Beyond good and evil 2

[Pseudonym]

So I came across this:

http://www.pcgamer.com/beyond-good-and-evil-2-is-happening-original-game-free-on-pc-next-week/

Apparently ubisoft has one of their studio's working on beyond good and evil 2. For real, this time. Not only that but Michael Ancel, the guy who gets most of the credit (though he probably worked with teams of talented people) for rayman and thefirst beyond good and evil, is also involved.

Also, if you want to play the original, you will be able to get it for free in the near future, so that's nice.

So how do you feel about this? Will they actually make the game this time? (there was a trailer in 2008, I believe) Will it live up to the original? Does the original still stand up? Will it be ubisoftified with towers to climb to unlock minimaps and endless shitty collectables?

To answer my own questions: I played the original as a kid and really liked it, as well as the rayman games, so I'll probably get this once it is out. I think ubisoft wouldn't confirm that a studio is working on it, if they don't have serious plans to finally make the thing. The game probably won't be as good as the orinigal but not bad either. The original is still great. It will probably be somewhat ubisofty, but not to the same degree as far cry, assasins creed or your regular ubisoft games. Rayman Legends managed to be it's own thing as well.

This could go many ways, but I'm cautiously optimistic about it. I do worry slightly that the story of beyond good and evil felt rather finished at the end. Evil aliens defeated, protagonist realises their chosen one potential, all that. Then again, if this is like the first game and the rayman games, I expect enough creativity and cleverness to make it work.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Light on details so far, but am keeping open minded. Have been ready for this, but am also ready to tank whatever disappointments may occur meanwhile. Loved the first game's charm and characters. Would be great to see current gen graphics take on their already enchanting world.

It seems possible that Nintendo may be funding this one as an NX exclusive, which would allow less ubi control one would hope. But this doesn't seem to appeal to many people. I guess partly why it sold so badly in the first place. Dem female lead games, eh? I do wonder if that could have contributed to the grizzled white dude safety net of so many games of late.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Its in pre-production, which means nothing. Its not in production. Specifically not. Its P-R-E.

Mr. Carlin, what do you think?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Meh. I don't care. It's going to be a modern UBISOFT title. I can't get excited for anything made by Ubisoft anymore.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I will believe it when we see actual game footage. I've been lied to about this game too many times to believe them anymore until I see goddamn PROOF. *Phoenix Wright style deskslam*

Also, if you want to play the original, you will be able to get it for free in the near future, so that's nice.

Oh. That is nice!

Does the original still stand up?

Hmmm...Kinda.

It's not a bad game at all, but it's got a lot of little snags here and there that irritate me just a bit. The combat being purely *Either a) Mash X for a 3 hit combo or b) Tap X twice, pause for a moment, then press it again for a 5 hit combo* with the clunky enemies and stuff that it had was kinda meh.

Still, the stealth-journalist gameplay was neat.

Overall, it was a decent enough game that I'd totally like to see more of it, but it's not some super-legend. It still holds up, but not by a country mile.

That and the end of the game went from "grounded" to "What the hell where did all this weirdness come from what is happening WAT ITS OVER" way too suddenly.

Will it be ubisoftified with towers to climb to unlock minimaps and endless shitty collectables?

*eyebrow raise*

It's Ubisoft making it. It's practically guaranteed to be ubisofted the hell up.

I'd be shocked if there wasn't a bazillion collectibles, photo missions and towers to climb. XD

 

[Recusant]

Why, I wonder? This is Ubisoft, making a sequel to one of the least Ubisoft-ish games they ever made.

Actually, this might not be Beyond Good and Evil 2. It's "another Beyond Good and Evil game". It could well be a prequel or another unconnected story in the same setting. Insofar as the original left on a cliffhanger (of sorts; does it count as a cliffhanger if the immediate plot element that was suddenly, stupidly pulled out of nowhere gets resolved, but all we're left with are questions?), making a prequel would be kind of stupid, but then, this is Ubisoft. Another story in the same setting, though...

The main appeal of Beyond wasn't the game itself, but the setting, and how the camera (and the wildlife photography) helped build and establish the wider world. The actual action was nothing noteworthy, and the story fairly standard stuff until the end-game weirdness (and even that mostly sticks out for its incongruity). Also, the game has nothing to do with either examining morality or Nietzsche, so the title has no point. Push Jade aside, however, and you can ignore the events of the previous game (not a bad choice from Ubi's point of view; the newbies won't know it and the devoted plans are always hard to please) and still use most of what had appeal about the first game.

 

[Fox12]

Oh. I was hoping for a sequel to the existential classic by Nietzsche. Any day now. Any day now.

 

[Zhukov]

This news will cause me to either do a happy little jig or emit clouds of of scalding steam from my every orifice, depending on whether or not those earlier rumours of Nintendo getting their filthy exclusive-mongering fingers on the game turn out to be true.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

The image that accompanied the Facebook announcement of "a new Beyond Good & Evil game" (not BG&E 2) depicts Jade's father and a young Pey'j.

I do not have very great hopes or expectations that it will be good or even playable in today's gaming setup/style.

 

[Satinavian]

I really liked the first game.

I probably will try the next one.

 

[gsilver]

Screenshots showing a grizzled old dudebro!
Woo!

