Exclusive: Inside Too Human

[Nato King]

After X05, interest in Silicon Knights latest project “Too Human” is on the rise, and with good reason. The company best known for creating both the Legacy of Kain franchise and the critically acclaimed Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, has talked to IGN about their most ambitious undertaking to date, Too Human for Xbox 360


IGN.com (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/657/657404p4.html)

[Unreal]

IGN: The title features an online mode. Can you elaborate on how this works?

Denis Dyack: We can not discuss details of the game, but as more details emerge it is safe to say the online component is a very important part of Too Human and its effect will reach all aspects of the game.
IGN: Does Too Human feature substantial cinematics and voice acting?

Denis Dyack: Too Human does feature substantial cinematics and voice acting. Gamers can expect to be treated to a cinematic script that we have been thinking about for over 10 years. Using the Xbox 360 as a foundation for creation, we feel we will present something that is unparalleled to our previous work. We hope to change gamers' expectations of entertainment with video games on this level with Too Human.

IGN: Why should gamers who followed Too Human before be excited about the 360 games?

Denis Dyack: Hardcore fans of Too Human should be excited about Too Human because with the Xbox 360 we finally have the tools available to realize our full vision for Too Human. Not only are we going to create what we planned previously with our designs but we will be able to take it far beyond what we ever could have done before. Too Human will appeal to all games on different levels, and the goal is that for hungry hardcore fans, the more they want to get out of the experience, the more they can take from it. It truly is that deep on all levels if the player wants it.

IGN: What framerate are you striving for in the Too Human games?

Denis Dyack: It is too early to really discuss this but we will aim for a frame rate that is most appropriate the game. With Eternal Darkness we averaged 60fps at a true 640x480 resolutions on the NGC, which not many other games achieved. However, we are not sure the players noticed this and in many respects we feel that reducing the frame rate to 30fps and adding substantially more effects as we did in MGS is more favorable to gamers. We are currently leaning towards a heavy effects approach in games for next generation as you see in games like MGS 4. The Xbox 360 is very powerful and the final hardware is beyond our expectations for performance and we are confident that it will allow us to go in any direction that we choose to during the development. Whichever path Too Human takes, we are very aware of the improved game experience a smooth and steady frame rate provides and we will always keep that paramount.

IGN: Does Too Human take place entirely in third-person mode or are there first-person elements?

Denis Dyack: Too Human does take place in the 3rd person mode. We are strong believers in 3rd person cameras because of the cinematic value. Although many people in our industry believe that 1st person is more immersive and engaging we believe that the opposite it true. 3rd person games allow for the best expression in characters and story to come through - face expression is key to emotional attachment. This is why you see movies in 3rd person and not 1st.

IGN: Can you pilot ships or vehicles in the game?

We are not releasing specific details at this time. However, the Too Human world is a massive universe that we have been thinking about for a very long time. Over the course of the epic tale we will introduce the player to many things beyond what many games will provide. Controlling vehicles may only be one small part of this.

IGN: Any final thoughts for gamers excited about the franchise?

Denis Dyack: This trilogy is a dream come true for Silicon Knights. It is something that we have been dreaming about for a long time. Microsoft could not be better partners for the development of this epic and we hope the gamers will enjoy playing it as much as we love to make it.

IGN: What are the names of the three separate Too Human games?

Denis Dyack: We are not discussing these names at this time, sorry.
IGN: Tell us about the premise behind Too Human on Xbox 360. What is the overall storyline?

Denis Dyack: Although Too Human has very advanced technology, it takes place in a very distant past on world that has known nothing but war for thousands of years. One of the results of these wars is an ice-age that has lasted three thousand years. The human population has dwindled and most of the population rests in one area under the protection of the Aesir, a military organization specializing in high tech research.

Making things worse, ancient machines of war seemingly without purpose have begun to invade and kill the remaining humans. These races of machines, once tools of war for mankind, now have become self sufficient and evolved far beyond what man once thought possible. These machines were once so rarely seen that they were often referred to as myths and monsters.

Standing between the machine monsters are the gods of Aesir. The gods are elite warriors that are cybernetically enhanced to the point where their powers make them appear godlike to normal men. In Too Human you play the role of Baldur, a cybernetic god, charged with the role of defending mankind against the machines.

IGN: The series seems to function on a marriage of Norse mythology and science fiction. Can you elaborate on this unique storytelling relationship?

Denis Dyack: Norse mythology is very unique where the gods are not immortal and mankind's salvation can be found by dying valiantly in battle. For a very long time Silicon Knights has been captivated by the majestic struggle between gods, men, giants and monsters told in Norse mythology. So it has been our goal to try to bring that mythology to the masses in a very unique and bold way. We wanted to create a world where cybernetic gods clash with machine giants on an epic scale. We believe that this classic conflict will resonate with gamers and hopefully we will strike a chord.

IGN: Can you tell us a little more about Baldur?

