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FlatOut 2 Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
05/04/2006
TVG chats to the developers of the forthcoming FlatOut sequel...
Bugbear Entertainment Ltd., the Finland development team, is putting the final touches to the sequel to Flat Out, a racing game with many enticing features within a genre that is already serving up some top notch titles. This is the third racing title from the team and TVG spoke with Jussi Laakkonen, Business Development Director at Bugbear, to get an insight into what is on offer!
The racing genre is arguably one of the most competitive genres around, so how do you ensure that FlatOut 2 stands out to gamers?
It's very competitive, and that is in some ways very good. Competition gives us the drive and motivation to be better as we want to be among the very best driving game developers in the world. There is still time to go before we are there, but it is inspiring to see what the other top developers in the world are doing.
FlatOut 2 is quite different to traditional racing games as it puts action and humour into the mix. The vehicular carnage combined with cartoon-style black humour in the form of the ragdoll drivers make FlatOut 2 really stand out from the crowd. If you like racing FlatOut 2 offers you plenty of depth. But if you want a quick fix of destruction racing, the heated high speed car to car battles of FlatOut 2 are just what the doctor ordered!
What did you learn from producing the first title, and how have you worked to develop the FlatOut 2? Also has any aspects of the aggressive nature of FlatOut been toned down?
No sir, we've gone ever further on the aggression! FlatOut 2 features a huge set of new features and improvements including three car classes (derby, street, race), over 30 cars (from pickups to street hotrods), double the amount of destruction derbies and ragdoll stunt events, more explosive action on track with over 5,000 destructible objects per track, crash-heavy racing with AI maniacs and much, much more.
Fans all around the world have come back to us saying that they love the FlatOut experience and they want more. We have closely listened to the fans and addressed some of the issues people had with FlatOut 1 (e.g. being limited to owning just one car at a time, limited online support), and we have done our best to make FlatOut 2 a game that has none of the issues of FlatOut 1 and still retains all of the raw instincts and innovations of that game. We are taking it to the max!
FlatOut was noted for its extensive use of physics in vehicle damage and collisions. Tell us how you've gone about creating even better physics and what this will add to gameplay?
Our in-house physics engine is by far the most advanced of its kind. It offers over 5,000 destructible objects per track even on the PlayStation 2. What that really means is that you can take your overpowered, understeering, beast of a car and tear through the scenery in a way no other racing game lets you.
FlatOut 2 is really all about cause and effect. Crash and you'll see convincing results. Slam at 150 mph into a rival car and not only will you total his vehicle but also send the poor opponent flying through the air headfirst into the nearest palm tree.
Fun? Yeah, physics can be fun.
FlatOut was also distinguished by its varied cars and tracks offering a diversity of driving settings/scenarios. Can you tell us about some of the cars and tracks on offer in FlatOut 2? Plus with the focus on the US how did you research the areas and are they based on real places?
FlatOut 2 is a lot bigger than FlatOut 1. For example, on the cars we have over 30 different vehicles ranging from banged-up 4x4 pickups to souped-up, nitro powered hotrods. You'll be whipping around tracks in overpowered muscle cars and taking huge jumps with your fully upgraded European compact. Each car handles differently and every gamer will be able to find their favourite among 4x4, rear wheel drive and front wheel drive cars.
On the track side we've placed FlatOut 2 into familiar locations across the USA. You'll be slamming the pedal to the metal on tracks inspired by, for example, the Los Angeles storm drains and downtown (wait until you crash through the worlds biggest shopping mall!), taking down cactuses and oil pumps in the Arizona desert and crashing through the Rocky mountain forest and West Virginia crop fields.
From street to gravel and from 4x4 by to Front Wheel Drive, FlatOut 2 is the most action packed driving game for summer 2006.
One of the basic premises of the game is that winnings come in the form of cash which allows players to purchase vehicle upgrades and new vehicles. Have you changed or added to this?
The basic premise is the same, but the implementation is a lot better. Money is awarded primarily from crashing into the rival drivers and also from crashing through the scenery. The User Interface feedback system now clearly tells you when you have scored well by crashing into, for example, a rival car (and hey, if you score enough hits on him, you'll take him completely out of the race!).
There is also now more variety in the vehicle upgrades and they are easier to use. You can buy upgrades to make your car more robust, faster and even upgrade the nitrous. I'm sure petrol-heads will find the game's depth really gratifying.
Please can you inform those not familiar with FlatOut what game modes will be on offer and enlighten them on the Rag Doll events?
FlatOut 2s key single player game modes include racing, destruction derbies and ragdoll stunts. Racing pits you against seven different AI drivers in the branching career mode compromised of several different cups. You'll be able to progress across the three classes of derby, race and street cars simultaneously towards the big finale.
