Today we are sitting down with John Garcia-Shelton (aka Jigs) from Spark Unlimited to talk about the game Legendary. Thank you for your time and it is good to see original concepts like this. Not to waste any more time let’s get to the questions.
Thank you again for your time. I know from what I have seen on the trailers and doing this interview I look forward to this games release. So who ever has just read this and has not pre-ordered this game you might want to go now before it gets sold out near you.
How did the concept of this game get started and how long has it been in development?
Jigs: The original concept for Legendary isn’t too far off from the basic premise that you see today. We, as a company, were getting burned out on creating World War II shooters, and one day I thought to myself, ‘it would be cool if you were fighting mythological beasts with guns.’ I brought this idea to a staff meeting one day, and everyone loved it. That’s where it all began, but it’s taken years for it to become a reality.
What engine are you using or is this a custom engine that you have built from the ground up? Why was this engine chosen?
Legendary runs on the Unreal 3 engine. We chose this engine both for its ease of use, and because it allows us to create huge scenes – large, open areas filled with monsters, people and plenty of destructible objects.
Will we be able to use the environments to our advantage during game play? Will they be destructible or have destructible elements?
There are plenty of items for players to destroy and interact with, but there’s even more items that monsters in the game can use against you. We’ve really used environments to stress the size and strength of our beasts. For example, if there’s a bench in front of a werewolf, it might leap over it or it might throw it at you. A Minotaur, however, will simply charge through the bench, either causing it to fling to the side or be smashed apart.
What type of weapons or inventory items can we expect, and are there any that haven’t been shown yet? Can you also give some information on each one?
We’ve stuck with modern weaponry that sometimes just edge into the theoretical. There are classics like the shotgun, assault rifle and SMG. Then there are flame-based weapons like the Molotov cocktail and the flamethrower. Plus, there are plenty of heavy armaments like the chain gun and the rocket launcher. However, I should add that we didn’t just put in weapons to have cool armaments alone. Each weapon in the game serves some kind of purpose – whether it is better for keeping werewolves at bay, or better served at taking griffons out of the sky – figuring out what weapon works best against certain beasts is part of the fun.
Where did the idea of the three way brawl system working for and against the main character come from? Will we see this also in Multiplayer Mode?
The three way battle that happens between the player, the Black Order, and the monsters was somewhat planned, but more it was just a natural extension of having three separate groups fighting for different reasons. This is one aspect of the game that is really cool, and makes the game different with every play through. Smart players can make the monsters attack Black Order members (or even other monsters), and vice versa, and have the enemies do the work for them. And you’ll definitely see this in the online multiplayer. In fact, it thrives on it!
Since the release is coming up, what can you hint or tell us about Multi-player either with features or modes?
The secrets of multiplayer will be revealed very, very soon. I promise.
I noticed part one of Legendary the Comic on your website. Will we see more even after the games release or will this conclude at a certain issue?
The Legendary comic on the website is a preview of the full 96-page graphic novel that will be coming out at the same time as the game. It tells the full back story of Deckard, and how he came to be involved in opening Pandora’s Box.
Around the time for release of this game will we be seeing any Legendary merchandise like faceplates, skins or downloadable content?
Future downloadable content is certainly something we’re thinking about, but that’s all I can say right now.
What is one thing that you have enjoyed doing on this game during the development process?
Of all the games I’ve worked on, this one was truly a passion project for me. It’s the concept and game I’ve always wanted to work on, and I really hope that the love that I have for it comes through when people are playing.
Thank you again for your time. I know from what I have seen on the trailers and doing this interview I look forward to this games release. So who ever has just read this and has not pre-ordered this game you might want to go now before it gets sold out near you.
