‘It Were all Boris Karloff ‘round Here When I Were a Lad’
Continuing yesterday’s chat with Blitz, the folks behind The Mummy Returns, coming soon to PS2.
What's the overall aim of the game then?
That depends whether you want to be good or bad! If you play as Rick your ultimate aim is to save the world of course! You've got to wipe out the Scorpion King but before you can do that you have to rescue your son, bring your wife back to life and track the scaly one down. If you decide to go all evil and play as Imhotep you'll also want to see the Scorpion King go down but in this case it's so that you can take control of his army and take over the world. Before you can do that though you'll have to explore the areas, gathering up as much magic power as you can and summoning the black beast from the beyond.
Does that mean we'll actually get to see the Scorpion King then?
Absolutely! And he looks simply fantastic. Most people who have seen this bit of the game reckon that it's the best likeness of The Rock that's ever appeared in a game and he's a toughie to beat too!
How about the other character likenesses?
You'll see from the screenshots that it's not just The Rock who looks like his real-life counterpart. All the other actors' faces are in there too so all the characters look authentic. Although we've not got the real actors' voices in the game the voiceover work was cast by the same person responsible for the Metal Gear Solid voice casting so it's quality stuff.
How about the other enemies?
You'll face over 30 different types of enemy in the game and you can expect an average of around 10 enemies on screen at any one time. You'll fight everything from the guards in the British Museum to the red-turbans and the pygmy warriors in the jungle so expect it to be fast and furious!
So how do you take out all these bad guys?
In Rick's case you'll use traditional weaponry like pistols and shotguns but he can also pick up swords and other weapons as the game progresses. Imhotep, on the other hand, gets through the game just with magic. He earns and learns new spells as he goes along and must suck the souls of his opponents in order to boost his health capacity. This offers up quite a variety in terms of gameplay with the Rick half being very action oriented and the Imhotep levels more based around spell-casting.
Are there any ways of getting help to defeat these hordes of enemies?
Both Rick and Imhotep have 'sidekicks' that accompany them through their adventures. Rick's old friend and Medjai Warrior Ardeth Bey will be there while Imhotep is joined by Meela. Each of the sidekicks are computer controlled but they'll be on hand to help get you out of a tight spot by taking on some of your attackers if it all gets a bit hairy!
So when will the game be released?
It'll be available exclusively on PS2 in November to coincide with the release of the movie on DVD.
How long has the game been in development and how big is the team?
We've had people working on the game since October last year and the team size has fluctuated as the project's gone on, as with most games. At its peak we had around 30 people at work, with a mix of experienced industry veterans and fresh new rookies. Many of the team (including the Project Manager Richard Hackett and the Creative Manager Steve Thomson) had previously worked on both PlayStation Action Man titles, and many were the core team from last year's The Little Mermaid II. But we've also drafted in experience from throughout the company who've worked on many of our games over the years.
What else have Blitz done in the past?
Blitz have got plenty of experience with licensed games and have produced a range of successful titles on almost any platform you care to name. Our founders were making games back in the 80s but recently the company's produced Chicken Run, Action Man 1 and 2, Frogger 2, The Little Mermaid, Glover and War Games. As well as The Mummy Returns, they're also working on a launch title for Microsoft for the Xbox, a top secret cartoon game for PS2 and their final PSOne game (which is also still a secret).
So there you have it. Blitz is not only looking to give us the coolest movie tie-in this year, but to also whet the appetite for the future with their as-yet clandestine projects. The Mummy Returns for PS2 is released on November 9.
That depends whether you want to be good or bad! If you play as Rick your ultimate aim is to save the world of course! You've got to wipe out the Scorpion King but before you can do that you have to rescue your son, bring your wife back to life and track the scaly one down. If you decide to go all evil and play as Imhotep you'll also want to see the Scorpion King go down but in this case it's so that you can take control of his army and take over the world. Before you can do that though you'll have to explore the areas, gathering up as much magic power as you can and summoning the black beast from the beyond.
Does that mean we'll actually get to see the Scorpion King then?
Absolutely! And he looks simply fantastic. Most people who have seen this bit of the game reckon that it's the best likeness of The Rock that's ever appeared in a game and he's a toughie to beat too!
How about the other character likenesses?
You'll see from the screenshots that it's not just The Rock who looks like his real-life counterpart. All the other actors' faces are in there too so all the characters look authentic. Although we've not got the real actors' voices in the game the voiceover work was cast by the same person responsible for the Metal Gear Solid voice casting so it's quality stuff.
How about the other enemies?
You'll face over 30 different types of enemy in the game and you can expect an average of around 10 enemies on screen at any one time. You'll fight everything from the guards in the British Museum to the red-turbans and the pygmy warriors in the jungle so expect it to be fast and furious!
So how do you take out all these bad guys?
In Rick's case you'll use traditional weaponry like pistols and shotguns but he can also pick up swords and other weapons as the game progresses. Imhotep, on the other hand, gets through the game just with magic. He earns and learns new spells as he goes along and must suck the souls of his opponents in order to boost his health capacity. This offers up quite a variety in terms of gameplay with the Rick half being very action oriented and the Imhotep levels more based around spell-casting.
Are there any ways of getting help to defeat these hordes of enemies?
Both Rick and Imhotep have 'sidekicks' that accompany them through their adventures. Rick's old friend and Medjai Warrior Ardeth Bey will be there while Imhotep is joined by Meela. Each of the sidekicks are computer controlled but they'll be on hand to help get you out of a tight spot by taking on some of your attackers if it all gets a bit hairy!
So when will the game be released?
It'll be available exclusively on PS2 in November to coincide with the release of the movie on DVD.
How long has the game been in development and how big is the team?
We've had people working on the game since October last year and the team size has fluctuated as the project's gone on, as with most games. At its peak we had around 30 people at work, with a mix of experienced industry veterans and fresh new rookies. Many of the team (including the Project Manager Richard Hackett and the Creative Manager Steve Thomson) had previously worked on both PlayStation Action Man titles, and many were the core team from last year's The Little Mermaid II. But we've also drafted in experience from throughout the company who've worked on many of our games over the years.
What else have Blitz done in the past?
Blitz have got plenty of experience with licensed games and have produced a range of successful titles on almost any platform you care to name. Our founders were making games back in the 80s but recently the company's produced Chicken Run, Action Man 1 and 2, Frogger 2, The Little Mermaid, Glover and War Games. As well as The Mummy Returns, they're also working on a launch title for Microsoft for the Xbox, a top secret cartoon game for PS2 and their final PSOne game (which is also still a secret).
So there you have it. Blitz is not only looking to give us the coolest movie tie-in this year, but to also whet the appetite for the future with their as-yet clandestine projects. The Mummy Returns for PS2 is released on November 9.
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