More Articles on Hitchcock: The Final Cut
<a class="NAV" href="http://www.totalvideogames.com/tvg.php?feature_read=true&feature_id=43"><font color="#006699">Hitchcock: The Final Cut - Feature</font></a>Hitchcock: The Final CutLatest Features
UK Exclusive: Lineage II Chaotic Throne Gracia FictionUK Exclusive: Dawn Of War II Q&A - Part 2The Bourne Conspiracy Dev Diary 4UK Exclusive: Dawn Of War II Q&AFar Cry 2 - Q&AUser Reviews
There are currently 0 User Reviews for Hitchcock: The Final CutWrite your own review for this game today and you will receive 100 Gamer Points.
Click here to register
Hitchcock: The Final Cut Feature
Derek Dela Fuente
00/12/0000
Derek dela Fuente put on his accent to find out more about this intriguing title!
The French just seem to love adventure games; the old fashioned type, whilst the rest of the world appear not so excited. The only way you can gain some interest and public focus with an adventure title is to obtain a big name and they do not come bigger than Hitchcock!
Even though Hitchcock, the director, has been dead for a good few years some of his classic films live on, although I did point out to Benoit Rullier, the designer, that a large percentage of video gamers would just about have heard of Hitchcock let alone have seen his films. âWe are making this for Hitchcock addicts and we here at Axel Tribe are all fans of the man â“ hence the desire to write this game. There are certainly a lot of his fans around who buy computer games and this will be something they will love. Hitchcock for those not au faux was chosen as the Director of the Century. As authors have proven, and as you can see in the wonderful exhibition in Pompidou
(Hitchcock and Art), his images have impressed the public for generations. Show anyone the âshower sceneâ and they will know where it comes from - Psycho. Everyone has seen the scary scene from the film Birds even if they may not have seen the whole film! We are aiming this at the adult end of the market and hope we may add some new fans into the Hitchcock club along the way,â Benoit.
As you would expect from any Hitchcock game based around the films - Psycho, Saboteur, Frenzy, Shadow of a Doubt, Torn Curtain and Topaz â“ there are lots of surprises, mysteries and red herrings in what is a clever detective story that you must unravel. Ok there are a number of titles missing like Birds but to base a story of a game around six cult films is impressive. The scriptwriter, Pierre Marmiesse, although unknown has written a number of books released in France and like the rest of the team is an ardent Hitchcock fan.
Frustratingly as was the case going into detail about the plot would take away half of the enjoyment of playing the game - for the story is pivotal to the enjoyment. The team did mention Usual Suspects as some kind of â90s comparison (clever ending as in this game) but the basic story is that you play the role of Joseph Shamley, a private eye, who became psychic after his parents died in a car accident on the day of Alfred Hitchcockâs funeral. Leaving for his fishing holiday, he was forced by a beautiful and mysterious mute blond girl to accept a job. Her uncle, Robert Marvin-Jordan, a pharmaceutical tycoon, was shooting a movie on the private set of his estate, when the whole shooting crew disappeared overnight. As Joseph, youâll have to get to work and find out what happened to the crew. Accompanied by a mynah bird called Alfred you will search through the private property of a Hitchcock maniac and get to the core of the mystery.
As you can see, Arxel has been ingenious and have opened up a game that can include lots of film references, as well using functions deployed in filmmaking!
