Beyond Good & Evil 1 + 2 - What Happened? 

Kinda hypocritical of Ubisoft's higher management to somehow blame Beyond Good and Evil's designers for a perceived failure when they themselves meddled with the original design concept multiple times and then cannibalized their own product by launching it close to a new Prince of Persia installment.

Fun fact: Beyond Good and Evil 2 has now been in development longer than Duke Nukem Forever. And it’s reportedly still in early development.

"the teams efforts were split into two" Aaah the sweet overture to the grim song of failure

Not to mention that the BG&E soundtrack was pretty amazing imo.

You can't run from Battlefront 2 forever. It will find you.

We need Beyond Good & Evil 2: What is Happening?

“And we still have quite a few left.” Oh god, I don’t know if I’m ready for AC Unity yet

BG&E is one of those games that left a huge impact on me when I first played on the GC. To this day I can remember how it felt to explore that fascinating world, and it still hurts that if we get a sequel it is likely to be nothing like the original.

I’m a bit surprised Ubisoft only has like what 2 “Wha Happuns?!”

Through the last year, you've quickly and easily become my favorite content creator. Hilarious, fun, and incredibly well edited videos, and an interesting concept to boot. Plus GODZILLA LOVE. You the man, man. Keep up the great work, you deserve all the love you've been getting!

I loved this game, but the title always bugged me. There were very clearly good and evil characters! It was actually pretty straightforward!

I dream of the day Matt will do a What Happened? on Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

This really hurts me, I love BG&E and when I see the news about Ancel all my hope for the sequel vanished

You forgot to mention how the trailer for BGE2 was filled to the brim with hilariously edgy swearing for no reason.

I played that HD re-release knowing literally nothing about it and by the end was like, this game is amazing, how have I never heard of it?! Some of the most unique and enjoyable characters in any game, actually reminded me of Dreamfall, another extremely underrated adventure game

I remember playing the hell out of this when I was 17. I had just moved back to my moms house in Thunder Bay after living in London(Ontario) for a year with my older sister and my niece. My mom had taken a job in Toronto and was working there then while trying to sell this giant house(7bed-4bath) which used to be an old group home. It was just me and my little sister living there at the time. I didn't have a drivers licence but my mom's van was always there to use if the occasion arose to grab groceries(actually when i learned how to cook). Living in a rural suburban neighborhood(forests,trails,ravines,rivers,all that comfey stuff) just out side of the city by 6km(3.7mi) there was only this little tiny convenience store off the main drag, and they rented PS2 and Xbox games. For some reasons they had the ubi 3 at launch, Splitter cell, Prince of Persia and Beyond Good and Evil for rent at one time. The first two were rented out, So I rented Beyond good and evil, grabbed some Pepsi and Doritos(and cigarettes because I looked a lot older than 19 and was chummy with the Grandma behind the counter, and it was 2003. I no longer smoke) I re rented the game 2 times after the OG 3 day window to return so I could finish it. To this day, It still holds a special place in my heart for getting me through a tough time as a teen.

Played the PC port a couple of years back, despite the shoddy port; fell in love in with it; truly a memorable experience and ahead of its time.

I’ve always wanted to see an episode on Knights of the Old Republic 2, it’s short dev time, all the cut content, and the how the fans put it back together

Man I loved this game back in the day. The colorful world, the charming characters, being able to take photographs of whales in space, etc. I hate that the cliffhanger was never properly followed up on.

And here we are... still waiting for the sequel...

I bet you anything BG&E2 is never coming out, how "marketable" do they think a title is that didn't sell well at the time and now resembles it about as much as Ubisoft resembles a competent gaming development studio.

Matt, your videos rock. You rock. Thanks for making a year-long quarantine just a little easier for all of us.

You need to do a What Happened about Kameo Elements of Power. It has a troubled production caused by a buyout, it was made through 4 consoles from the 64 to the 360, worked with 2 different publishers, Nintendo and Microsoft and even had a cancelled sequel.

I really love the design of Jade who always look a bit like a mix of Alyx Vance from Half Life² and Gwen from "Total Drama Island" (because of the green lips) whilst also having the tough adventure vibes of Lara Croft. She really stood out and it was great playing her. You really cared for the characters, despite the cartoony look. It actually fits much better than this uncanny valley look of the pitched sequel.

When I saw Child of Light it reminded me of how ubisoft forgets this awesome small games, but then again it's ubisoft...

Beyond Good and Evil 2 was originally announced in 2008. We are two years away from surpassing Duke Nukem Forever and it looks set to fly past that insane mark with ease.

The biggest impact the first game had on me was during the holiday it launched. At the time I was a recent high school grad working at a pizza place and the manager was the most laid back dude bro imaginable, someone who was great to work with but how they got that position being baffling. The guy was big into Madden, GTA, and all the most main stream of titles at the time. For some reason he got Beyond Good and Evil for Christmas and could not stop raving about how much he liked it. To me that was a shock considering he had a hell of a dislike for Zelda and similar titles so of course I had to check it out. Dude was on point with that recommendation.

