Former DICE design boss takes the helm
Ubisoft Montpellier’sBeyond Good And Evil 2has been delayed so much that it has transcended the label of “vapourware”, while staunchly refusing to become “abandonware”. Announced in 2008, it has now comfortably outstrippedDuke Nukem Foreveras the “triple-A” game with the longest development time. I’m sure there are a few indie passion projects that have been bubbling away in the shadows for longer, but nothing on this scale. What’s less tangible than vapour? Ectoplasm? The promises of small children?
Ah, we josh, Ubisoft, but only because we care. The originalBeyond Good And Evilwas a magnificentopen worlderwith a sense of mystery and whimsy that hasn’t quite been seen since. It had a photography element and a talking pig uncle who was an absolute liability in bossfights. I will pounce on any scrap of halfway-positive BG&E2 news I can find. For example, Beyond Good And Evil 2 has a new creative director, Fawzi Mesmar - Ubisoft’s vice president of global creative and the former head of design at Battlefield developers DICE.
It’s unclear how BG&E2 has evolved since then, but Mesmar has a lot of experience overseeing vast productions, so hopefully, he can yank the pieces together in Morel’s stead. “Today I’m glad to share that I joined Beyond Good & Evil 2 as Creative Director. I have been working with those peeps for years now on this ambitious game and witnessed their talent firsthand,” he wrote onLinkedinthis week. “I am standing on the shoulders of creative giants that have supported the team before me, and I look forward to continuing to craft a game that is truly unique for players to enjoy.”
Ubisoft has some accompanying comment in which they note that “Mesmar previously collaborated with the Beyond Good & Evil 2 team as VP of Editorial”. In his capacity as a top Ubisoft honcho, he also contributed to development ofthis year’s Beyond Good & Evil remaster, which contained a few hints about the long-overdue sequel’s story (it’s actually a prequel).
As ever, all of this is scant grounds for optimism, after such a long wait. I’m genuinely staggered Ubisoft haven’t cancelled the game yet. It’s pretty eccentric by triple-A standards - far from a proven earner, like Assassin’s Creed - and Ubisoft are currently undergoing a well-reportedfinancial slump. Fingers crossed that they’ll finally bring it home, and that it won’t be anotherSkull And Bones.
