The second and probably the last "Space Monkey Report" before E3 2018 just ended and senior producer Guillaume Brunier, director Michel Ancel, and associate creative director Emile Morel revealed some juicy details about Ubisoft's
Beyond Good and Evil 2.
According to Guillaume Brunier, the game is being made by more than 120 developers from at least four different Ubisoft studios in Montpellier, Sofia, Barcelona, and Bordeaux. The teams are currently focusing on preparing a demo that will be shown at the upcoming E3 2018 and Ancel promised during the broadcast that him and his crew are keeping a lot of big surprises for the expo in June.
Ubisoft has created a special timeline to make the events of the
Beyond Good and Evil series logical. The timeline starts with the "Golden Age of Science" in 2040. Humanity has created a propulsion engine that will later allow us to colonize outer space. In 2063, the AI turns its back on its creators and forces everyone to return to more "physical" methods of storing data and information (like discs).
Moving into 2086, scientists managed to create the very first talking hybird that's supposed to communicate with children. Finally, in 2108, the humanity leaves Earth and starts colonizing Systems 1-5, but we will follow expeditions that has tried to colonize System 3, the fate of the rest of these crews is an unknown. 2225 brings the first big cities built on alien planets. You can also use just one button to see the map of System 3. Ubisoft won't create millions of empty planets (which seems to be a direct answer to the players who didn't fall in love with
No Man's Se... Sky).
Each and every planet was created manually, the team didn't use algorithms to shape them, they have their own stories and myths. In 2314 there was a massive ship massacre that happened in System 3. Before this, there had never been a massive act of aggression against a ship. 2360 officially starts the golden age of space piracy. Since this game will be a prequel, it delves more into the history behind the dark world that Jade, the first title's protagonist, was birthed into. The date of her birth is a mystery.
Ancel has ensured the players that
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a game for everybody, it features gameplay mechanisms that will appease solo, co-op, and multiplayer fans. The story ties all those ideas together and you can create your own avatar who doesn't need to look like a human. As a captain, you will have a chance to recruit even your former enemies and every member has a role to play, from medics to engineers. You can switch your crews instantaneously.
The enormous gate you've seen in the cinematic trailer is a concept that started during the production of the first game more than 15 years ago. The developers described the game as a "
seamless action-adventure RPG that you can play solo or with friends." There are only few scripts and loading screens, but the game won't be released this year as it's still in a really early alpha stage of development.
Beyond 2 is a prequel so the cliffhanger from the first game won't be addressed, but the sequel will help you to understand what happened at the end of the first
Beyond. You're not a journalist this time, but as a space pirate you will be equipped in a spyglass that works just like a camera allowing you to gather information about the world and scan things, landmarks, and even citizens.
According to Ancel, "
the world is the story" and you will literally operate beyond good and evil meeting the same characters in different ways and situations after your choices in the game. You're a pirate, you want freedom. You can connect with other players, but this mechanism is still a mystery that will unveiled during the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles this June.
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 a release date yet.