Gamedot.pl recently spoke with Producer of Rambo The Video Game, Piort Latocha in an exclusive interview about the making of Rambo and what gamers should expect!
1. Where did the idea for the game Rambo come from, and how hard was it to get rights to this brand?
For some time now we have been producing games with the central theme being intense action. Many of us remember the Rambo movies from our childhoods, and many of these people are till this day big fans of the brand. With our partner, Reef Entertainment we decided that it would be nice to refresh the adventures of John Rambo on current generation consoles, given that the previous types of games we worked on fit well with this license. Getting the right to the brand Rambo was difficult as Studio Canal was very cautious and a lot of work and effort was placed into convincing them that our game in such a formula would work.
2. Why is Rambo a rail shooter and not the classic FPS?
A few of our previous games were on rail FPS and we decided when creating Rambo, to use that same formula and not experiment too much with it. We applied all our experience from the development of previous games to create the most interesting game-play that goes hand in hand with the events of the movies. In many ways, on rails FPS is the perfect formula for games based on intense-action movies.
3. What will attract gamers to Rambo?
One word, Rambo. The game was developed keeping in mind the fans of the Rambo brand and films. The main idea was to replicate the famous scenes from the film from the first person perspective, giving players the ability to feel like they are their hero, John Rambo. An example is the helicopter scene at the waterfall, where Rambo jumps out of the water pulling out a gunner from the side of the helicopter. Here, players will have the ability to play this scene from a totally new, underwater perspective. Another bonus with this game is that we have included the history of Rambo, scenes which were never filmed and only mentioned in the films.
4. Who is the game’s target? Only fans of the commando?
Definitely fans of Rambo, but not only. The game is an intense shooter in which many people will find something which appeals to them. In addition to the story from the three films and the added bonuses already mentioned, the game will heavily focus on score attack and online high scores. During the game, players will have the opportunity to develop the main characters statistics and gain special skills which will help in improving the results of their global online scores. Co-op mode is also included for players looking for cooperate and compete to advance to the next level. However, if someone isn’t interested in intense competition, they can also play Rambo to train their reflexes or to just simply shoot!
5. How long will the game be?
The game is made up of several levels inspired by events from the three films and those only mentioned in the film. As the game is based on score attack, the first part is only a prelude to the fun of beating records. In addition to improving the skills of the main character there is also challenge mode available for players looking to increase their arsenal and at the same time greatly increasing the chances of a better score. Having the ability to experiment with the characters build and seeing what works best to beat records and advance in the rankings, will provide players with a lot of gaming time.
6. In the game there will be a lot of scenes from the movies. Will the game go out of these frames?
Yes, as I mentioned earlier the game will also feature elements which were only mentioned in the trilogy and not shown.
7. What will make us want to replay Rambo?
One of the main elements would be the point scoring system. Thanks to the added Friend List, players now will be able to compete not just with the rest of the world but against their friends who also have the game. Character development is not just about bettering statistics but also about using the various special abilities. It is never really known which combination of skills work best at a given level and which of them will produce the best possible result. I hope that the DLC, which we are currently working on, will also encourage players to return to the game.
8. Which part of the trilogy was in your opinion the best and did it influence the development of the game?
In my opinion, the first film, First Blood was definitely the most interesting but also the most difficult to add into our formula. The second and third films are typical action movies and ideally suited our type of game. It was also important for us to present the complete history of Rambo for the original trilogy, and to not miss any of the films seeing as First Blood was never created into a game.
9. How will the boss battles look and who or what will be involved?
The boss battles will vary. They will include Rambo’s face off with sheriff Teasle while hiding at the police station in the town of Hope, the memorable scene at the waterfall with officer Taiem and the elimination of a Soviet helicopter with a bow and explosive shot.
10. Rambo the Video Game is not the first on-rails shooter with the character, Rambo. A while back there was an arcade game, Rambo Arcade. When making Rambo were you influenced by anything from this title?
We knew about this title but unfortunately couldn’t find a machine to try out the game in person. Despite the fact that both games present an arcade style, our approach to the subject was more serious. We wanted to make the locations and exchanges of gun fire replicate more so that which was shown in the films. Rambo Arcade consisted mainly of shredded scenes from the films in a mixed order. Our game is certainly more fluid when it comes to the narration and consists only of one complete story.
11. Does the game include the original soundtrack and dialogues from the actors who starred in the original film.
Yes, in the game you will hear the original soundtrack and original voices of Sylvester Stallone and Richard Crenny.
Rambo The Video Game will be released this Friday, 21 February in Europe on Xbox360, PSN/PS3 and PC/Steam.