Denis Dyack: Baldur is a cybernetic god, one of the elite Aesir. Unlike many of the other gods, Baldur is very special among the gods as he is not as upgraded cybernetically as much as the other gods. He is very popular among the regular humans as he stands above the others based on his purely human traits. Some of the other gods believe he is "Too Human" and will need to be augmented in order to properly fight the growing menace of the machine giants. As one of the Aesir, Baldur is charged with the protection of the human race.

IGN: Baldur is sometimes defined as the "god of love and light" in Norse mythology. Does this accurately reflect Baldur in Too Human?

Denis Dyack: Baldur is known for many things in the mythology. He is also known as "the bleeding god," the "shining god," and the "most handsome god." In some ways this does accurately reflect the character Baldur, however, as we have done with the entire world of Too Human, we will portray Baldur in a way that will be consistent and yet unique. The character Baldur will have a lot of surprises tucked away deep inside him.

IGN: How does the synergy between humans, gods, and machines in Too Human work?

Denis Dyack: There are several rival factions fighting for supremacy and survival in the world of Too Human. Two of those factions are the cybernetic gods and humans against the machine giants and monsters. In this conflict, you the player take the role of Baldur, a cybernetic god charged with the protection of the human race.

IGN: Tell us about the gameplay in Too Human. What is the player's main goal throughout the adventure?

Denis Dyack: The core gameplay component of Too Human revolves around very fast paced combat between Baldur and the races of machines attempting to annihilate mankind. We have developed a very accessible but deep combat system where the player will have wide arrays of close combat weapons and ranged weapons at their disposal.

IGN: How does control work?

Denis Dyack: Although we are not going into detail in this regard we will say that we have designed a dynamic and responsive combat system that can only work in tandem with our dynamic camera system. We think that gamers will be very happy with how accessible and deep Too Human feels. Both analog sticks in combination with the triggers are the main controls the gamers will use.
The interview in continued in the next post...

[Unreal]

IGN: Is there a character upgrade system in place? How does this work?

Denis Dyack: Yes there is a detailed cybernetic system in place. However we are not discussing details of this system at this time. Long time followers of Too Human should rest assured that system is deeper than anything we planned previously and this is a large component of the main game.
IGN: Paint us a picture of the universe in Too Human. What types of locations will players visit? Does Too Human feature off-world travel?

Denis Dyack: The universe of Too Human has a spectacular scope where players will be able to explore long lost mythical lands from ice forests to cold and dark Hel. For the most part in the Too Human Trilogy players will remain on the planet and not travel beyond the planet.

IGN: Can you play as anybody other than Baldur in Too Human?

Denis Dyack: We are not going into detail about the design of the game at this time, sorry.

IGN: Too Human uses the Unreal Engine 3. Why?

Denis Dyack: The Unreal Engine 3 has been one of the best strategic decisions that we made coming into this new generation of gaming. It has allowed us to start production on gameplay immediately while also allowing our art staff to start art asset production. Previously we have developed our own technology and there would be a lag of game development anywhere between 6-12 months working on the technology before the actually game could go into full production. By using the Unreal Technology 3 engine we are able focus on content, start production sooner and deliver a polished game like never before. With our previous engine experience we are also able to heavily customize the engine to our needs. The final bonus is that while Epic continually updates their engine, we can take these updates and incorporate them into the trilogy as development continues. Overall, we see this as a huge win.

IGN: What are you proud of graphically-speaking about the game?

Denis Dyack: We are happy with the fact that we feel we can now achieve Hollywood production value sets and design with the Xbox 360 that were previously not possible last generation. We feel we will be able to take the player on a graphical tour de force like never before. Although all of the screen shots are very early, the shots of the ice forest are really examples of some of the game's visual potential. The power of the Xbox 360 not only allows us to create a beautiful and believable game play area, but an expansive game play world as you will see in Too Human.

IGN: How does the game's camera system work?

Denis Dyack: The camera system in Too Human is perhaps one of the most developed areas in the game. We have substantially modified the Unreal Engine 3 to give us the tools to go far beyond anything that we did with ED and MGS:TS. Although we are not going into detail about the system at this time, we will say that cameras in the game will be very dynamic and intelligent. They will adjust contextually to what the player does at all times and the cinematography in Too Human will be on par with movies while being completely interactive and without compromising playability.

IGN: When will the three different chapters of Too Human be released?

Denis Dyack: We are currently planning for a Holiday 2006 release. At this point, we aren't releasing any information on when the remaining chapters will be available.

IGN: About how long would you estimate each chapter in the Too Human series lasts?

Denis Dyack: I must point out that each chapter will feel like a complete, fulfilling, and entire game in and of its own. We are not discussing any length of gameplay estimates at this time, but as you hear more details some of Too Human's unique and unannounced features in the future, you will see how deep the game will eventually be.

Balance of the interview. Pretty good read btw. I hate clicking links, so I just posted it for others that are like me :p