Well, no one expected it, but after years of waiting, Ubisoft surprised us all with the debut of Beyond Good & Evil 2. Creative director Michel Ancel, who has been pushing to get the game through development, was so happy to finally reveal the game that he wiped away a tear before beginning to talk about it.

The game is a prequel set in System 3 before the birth of the original game's main character Jade. The system is "a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural human society in a distant solar system," according to Gabrielle Shrager, narrative director at developer Ubisoft Montpellier. "It is a time when corporations create hybrids in their labs and enslave them to colonize the stars in order to compete for power and cosmic resources. With our crew of crazy and unforgettable characters, we fight in the name of freedom and the right to determine our own fate among the stars. And we will helm massive star-faring vessels through territories as spectacular as they are dangerous.”

Ancel calls the game a "seamless online playground" that has taken the tech team three years to develop, a small fraction of the almost nine years since the game was first announced back in 2008. Players will start off as a "lowly pirate" and be able to progress to a system-renowned captain as they traverse the worlds of System 3 in single-player or co-op.

“We know the expectations for Beyond Good and Evil 2 are enormous,” Ancel said. “We’re creating a sci-fi space opera, a game where players fight for freedom alongside unforgettable characters and explore a stunning and vast solar system, all while capturing the spirit of Beyond Good and Evil.”

Fans can sign up for a Space Monkey program at the official site to offer feedback and share ideas for the game.

There is no official release date, or even a ballpark time frame, but based on the trailer, it looks to be progressing nicely. If you want some insight as to how the trailer was created, check out Ancel's descriptions in the video below the trailer.