Benoît Rullier, who added scenarist to his job description, had the original concept idea, and has also taken care of different murder scenography in the game and yes there are lots of dead bodies to be found and case histories of why they have been killed to unravel. The real fascination for gamesters is that although the game mechanics work like a standard adventure game with puzzles, items to collect and generally solve, it has lots of in game dialogue and narrative and above all real tasty clips from the six movies mentioned to immerse in. The team has not merely stuck in segments of film sequences to make an impact - for this will only keep you interested for a short period - but interwoven the film sequences to be an integral part of the game. I asked Bernoit for an example of this. âOnce again trying to avoid giving the game away I will give a good comparison. If you are wandering around the house looking for clues and end up in the bathroom, you will see the shower curtain cut. Pull it away and you will see the scene from Psycho with the lady being stabbed. This film image will not only add some important clues but it conveys very strong imagery that lifts the game resulting in a very chilling effect.â
Throughout, film sequences will shatter the calm and add to the overall ambient scenes. The team believes that creating the atmosphere for the game and constantly changing the focus and look help conveys the rock solid story. Although the team does not believe in technology for the sake of it or even boast of a game that will push the PC their tools are cutting edge and very impressive and they are also very modest. Constantly they keep referring to the dark and atmospheric looks that push the game. As Bernoit explained, âIf game players had a choice of graphical looks or a real challenge to excite they would choose the latter. Graphically we have chosen to be faithful to the spirit of the films and so scenes are built like paintings and the colours and lights are enhancing the âsuspensefulâ atmosphere. Sometimes it looks almost like a B&W film! Getting the mood right is what really matters and we have achieved that by using 3D modelling and lots of detail!â
Pick any French designed adventure game and you are certainly going to find a game full of illogical and cerebral puzzles and it is good to find out the team understand this âso calledâ fault. It was quickly pointed out nevertheless that the game is not going to be modified to give a broader feel and appeal but if you duly note that the in game dialogue and narrative will be in English (may other languages) and there is lots of it, then this is NOT a French only game.
As for the puzzles once again Arxel find no appeal in presenting a game with devious and intellectual puzzles but have built theirs on the same kind of principle as Hitchcock â“ interwoven in what you do and actions undertaken which are all part of pulling you through the fairly linear story. Yes there are lots of paths in the game to take you up a blind alley but the game will move the player through to one big finale at the end of the game. Benoît gave his thoughts on the puzzles within the game. âPuzzles are of different kinds. Actions: diving into the water, finding the right combination on a lock corresponding to the sizes of a woman and pull up the corpse...Association : associating a movie extract showing an image with an in-game scene to make the fit. Finally, dialogues: playing a free association game to reveal a concealed memory.â
If this is all starting to sound formulised then you only have to look at the screenshots to see differently. The whole of Alfred Hitchcock: The Final Cut in is within a huge setting - a single private estate within a manor, a fake set street, some sets, a motel for the crew, a church and exteriors (beach, swamp)...This is a kind of film set and this, without giving away the story, becomes more apparent at the end when you have to change things â“ ALA film director!
With such detailed and deep searching to get the script âHitchcockesqueâ Hitchcockâs
estate has validated the script and is following the production, which in itself is something to be impressed by. Firstly getting this license and being assisted means that the estate is more than happy that this is adhering to the essence of the man and his work. Gamers will even see a fleeting glimpse of Hitchcock in the game, something he did regularly in his own films.
If Hitchcock was famous for anything in his films that were unmistakable it was his camera angles and Arxel has created two varied camera styles. Gameplay cameras will track and move with the players showing their actions, whilst atmosphere cameras will zoom in on faces, showing detailed expressions and objects from a number of angles to produce moments of tension and intrigue.
Explanation of the controls and interface was passed over to Benoît. âControls are very easy with keys for moving, and the mouse for the investigation mode (searching in a for clues...) The interface will include a kind of organiser to file the data and evaluate in the end the degree of understanding. Players will be given a score and this will let them know how well they have done. An automatic help key can be implemented, to help âlow levelâ players. If someone is stuck too long, the player will see a flash, as the hero is a psychic, showing him the next possible clue or space to move toward.
Although not much of the actual story to the game was forthcoming, in this case it could be understood why. Arxel is looking toward the older player who wants more than a standard adventure game and ones who are Hitchcock fans (although neither are essential to be able to enjoy this as a pure adventure). Deep content, with less action and dexterity, is what this is all about. A strong story, some really clever red herrings and above all solid graphics (not the best we have seen) mark this down as a game of love from a team with a proven history of creating games.
As we concluded this interview the team excitedly announced that soon they would be starting on their next title in conjunction with Universal Studios - HANNIBAL LECTER. The collaboration with the US giant with one of the strongest film characters we have seen ensures that the teamâs focus and media and public attention will grow even more. HANNIBAL will now become a 3D hero in a video game that will be released by end of 2002. You will be facing the beast in a real time 3D action/adventure and explore the darkest side of his personality. Prepare for the most frightening game ever.... But before that you are offered the Hitchcock experience.
