The developers from Ubisoft Montpellier who are working on
Beyond Good and Evil 2 don't try to hide the fact that their new project is influenced by traditional oriental culture, from colorful clothing to the design of in-game metropolises. Ganesha City will reflect that particular approach, as it was founded on the planet Soma by the cloned members of an India-based corporation, Ubisoft has revealed.
According to the French publisher, Ganesha "
is the capital of Soma and a popular metropolis for tourists, as well as a center of industrial and commercial activity for the whole System." The city is divided into several inter-dependent districts, two of which you will find described down below:
Old City District
Created as a destination for spiritual experiences, most of the historical part of the city, like the giant statue of the Hindu divinity Ganesh, was built on top of the ancient foundations of Soma’s first colonial outpost. This central district contains the main thoroughfare where the System’s key corporations have flashy showrooms to exhibit their technological prowess and their role in the creation of this new civilization.
The Temples, lush gardens and shops, which adorn the upper parts of this district (and are forbidden to hybrids), attract tourists from across the System. Meanwhile, in the lower depths of the city, the older, buried and abandoned temples have come to serve many purposes, including sanctuaries for fugitive hybrid slaves and defective clones fleeing the oppressive system, black markets, drug dens, illicit laboratories and other unsavory activities.
The shining city we see in our first Beyond Good and Evil 2 cinematic trailer for E3 2017 was built on the backs of hybrid slave labor, who form an underclass relegated to the lower areas of the city.
This district, at the very heart of Ganesha City, offers a view of all the other city’s districts.
Entertainment District
Let us entertain you! Golden Ganesh looks down his trunk at the sprawling entertainment district on the waterfront of his Sacred City…
Far from the fancy showrooms, luxurious shops and gardens, and impressive temples at the city’s traditional heart, an entertainment empire welcomes the Surya System’s tourists, gamblers, and thrill-seekers, bringing Ganesha City residents and tourists alike an array of food, drink, sports, casinos… and many more, well let’s just say, carnal pleasures…
Here on the waterfront, an Entertainment Corporation runs the business of fun. An arena hosts extreme sports events, such as hybrid blood sports, where hybrid slaves and renegade human clones fight each other to the death, much like the gladiators of Old Earth. On another day, you might find Death Races, where the best space racers can take on one of Zhou Yuzhu pet pilots… or each other!
Bet on yourself and you might win a whole lot of moolah! Remember Zhou? Well, he’s the official head of the Entertainment Corporation who runs this district in Ganesha City and the man, uh… pig, who keeps the dark underbelly of this sprawling district as dangerous as it is fascinating.
Just like No Man's Sky, BG&E2 will be playable solo or in co-op, but even if you’re playing with a friend you won't be forced to stick together, as you may freely explore the beauty of Genosha (and other, yet unannounced cities) on your own, even if you and your friend are traversing totally different planets on the antipodes of System 3. While the sandbox extravaganza's release date is still a mystery, we will definitely learn more about the Michel Ancel-directed space opera at Ubisoft's E3 2019 conference.
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 doesn't have an official release date yet.