Been waiting since I played this game when I was 7/8 for the sequel. I'm now 25

I don't trust modern Ubisoft with BG&E2. I'll be a pig's uncle if it ever comes out and is any good.

I had met this french dude who used to work on Beyond Good and Evil Two, and he told me it was the gaming industry biggest lie... When I asked him why, he said they have no idea what they're doing. That was 2 years ago

The direction they're going with the sequel completely missed the point of what made the first game so charming. Don't get why they think everything has to be so edgy and M rated.

As soon as you started that long winded Peter Jackson introduction I knew there was a Dead Alive reference coming, felt it in my bones.

I remember here in Canada they gave this game away for free in a pack of cheese.

There's are a few important details missing about the development of the second game. At E3 2018, Ubisoft announced on stage a partnership with Hit Record, a company owned by Joseph Gordon Levitt, which would allow them to include fan content into the game, from artwork, to sound recordings and 3D models, and get paid to do so. Source: /watch?v=PeK9CP84Qlk However, the amount Ubi made available to pay these contributors was only 50 thousand dollars, and it was supposed to be distributed equally among all of them. TBSkyen has a video on the situation /watch?v=cFRoKKnaZds Also, while they had shown the game at a playable state multiple times by 2017 and 2018, Ancel stated that a playable beta would only be available by the end of the 2019... Might also be worth noting the game was announced in 2017 as a prequel to the first game, and the captain at the end was rumored to be Jade's mom since Ancel said they were related and the game was set a generation before jade was born. However, on the 2018 trailer, the story is set after the first game since Peyj is part of the crew, and Jade is revealed at the end to be on the role of the villain boarding the ship with two Alpha Section soldiers by her side and carrying a bloody katana. To me, it seems like the reveal of the game was supposed to bring attention to the project and attract investors, but it was nowhere near being a project the team was certain they could deliver, and they probably didn't even had a story, so they tried to use the fans to help out and it just didn't worked out. I think Ubi is either too stubborn to say they cancelled the thing, or they'll take an ongoing project with low chance of success and refurbish into a Beyond Good and Evil game, since enough time would've passed they can just claim the project evolved into that state. Sad, Jade is such a compelling character and the first game is a real gem... for the most part. Well worth getting on Steam if you can.

does anyone remember when Joseph Gordon Levitt's company teamed up with Ubisoft to have fans submit art, music, sound, and other stuff to Beyond Good and Evil 2? there wasn't much clarification if it was free labor or if people were getting paid. I haven't heard or seen anything from those who submitted work. i assume it's just sitting in a folder somewhere collecting dust

This video highkey made me sad cause it reminded me of my childhood of watching my mom play this game. we've been waiting for a sequel since then.

This is one of those games I have to remind myself that I do have.

I always felt like Beyond Good and Evil's story and setting were almost like Half-Life 2 but for kids in a way.

Being a BG&E fan is suffering. Honestly I lost all confidence that modern Ubisoft could do BG&E2 well. Even if it does come out before I die, I might not even bother.

Ancel quit during investigations That's not sus at all lmao

My man elevating all of RU-vid with his content.

That intro is amazing

Can't wait until 2030 when you make a video on the sequel to this game!

Dear ubi soft your original left a great and happy memory on my mind from child hood and im 27 now and am still inlove with the original. The story line was beautiful and how it felt to explore was a whole new sensation and feel to think you guys are making a sequel nothing like the original is truly sad so I'm glad ill never play it nor will I look into it because nothing ever beats the original.

Matt, you made the past year bearable and gave me something to look forward to every week when the world was filled with snot. You rock. Your videos are excellent. Thank you.

I love this whole series! Thanks for the great research Matt

Congrats on 100 episodes of this amazing series. Hope it continues for 100 more!

oh man i’ve only watched a few of these what happened videos but i’m slowly becoming addicted. these videos are too good man. time to watch all 100 of these things

Congratulations on 100 episodes! I wasn’t here when it started, but I knew I had to be here for the it’s hundredth. Keep up the good work!

i kinda wish for a BG&E 2 but the original was the game which brought me into gaming but Ubisoft today would not accomplish anything that gives a feeling close to the original. I remember sitting down with my dad and brother to play it together i still replay it every few years just for the good old times. maybe it is better to be left as it is a good memory of my first and till today favorite game.

Gotta say Matt I’ve been watching your stuff for at least 8 years now and it’s still the same feeling but more adapted to RU-vid nowadays and in my opinion your stuff now is the best it’s been. Wha happen is my favourite series of yours and I look forward to every episode. Keep it going and I’ll be a fan for 8 more years!

Love your videos Matt! Great at breaking it all down and putting it back together for a layman to see.

it hurts. Beyond good and evil was one of the first games i ever played i loved it so much whenever i hear the soundtrack i can feel this thing inside me that makes me choke a bit i loved how amazing the story telling was i really hope beyond good and evil 2 or a remake of the first one gets the success it deserves

A Bucky O'Hare reference in the year of our Lord 2021? Beautiful.

