Halo-Inspired Controls and Unique Gameplay Elements in “Darkwatch”

by Louis Bedigian

Developed internally at Sammy Studios, Darkwatch is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated shooters of the year.

Xbox has a definitive first-person shooter.  The PC has several of them.  Nintendo 64, a console with more delays than game releases, had a definitive FPS as well.  Why is it that each of these platforms has been treated to games that were considered to be the top shooters of their time, while PlayStation 2 continues to do without?

Creating the best FPS is not an easy battle.  Regardless, Sammy Studios will be on the frontlines this fall when they release Darkwatch for Xbox and PlayStation 2. 

The game is visually stunning, but wait till you hear about all of the cool gameplay mechanics.  Darkwatch’s controls were inspired by Halo, so you can be sure that at the very least the game will control very smoothly.  Do expect some control differences though, especially in the vehicles.  You can also expect a much darker, grittier world to explore.

There’s a lot more than that in store for gamers who attempt to save this cursed west.  Read on for all the bloody details.

Darkwatch: Curse of the West is the first title developed internally at Sammy Studios.  How did the game come to be, and when did development first begin?

Richard Iggo, Product Manager: Work began on Darkwatch about 2 years ago (we dropped the 'Curse of the West' subtitle recently). Sammy Studios was pretty much formed around the core Darkwatch team. 'Team 1' as it became known, was formed from a group of industry veterans with a wealth of experience. Their task was to create Sammy's first in-house title. Several different ideas were discussed, with a reoccurring theme being a Western of some kind. The team felt that the genre had never been explored to its fullest potential but understood that technology in the 1800s, such as revolvers and Winchester rifles, don't quite match up with the firepower of weapons found in Sci-Fi or even World War II games. So, a universe was created that freed them of the constraints of history, but one that featured the coolest key elements of the Wild West - the Darkwatch universe.

The type of game was decided on soon after choosing to do a Western. The team had been playing Halo non-stop. So, you can guess that it wasn't hard for them to decide on a first person shooter. We're now just under a year from launch and we're really hoping to deliver a definitive FPS experience to PlayStation 2 and Xbox owners.

Tell us all about the player reputation system.

RI: Your reputation in the game world is determined by your actions, but to be more specific, it's determined by your respect for innocent life. Depending on the path you take, your "window on the world" will change. Comments and advice from the supernatural voices in your head will differ; certain paths will only be open to characters with extreme reputations (good or bad), 'special attacks' will depend on your good/bad nature and so on. You'll also find that in-game denizens will react differently based on how you decide to play. Choose to protect the innocent and a certain path will open...go in guns blazing with no consideration for the innocent or perhaps even intentionally kill them and another path will open.

This image will be featured at “Into the Pixel,”

a juried exhibition of computer and video game art at E3.

What are the assault vehicles and supernatural vampire abilities that the Darkwatch use?  How does the undead horse come into play?

RI: The Darkwatch harness a technology that is bordering on the supernatural. In fact, much of their technology comes from that which they seek to destroy. For example, the experimental assault vehicles use steam power - commonly available at the time - however, they need something more powerful for their requirements and so, they add powdered vampire bones to the fuel that they use in order to increase horsepower. The Darkwatch also makes use of vampires in every way imaginable. There's a saying that to fight a monster, you must become a monster and the Darkwatch take that to heart. When a vampire is captured or killed every part of its body is used for something - blood, bone, skin - everything. If you look closely at some of the art we've released so far, you'll see that an agent's uniform is covered in stitches sewn into a material that looks something like leather. Their uniform is actually made of vampire skin - it's used as clothing due to its near bullet-proof qualities…perfect body armor.

The 'standard' Darkwatch agent doesn't have access to vampire powers - they're just human (tough as nails human, but human nonetheless). However, the hero of the story - Jericho Cross has been infected with the curse of vampirism. Although a serum supplied by the Darkwatch prevents him from 'turning' all the way, he has access to vampire powers such as being able to leap high into the air (handy for jumping roof top to roof top or raining fire on the enemy below), vampire vision (allowing him to see great distances and spot the undead among the living) and the 'blood shield' - an innate ability that allows him to take an incredible amount of damage before going down. On top of that, there will be a few surprise powers that are affected by how you play the game (based on your reputation).

The undead horse is 'Shadow' - Jericho's trusty steed. He's a supernatural, midnight black stallion that can be summoned from the earth to provide a faster means of hunting down the undead. As well as being able to shoot from Shadow's back, you'll be able to have Shadow rear up and smash opponents with his hooves as well as leap huge chasms and other obstacles. This provides the option of taking down enemies from afar or getting up close and personal for some satisfying melee combat. You can also trust Shadow to take on enemies when you dismount - he'll fight right alongside you for as long as he can.

