April 23, 2009

Learning How to Survive with Terminator Salvation's Per Juhlén
By Louis Bedigian

“As the player, you will face many different scenarios, you will be hunted, face superior enemies, endure assaults and work your way to a solution.”

Movies don't have a great history within the game industry. Whether playing a game based on a movie or watching a movie based on a game, the results are rarely as epic as the promotional trailer. Terminator is one of the rare exceptions. When T2: The Arcade Game arrived, few could keep their hands off this non-stop, hugely destructive shooter. Even with primitive graphics and gameplay technology, few titles can compare, at home or in the now-dead arcade.

Unlike T2, Terminator Salvation, the action game based on the upcoming movie, isn't an on-rails shooter. But it has every chance of continuing its predecessor's legacy. "We have focused on conveying emotions relevant to the gameplay," said Per Juhlén, Producer of Terminator Salvation. "There is always a delicate balance when conveying emotions in a game without interfering with the actual gameplay.

"We worked hard on conveying the feeling of fighting a superior power and the feeling of satisfaction when a goal is achieved against all odds. This is where we used the more cinematic components, just to ensure we did not create frustration or poorly staged game play scenarios."

Terminator Salvation hopes to impress gamers with a multi-layered cover mechanic. We all know how the cover systems of Metal Gear Solid and Gear of War function, so tell us how Terminator Salvation differs from the crowd.

Per Juhlén: The big difference is the focus on tactical positioning where the cover mechanic, quick moves, teammates and choice of weaponry all are bricks used in the tactical gameplay experienced in Terminator Salvation.

So, instead of building the game upon a cover foundation we have used it for what it is a component in tactical warfare. So the player’s judgment and awareness is what counts, and we made sure that each player will have an accessible and extensive tool box to choose from.

It sounds like the game is going to closely follow the path of the film. Is that the case?

PJ: The game and the film have many things is common. Besides some of the characters and talent, the game also shares many of the environments and the enemy Terminators from the film.

The difference is that the game takes place about two years prior to the film, so rather than just showing the player another side of the same events taking place in the film, Terminator Salvation the videogame gives the player a lot of background information and insight into how Connor evolves into the Resistance's leader, not to mention getting to the relationship between Blair and Connor grow. So, there is definitely a real thread going through the game and the movie.

How big of a role will the Skynet story play in Terminator Salvation?

PJ: The role of Skynet is significant.

John Connor is going to need all the help he can get to win this war. What aids (guns, rocket launchers, etc.) will be provided in the game?

PJ: Connor will have a wide arsenal at his disposal. From assault rifles to large caliber stationary guns and powerful self made bombs.

Will John Connor (or his weapons) have a growth or upgrade system of some kind?

PJ: New weapons will be introduced as the game progresses, and the focus is not so much on hunting for upgrades and managing those.

We wanted the player to be able to focus on analyzing the situations and to think through his/her actions. Therefore, the choice of which weapon to use in an encounter is what is important. A complex upgrade system could have potentially taken too much focus away from the actual task ahead and the beauty of the moment.

Is this a game of hunting or survival? In other words: is ammo plentiful? Are the weapons strong enough to get you through? Or is this a game of struggle where you are always on the run?

PJ: As the player, you will face many different scenarios, you will be hunted, face superior enemies, endure assaults and work your way to a solution. There will be various situations and most of them can be dealt with in multiple ways. The weapons available to the player are definitely enough to get him/her through, IF used wisely.

The robots are much larger this time around. Which of the large beasts that we've seen in the movie trailers will appear in the game?

PJ: Well, let me spoil it then and let you know that…the Hunter Killer is classic and it will appear in both the movie and the game, though in different versions.

Robots tend to die (fall apart, explode, etc.) much differently from humans. Taking this into consideration, how are the robots being animated so that they are destroyed amusingly and realistically?

PJ: The Skynet forces have their strengths and weaknesses. But just as in “real life” (at least last time I fought a robot) excessive force will break anything eventually, and that is what can happen in the game as well. If enough force is applied to a certain part of an enemy, new weak spots can be exposed as the armor is destroyed in order to tear apart the inner circuitry.

Tell us about the game locations/environments. Do most of the levels occur on a battlefield?

PJ: The setting is LA and the fight against Skynet will take place on the streets of LA, in the more lush Hollywood hills area, in the subway system and you might even get a glimpse of the inside of the Skynet facility.

Thank you for your time.

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