As part of our September magazine, we have an exclusive interview for the pending remake of Shadow Warrior. I got some hands on time at PAX Prime with the game and really liked it.
Recently I got the chance to speak with Nigel Lowrie of Devolver Digital about their pending game Shadow Warrior. I played the original almost 15 years ago and Nigel was kind enough to tell me about what gamers can expect from the updated version.
What is the storyline for the game and how much does it follow the events of the first game?
Shadow Warrior is a reboot of the original 3D Realms game that features the story of Lo Wang and his betrayal by his employer Zilla. Without giving too many details away, Zilla has made a deal with some dark forces and it’s up to Lo Wang to battle anyone in his way and put a stop to these shadowy overlords.
What types of weapons will be available to players?
There are about eight different guns, all with multiple layers of upgrades, and some mystical items like the original that can be used against enemies. The real star is the katana though – if you can master that and learn the various moves and applications Lo Wang can really do some damage!
As a follow up, how have you managed using swords in game as it must have been tricky to find the right balance?
We certainly had to make sure the katana was balanced so that it was powerful enough to warrant using at great lengths but also required you to get pretty close to the enemies to give it that sense of danger too. The inclusion of special moves also give it more applications to use against different enemies depending on how they are armed or arranged.
The first game was targeted heavily for what some considered racists jokes and content. How have you addressed this yet remaining loyal to the core game? How much has Lo Wang changed from the first game until now?
Lo Wang still has a sense of humor and sharp tongue but is a more fully formed character whose humor arises from conversations from other characters in the game or the absurdity of what’s happening around him during the game. He’s a bit younger, a bit more immature, but still a total bad ass.
What can you tell us about the gaming engine and what it will bring to the table?
Shadow Warrior is built using Flying Wild Hog’s proprietary Road Hog engine which we’ve upgraded since our first title, Hard Reset. The team obviously knows it very well and it allows for a some spectacular visuals for a game of this scope.
What was behind the decision not to include multiplayer since it was a big part of the original?
We just simply wanted to focus on making a fantastic and engaging single player experience. There are plenty of great multiplayer games and if you aren’t going to focus on making a better one then the resources might well be wasted.
What are some of the biggest obstacles you see in creating the game, and what are your biggest goals for the game?
Living up to expectations of fans and creating something that is genuinely unique are the two biggest challenges. Finding that balance between old and new school shooters and crafting something that is super fun to play is really our goal, to reintroduce Shadow Warrior and set a new bar for arcade style shooters!
Will you be offering DLC and what will it take to bring the game to consoles?
DLC is still a possibility and next-gen consoles are definitely in the plans.
You can see the full interview in our September magazine.
You can check out our June and pending September magazine and our coverage of the E3 Expo and a report on the Xbox one below. Sep. Issue will cover PAX PrIME, Gamescom, D23 Expo, and a look at the new consoles.