I remember playing this on the GameCube as a kid. I didn't get much further than the part where you go to the resistance hideout early on. Hearing the audio log of a monster killing someone scared me as a kid and made me not want to go anywhere near the next part of the game. I spent the rest of my time playing minigames and exploring. I remember seeing the upgrade at the shop that let you go to space and being excited to get it. Unfortunately, I never got far enough to reach that point. I should really replay this game sometime and finally beat it.

Awesome video as always!

Where the hell is number 2 they teased us and I’m pissed

Yes! Thank you for this!

I literally wake up on days you drop videos so I can watch them as quickly as possible. Always fantastic, sir.

Great video !

As always, fantastic work, Matt. Happy to see when you dive into a new What Happened :)

Thanks for this video.

The fact BG&E hasn’t been re-released on the switch baffles me.

Thanks for being my therapy every morning. Your Ninja Blade vid got me through the shit times that is 2020 and present. Ty sir.

I love these kinds of videos!

Can't wait for Rodea The Sky Soldier.

Thank you for your excellent videos Mr. Matthew Mcmuscles. I can binge watch “Wha Happun” all day. I appreciate it.

Me and my dad played BG&E a lot when I was growing up. And he really loved that game. The constant teasing and canceling of the sequel has been driving him nuts.

I cant wait for "Wha happun? - Balan Wonderworld"

It's taken so long for BG&E2 to be made that once(or if) it does come out it will be the biggest jump in quality and shift of identity a sequel has accomplished. Judging from all the leaked footage, it looks like what the 3rd or fourth entry in a franchise would normally look like. The tone in what was shown of the sequel is so drastically different from the first game. It would be like in an alternate timeline where Capcom struggled to make a sequel to Resident Evil for nearly 2 decades and then they finally made one and it's what Resident Evil 5 was...

Looking spooky my dude

Congrats matt for the 100 episode of what happun , and thank you for the laughs along the way

Neat I am never this early and for a content creator I always love to watch!

Very nice of Yuji Naka to release Balan Wonderworld specifically so it can end up on 'What Happened?'

I remember reading a magazine piece about BG&E 2 back when I was in 8th grade...now I'm almost 30 and theres not a whole lot more information about it. Wild.

Man, this is an awesome surprise to wake up to!

Thank you.

10:23 Briefly thought the guy was Dermot Morgan (Star of Father Ted) for a second.

Great work as always Matt. Please do a video about Versus XIII.

What? E3 trailer had been 4 years now? Time sure flies.... My memory still ringed like it was 2 years ago..

muah masterpiece love this game and love the way you handled this video

2:40 - 3:00 This reminds me of another game that came out around this time made by Traveler's Tales, called Haven: Call of the King. That would also make for a good What Happened video since it was going to be a trilogy and had similar ambitions to this game. Some even calling it an early "No Man's Sky" for it's similarities in being able to take off, go to space, and land - all without loading screens.

3 years later and still nothing..

This game has one of those soundtracks that just opens a vault of old memories. Beautiful stuff

My uncle grabbed a bunch of ps1 and 2 games from a store apparently at random one day and gifted them to me to make up for (quite a few) missed birthdays/Christmases around this time. This was one of those games. I regret not playing it. (I was only ~9 and he'd bought me 10+ games, so I was overwhelmed and eventually lost it. As kids do.) But I did get to play a few of the Army Men games.. so, I did have a good time.

This is going be a good video

I was so eagerly waiting for this game!!!

I remember buying Beyond Good and Evil as a kid. It was the first full price, non-preowned game I ever bought. The box art just intrigued me. I fell completely in love with the game and I keep coming back to it every other year.

12:32 I remember seeing a physical copy for the 360 in stores. BGE HD was bundled with From Dust.

Keep it up Bro

Great video, Matt! Sad how things went with development but I guess I'll just remember BG&E as a great adventure game with likeable characters. Also the soundtrack has to be one of the best among most video games. Thanks for including some of it! Instant nostalgia.

One of my favorite games of all time! Heavily recommend playing it.

Hopefully the 20th Anniversary Edition will sell well.

Always loved that game so much! And the score was so good!

I absolutely love BGE and have played it more times than I can count....but at this point, even if a sequel came out I would be hesitant. There is no way a sequel would be able to capture the feeling of the first or live up to ANYONE'S expectations.

Great in depth review of wha happun with all this. Reminds me why I subbed.

Goes to show that marketing is very important in an games success, even more than the quality of the game itself.

My start of 2003 was insane because I played (and finished) BG&E in 3 days, and later in the year I finished Prince of Persia. Loved both, love them for this day. It's hard to imagine that development of both was hurt by splitting the team because you don't feel that at all! Both are great, complete, they don't seem to have many bugs, player does not have a feeling that you are missing something. Oh how times have changed... xD

I have friends that worked at Ubisoft and that can attest that Marcel was a absolute dick to "bad" ideas and would not even negotiate, also if he was trying a build and it was multiplayer if he was killed 2 many times he would say the game is bad and might be dropped.

I loved this game. Kinda heartbreaking to see it swept under the rug.