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Catwoman - First Look Preview
Derek dela Fuente
02/06/2004
Anybody interested in taking control of a leather-clad Halle Berry...
Great excitement is surrounding the EA multi format game Catwoman that is to be released this summer. Based around the film starting Halle Berry, who plays Catwoman, gamers will be able to control this feline inspired character which utilises all of the unique cat-like skills, senses and cunning to defeat her enemies.
As befits an epic game, EA has spared no resources and a team of over 120 people, which will combine the resources of Argonaut, the Britsoft developer, are hard at work and it will be released on a number of leading formats.
The film, which is to be released around July, about the same time as the game, has been pretty well kept under wraps but it is a classic story of betrayal and revenge, which has drawn heavily and is based upon the DC Comics character. The film and game follow the story of Patience Phillips, who is killed after she uncovers a dark secret held by her employers. Brought back to life by a rare Egyptian cat, she becomes Catwoman and sets out to discover the truth about herself and her murderer.
With some âgolden nuggetsâ and added input from Richard Leinfellner, Executive Producer & Vice President at EA, we were able to prize out some small gems of information on this well-guarded game.
"Because the game tracks the story of the movie; weâve focused deeply on what makes Catwoman a compelling game character and designed the game from her point of view. The game is being designed and built by a talented EA team that has previously worked on games with cumulative sales on 30M+ units. Ensuring we get the perfect persona for her is one aspect we are working towards. Catwoman is a sexy, highly athletic character; we have really worked on her movement in minute detail so even just walking her around is intrinsically fun. Add to that her whip and combat moves and youâll be blown away."
"Although the game is billed as an action adventure game, being Catwoman means there is also lots of really cool fighting and confrontation." Catwoman has a plethora of incredible acrobatic skills. She can leap across roofs, run up walls, pounce on prey, and avoid enemy bullets with feline grace. In addition, she can use her whip to swing through the air and utilise the fully interactive environments to trap or knock her foes unconcious. Catwoman will toy with her enemies, rendering them helpless, scaring them into submission, and trapping them by using her tools and the environment around her before defeating them. Richard added: "Think Catfight and add the grace of a woman, and youâve got it. She really kicks butt. She is a formidable predator."
Getting the perfect harmony between film and game is one of the hardest tasks for the development team. As both the film and game draw closer to release more snippets of the film will be seen by the viewing public and their expectations and stronger ideas about the finer details of the plot will become more obvious. Every film has key moments, together with signature actions and you only have to think of films like Spiderman and Terminator to understand how strong this is. EA, as you would expect, has worked in tandem with the development of the film, as Richard explained.
"The art director, John Miles, was in on set every 4 weeks and we have a great working relationship with Warner Brothers which allows us access to cast and crew. The primary cast are very much in the approval loop and have been great to work with."
Every game has its own unique qualities and look and although donning a cat suit may be one eye-catching feature of the game there are a number of subtleties that need highlighting. Some of the camera views, apart from being very extensive, are also seen from a lower eye level, a felineâs perspective, add to this some 'cat' moves and actions and it gives the game some interesting facets.
If Catwoman is the real hero, and many super heroes have never lived up to expectations (perhaps this is why so little info on the game is forthcoming), then she is well supported by a cast full of diversity, guile and character and will lack nothing in the power stakes. "Each Superhero is defined by their powers and enemies. If either one is lacking then they stop being a super hero. With Catwoman we started from the ground up designing a game, which suits her special abilities, and matching her with enemies, which make these shine. Some games start by fitting the hero into a pre-existing game design where their powers are just nice to have. Attention to detail has not been overlooked in terms of Catwoman and the cast.â
Gamers will encounter all the key characters from the movie, including three challenging bosses: Armando, Hedare's head henchman; Wesley, the evil and twisted Hedare accountant; and Laurel Hedare, the beautiful face behind the evil empire. âAll the face reference we used fills several DVDâs, we took great care to make her and the cast come to life."
Richard explained that much of the game is done, and was reluctant to talk about locations as he does not want to give the plot away, however we do know a little about what is on offer!
The game will take players through numerous levels set in seven different locations from the movie, including the jewellery store, the Hedare Factory, and Hedare's mansion and grounds.
In game mechanics of play also conjure up many new and well-tried ideas, with the player keeping tabs on Catwoman's powers, and a number of onscreen icons will assist you in your progression.
