PSP Fanboy interview: Aliens Versus Predator
The upcoming PSP-exclusive Aliens Versus Predator game is based on the upcoming movie, Requiem. We had a chance to chat with Rebellion's Tim Jones, Head of Design, on why they keep on developing for Sony's handheld and what fans of the original PC classics can look forward to in this surprising "sequel," of sorts.
The question on everyone's mind is: why make it a PSP exclusive?
It was ultimately a question of logistics. The opportunity came up to do a tie-in game for the movie which had a fixed release date of Christmas 2007 and it really wasn't possible to develop a game for another platform in the time available -- especially since the game has to be complete and ready to hit the shelves well in advance of the movie release.
Rebellion has been working on a lot of PSP-exclusive projects lately, most notably Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. What's so appealing about the PSP?
The PSP has a beautifully sharp and colorful screen and an incredible amount of processing power squeezed into such a small piece of mobile hardware. We have had considerable success developing for it at Rebellion and have a great deal of affection for the platform.
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What staff from the original Aliens Vs Predator game is involved with this new title?
A number of key staff members, who have been part of Rebellion since the days of the original Aliens vs Predator, have been involved on both the technology and the design side of Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem. The game has been created with Asura, Rebellion's cross-platform (from PSP to PC, Wii, 360 and PS3) game engine and tool set, which has been undergoing constant development and evolution at Rebellion pretty much since we originally completed Aliens versus Predator for the PC.
It seems as though the gameplay has changed drastically from the original game. What will fans of the original think of this new title?
Well, any fan of the two scariest and coolest monsters in cinema should get a kick out of this title because you basically get the opportunity to play as an elite Predator, defending yourself against countless Aliens. We decided to go for a third-person action title rather than a first person shooter since it seemed more suited to the controls of the PSP and it was important to show your player character to give you a proper sense of how cool "The Wolf" is.
How are the controls being crafted to consider PSP's lack of a second analog stick?
The camera control has been mapped onto the shoulder buttons - L button to rotate the camera left, R button to rotate the camera right and hold both the L and R buttons together to lock-on to your targets and strafe around them. The player also has the ability to look around, zoom and snipe (but not move) in a first person view. All the main combat and action controls are on the face buttons and the hi-tech equipment like cloaking, vision modes and swapping weapons is controlled through the d-pad.
Can you elaborate further on the multiplayer mode? Will Infrastructure be offered?
There are a number of survival arenas in which you can play either alone, or hook up via ad-hoc with a friend for a two-player cooperative survival experience against relentless hordes of aliens. There is also a selection of cool alternative Predator designs that you can choose to play as in this mode.
Will footage from the film be incorporated into the UMD?
Sadly not. Fox has been keeping the movie and its details a closely guarded secret to maximize its impact when it opens in cinemas. However, we were fortunate enough to have access to hundreds of high resolution production photos and were able to spend some time with the Strause Brothers, viewing an early cut of the movie which was extremely helpful reference for us. It ensured that we have been able to accurately capture the details of many of the sets and of course the Aliens and Predators themselves. Having said that, there are some key differences between the sequence of events in the game, and those depicted in the movie which should be fun for the fans to spot ...
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Thanks to Tim for taking some time out to talk to us. Alien Versus Predator: Requiem will be available exclusively on PSP November 13th.
