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Urban Chaos: Riot Response Q&A Feature

Derek dela Fuente

20/03/2006

TVG chats to the team behind Eidos' Urban Chaos: Riot Response, formerly known as Zero Tolerance, and Roll Call before that...

Previously known as Roll Call and originally in development at the now demised Argonaut Games, the newly named Urban Chaos is currently under development at Rocksteady Studios. A London based studio, set up by Jamie Walker (former Creative Director, Argonaut) and Sefton Hill (former Head of Production, Argonaut), boasts a talented team of 18 professionals, with a wealth of experience from within the games industry.

Sefton Hill brings us up to date and explained the game, the number of name changes and events leading up to the present.

The game has gone through a number of name changes and also development teams so can you bring us up to date and is there any crossover or continuity from the Argonaut days?

"Urban Chaos" started life as "Roll Call", and was originally in development at Argonaut Games. After Argonaut went down Jamie Walker and I approached SCi (now Eidos) with a view to starting a new games developer and thus Rocksteady Studios was born. Our first project was to pick up development of Roll Call as it was obvious to everyone that it was a great title but just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Rocksteady started, we got an extra 6 months of development and we took this opportunity to review the game and raise the overall standard considerably. There is only one level in the game that is from the original product at Argonaut and even the gameplay mechanics of this level have been completely overhauled. The team and staff at Argonaut were great but the game has risen to a completely new level at Rocksteady.

Regarding the name, around October 2005 we briefly tried "Zero Tolerance" but after focus testing we eventually settled on Urban Chaos: Riot Response, as this tells you all you need to know about the game. The city is in trouble and it needs you to step up and do something about it!

"The team and staff at Argonaut were great but the game has risen to a completely new level at Rocksteady."

Have there been any special design ideas or influences in constructing the main character? What are his skills and possible weaknesses and what kind of progressions does the game offer through success to him?

Nick Mason is an ex-marine who has returned to the city he grew up in to find it's falling apart at the seams. However the real journey for Mason happens throughout the game and we have deliberately left his character transparent so you can see the results of what you do as the player through the reactions of those you meet and how you affect their lives.

As you start the game you have just signed up for the Mayor's new zero tolerance anti-terrorist unit, T-Zero. All the people you meet initially don't really know who you are and are a bit sceptical of T-Zero. However as the game progresses and the player saves the lives of his fellow fire-fighters, paramedics, policemen and civilians, so his popularity and reputation begins to grow. But there is a downside to this as Mason's notoriety with the gangs also grows and as the story unfolds the gang members start to target him directly as he has become a symbol for the fight back against the Burners.

What does being an officer of Unit T-Zero mean? What kind of support will Nick be in control of and what are some of the commands he will be able to control?

As a T-Zero officer you are the boss! You are the person that everyone turns to to sort the situation out. This means you have the authority to order around paramedics, fire-fighters and policemen on the scene to get the job done. One of the unique aspects of the game is that these people can drop in and out of your team dynamically which means that, unlike other team based first person shooters, the action in Urban Chaos can vary dramatically even in one level. One minute you'll be protecting MD Jane Delaney while she works on an injured civilian, the next you'll be breaking into a Burner hideout with PD Hal Forester and finally you might find yourself trying to escape through a collapsing burning building with FD Mike Forrester (Hal's brother - it's a small world!).

To continue on that point; Nick has direct control over Paramedics, Police and the Fire Department. Can you give us a scenario with one of these groups to show what kind of control he will have over them and their role within the game?

Sure. In one section of a level, the player has to work with Fire-fighter Doug Johnson to rescue some civilians trapped inside a burning building. As the player gets inside the building from the roof they are confronted with a burning blockage which they order FD Johnson to put out. As he does this two Burners attack and the player must protect him. Once the fire is out the player and FD Johnson continue into the building where they are presented with the main stairwell. There are reports of up to 3 people trapped so the player must move around listening out for screams for help. As the player moves upstairs they see a door which air is being sucked in underneath. The player orders Johnson to smash open the door. As Johnson approaches the door he identifies it as a backdraft door and tells the player to take cover behind his shield. He then counts down before smashing it open and jumping clear of the explosion that engulfs the whole area. Once inside the burnt-out room the player hears the call of a wounded civilian and, using his Thermal Breather, the player tracks down the civilian and orders Johnson to pick him up. Johnson moves over to the civilian and lifts him up on to his shoulders. Now you just need to get the hell out of there!

