There was a bit of Beyond Good & Evil 2 news floating about yesterday. The gist of it being that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is in 'active creation' for next-gen. So that's exciting. Also exciting was the appearance of what is allegedly the game's first in-engine screenshot. This is that screenshot:
Subsequently there has been plenty of debate about how 'next-gen' the image looks. Which is very interesting and everything but when I look at the screenshot the thing I can't help noticing the most is the overwhelming number of references to fish that it contains. It seems unnaturally fishy.
In total I count 26 references to fish. I have annotated them all on the screenshot:
1 - The sign says 'FISH OILED'. It probably says 'FISH BOILED' but we can't see the 'B'. Could catching fish and then getting them boiled be a side-mission or mini-game?
2- All that's visible on this sign is 'LY FRESH SH'. But by using logic informed by all the fish references, I suspect the sign actually says 'REALLY FRESH FISH'. Some lighting effects which may or may not be next-gen lighting effects can be seen around the sign
3 - Some fish. In boxes. Probably dead and without any movement physics
4 - The word 'SEAFOOD'. Fish is a type of seafood (along with molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms)
5 - A picture of a fish. Possibly a skeleton of a fish. It's hard to be sure. Fish are finned vertebrates
6 - A sign for 'FISH' with an arrow inexplicably pointing to the ground. Perhaps a box of fish will be placed below the arrow during the course of the game?
7 - This sign is concealed but I'm pretty sure it says 'FISH'
8 - A little 'SEAFOOD' sign can be seen here. Edible sea plants like seaweed and microalgae are also classified as seafood
9 - A large sign for 'SUNSET FISH CO.' According to the sign, the Sunset Fish Company specializes in 'fresh and frozen' seafood. Could the game feature a next-gen real-time climate system that impacts the duration of how long a frozen fish stays frozen when not stored in a freezer?
10 - The word 'FISH' written vertically on the pillar. It will probably be possible to run up pillars like this during gameplay
11 - More fish in boxes. These fish could be cod or mackerel. Or they could be completely made up fish like 'spazfins' or 'gillchuffers' or anything like that because it's a video game and the development team can do whatever the hell it likes really
12 - A big fish hanging up. Like the other fish in this screenshot it's probably dead. It would be good if there was an Achievement/Trophy for photographing dead fish and other dead types of animal in the game
13 - Another 'SUNSET FISH CO.' sign. It's exactly the same as the other one only smaller, which is pretty lazy of the developers actually
14 - It's yet another 'SUNSET FISH CO.' sign. Perhaps it will be possible to buy shops in the game just like you can in Assassin's Creed: Revelations?
15 - It's really hard to see but there is definitely a sign here that has the word 'FISH' written on it
16 - You have to look really closely, but trust me there are two signs that say 'FISH' here. In the game you'll probably be able to see them clearly because it will have next-gen draw distance and even better HD graphics
17 - Classic example of vertical hanging signage. It has the word 'FISH' clearly displayed upon it
18 - It's very faded but I'd be willing to wager the faded letters on this sign spell the word 'FISH'. It's possible that the lone figure (which is probably protagonist Jade) is trying to read what the sign says. Although I would have thought she could at least have a good guess that it says 'fish'
19 - Same as number 18. The word 'fish' comes from the Latin 'piscis', which means 'fish'. I don't know where the word 'piscis' comes from
20 - There's definitely a fish tail sticking up from one of those boxes. All types of fish have tails
21 - Very similar sign to number 6. It's possible that the dev team was running out of ideas for doing different types of sign that said 'FISH' by this point and just started re-using existing ones
22 - The word 'FISH' looks as though it has been painted directly on to a pillar. If Beyond Good & Evil 2 has a cover system this pillar could be used as cover
23 - Another big dead fish hanging up. Notice how big the fish looks compared to Jade. Could there be sea monsters like a kraken in the game?
24 - The developers didn't have time to attach this sign with the word 'FISH' on it to anything so it's just been left leaning against a building
25 - This 'FRESH FISH' sign reminds me of that bit in prison film 'The Shawshank Redemption' when one of the new inmates gets scared on his first night in prison and eventually dies from getting brutally bludgeoned to death by the guard that can't do his taxes properly
26 - More fish. Perhaps if Jade's hitty-stick gets broken she will be able to use fish as weapons?
And that's that really.
Have I missed any - can you find more fish references? Are you looking forward to all the fish in Beyond Good & Evil 2? What other games would you like to see more fish in? What are your favourite gaming fish? Do you want fish to have a greater presence at this year's E3? Have you ever seen a fish in real-life that looks like a game character? Seriously, anything fish related please put it in the comments and we'll probably turn it into a feature or something.
