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CR6
Administrator
Canada
1812 Posts |
 Posted - 07/18/2004 : 11:58:10 PM
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As promised, the demo disc included with the August issue of the Official Xbox Magazine (with GoldenEye: Rogue Agent on the cover) has a behind-the-scenes video documentary about Ghost Recon 2! New info about GR2 has been pretty sparse since E3, so for anyone excited about GR2, this month's issue is well worth picking up.
The documentary is 7 minutes long and gives us a great look at Red Storm’s offices, members of the dev team, and some of the tools used to build the game. Here’s a brief summary of some of the new info I gleaned from the video:
Producer Robbie Edwards emphasizes that GR2 has purposely been designed ground-up as a console game. He explains that’s why several aspects of the game (e.g. the brighter colors, simplified interface) have been optimized for a TV rather than a computer monitor.
Sound Engineer Jeff Wesevich comments that the new over-the-shoulder third-person view actually opens up a more full and interesting perspective on sound. With a 5.1 speaker setup, you will hear bullets track from speaker to speaker. Explosions will expand and envelop you within a 5.1 speaker field.
Animator Steve Wasaff tells us how the Havok 2 physics engine works during death animations: when a character is shot, the initial movements are animated, then at some point it converts to rag-doll physics to allow different body positions on various landscapes.
Game Designer Christian Allen gives us some insight into the flexibility of the game’s dynamic orders system. For those worried that GR2 will be just a "run & gun" game, Christian reassures us that you can play the game as tactically as you want to.
Concept art of the Ghosts: various characters in the game
Character Modeler Joseph Drust tells us that character models in GR2 use much higher poly counts and double the amount of vertices used in GR1. This naturally allows for much more detailed and realistic looking models. He said the team has consulted with real Special Forces soldiers to make sure characters in the game wear and carry their gear correctly.
Lead Artist Brian Tate mentions how GR2 is taking advantage of the hardware accelerated shaders that are designed specifically for the Xbox which will make all surfaces look more richly textured and better lit. Every single graphical asset in the game has been improved over the original.
M8 Lightweight Assault Rifle model in GR2
Producer Heather Chandler comments on the extensive research the team has done to make sure the game is as realistic and authentic as possible: from taking field trips to military bases, to inviting real Special Forces operators from Fort Bragg to do motion capture for all team and enemy movements.
It is now pretty clear that some PC gamers are going to be disappointed that several key features of GR1 are not going to cross over into the more "console-oriented" GR2, but these are intentional game design decisions that appear to have been made in hopes to increase Ghost Recon's appeal to a larger audience.
From the video, the dev team (which includes many "vets" from the GR1 dev team) appears to have put a lot of hard work into the game, and they looked very enthusiastic and excited about it. So although GR2 will be somewhat different than GR1, there's no doubt it looks like it's shaping up to be a great game!
Finally, keep an eye on OXM in upcoming months for the first playable demo of GR2 on the Xbox. |
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Kurtz
Private
Canada
47 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2004 : 1:43:59 PM
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If they are so excited about it, why is there a news blackout on the PC game? Look at the gaming review sites and all the news, screens, movies and previews on upcoming games and the sheer amount of information being released on games like Halflife 2, Doom 3, Sims 2, Brothers In Arms, etc, etc.
GR 2 PC - nothing. What does this mean? Is the game in limbo? Have they been taken back by the negative response? They're surprised at the response at having gutted the tactical elements off the game and producing an arcade action game for a sequel?
This is fine for the X Box, but, "hero" based games are usually very linear and heavily dependent on scripting, which makes them great the first time you play them but they have no replayability. Case in point is Call Of Duty, great game, very atmospheric, and after 3 plays through, uninstalled. At the same time, I keep replaying Hidden & Dangerous 2, a squad based game with open ended gameplay and large open maps. If they proceed in the direction indicated, GR 2 will be about the same, no replayability in SP, have to move to MP only.
They should reflect on this and go back to the original game and build on that instead - 3 squads with real strong team AI, command map, intuitive squad orders for your own squad, character switching, add graphic improvements, large maps, open ended play, more objectives, a web based MP lobby, destructible buildings, more guns and SD guns, and a robust Igor editor. The result would be the game of the year - unequalled by any tactical game. That is the route to take. |
Kurtz
FNG Gaming |
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GR2: Behind The Game
