Topic: Is there any chance of Beyond Good & Evil 2 coming to Switch?

[Order.RSS]

So Beyond Good & Evil on GameCube is probably my favourite game of all time, and the story ends on a cliffhanger begging for a sequel. However, nothing's ever really worked out for this production it seems. Ubisoft instead got its lead designer to do more (well-received) Rayman sidescrollers and stuff.

Currently I'm slowly starting to eye the Switch release schedule for a (very probable) future purchase. Did a quick google search and there's a few articles citing a tweet from someone called Laura Kate Dale which states that the game is slated to be a "timed exclusive" on Switch, before becoming available on Xbox and PlayStation a year later. No release date given obviously.

However that's pretty much a rumour at this stage right? Beyond Good & Evil 2 would be an absolute system seller for me, even if it means I'll have to build an extra room to fit an Xbox or whatever, but obviously I'd ideally want it for Switch. What do you guys & gals reckon, should we put any stake in rumours like this?

As a BG&E fan I've been routinely dissapointed by Ubisoft since 2003 so I'm not holding my breath, but I won't deny the hype is real when reading speculation it might be in production after all AND headed for a Nintendo console. The 2011 HD remaster was only on X360 and PS3 so I'm not sure how logical a "timed Switch exclusivity" is?

[Evan_B]

Wait for E3 and don't get your hopes up.

If there's a chance that it's going to happen, there's a disproportionate, much greater chance that it's NOT going to happen.

[Adrock]

Laura Kate Dale was basically leading the leak charge on NX right up until the Switch reveal. Basically, everything she said ended up being true. If LKD said Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a Switch timed-exclusive, she has the credibility to back it up. Granted, I'd still take it with a grain of salt since leakers even with a good track record of corroborated sources can end up getting some things wrong or interpreting things a certain way.

[Fatty The Hutt]

As a BG&E fan I've been routinely dissapointed by Ubisoft since 2003 so I'm not holding my breath, but I won't deny the hype is real when reading speculation it might be in production after all AND headed for a Nintendo console.

I wasn't sure if your speculation was related to it being in production at all or just to the combo of being in prod and also a Switch exclusive but
BGE has been confirmed to be currently in production
so maybe no need to speculate on that at least.
As for it being a Switch timed exclusive, that's definitely a rumour but it comes from a credible source. I think it will at least come to Switch, even if it doesn't turn out to be a timed exclusive.

[Shaymin]

There had to be some quo to go with the quid pro of Mario x Rabbids.

[Stratos]

Laura Kate Dale was basically leading the leak charge on NX right up until the Switch reveal. Basically, everything she said ended up being true. If LKD said Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a Switch timed-exclusive, she has the credibility to back it up. Granted, I'd still take it with a grain of salt since leakers even with a good track record of corroborated sources can end up getting some things wrong or interpreting things a certain way.

Also remember that plans and arrangements can change. Deals can fall through, and insiders could disclose tentative plans that never end up solidifying.

[BlackNMild2k1]

so long answer short....

Yes, No, Maybe So.

[Order.RSS]

Thanks for weighing in everyone, I think BlackNMild sums it up pretty well haha. But I'm optimistic to hear Ms. Dale is known as a reliable source. Ubisoft saying it's actually in production is sadly something they've been going back and forth on since like 2008, so we'll see I guess.

There have been various things like cutscenes, some environments shown, and there was this free-running style gameplay video years ago. But I'm gonna assume those were all just part of pre-production or whatever, or have maybe been scrapped/reworked.

Personally I think this kind of game has the potential to do well on a Nintendo platform, since the original really fit that post-Ocarina period pretty well. When every game was trying to do stealth, action, platforming and vehicle sections (think Star Fox Adventures, Jak & Daxter).
But it'll need a different name for sure, and this time maybe not release it in the same period as other juggernauts (Prince of Persia Sands of Time buried it sales-wise in 2003 - which is also an Ubisoft title haha).

[Phil]

I totally need to play the original. We have it on PS2 and neither my brother or I have played it yet!

[Adrock]

I've had Beyond Good and Evil for years and I barely played it. One day.