"We believe the riot shield will change the way people play first person shooters forever!"

What is the structure of the game and the way it unfolds? Does one event lead onto another or does the game employ a non-linear/free-roaming structure?

Urban Chaos takes place over the course of one year with each main assignment set in a different month. This gives the player a great chance to see how the city develops through the different seasons. Generally each assignment is set in one area of the city and there will be a number of different emergencies that the player will need to deal with - these will segue into each other in the tradition of the best action films. As well as this there are a number of special objectives the player can complete on each level to earn and unlock rewards. Overall the game features 204 medals to achieve and 55 different rewards which makes a real difference to the way the game plays.

The story is told on a number of different levels. At the start of each assignment there is a news broadcasts which features a real US news anchor and real footage to add to the realism of the whole experience. While in the level you get to see the story from a completely different angle - that of the people living through it - and you get to hear what they've got to say about what's going on, who's to blame and what needs to be done.

The first person shooter scene is one of the most competitive around. What do you see as the game real innovations, compelling gameplay qualities that will set it apart from other games in the genre?

There are many key features which separate Urban Chaos from other games but unfortunately I'm not allowed to talk about all of them at the moment! To give you two: Firstly, only Urban Chaos puts you in the middle of a full scale riot in a populated city. The sheer amount of action is unprecedented in the middle of the city in chaos. Secondly, the player is armed with a riot shield that has been integrated into the gameplay from the initial design. We believe the riot shield will change the way people play first person shooters forever! Once you've tried it there's no going back.

What kind of focus are you placing on technology?

Rocksteady is a gameplay studio and technology is always used as a means to the end of creating great gameplay. While there are many technical innovations in Urban Chaos I'd much rather be talking about the amazing fire, or the fact that you can shoot cleavers flying towards you out of the air or the tense hostage situations. Regarding Havok, we've spent a lot of time tweaking this to deliver what we believe are the most satisfying death sequences in any game ever! They're so much fun that you get to admire the best of them in slow motion.

Many shooters look great but often fall short on their AI, so what kind of attention have you paid to this area?

The AI in Urban Chaos is a completely different beast to most other first person shooters which feature enemies that just stand still and shoot at the player. Perhaps they'll have an exciting entrance but generally this is all scripted. The Burners were designed from the ground up to be completely and utterly ruthless and relentless. They detest the police force and in particular T-Zero and they come after you with a vengeance. They will hunt you down, get in your face, and make this a real personal battle. In fact, even after you have died, they are sometimes still not satisfied. When you see this you'll know what I mean!

With regards to the adaptive AI, this is something that will be completely transparent to the player. Behind the scenes the game constantly monitors the player's actions and adapts the AI's behaviour accordingly to match the player's skills and create an exciting challenge.

"Rocksteady is a gameplay studio and technology is always used as a means to the end of creating great gameplay."

Tell us about some of the weapons in the game?

As T-Zero, you also have the best weaponry the police budget can stretch to. You can upgrade this weaponry by earning awards throughout the game. And when that is not enough you can earn prototype weaponry for completing bonus assignments. Finally you are authorised to use any force necessary so if you want to grab a Burner meat cleaver from their cold dead hand then you can use that!

Then there's the Riot Shield of course. This is as important as any of your guns. Pure aggression will get you so far but to become the best you will need to master your riot shield and even start to count how many bullets each enemy has fired as you hide behind the shield waiting for them to reload.

How varied are the settings within the game?

One of the elements of the game that we are most proud of is the variety throughout the city. We spent an equal amount of time on every level, as opposed to spending all the development time on the first level which is the fashion these days. This means, from the first to the last, each assignment is set in a completely different part of the city and each introduces many new elements to the gameplay.

Finally, how would you best describe Urban Chaos: Riot Response?

The most fun you can have on your PS2 and Xbox this spring.

TVG thanks Sefton Hill for bringing us up to speed on Urban Chaos: Riot Response. Scheduled for a release in Spring 2006 look out for further coverage on the title soon...