Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects Q&A Feature

It does appear that superheroes are the flavour of 2005 with videogame adaptations of Batman Begins and the Fantastic 4 soon to be joined by X-Men Legends 2, Ultimate Spiderman, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and EAâ??s Marvel Nemesis: The Imperfects. Featuring a number of characters from Marvel's library of Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Iron Man, the game also includes a new gathering of Super Heroes in the Imperfects to muse over and immerse yourself with. Our very own slightly suspect hero, Derek, donned his outfit to challenge Dan Ayoub, Line Producer about some of the enthralling features and action that the game will summon up!

Please can you tell our readers what the name of the game means and its storyline?

The title Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects implies the arrival of a new family of Super Heroes, The Imperfects. These characters have been created in collaboration between Marvel and EA and were designed to represent a new generation of Super Heroes. The storyline deals with an alien scientist who comes to earth with a desire to create the perfect being; along the way he creates these extremely powerful super beings who despite their power, are not â??perfectâ?? in his eyes. The Imperfects are a new generation of Super Heroes that rise up to challenge the Marvel heroes â?“ and the results are explosive!

Many gamers, although having heard of Marvel, perhaps will not be that au fait with the license and what it stands for and its history. Can you tell us about some of the qualities it brings to a videogame?

Marvel is quite simply the most popular Super Hero brand in the world. Years ago, Stan Lee presented some of the most popular and iconic characters ever; characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, etc. Marvel has grown in tremendous leaps and bounds and is now a powerful presence in motion pictures with films such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. These Super Heroes have some great powers and abilities that really lend themselves well to videogames. The most exciting part of our deal with Marvel is that we are not limited to one family of characters, so we have the pick of their top Super Heroes.

Can you tell us about the cast and also how many new characters are being created by the owners of the brand. How much collaboration between EA and Marvel was there regarding the game and the release of the comic book? â?“ Do you know some of the prerequisites for the new cast are?

The cast of characters was created in partnership with Marvel and some of their top talent. We also worked with an artist named, Paul Catling, to help visualize these new characters â?“ Paul has worked on films like Spider-Man and the Harry Potter series and produced some great concepts for us to work with. In terms of criteria for the new characters, we wanted them to be Super Heroes that a current generation could relate to. This means they are rougher and edgier than your classic Super Hero. They are truly sensational characters that we think people will really enjoy.

The characters and scenery looks extremely detailed with great attention to light and shading. Please can you give us some information on the 3D engine being employed and what kind of additional environmental detail we should look out for?

The technology for this game was created from scratch for the sole purpose of bringing Super Heroes to life. As sensational as their abilities are, games just have not done justice to them before, and we wanted to create a game that would finally let you feel like a Super Hero. For the look of the game, we wanted to do the same thing to games that films like X-Men had done for Hollywood, and that is to really bring the characters into the 21st Century. Youâ??ll notice that we are more graphic novel than cartoony. Look for amazing graphics in the environments that we have created to allow the players to live the fantasy of being a Super Hero.

What kind of onscreen information will be presented to the player as to ascertain how well they are fairing?

Like any fighting game, the player will have a health bar to keep track of their general life status. A great innovation for the game is a super power meter, which measure how much super power the player has. Using big power moves consumes more energy (and some characters consume power more quickly than others) so how you manage this becomes a big part of player strategy.

What are some of the locations for the confrontations and what is the structure to the game and coming out a winner â?“ is there a progression line on offer?

We have created environments that are linked to the Marvel fiction, as well as environments that are just plain fun to smash. There is really going to be something for everyone in this game. In addition to the classic versus mode, we have created a unique and innovative single player fighting experience that will greatly increase the depth of the game, as well as player satisfaction.

How would you best describe the game? Obviously it offers fighting confrontations, but what distinguishing features does that game have?

The game has the 2 distinct modes I mentioned earlier: Versus and Story Mode. What is so great about this title is that the control system is designed to allow novice and expert players alike to really enjoy the game. We have moved away from the classic memorization of fighting games and created a control scheme that is more about context, and learning your characters. This is an authentic Super Hero fighting experience that will change the way you look at Super Hero games AND fighting games.

How do you ensure the cast is evenly matched when fighting as each have a number of powers and skills?

Great question! Characters have different powers, which will in turn influence strategies. For example if a player is controlling a character with projectile attacks who can fly (like Iron Man), he will want to keep at a distance, especially if fighting someone like Wolverine who needs to get in close to use his claws. All of the powers of these characters are authentic, so knowing your characters will be a huge part of the strategy. More powerful characters will use superpower more quickly, whereas less powerful characters tend to have superior speed and mobility. At the end of that day, YOU decide who the ultimate Super Hero is.

With fully destructible environments, what kind of objects and debris can be found and used and how does it add to the gameplay ensuring variety?

Destructibility is a huge part of the game mechanic. A hallmark of superhero battles is the destruction that they leave in their wake. Some characters are stronger than others, so they will be able to throw larger objects than weaker ones, but a few examples include barrels, signs, cars, and trucks. If it is in the environment, it can be used. The items in the environments will affect your strategy a great deal, depending on which character you are using.

How important will strategies be in winning as most player will employ the â??go for itâ?? approach?

Iâ??ve spoken a great deal about strategy, as it is a huge part of the game. What I like about the game is it allows you to play however you like. You can certainly charge right in and unleash your full fury, but players who want to use the environments, wall run, fly, etc can certainly do that as well. We do not dictate to the player the right way to play the game; instead we give them all the tools to feel like a Super Hero. Who the most powerful Super Hero is entirely up to you!

Many thanks for your time!

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects has been penciled in for a November 2005 release on Xbox, PlayStation2, GameCube and PSP. Featuring more than a dozen fighters in fully interactive and destructible environments, gamers will have full control over the individual characters with each fighter having unique attributes and super powers that are true to their background adding more depth and fighting strategy to the game.

Weâ??ll have more on Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects shortlyâ?¦