(Probably not though)

[Order.RSS]

Oh yeah Phil and Adrock if you have like, any spare time at all, give it a shot for sure! The whole game can be done in (under) 10 hours if you're fast, 15 if you stop to smell the roses and take pictures of all the wildlife and stuff. But if that's too much of a time investment you could just do the opening scenes, it starts pretty funny with an alien invasion and their forcefield cuts out because they haven't paid the rent on it. Harsh, lol.

You can take pictures pretty early on too, a bunch of the characters in the first location give you funny idle animations if you zoom on them for a while. There's also a goat-girl there who apparantly tells you the entire plot of the game, but it's in a garbled language so you don't recognise any of it. Not sure how fans were able to suss that out.

I don't quite remember how early the open world aspect really kicks in, I think the hovercraft gives you decent mobility but there's a lot of parts you'll need the jump upgrade for. Also it doesn't take long for Pey'J to get his fart-powered rocket boots, so that's a thing.

I've thought about going back to it but I'm kinda scared certain aspects won't hold up as well and I don't wanna tarnish my memories of it.

[ThePerm]

I think there is a good chance. I doubt it being an exclusive, but with a good enough e3 presentation they could pull it off. Switches are selling. That looks good for third party support. Also, ports are fairly easy from all reports. If developers chose Switch as a lead platform they get an advantage. It's easier to  start on the lower end and upgrade then to start on the higher end and downgrade.

What's Ubisoft done lately? They're output is unusually slim at the moment. Which could be great news. The veil is lifted, and the best time to announce any games for Ubisoft is e3.

[Order.RSS]

What's Ubisoft done lately? They're output is unusually slim at the moment. Which could be great news. The veil is lifted, and the best time to announce any games for Ubisoft is e3.

I think For Honour is from them, and Ghost Recon: Racist Undertones came out alongside Zelda and Horizon Zero Dawn. Before that... Just Dance and Far Cry Primal? Those might've been 2016 though. 2016 also had The Division (another shooter) and the 2nd Watch_Dogs game.

I think they're publishing slightly fewer big tentpole titles lately yeah (think 2013 with Assassin's Creed 4, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Rayman Legends, Call of Juarez, Blood Dragon and of course some Just Dance/fitness titles), but a lot of Ubi's games seem to be online now... So might be part of their strategy or whatever?

[Order.RSS]

In case anyone else is interested in BG&E2, Ancel has said (on instagram of all places) that it will not be shown at E3 this year. He does say that we should hear about it "sometime this year" though!

[Louieturkey]

I will say I think it holds up well. I played it on PS2 and loved it only to essentially soft lock my save where I bought the rocket before the boosters for the ship making it impossible to finish the game because there wasn't enough orbs to buy the boosters after buying the rocket without going where only the boosted ship can go.
I watched a speed run of it which was cool and showed me the right way to play. I ended up buying the HD remaster on PS3 and played the whole game and loved it still.  It's just as fun, just as corny and just as well made as I remembered it.

[ThePerm]

In case anyone else is interested in BG&E2, Ancel has said (on instagram of all places) that it will not be shown at E3 this year. He does say that we should hear about it "sometime this year" though!

Could be just before e3

[Soren]

No.

[Order.RSS]

HYPE TRAIN NOW BOARDING!!!!!

-No platform(s) announced yet as far as I can see.
-Story appears to be a prequel set before the events of Beyond Good & Evil 1. Possible ancestors of Pey'J (the pig) and Jade (green eyed ship captain) are shown, but not sure yet.
-Not seeing any gameplay yet in this trailer either.
-A liiiil worried if Switch can handle these levels of visuals? Wait and see mode for now.

[KeyBilly]

Ubisoft had some movie-tier game trailers this year.  It almost makes the games like The Crew 2 look worse when we see them in motion.  Whatever BGE2 actually looks and plays like, the characters seem fun and the overall vibe is similar to Cowboy Bebop.

[ejamer]

Love the original, so was excited to check out this trailer.


Eh...


Didn't really feel very much like the original game. Way more "**** Yeah!" than I usually go for in my script which makes me wonder if this game is going to have much narrative impact or just try to be some kind of visual tour-de-force for the dudebros.


