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E3 2018: In Beyond Good and Evil 2 trailer, Jade is the bad guy

Our first real trailer for this hotly anticipated game.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
2 min read
jadeishthebadguhy

Beyond Good and Evil 2's Jade.

Screenshot by Sean Buckley/CNET

We've been waiting over 15 years for Beyond Good and Evil 2, the long-promised sequel to the fan-favorite tale of a civilization under occupation and the photojournalist who saves it. (Plus, a really awesome badass pig dude.)

But when Ubisoft finally revealed the game last year, all we got was a seemingly impossibly grand vision for a prototype, with little sense of what the game might be like to play or any kind of story.

At E3 2018, we're getting a glimpse. And that glimpse includes some familiar faces. Only -- surprise, surprise -- our protagonist Jade is the villain, not the hero!

Watch for yourself:

That's not just our interpretation, mind you. Ubisoft has confirmed that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is a prequel, and today a young Jade was described as the game's "nemesis" on stage.

Want more? Here's an 11-minute breakdown of the entire trailer, describing who these characters are and how they might fit into the story:

As originally announced, Ubisoft is letting fans contribute to the game's development -- and one surprising fan is apparently film and TV star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He announced that his collaborative productrion company HitRecord will be another way fans can contribute art and music to the game -- as little as a lyric, a hook or a bassline -- and even get paid something for contributing.

Here's a trailer for that partnership too:

"This is the first time we're going to make assets that can go into a video game," Gordon-Levitt told reporters ahead of the press conference. "If you're someone who loves Beyond Good and Evil 2, you can have a part in it."

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E3 2018: Everything you need to know

E3 2018 coverage at CNET: All of our E3 2018 coverage in one place.

Watch this: E3 2018 preview

E3 2018 coverage at GameSpot: Wall-to-wall coverage of the show from our sister site, GameSpot.

E3 2018 coverage at Giant Bomb: Still more commentary and news from E3, from our colleagues at Giant Bomb.