed doors shown at E3 2017 last week.
The video features creative director Michel Ancel playing and commenting on the in-engine demo. Ubisoft notes that it is a work in progress and “not super polished,” and asks that you share your feedback on the official website or forums.