Enter the world of Pitfall with co-lead designer Justin Leingang

By Michael Lafferty

“Pitfall most definitely favors the action/adventure edge over puzzle-solving.”

A princess out to fulfill her destiny … an expedition lost in the jungle … a high priest out for revenge … hmm, this sounds like a job for … PITFALL HARRY!

Ok, the name does not exactly lend itself to thoughts of heroic derry-do, but with Pitfall Harry, anything is possible.

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is an Activision title slated for release on the PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance in a week. It promises high adventure, low adventure, lots of laughs and 50 levels of action spread over eight environments.

Pitfall has some background in the videogame world. Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure had roots in the 1990s and was released on other platforms in 2001. So what will the new version, the updated adventure hold in store for gamers? For the answer to that, we turned to Justin Leingang, the co-lead designer of the game for Edge of  Reality. He talked with GameZone about the title.

Question: This title seems to be a very light and entertaining adventure title. To whom do you think it will appeal, and what elements do you think will really draw people into the game?
 
Justin: We feel that Pitfall will appeal to preteens, teens and older gamers who grew up on the Atari 2600.  Much of the game's appeal comes from the actual gameplay itself.  Players will be drawn in by the combination of tight and responsive controls, grand adventure, solid and compelling story, and humor.

Q: This game has a nice three-dimensional look to it. What kind of graphics engine does it use and what did that engine allow you to do in terms of dynamic lighting or shading?

Justin: This is from our head tech guy:  "The game uses a proprietary engine, created at Edge of Reality.  For environment lighting, we use a combination of adaptive discontinuity meshing and light maps.  In addition, we use dynamic point lights for real-time lighting effects, like those on Harry’s character."  

Q: Is the game play linear or non-linear?
 
Justin: You're going to hate me for this response, but the gameplay in Pitfall really is both.  It really is up to the player to decide whether the game unfolds in a linear fashion, or not.  Of course, there is an overarching linearity to the experience (for, without one, there would be no ultimate goal, and no adventure, in turn).  However, the player can muscle straight through the game from point a to point b, or take a more casual approach and wander around seeking treasure in any order they please.

Q: Does the game have any sort of multiplayer features?
 
Justin: We would have loved to get something in, but ultimately we decided to focus all of our development efforts on making a really strong single-player experience.  There's always hope for it in a sequel though! 

Q: Is this the type of game that evolves mostly around action/adventure, or is this the type of game in which puzzle-solving abilities play a big role?
 
Justin: Pitfall most definitely favors the action/adventure edge over puzzle-solving.  Our goal was to create a fun action game first, while making sure to mix things up from time to time with very light "puzzles" that require the player to simply think briefly before they act - rather than stop and ponder for long periods of time.

Q: The game's screenshots look like a nice array of elements we are familiar with in the real world. Without giving too much away, are they any big surprises in store for game players?
 
Justin: Well, I won't say much, but have you ever seen the interior of a UFO?  Just kidding!  The plot for the game certainly has some twists and turns, and there's also lots of little in jokes for fans of the entire Pitfall series... some old characters show up, and there's even a nod to the David Crane, the creator of the original Pitfall, so players who are in the know will be in for some pleasant surprises.

Q: What do you consider makes for a really good action/adventure title, and how does Pitfall fit into that?
 
Justin: In my opinion, a top-class action/adventure game is one which players experience action-packed scenarios which all interweave to create an epic adventure.  The character constantly grows along with the world and the challenges within it. Goals, which are visible but unattainable, gradually become reachable.

Q: Humor can be a tricky element to control. Go too far and it becomes painful. Don't go far enough and you run the risk leaving players set up for a laugh that isn't delivered. When you are creating a game like Pitfall that has humorous elements, how do you judge whether you are hitting it or not?
 
Justin: Originally, most of the humor of Pitfall just came from the great animations for Harry and the enemies you encounter.  When the animations were put in the game, everyone had to crack a smile when you saw these creatures in action, so we knew that was working.  As we moved into story writing, the important thing we realized was that we needed the humor to grow naturally out of the characters' personalities, instead of just going for obvious gags -- well, we've got some of those too, but they're in the minority.  Also, it didn't hurt to cast Steve Blum, the voice of Spike from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, as Harry.  He really brought a lot of life and unique character to our hero, so that helped a lot! 

Q: What is your favorite aspect of this title?
 
Justin: I really don't have just one favorite aspect of Pitfall, but one of the things that we are quite proud of is the sheer amount of fun it is to control Harry and perform his various actions - he is quite adroit and has a robust set of maneuvers.

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