Basing an action game on a hit movie can be a tough sell for gamers, as designers face the task of staying true to the film and the characters without simply recreating the movie in game form. The designers of the hot new Die Hard game set their sites on the following questions, and aim to make gaming news with the results.
GVK: What is the setting of the game and what sort of weapons will be available?
The game takes place during the first Die Hard movie set in Nakatomi Plaza. You battle your way through 30 some floors of the building including the sub-structure, parkade and roof. You have a decent arsenal of pistols, SMG’s, rifles and machineguns to use along with flash bangs and some other equipment.
GVK: Going into this game, what were the main objectives you wanted to Achieve in regards to content and gameplay?
We originally wanted to focus on action and realism. That changed overtime as we refocused the product towards a mass-market audience. Really we wanted to allow players to play Die Hard from the point of view of John McClane.
GVK: What were the biggest obstacles and success stories that you encountered in creating the game?
Overcoming technical issues with the engine proved to be one of the largest problems. Developing our scripting system took along time and we only realized its full potential near the end. Putting it all together and finishing the project was the ultimate success story, and has led to Piranha becoming a pro studio. The biggest reward was breaking into the industry. Piranha is firmly established and ready to continue making great games. The largest obstacle was being a start up house. Everything that could possibly go wrong did. In the end we persevered and now we look to the future.
GVK: How does the game differ from the movie series?
We’ve added more content based on the theme set out by the universe. We expand what’s going on behind the scenes when the camera is no longer on John.
GVK: What game engine have you used for the game?
Die Hard uses Lithtech 2.3.
GVK: What features did you wish to include but were unable to?
It wasn’t so much in the way of features as more polish time. You never feel like it’s finished.
