FlatOut 2

Tegnapi Flatout2 interjú:

FlatOut 2 is the eagerly-anticipated sequel to the outrageous and physics-infused racing simulation by Bugbear Entertainment. Business development director Jussi Laakkonen was gracious enough to take time out from his busy schedule and tell us more about this game.

1. Please introduce yourself and your role in the team.

My name is Jussi Laakkonen, and I work at Bugbear as the company's business development director. Behind that fancy title I get involved in just about everything from game design, press relations to filling and emptying the company's dishwasher =).

2. What did you learn from the first FlatOut, and what changes you have planned?

A lot. FlatOut was our first console and multiplatform game, and the whole process of creating the game, the game engine and everything to do with the game was a huge learning experience for the entire company. At the same time we rose to the challenge and shipped a game that was leaps above our previous titles. That accomplishment really lit a fire in the team, and that is what has made working with FlatOut 2 such a tremendeous experience.

The original FlatOut has a very sound game concept of marrying action, driving, destruction and humor. We shipped a pretty good game, which still left us wanting to do a lot more. FlatOut 2 is where we have been able to fully realize those ambitions.

3. Since FlatOut heavily used physics, what kind of improvements and additions to the physics will FlatOut 2 feature?

FlatOut's critically acclaimed physics engine is completely in-house developed. Physics continue to play a critical role in FlatOut 2, so it was easy decision to continue developing engine further. Thanks to a lot of smart optimizations the engine's performance has increased by 66% and average dynamic object counts for the tracks have gone from 3000 to over 5000.

The game also benefits from the physics interaction types such as explosions and chain reactions. Hit a gas pump at a gas station, and you'll be rewarded with a spectacular explosion.

FlatOut was already the benchmark for environmental physics in a racing game, and FlatOut 2 pushes that benchmark a lot further.

4. Can you elaborate on the new Ragdoll mini-games that are planned?

Glad you asked! The ragdoll and the ragdoll minigames are really where the humor is. Those wacky and even anarchistic game modes were really embraced by gamers worldwide. You just can't help laughing out loud at the sheer craziness!

FlatOut 2 contains double the amount of ragdoll sport events compared to FlatOut 1. Not only that, the game and scoring mechanics for each event are much more involved than in FlatOut 1, so each event is completely unique and offers challenge for the advanced players. A big addition is also the Aerobatics control, which allows you to "steer" your ragdoll while in-flight for that perfect score.

Finally you get to take the fun online! FlatOut 2 supoprts all the 12 ragdoll sports over Xbox Live, PS2 Online and PC online play. We are pretty confident that ragdolls over online will be a surefire hit!

5. What (graphics) engine updates will you make to take advantage of the current generation of video cards and Dual Core/SMP processors?

The game's graphical engine has significantly been improved since FlatOut 1. The visuals benefit now from greatly improved lighting system, the optimized car rendering now delivers five rendering passes for e.g. emulated perpixel lighting and subsurface scattering, and the new postprocessing effects deliver great motion blurring and blooming for a really vivid game experience.

FlatOut 1 looked good, but FlatOut 2 looks spectacular!

6. For the sound department, what additions will FlatOut 2 offer for audiophiles?

The game sounds are completely revamped. We used a specialist sound designer to help us capture the real feeling of crashing cars. The collisions sounds were actually recorded at a scrapyard, where cars were slammed to each other and dropped to the ground from 20 feet high.

Also the sound FX in-game now benefit from environmental effects such as going thru a tunnel or wooshing by overhead supporting structures.

7. What kind of music/bands can we expect from the soundtrack?

The band list has not been finalized yet, but it is clear that it will be much more higher profile than with the original FlatOut.

8. Have there been any changes or additions done to the replay system? If so, can you please elaborate on them?

The replay system resemblances FlatOut 1 pretty closely, no major changes in there.

9. Is there any chance we'll see better support for PC multiplayer? If so, what kind of features and improvements should we expect?

FlatOut 1 already enjoyed a host of mods for supporting online play, so now that the game supports it out of the box, we are confident that a lot of players will be taking the action online!

10. Will there be any features for the mod-community who like to design additional levels and features for the game? If so, how easy would it be and will any tools be released?

We are pretty sure that enterprising modders will find their way as they did with FlatOut 1. Unfortunately we don't have the manpower to provide modding tools at this stage.

11. What is your favorite part about FlatOut 2, and is there anything else about the game that we haven't covered?

The emphasis on the AI drivers is really cool in FlatOut 2. Each of the seven AI drivers is fully fleshed out with bios, photos and driver avatars (which of course you get to punish by wrecking their car and sending them flying out thru the windshield). Each of the AI rivals has also their unique driving profile: some are more aggressive, some cautious, some make mistakes easily when harrassed and some are very clean drivers.

When you are racing in the a cup you are battling these guys and gals for championships thru a set of races. Because you are able to completely wreck an opponent and take him out of the race, it might actually be sometimes more advantageous to you to take him out and instead of winning the race, as you'd prevent that driver from winning the whole cup. The AI drivers and this tactical element adds a lot of depth and personality into FlatOut 2's game play.

Looking forward to getting everybody playing FlatOut 2 - if gamers will have half the fun playing it as we did have making it, it's going to be really sweet =).

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FlatOut 2

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