Also skeptical that it's coming to a Nintendo platform based on visuals and tone... but would love to be wrong there.


Maybe I'm being too harsh though. An E3 trailer without accompanying details doesn't mean that much. Still, my excitement is taking a clear back seat to skepticism at this point. The game might end up being awesome - but Ubisoft are going to have to earn it and that trailer didn't really sell me.

[ShyGuy]

I want to see actual in game play. Too many F-bombs for my taste.

[BeautifulShy]

Yeah excited for the reveal but not the f- bombs.   Started playing the original on Steam.

[Soren]

Tonally and visually this game is similar to Skull and Bones, Far Cry 5 and the new Assassins Creed game. So what makes people think BG&E 2 will come to Switch over all those other games?

[ShyGuy]

The first BG&E sold best on Gamecube. It was very Zelda-esque.

[Adrock]

I want to see actual in game play. Too many F-bombs for my taste.

This is pretty much how I felt. I typically don't mind "****" in dialog, but sometimes it can be distracting.

Tonally and visually this game is similar to Skull and Bones, Far Cry 5 and the new Assassins Creed game. So what makes people think BG&E 2 will come to Switch over all those other games?

Laura Kate Dale.

[ShyGuy]

Apparently Laura Kate Dale was suicidal early today from backlash over this. It's just a game, if it doesn't come to Switch we'll live.

[Adrock]

Wait, she received backlash after Ubisoft released a CGI trailer with no announced platforms and despite Michel Ancel flat-out fucking telling everyone nearly three weeks ago that Beyond Good and Evil 2 would not be at E3?

I hate people.

[Soren]

I think she was more summarising the entire process, specially with the Rabbids rumors as well. Being questioned during this whole time has probably left a heavy toll on her, so I'm glad she's feeling at least a tiny bit vindicated.


And while I would agree she has earned my complete trust (I've backed her pretty much since the start) I just don't think this game has any chance to come to Switch. The current list of games Ubisoft currently has for Switch (no more Steep, apparently) back up that gut feeling.


If Laura ends of being wrong about BG&E2 coming to Switch it won't mean a thing. She's still a top notch journalist in my view.

[ShyGuy]

I think Steep is still coming: http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/steep-switch

The have that Olympics DLC coming, so they are keeping the game alive. Bundle it with the Switch version to justify the full price.

[Shaymin]

The person who told her about Grant Kirkhope doing the music for Kingdom Battle is the same person who told her Nintendo partially funded BG&E2 in exchange for a 1 year exclusivity on it, so who knows.

[Order.RSS]

Apparently Laura Kate Dale was suicidal early today from backlash over this. It's just a game, if it doesn't come to Switch we'll live.

Jesus that's awful, did people attack her for not lining up precisely with what Ubisoft is(n't) communicating? Man this is exactly what people mean when they say gamer culture is extremely toxic. It's so embarrasing. Absolutely despicable that people somehow need reminding that maybe it's not cool to threaten people over a freaking game.

Besides maybe Switch was originally the intended platform and they decided to go multi-plat later on. Or maybe they've simply not decided yet, who knows. I mean as a pretty loyal Nintendo customer I want it to be on Switch for purely selfish reasons, but if not I'll find a way to play it regardless. Like you say, it's just a game in the end.

[Mop it up]

I'm hoping they'll re-release the first game (or have they already?).

[Order.RSS]

I'm hoping they'll re-release the first game (or have they already?).

There's a HD remaster on Xbox 360 and PS3, released back in 2011 or 2012 I think. Mostly cleans up textures and such, it's supposed to be a decent improvement and since the game skews towards cartoony I imagine it has aged pretty gracefully.

[Soren]

So I just signed up for the space monkey beta thing they promoted on the conference. Platforms listed were PC PS4 and Xbox.

[Wanderlei]

I think they must be still shopping the exclusivity around behind the scenes. Or whoever has bought it doesn't want it made known yet.

[Stratos]

I think they must be still shopping the exclusivity around behind the scenes. Or whoever has bought it doesn't want it made known yet.

