Q&As// Red Star Creator: Christian Gossett

Comics are all the rage these days, whether you read them or not. Ever since the first movie release of Spiderman, the comic industry has been big business, but with movie studios quickly adapting X-Men, Batman (again) and recently Ghost Rider into live-action counterparts, with varying results, we get the obligatory video game tie-in.

The Red Star is an Eisner award-nominated comics series from coveted artist and author Christian Gossett that has been well received from comic fans the world over.

The action takes place in a world where the Soviets never fell from grace. They crush their foes from the skies with huge floating battleships that run on a combination of science and magic to destroy all challengers.

History has taught us, however, that Communism is an evil, evil thing. The fact that the United Republics of the Red Star (URRS) are under the control of a chap called the Dark Lord Imbohl seems to bear this out. With that in mind it’s up to you, as Sorceress Major Maya Antares, to take up arms and unite the scattered rebel forces.

So, that's the graphic novel (which you should check out) – now, what of the game and the man?

Having worked in video games before – first in Apocalypse on the PS1 and then Pitfall 3D, designing characters and directing the script of the story – Gossett is perhaps more qualified than most comic artists to be stepping into the games sphere. We have a chat with Christian about The Red Star series, as well as its game counterpart on PSP.

He also designed Darth Maul’s double-sided light-sabre in Star Wars I. Major props.

SPOnG: Can you briefly explain the premise behind The Red Star, for those not familiar with the comic book?

Christian Gossett: The Red Star takes place on a world much like our own, except for the development of Military Industrial Sorcery. This is Sorcery that has been codified, industrialised and engineered into weaponry that can be mass-produced. Warfare in The Red Star is brutal for both victor and vanquished, and although there is peace and prosperity for a small elite, most of the world's population is bred to fight and die in armed conflict. They believe they are fighting for just causes; but in reality they are pawns in an endless cycle of artificially created wars. The heroes of the story are contacted by the ghost of an ancient soldier who reveals to them the secret quest they must complete in order to begin the revolution that will reveal the truth and end the destruction.


SPOnG: Why did you want to create a video game from the comic? In what ways did you feel that the comic would benefit from an adaptation?

Christian Gossett: Because it's fun! Its one thing to experience a story through reading, but it's another thing entirely to give people the chance to interactively participate in that story and explore the world in real-time 3D.


SPOnG: What will the style of play be in The Red Star? Are we talking all-out action shooter or will it include more of a puzzle element?

Christian Gossett: This iteration of The Red Star is an all-out action experience. It's a unique fusion of beat'em up and shoot'em up gameplay. There are some puzzle elements, but they're mostly combat related (i.e., boss deconstruction).


SPOnG: How will the two player co-operative mode work? Will we see special combo moves between players, or any other form of special partner interaction to progress through the levels?

Christian Gossett: The better the players are at working as a team, the more surprises they will find.


SPOnG: Being based on a comic book, The Red Star is likely to take the player through an imaginative set of landscapes. What sorts of worlds can we expect to blast through?

Christian Gossett: The game runs the gamut of Red Star locales; from the battle onboard a besieged Skyfurnace to the snowy streets of Nokgorka to scorching deserts of Al'Istaan. The landscapes themselves are inspiring, but it is the gameplay within those environments that will make these areas memorable.