‘Julian Law’ sent us this great interview with Rob Gee, the project lead for X-Men: Legends…
When it was announced that Ravensoft had an X-Men RPG in the works, geeks around the world squeaked in delight. For those of you less ‘in the know’ on this upcoming game, it’s called X-Men: Legends, and will combine our favorite freaks of nature with action Role Playing Game play. For a little more detail about this game you can check out Gamespot’s detailed preview here.
I was lucky enough to snag an interview for SHH with Rob Gee, the Project lead for X Men: Legends. Enjoy.
Q.) What were the qualities you were looking for when deciding what characters would be used in the game? Some characters are obvious choices, such as Wolverine, while others (Forge, Marrow) were surprises.
The character choices were based on a number of factors, including character popularity with the fans, mutant powers (and their potential effect on the gameplay, visual elements and the story), and personal favorites of the team members. Other characters have never really gotten “their due” in games to this point and we felt they deserved a chance to shine.
Q.) There has been a lot of confusion in response to the screens featuring the Ultimate X Men uniforms being used, considering that a few of the characters confirmed for the game (so far) are not alive, or X Men in the UXM comics. Are the uniforms all optional, or is it simply a mix of different interpretations of the team?
The uniforms represent the updated Ultimate X-Men look and were done this way at the request of and with the approval of Marvel. For those characters who are either dead or not represented in the current Ultimate X-Men universe, we were given creative license to ‘Ultimacize’ their outfits and general appearance.
Q.) How much is the game’s focus on battles, as compared to puzzles?
There is a lot more action in the game than there are puzzles, let’s put it that way. The puzzles all make sense as far as the progression of the levels go and there are no “puzzles for the sake of puzzles” in the game.
Q.) Will there be mini quests like in many RPGs?
Yes, but they will be limited to select characters.
Q.) Is there yet a confirmed list of playable characters in the game? Are there any new ones you can talk about?
Yes, we have a defined list of playable characters, some old-school and some new school. As for any new ones, we don’t want to give anything away so our lips are sealed.
Q.) Is online game play now out of the question?
We’re focusing on cooperative play with X-Men: Legends because of the team nature of the single player game.
Q.) Can you tell us anything about the bad guys in this game? I understand there is an unknown villain from the future created for this game, can you give us a little background on him?
There is a wide assortment of villains in the game, including Magneto, the Blob and other members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Unfortunately the unknown villain, for the time being, must remain anonymous.
Q.) Will you be able to separate from the rest of the team ( i.e. Nightcrawler teleporting into a room that the rest of the team can’t access to unlock the door)?
Yes. In examples like the one you mention (and in a few other cases) you will be able to separate from the team and do things solo. For the most part, however, X-Men: Legends is about the team.
Q.) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Stay tuned for more info on X-Men: Legends in the coming months.
Expect XML to be out some time in early 2004.
-Julian Law
Note: Special thanks to Kenn Hoekstra (project Administrator/Director of Support Services) for making this interview possible.
Source: Julian Law