In the destruction derbies the premise is simple. Stay alive and take out everybody else on a variety of destruction bowls such as on top of a skyscraper building site.
Ragdoll stunts are the craziest, wackiest and funniest party game ever to grace a racing game. This is where you get to throw your little punk of a driver out through the windshield to try and perform outrageous stunts. The game features 12 different stunt events including Rings of Fire, Stoneskipping, High jump, Royal Flush, Field Goal and Curling, to name just a few. A leading games site in the US called FlatOut 1 the best drinking game ever it is a perfect party game for you and your mates!
All of the game modes (racing, derbies and stunts) are also available to play online on all platforms. The game also delivers special modes for online play including a mode we call Hunter and Prey.
Alternate track routes are featured in the FlatOut series for the first time; how are they implemented into the main gameplay, and how does the AI react to them?strong>
Alternative routes are there to add flavour to the tracks especially for advanced players. Once you've mastered the main track you need to start experimenting to learn all the shortcuts and alternative routes in order to get the shortest possible lap times. Quite often the shortcut isn't the most obvious one (it could be a perilous drive through a barn), but an alternative route is always worth the time it takes to find it.
We also wanted the game to have really convincing competitor AI. To this end all of the AI drivers have different driving profiles ranging from cautious to reckless, from very clean driving to heavy powersliding. It would be illogical if otherwise very convincing AI drivers would fail to use the advantageous alternative routes, so naturally they'll go after them too when it suits their driving style and position in the race.
So look out, there is much more to the tracks than meets the eye at first glance.
The actual driving mechanics for FlatOut was pretty standard and this was one of the negative thoughts from people who played the game. Have you changed this in any way to add more skill or do you feel that the template you use cannot be added to without changing the dynamics of the game?
It was interesting to see that the response to FlatOut 1's driving model was quite varied. Almost half of the feedback we have had is that the handling was spot on, while the other half considered the game too slidey or not enough 'simulator-stylish'.
FlatOut 2 aims to be a game that is easy to get into but challenging to master. To this end the game offers three very distinct driving models: the four wheel drive, the rearwheel drive and the frontwheel drive. When these three models are combined with the very wide array of vehicles available and the comprehensive upgrading system, you get a driving game with a lot of variety in the handling. We are quite confident that almost everybody will find a combination of car and upgrades that will really suit their driving preference.
For advanced players the upgrading system offers a way to customize their rides to meet their different driving skills. Compared to other action-oriented driving games on the market, FlatOut 2 offers a lot of depth thanks to this.
What does the more sophisticated career mode entail?
A lot and then some. The career mode consists of three different classes available immediately from the get-go: derby, race and street classes. By completing each of the classes you qualify for the finals.
Each of the classes is made up of multiple cups in a branching format (no need to go from cup to cup, instead you can choose your own progression). Each cup consists of a number of races, in which you battle for championship points. To unlock the next race in the cup event and then complete the cup you need to place in the top three in overall championship points. While you are racing you are awarded with cash for the destruction of your rivals and the track as well as for placing well in the races.
When you complete cups you also open up destruction derbies, stunt events and extra races based on stadium style tracks. These offer you more ways to gather cash.
Cash is then used for buying new cars and for upgrading your existing cars. You can also own as many cars as you want so you can choose, for example, a 4x4 car for a gravel track while racing a souped up hotrod on the street tracks.
The career mode is really comprehensive and flexible as it allows you to progress through the game at your own pace while at the same time enjoying the very different class of races. The final events will provide a stimulating challenge to all petrol-heads wanting to claim the title of Champion!
With the game coming out on three formats what specialized features and focus will each format receive?
Our focus is to make the game a standout on all of the platforms (PS2, Xbox, PC). Technically the game delivers amazing results on all of these platforms, and the performance really shows on the PS2 as that platform is the least powerful of the three. PS2 owners will also be able to enjoy PS2 Online play with up to six players. Xbox and PC owners can look forward to up to eight players simultaneously over Xbox Live and PC online play. PC players will naturally benefit from significantly higher resolutions, higher frame rate, better anti-aliasing and other PC specific enhancements for really tricked out graphics.
Game wise we have strived to provide a consistent experience across the platforms. We believe it is the right approach to give every FlatOut 2 gamer the same experience regardless of the platform.
Any final thoughts you'd like to offer our readers?
We are very excited about FlatOut 2 and it is definitely going to be the best game ever to come from Bugbear Entertainment. It's going to be hard work until the very last minute, but I'm sure it will be worth all the blood, sweat and tears we've poured in to the game. So, do check this one out; it's been a real labour of love and we think it really shows in the game!
TVG would like to thank Jussi Laakkonen, Business Development Director at Bugbear, for taking the time to answer our questions. FlatOut 2 will be released later in the year on Xbox, PlayStation2, and PC. We'll have more news shortly...
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