Am I wrong in thinking the only company that would want to keep an exclusivity deal secret is Nintendo? Seems a bit backwards from why you would pay for an exclusive.

[KeyBilly]

LKD is hit-or-miss with rumors, which is fine.  She is a conduit for people to pass rumors to without being identified.  I don't think she should be blamed when the rumors don't pan out, or given particular credit when they do.  The only thing that would discredit her is if she did something shady like revealing sources.  I guess there is a bigger philosophical/moral question of whether it is right to reveal these things to begin with.  Spoiling a surprise for the passionate team behind a game is pretty lame and immature.

[Wanderlei]

I think they must be still shopping the exclusivity around behind the scenes. Or whoever has bought it doesn't want it made known yet.

Am I wrong in thinking the only company that would want to keep an exclusivity deal secret is Nintendo? Seems a bit backwards from why you would pay for an exclusive.

Makes sense in some ways. If it is announced as Switch exclusive now, everyone that doesn't like Switch/Nintendo will start shitting on the game or stop paying attention to it. People get salty as hell over Nintendo 3rd party exclusives, eg Bayonetta 2 caused melt downs. If the platform remains a mystery everyone continues to grow interest in it instead of tearing it down because they don't like platform its on.

[Order.RSS]

Makes sense in some ways. If it is announced as Switch exclusive now, everyone that doesn't like Switch/Nintendo will start shitting on the game or stop paying attention to it. People get salty as hell over Nintendo 3rd party exclusives, eg Bayonetta 2 caused melt downs. If the platform remains a mystery everyone continues to grow interest in it instead of tearing it down because they don't like platform its on.

Makes sense in some ways, but then again, they're gonna have to announce it sooner or later right? Even if the game isn't gonna be done for another year or 2. So at some point you're gonna have to announce platforms, and while I guess the current marketing allows for every option still, it seems like IF they were going for exclusivity you might as well announce that right away.

If it's an exclusive now you're gonna annoy people who got their hopes up after all right?

Anyway I'll reiterate here for Ubisoft's marketing peeps: hello, I want to buy Beyond Good & Evil 2 please with crispy crispy dolla dollaz and I wish to do so on Switch if at all possible. Merci beaucoup!

[Soren]

Ancel is been clear in saying there won't be exclusives. But then again how much is your word worth when you told journalists you weren't going to show any BG&E 2 at E3 this year?

[Wanderlei]

Strange they show what they did without naming  platform. Maybe its multi-plat but they haven't decided which platforms yet.

[Ian Sane]

I think they must be still shopping the exclusivity around behind the scenes. Or whoever has bought it doesn't want it made known yet.

Am I wrong in thinking the only company that would want to keep an exclusivity deal secret is Nintendo? Seems a bit backwards from why you would pay for an exclusive.

Makes sense in some ways. If it is announced as Switch exclusive now, everyone that doesn't like Switch/Nintendo will start shitting on the game or stop paying attention to it. People get salty as hell over Nintendo 3rd party exclusives, eg Bayonetta 2 caused melt downs. If the platform remains a mystery everyone continues to grow interest in it instead of tearing it down because they don't like platform its on.

Bayonetta 2 was a unique situation though.  The Wii U was really flopping hard so Bayonetta fans didn't want to have to buy a DOA product to play the game.  The Switch however has been successful thus far and has a concept that gamers are accepting.  Normally an exclusive can help sell a console but the Wii U's future was so bleak that it came across more like shifting a game series to a dead platform where it would rot in obscurity.  People WANT the Switch so exclusives will only help it.

[nickmitch]

Even if Nintendo was locking down a timed exclusive and wanted to keep it secret, why wouldn't the Switch version be available for the test monkey thing?

[KeyBilly]

If it is a Switch exclusive, I am very impressed with the budget they had for the trailer.  In general, Ubisoft had trailers that made most others look like they came from a random Youtuber.  That's not to say that they had much to do with the actual games, but whatever team made them is crazy talented.

P.S.  Please leave my name like this forever.  Can't kong me now.

[Khushrenada]

P.S.  Please leave my name like this forever.  Can't kong me now.