This horse looks much more useful than Link’s.

How do the controls change from battling on-foot to battling inside a vehicle?  Is it anything like Halo's control style?

RI: Halo definitely set the benchmark for console shooter - in numerous ways. It makes perfect sense to replicate a control scheme that people are familiar with in order for them to immediately get into the game and start having a blast. So - yes - Darkwatch will have a similar control scheme to Halo…at least when you're on foot. However, the team felt that the vehicle control system needed a little attention and so they're striving to create something much more intuitive.

Thus far the levels look amazing.  Besides being very wide-open, what is it that makes them non-linear?

RI: We want to offer players a true feeling of choice. This is obviously reflected in how they choose to take on a mission (i.e. the reputation system). In addition to that, the team is attempting to add as many layers as possible to the game in order to offer a different experience every time you play. The combination of emergent behavior in enemy AI, the choice of movement styles (horse, on foot, in vehicle, vampire-jumping), the method of combat (up close or from afar) and more all add up to create a feeling that anything can happen. However, at all times - you're the focus; you're at the center of the maelstrom.

Screenshots don't reveal everything.  Aside from what we've seen, what can you tell us about the levels?

RI: Well, what you've seen so far is pre-alpha. This means that nothing is final and is constantly being worked on to improve visual appearance and game play flow. The team is trying to create a living-breathing world (as much as the current generation of hardware allows), and they're being helped along in this respect by the flexibility of the software they're using such as RenderWare and Havok. So, expect to have the ability to affect everything you see in some way or be affected by everything you see. The environment is dynamic and adds that little bit more to creating the illusion of a real world; albeit one populated by vampires, zombies and perhaps worse!

Darkwatch’s world is very dark.

Darkwatch's enemy AI is said to be very dynamic.  Could you give us some examples of how an enemy might try to outsmart the player?

RI: Each enemy is affected by a 'courage level', this means that they'll choose to attack or hide-up based on the damages that you're doing to each other. If you're losing - they'll pursue you, if you have the advantage, they'll seek cover. The enemies won't just seek cover that's predetermined - they'll actually evaluate their surroundings to see what position offers the best hiding place. With Havok physics affecting most objects, a cart overturned by the TNT barrel that just exploded when you shot it will offer more protection than another barrel of TNT. So - a 'hero' enemy with a bigger courage level than a standard enemy grunt is more likely to advance on your position, using appropriate cover as needed. 

How is the online play going to work?

RI: We consider online play to be an essential feature and we're making the most of Sony's online service and of Xbox Live. In fact, multiplayer modes were the first things started on by the development team. Expect to see Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and the other mainstay play modes alongside a few surprises. However, something to note is how the experience will be altered from what you're familiar with just by virtue of having vampire powers. The team is continuing to explore this to provide a unique multiplayer experience.

Will players have access to the same weapons, vehicles, etc., that are featured in the single-player campaign?

RI: At this time, all the single player weapons are in multiplayer mode. However, the team will keep refining and balancing design, so - some might not make it. Conversely, there might be some multiplayer-specific weapons. It's all about delivering the best tools for the job.

You’ll encounter lots of ghoulish foes in this game.

How many online players can battle simultaneously?

RI: Again, we're planning everything around perfect gameplay balance, so the team will work out the best number based on delivering the best experience.

Are there going to be levels designed specifically for multiplayer games?

RI: Yes - there will be multiplayer-specific areas. Each map will actually reveal something more about the Darkwatch universe. For example, the 'Kill Pit' is a place within the Darkwatch citadel where new agents are trained. The story goes that new agents enter this huge, coffin-shaped room that has terraces leading down to an area where monsters and vampires are released to test the new recruits. It's something like a gladiatorial arena, but the seating area (the 'terraces') is also part of the battleground. Long channels flow down to the pit from the upper edges of the arena that flood the lower pit with blood - driving the creature insane with blood lust. The recruit either survives and continues as a Darkwatch agent or dies and becomes meat for the beast. The nice thing is that in multiplayer mode, this particular level allows for a lot of vertical play due to each multiplayer having access to vampire jump. It leads to some pretty intense battles as many of the guys (and gals!) here can confirm.

It's great to have a console-exclusive FPS with so much going for it, but I have to ask – have you thought about making a version for the PC?

RI: We're concentrating on making Darkwatch a fantastic experience for console gamers first and foremost - this isn't a port. However, that's not to say we wouldn't want to bring Darkwatch to PC gamers. If we did bring the game to PC, we'd make sure that it's tuned for PC controls and PC gamer expectations. There's nothing set in stone right now, but who knows what the future will bring.

Thank you for your time.