Voodoo Vince Interview
Source: IGN
May 05, 2003 - Beep Industries' Voodoo Vince could very well be the second in a line of off-the-wall platform games from Microsoft Game Studios, following in the footsteps of last year's time-warping cat Blinx. The gameplay innovation in Vince is that you're in control of a main character who must inflict damage on himself in order to do away with any enemies he encounters. Hey, after a vacuum-wielding cat or a water-backpack toting plumber, a heroic voodoo doll doesn't sound all that strange when you look at the big picture. Microsoft is dedicated to finding a mascot character one way or another, sooner or later and good old Vince maybe the latest candidate that Xbox owners get to vote on with their wallets.
To get to know Vince and his voodoo doll abilities we put a series of questions to Beep Industries Creative Director Clayton Kauzlaric. Every movie we'd ever seen involving voodoo --with the notable exception of "Angel Heart"-- explained that the victim had to believe in the black magic to be affected by it. Could this be part of the gameplay mechanic in Voodoo Vince? Will some enemies be immune to Vince's self-mutilating attacks by pure force of will? Why did Lisa Bonet leave both the "Cosby Show" and "A Different World" so suddenly? While we have our own brilliant ideas for the answer to that last question, we left it to Kauzlaric to handle the other more relevant Voodoo Vince questions.
IGN: So you're a voodoo doll who injures himself in order to take out the bad guys... Do you realize just how strange a concept that is?
Clayton Kauzlaric: That would be strange. But I'm not a voodoo doll - Vince is.
IGN: Were there any concerns of Beep's on Microsoft's part about the games concept?
CK: I'm not sure what you mean. Are you asking if Microsoft had concerns? So far they've been totally cool with the concept. One thing that came through from the start is the humor of the game. Vince's world is creepy and strange, but its not too dark or oppressive. The magic is done in an exaggerated, Hollywood kind of way. The game has more in common with classic Looney Tunes than real voodoo. The folks at Microsoft seemed to get that, so the concept has never been a problem.
IGN: For those who don't know anything about the game at all, give the basic idea behind Voodoo Vince.
CK: The game begins in a voodoo shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Vince is a patch-covered voodoo doll made of burlap - just an inanimate object like any other until certain events transpire which bring him to life. He's only about ten inches tall, but he has to begin this epic journey to find his creator, Madam Charmaine. The game has a unique twist based on the fact that Vince is a voodoo doll. Vince can use unique powers that do ridiculously bad things to him - but the monsters feel the effect.
IGN: What was the inspiration for this game?
CK: I don't know. I was probably dropped on my head as a kid. Vince just jumped out of a ballpoint pen and onto a notepad. I'm always kicking around silly ideas for games. I figured he would just end up on the heap with everything else. But something about Vince really motivated me. I think I broke out the sculpting tools the same day. The game as a whole was inspired by a whole slew of great character-based games. I'm a big fan of the classic games from Rare, Shiny and Naughty Dog.
IGN: What are some of Vince's powers? Give some examples of how he'll use voodoo on his enemies.
CK: The use of "reverse damage" takes two main forms in the game. There are environmental things Vince can use to focus his voodoo power at monsters. He can also use his Voodoo Powers - over thirty custom attacks he can use to wipe out enemies in a pretty big area. The game has a simple economy of sorts. The monsters are powered by an evil version of the same magic that brought Vince to life. When he punches, kicks or slams a monster, he knocks shiny, sparkly beads out of them. Once Vince gathers enough beads, he is charged up for a voodoo attack. That's when the game gets really interesting. There are over thirty voodoo attacks in all. These range from simple stuff, like dropping a truck on Vince, to truly epic events like tornados and the wrath of an angry god. A voodoo power is a lot like a powerful spell - it can wipe out loads of monsters. That also creates piles of beads. A smart player can use Voodoo Powers almost exclusively if they seek out large groups of monsters.
IGN:What are some of the other character's we'll meet in the game?
CK: Vince runs into a number of oddballs who help or hinder him along the way. I can't give away too much without ruining the story, but some of the characters Vince meets include a skeletal jazzman, a mad turtle scientist, some lost zombies, a gumbo-obsessed Cajun chef and a totally deranged porcelain doll.
IGN: How will you incorporate the mysticism of Louisiana into the game? Are there specific legends you are using?
CK: Our main character is a voodoo doll, so that's a good start, right? The game begins in a voodoo shop which is dripping with strange, magical stuff. Beyond that, we drew heavily on the atmosphere of Louisiana for the look and feel of Vince's world. We did a lot of research, including an exhaustive photo safari though the cemeteries and bayou country near New Orleans. When Vince walks through our version of the French Quarter, he's standing on textures from the actual place. The same goes for the other levels. It helps create the illusion that Vince is part of a real place.
IGN: Talk about the enemies. Who are some of the enemies you'll battle in the game?
CK: There is a nice assortment of monsters to beat up, or blast with a voodoo power. Some of the more entertaining bad guys include the Bubbagators, the Cemetery Imps and the exploding Killadillos.
IGN: Is this strictly a single-player adventure or are there extra modes in the game to enhance replayability?
CK: It's a single player game, so replay value is based on other factors.
IGN: Is Voodoo Vince aimed at the mass market or the hardcore audience? How do you think the gaming public will respond to the game?
CK: That's hard to say. If we do our jobs right, everybody should find something to like about Vince. We crammed a lot of gameplay in so it wouldn't be based on just one gimmick. Besides throwing in a bunch of mini-games and vehicles, we kept our fundamentals really pure. Unlike some character platformers, ours actually has some really challenging platforming. Vince himself handles like a little sports car. Once you get a feel for his controls, he's a blast to drive. Our puzzles can get pretty involved. We're not just talking about "find the key" situations. Some of them require a little imagination. The thing is, the game is funny. It's entertainment. That might not work for anyone who takes themselves too seriously. Will the gaming public like the game? I think so, but that's impossible to predict. I know I'm happy with it.
IGN: Who'd win in a fight, Mario or Vince?
CK: I think Vince might have the edge there. He would totally cheat.
IGN:What are some of the locations players will visit as Vince?
CK: The levels are all set in and around a mythical version of New Orleans. Okay, to be honest, one place it totally made up - the underground city of Roachfort. There are six main locations. The game starts in the legendary French Quarter, then makes its way through a subterranean city, a massive cemetery called Crypt City, a huge mansion called Brusque Manor, the Bayou and the very creepy Carnival DePrave. It amounts to thirty-plus levels.
IGN: Will Voodoo Vince utilize the Xbox' unique hardware in terms of custom soundtracks or Xbox Live compatibility?
CK: We squeeze everything we can out of the Xbox. We had our priorities from day one. With Vince it boils down to tons of awesome content. We throw around an insane number of polygons and textures. Vince and the monsters have an absolutely crazy amount of animation. We used every rendering technique we could think of. Anyone with a nice surround system is going to get their money's worth out of Voodoo Vince. There are well over a thousand sound effects in the game. The game has over three hours of original music, played by live musicians. This is the kind of stuff that a machine like the Xbox was made for.
IGN: If you could make a voodoo doll of anyone, who would it be and what would you do to them?
CK: I would make a voodoo doll of myself, and make it exercise more.
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