Lol. Alright. But if you ever do want it changed back, let me know and I can do that for you. Also, if you are looking for more DK fun, you may want to check out the Randomly Generated Funhouse located in the Community Forums section.

[KeyBilly]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-22-beyond-good-and-evil-2-reveals-awe-inspiring-in-engine-demo

Not sure this will even run on PS4...

[Phil]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-22-beyond-good-and-evil-2-reveals-awe-inspiring-in-engine-demo

Not sure this will even ever release...

I hope you don't mind, but I edited your quote with my thoughts.

[ShyGuy]

Yeah this is definitely next gen, seamless loading on a solar system scale, yet it scales down to third person adventure? Plus vehicles and custom characters? 2020 at earliest.

[Stratos]

Vaporware?

[ShyGuy]

Vivendiware!

[Stratos]

That brings back memories.

[Order.RSS]

Ooooofffff yes that's some staggering footage!!! Welp, guess it might be skipping this console generation entirely? He's using an Xbox controller though, so maaaaaybe the new xxXboXxx420blazeit can run it? Then again I suppose people use Xbox controllers all the time for PCs too.

I'm gonna sign up for their website, really cool to see these videos. Still hoping it'll somehow come out on Switch, or possibly a future Nintendo console.

It's interesting to me that they went this route of building what looks like a custom engine, super high production values, and they even kept the same name for the project. Like, I was expecting they would've gone for a very small production budget, alter the name to something more catchy, based on the performance of the predecessor. But Ubi's going all out for this it seems, very exciting imo.

[ShyGuy]

I dunno, I liked the pleasant little Zelda-like on the Gamecube. This is turning into something different.

[Stratos]

Agreed, Shyguy, while this looked really pretty, it looked nothing like Beyond Good & Evil. They should have named it something else entirely and given the game it's own identity.

It actually reminds me of the tonal switch between Prince of Persia Sands of Time and Warrior Within, where they tried to make the game "edgy-er" and "mature".

And truth be told, all of Ubisofts showings aside from Mario Rabbids felt the same. I liked the trailers from a cinematic standpoint, but they felt like flashy CGI trailers for upcoming movies. I wanted a lot more actual gameplay out of them.

[ThePerm]

There's a difference in quality between the cut scenes and the gameplay footage. They're not in game engine, they're probably pre-rendered Fmv. The gameplay footage is about the same quality as Uncharted 4.

[ejamer]

Is the level of detail he's talking about from the demo really possible on Switch? I'll wait to see how many of the promises become reality before getting excited or disappointed, but I can't deny that the game looks interesting.

[Order.RSS]

I dunno, I liked the pleasant little Zelda-like on the Gamecube. This is turning into something different.

Yeah it's pretty different. In some ways I wonder if this is more the angle they were originally going for, but couldn't due to constraints on technology or demands to meet a certain age rating?

I mean BG&E definitely tried for an open world, had several different vehicles, they already tried cinematic "outrunning gunfire of helicopters" scenes. Likewise the whole Chinese & Indian influence as the dominant one was present in 1, as were attempts at a very diverse cast (the computer operator in part 1 is blind lol, how do they see the screens?), and the whole trafficking/slavery aspect of the human/animal relationships.

Plus space travel is totally in part 1 too
I don't really mind some drastic changes if there are any, because I'd rather they don't just do part 1 again. But I'm certainly a biased fan who's just thrilled to see this return at all, so maybe that's why I've got very little demands for the sequel. I hope they don't shy away from the political themes, so to see the camera documentation back is a good sign imo.

EDIT: Tryna fix spoiltags

[ShyGuy]

Remember this trailer from... 2008?

[ShyGuy]

Or this "leaked" one from... 2010?

[Order.RSS]

Or this "leaked" one from... 2010?

Yeah this one in particular feels a lot like the new cinematic. Escape to da choppa! Only difference is they went from free running/parkour to vehicular movement it seems, at least for the trailer. And this freerunning section still seems to focus on Jade. I wonder if they're trying to pull some sort of bait & switch by centering around new characters. Would be infuriating if they don't resolve the massive cliffhanger from part 1 and just never address it haha!

There was also this environmental test about 5 years ago. Shows they were really committing to the Indian inspired setting.