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Destroy All Humans! Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
07/06/2005
We chat to the Design Director of Pandemic's B-Movie title...
Destroy All Humans has a theme well known to Sci Fi fans, Earth is under attack and humanity should fear for their lives. Now the usual outcome, due to the fact that Aliens are usually somewhat stupid, is that the Earth is saved after an exhaustive fight. Now Destroy All Humans could well have a very different ending,
Gamers take on the role of Crypto, a Furon (large head and small body), sent to grab some DNA and rescue his brother. Some elements of the game will be very familiar as the game uses a 50s movie stylised look and little nuggets of information that will be well known to Sci Fi fans. It is not only the visual splendour of the game that gives it its edge but it humour and some very neat psychic powers that Crypto can utilise.
Crypton may be armed with an array of weapons but the biggest one is the fact that it can take on the appearance of a human and read their minds and can temporarily hypnotise them! The action and delightful mayhem encompassed over 22 missions, through 6 US cities and there is a lot lot more on offer. Derek dela Fuente spoke with Brad Welch, the Design Director of the game, in a brief but informative chat.
Please tell us some interesting information about the dev team, Pandemic, and what they have worked on before and their expertise!
We have a mix of cool people here at Pandemic AU, both locals and folks from overseas, those on their first project and industry veterans with all sorts of experience.
Iâd like to clear something up though - thereâs no truth to the rumour that we are in fact a pod of body snatching aliens bent on infiltrating your puny monkey species and warping the minds of humanityâs best and brightest using stupidly fun pro-alien videogames like Destroy All Humans! No truth whatsoever. Come a little closer while I suck your brains out...
Although the game has a slightly unusual idea, killing all humans, how serious do you see this as a âshooterâ game and what kind of actions and skills will the player possess as the Alien?
The game is certainly not strictly a shooting game. Throughout the levels the gameplay is a mix of stealth, attack and all out destruction. Despite the name of the game, the alien agenda is really quite varied and sometimes you need information more than you need death! So aside from a frighteningly devastating weapon Crypto also has several mental powers that allow him to scan humans, persuade them to do things they would not normally do, disguise himself as a human and a few other skills.
What are some of the locations for the game and is there an evolving storyline?
The storyline evolves over 6 different locations. Over the course of the 22 missions players will uncover a conspiracy that stretches from the military all the way up to the highest office in the United States, the President. Each location, after it has been unlocked, can be replayed in sandbox mode where the player can play mini missions, extract more DNA from humans, and hunt for probes.
Can the game be played in a number of ways? I believe you can stay out of sight and be devious â“ how does this work?
Each mission has an objective you need to achieve, and itâs pretty much up to you how you achieve this objective. Using the Holobob feature is a great way to infiltrate the humans, you look just like them. It does however drain your mental power and if you let it get all the way down, the disguise will drop. The distraction suggestion is also really cool, humans will dance like a chicken or generally create a commotion and other humans will instantly be drawn to them. They are such simple creatures really.
What kind of progression does the game have? Does the action get harder and more complex and do you get better equipment also?
You bet. When the secret human agency called Majestic figures out who you are and what your agenda is, they waste no time in pulling out the big guns. Luckily, if you provide your boss with enough human DNA heâll upgrade your weapons, your mental abilities, even your UFO! Weapons such as the Disintegrator Ray and Ion Detonator for Crypto and the Sonic Boom and the city-block-levelling Quantum Deconstructor are just a few of the upgrades you can get.
If you had to speak about one innovation, apart from the storyline, what would it be?
I think the interface of the mental powers is great; itâs simple and allows complete access to all the powers instantly. We worked really hard on the interface and we think people will be impressed.
What kind of 3D engine has been used for the game and how important are technical innovations?
The 3D engine has been developed specifically for this game. It was originally designed for the most graphically intensive part of the game, the UFO combat scenes, and contains lots of special effects to blow things up. When the alien experience became a larger part of the game the engine was adapted to accommodate this new play style as well.
So am I right in saying you take to the skies in your UF0, abduct animals, cars, and humans for research, or cause large-scale destruction?
You fly the UFO, but no self respecting Furon would be caught dead in a car. Why drive when you can jetpack?
Sum up the game in one sentence!
Hypnotise, terrorize, vaporise and take to the skies!
We thanks Pandemic for taking some time to answer our questions â“ weâll have more on Destroy All Humans! shortly...
