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Batman Begins Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
17/06/2005
TVG visits Gotham and chats to the Assistant Producer of the adaptation...
With Batman once again returning to the silver screen with Christian Bale taking his place behind the cape and mask, TotalVideoGameâs own hero, âDerek the Evaderâ spoke with Ben OâDonnell â“ Assistant Producer on the game.
The game is based on the film so are you sticking very much to the storyline or fleshing out key elements or are you even adding aspects to extend gaming ideas?
We have tried to stay as consistent to the film as possible. All the main characters and events in the film are present in the game. Of course, in trying to create a 10 hour gaming experience we have had to extend certain environments and sequences but the core narrative remains true to what you will see in the cinema. As the name suggests, the film charts how Batman came to be. We see how Bruce Wayne develops his combat training and how he became the dark and troubled character that is embodied in his alter ego - Batman
How would you best describe the game in terms of key gameplay features? Is the game very much action based or a mix of seek, apprehend and interrogate?
We have tried to avoid making a brawler with Batman punching and kicking his way from one level to the next as previous games have done. A principle in the film which is very prominent in the game is the fact that Batman is not super human. Instead of using special powers, he must use his training and stealth to overcome his enemies. The stealth element is very prominent in the game and players must use the surrounding environment to their advantage - running through the front door and taking on 5 guys with machine guns head-on would not be the smart move. We have developed a very robust combat system within the game but in order to use your close quarters combat skills you must first manipulate your enemies so that they are weak enough or unsuspecting enough to take them down.
Tell the readers about a couple of the in game gizmos and gadgets that Batman will use to complete his tasks?
As I mentioned before, Batman is not super human so we have tried to ground all of his gadgetry in reality as much as possible. In the game you will be able to use optic cables to look into rooms before entering, flash bang grenades, smoke grenades, the Baterang and a very special gadget called the HF Transponder. This is a sonic device which can be attached to the enemy. Once attached, it emits a high frequency sound which attracts swarms of bats around the enemy â“ this really freaks them out!
There is a âfearâ factor system in the game which Batman can use to his advantage. Could you expand on this pivotal aspect of the game?
The fear mechanic is something we are really proud of. An element of the Batman character which was very prominent in the original comics is his dark and menacing presence. Batman is supposed to be scary and this is something that Chris Nolan has really emphasized in the movie. In Batman Begins the game, the player can toggle through everything in the environment using the d-pad including doors, grapple points and any items in the room that he can interact with, including enemies. Once toggled onto an enemy you can see his health, whether he is armed and most importantly, his heart rate. The enemyâs heart rate represents his level of fear. The higher the fear the easier it is for you to take him out. In fact if you get them scared enough they will cower in front of you or crawl away in terror. There are several ways to increase an enemyâs fear. You can use the surrounding environment â“ using your Baterang to break loose supports, windows or a steam valve is a good start. You can then follow this up with your grenades or HF Transponder. Another cool mechanic which had been worked into the AI system is âFear Inheritanceâ. If an enemy sees Batman taking out another thug he will become scared for his own safety and his fear level will increase without you having to lay a finger on him!
What are the assets you were supplied by EA/the film company and it is true that a number of stunt people from the film spent time with the dev team? Can you expand on this please?
We started designing the game when the film was still in its script phase so we have really been able to work in parallel with the film-makers. Warner Bros have been incredibly forthcoming in giving us access to the film assets. It is true that the stunt coordinators on the movie helped our animators develop the fighting system. It is based on a martial art known as Key-sei which is a very close quarters, street fighting discipline. We also had access to 3D scans of the CG shots and Batmobile and of course, the voice talent. The voices of Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy all appear in the game.
How important is technology, along with special/particle effects, etc. within the game?
It was very important to achieve a realistic and atmospheric representation of Gotham. Eurocom are very accomplished at getting the most from the current gen consoles and they have outdone themselves with Batman Begins. Much of the lighting and effects are streamed so that the artists were able to produce a very vibrant and rich environment in which to immerse yourself.
One of the most compelling features of any Batman presentation is the enemy cast. Can you expand on one of them and the kind of skills and quirky events within one confrontation that really sums up the ethos of the game?
There are some great sections of the game which take place within Arkham Asylum. Arkham is a pretty scary place at the best of times but add to that the Scarecrow using scores of demented inmates as a private army and youâve got some pretty gripping gaming experiences. A particular favorite of mine is when you have to stealth your way into the center of the asylum and release the inmates who then take out the armed guards while you sit back in the comfort of the control room and watch the chaos unfold.
What are the conformation/fighting rules within the game? Do players and Batman have a health quota â“ Batman can obviously be shot at so how do one on oneâs work?
We have developed a context sensitive fighting system. Batman will target whoever poses the most threat. Batmanâs health depletes very quickly, especially when shot, so it is very important to scare the hell out of the enemy before you confront them so that they are in a weakened state. Batman is obviously very skilled in one to one combat and so he has some spectacular moves with which to takedown his enemies. The context sensitive system also allows moves dependant on the situation, so if there are several enemies around him Batman can do a roundhouse multi-attack. He can also do vault attacks, defense breaks and ground attacks.
Films, especially those based on cult superheroes, are easy targets to be knocked down so firstly what were some of the early design doâs and donâts and what do you see as the one really big innovative for the game?
The main design ethos was to make a game that would stand up in its own right even without a license. Batman kind of lost his way a bit with the recent films and almost became farcical at times. What Chris Nolan has done is take him back to where he belongs, as the dark knight of the original comic books. We were also very fortunate that this spirit of fear lent itself very well to our fear mechanic which we were able to build the whole game around.
What locations will be on offer to move through, will it offer a lot of physical maneuvering, and are they very much pertinent to the kind of action and events that will ensue? Give us an example please?
We really wanted to make the player feel like they are playing the movie, so the snowy peaks of the Himalayas and the dark foreboding corridors of Arkham Asylum are all there. Batman often has to use high vantage points to take out his enemies so we have really tried to encourage the player to use the environments as a 3D space so there is plenty of vertical maneuvering as well as horizontal. Of course we can not forget the Batmobile! You can expect so serious takedown action through the streets of Gotham ending in a race against time back to the Bat-Cave through the moonlit forests outside the city â“ a true Batman moment!
Many thanks from the TVG team!
Batman Begins is released today on Xbox, PlayStation2, GameCube, and GameBoy Advance. A PSP version is anticipated at the end of the yearâ¦