This is totally going to not be like the million other games out there!

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I liked the first game but a sequel has become meaningless at this point. They could release anything and call it a sequel.

 

[Poetic Nova]

BGAE beign free will have a catch to it. Or 2. I'm sure of it.

 

[WindKnight]

Don't want to be a downer, but I really don't like that concept art of one of the Mamago's. Too realistic, grungy and uncanny valley. Part of B&GE charm was its beautiful stylised artstyle and bright colours.

 

[Fox12]

BGAE beign free will have a catch to it. Or 2. I'm sure of it.

Oculus Rift

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I really liked the first. It wasn't the greatest game, but it was a great one, a solid 8-8.5. Jade was a fun, cool character and her world and supporting cast were interesting enough. The main issue the game faced, alongside lower sales, was that it did a lot of things well rather than fewer things brilliantly. It had a bit of everything and TBH, I didn't much mind it...it made for a varied and unique experience. But it could stand to have a bit more focus. The other issue was that the story really didn't move much until the latter part of the game. The ending was spectacular and left the audience wanting more (everything a great ending should do) but the story leading towards it was a little slower.

I thoroughly enjoyed BG&E, will look forward to the sequel. I hope it performs better than the original since even getting a second chance in this industry is practically unheard of.

 

[TrulyBritish]

As someone who didn't play Beyond Good and Evil until earlier this year, I do think it kinda does hold up. This is however, modern day Ubisoft and there's a lot that could go wrong.
On the fact that the first sold poorly, is there anything to the argument that the game was basically sent out to die? I'm sure I remember somebody saying that Ubisoft didn't have faith in it and put it out on the same day as Prince of Persia or something?

 

[Pseudonym]

I really liked the first. It wasn't the greatest game, but it was a great one, a solid 8-8.5. Jade was a fun, cool character and her world and supporting cast were interesting enough. The main issue the game faced, alongside lower sales, was that it did a lot of things well rather than fewer things brilliantly. It had a bit of everything and TBH, I didn't much mind it...it made for a varied and unique experience. But it could stand to have a bit more focus.

Well, it was made by the same people that made rayman. Those games are also not entirely focussed. Rayman 2 for example has (light) platforming, swimming levels, racing on rockets levels, flying levels based on flying rockets, burning canisters, or your propellor ability, fighting pirates, sliding sections, transporting yourself over lava on a fruit, etc. Rayman 3 had various diverse abilities hidden away in fist upgrades that you could find and swap out. Most of the rayman games as well as beyond good and evil are also rather easy. There are some hard challenge levels in rayman legends, the first rayman was very hard, and beyond good and evil had some instakill stealth sections but an experienced gamer should breeze through most of it. All of it works well enough, but none of it is individually brilliant. The atmosphere, and the fact that pretty much none of it is too hard or annoying to do, carry these games for me. I also found the charm of these games combined with how easy and diverse they were to be quite impressive. Now, to be fair, I played this as a kid, so at that age factors of ease were more important to me.

Don't want to be a downer, but I really don't like that concept art of one of the Mamago's. Too realistic, grungy and uncanny valley. Part of B&GE charm was its beautiful stylised artstyle and bright colours.

I don't know. I do agree that that picture could stand to have a little more colour in it. Right now it's mostly grey, beige, a green cap, and all covered in dirt. I hope for example that the animal fotography (which had damn well better make a return) features some clean, vibrant, colourful creatures to picture. On the other hand, thematically, this is sort of how I remember the mamago's. Somewhat dirty people who had a garage and who operated (slightly) outside of the bounds of the law by using pearls as currency. Beyond good and evil, for how bright and stylised it all was, did have a weird streak of "punk, anarchist, rebel" to it. Nobody was ever annoying, bitter, jaded or an asshole like you might expect when I say that, but you and your allies were considered a terrorist group by the goverment, and you mostly hung out behind backdoors of shops and bars, or in dubious garages on the outskirts of the town. Your first sidekick was an old fat swearing pig (PG13 swears but still) who worked with his hards and who called government officials names when they showed up. It always had something endearing over it but these elements where there. I think if this picture of the mamago is indicative of the overal artstyle of BG&E2 then that could work. As long as there is enough charm in there somewhere. If the (good guy) charactars are somehow excessively rude, callous or bitter, I would be dissapointed.

Screenshots showing a grizzled old dudebro!
Woo!

This is totally going to not be like the million other games out there!

Which screenshot is that? The one that has a cute looking piglet hanging from the 'grizzled old dudebro'? To me that guy looks like a bearded hippy doing maintenance. I get your concerns, since these things happen so often, and maybe when the game comes out it will get the tone wrong, or at least painfully different from the tone of beyond good and evil 1. But I do think you might be a bit too cynical here.

Oh. I was hoping for a sequel to the existential classic by Nietzsche. Any day now. Any day now.

I never really understood why they picked that title for the game. Like somebody else said, the game has precisely nothing to do with examining morality beyond "genocide bad" and I don't see what Nietszche would have to do with it either. Then again, Nietszche is an obtuse writer and I've heard wildly different interpretations of his writings. And the fact that Nietszche would probably be furious that this would be associated with him gives me some pleasure. But seriously, the name is bizarrely chosen.