Q&A: Prince Of Persia 3's Animation & AI

Interviewed:
Matthew Clarke - Lead AI and Gameplay
Wade Konowalchuk - Animation Director


Q: One of the most important hallmarks of the POP franchise is the quality of the animation of the Prince and the enemies. How were you able to perpetuate the amazing work done on the previous games for The Two Thrones?
WK: For The Two Thrones, our goal is to raise the bar of quality once again in terms of animation. With our team of highly trained animators, we were able to create sets of hundreds of new animations with the Prince of Persia touch, like the Speed Kill moves, the Dagger plant move, the 45 degree rebound or the sliding moves etc...

Q: In regards to the introduction of the second main character, the Dark Prince, what are the main differences with the animation created for the Prince? Will the Dark Prince use the Speed Kill System?
WK: The Dark Prince is a corrupt version of the Prince, more sadistic in nature than our hero; we wanted his animation to reflect his personality. He feels absolutely no remorse and it shines through in his movements. The Dark Prince will use the new Speed kill System we've been creating for Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. This system will allow players to perform very dramatic moves that will take your enemy down in a single shot. The Dark Prince Speed Kill System will reflect his furious and brutal personality in every way - from its unique control system to its animations or the violence of his finishing moves.
The Daggertail, his chain-like mid range weapon is not only a deadly weapon, but will also serve as a tool in order to manoeuvre in the environment in a very efficient and acrobatic manner to access places the Prince cannot.

Q: What are the other animation improvements for POP:T2T?
WK: The in-game cinematics was another area in which we wanted to improve upon. Too often when an in-game cinematic kicks in, the player wants to simply skip it. For POP:T2T, we really wanted to make the cinematics as interesting and fun as possible for the player to watch, so that they will understand the story fully. We focused heavily on the characters' acting abilities, and also on making the movement as accurate and believable as possible.

Q: In POP:T2T, the Prince and Dark Prince seem to be very powerful with their new moves. How will the enemies be able to face the 2 princes?
MC: In answer to the new moves developed for the Prince and the Dark Prince, the enemies needed to be enhanced with a new AI system, so we completely reworked this important feature of the game. POP:T2T definitely puts forward tough and rewarding enemies to play against.

Q: When you say tough and rewarding enemies, can you give more details?
MC: In POP:T2T, each enemy has a personality of its own. We designed them to be strong and intelligent to make the Speed Kill System both challenging and satisfying for the player. Also, in POP:T2T, we are introducing the Sand Gate system, which allows the Sand Gate guards to call for reinforcements when they detect the Prince.


Below are some additional in-game pictures of Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones:

NEWS: SOULCALIBUR III Goes Gold

Legendary Franchise Returns to the PlayStation 2 with New Gameplay Modes and Character Creation Feature

Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that SOULCALIBUR III has gone gold for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The latest chapter in the classic tale of souls and swords, SOULCALIBUR III secures its position as the must-have fighting game for 2005 with an in-depth character creation system, three brand-new characters and original gameplay modes. SOULCALIBUR III is scheduled for release in stores on October 25th, and is rated 'T' for 'Teen' by the ESRB.


Who's got who in their sights?

"Fighting game fans should look no further than SOULCALIBUR III for the most exciting fighting experience available on the PlayStation 2 in 2005," said Yoshi Niki, Business Unit Director with Namco Hometek Inc. "SOULCALIBUR III does justice to the legendary franchise with incredibly detailed graphics, a vast selection of playable characters and challenging new gameplay modes including real time strategy."

The acclaimed series's latest addition, SOULCALIBUR III thrusts players into the story of two legendary swords - Soul Calibur and Soul Edge - and the fighters engaged in the epic battle between these powerful blades. Three all-new characters - Zasalamel, Tira and Setsuka - join the classic fighters embroiled in the struggle, for a total of more than 25 playable characters. The weapons-based battles take place against a backdrop of gorgeous all-new stages, from a shrine in Greece to a castle in Germany.


Tira & Cassandra settle their differences, SoulCalibur-style

SOULCALIBUR III incorporates a groundbreaking new character creation system that allows players to draw from their imaginations and assemble an infinite variety of fighters, taking into account gender, physical appearance, fight style and all-new weapons for the created characters. Other new gameplay modes also make their debut in SOULCALIBUR III, and add to the title's replayability. Players may lead their created character through real-time strategy battles in 'The Chronicles of the Sword' mode; battle through a variety of special conditions that take an interesting spin on traditional SOULCALIBUR-style fighting in 'Soul Arena' mode; prepare for battles by training in the 'Practice' mode; or visit 'Museum' mode to view everything they've unlocked in the game.

Shadow Of The Colossus looms omniously ahead

From the makers of the sleeper hit ICO, Shadow Of The Colossus is Sony's in-house game designers' latest adventure to hit your PlayStation 2 console this fall. It's a story about a young man out to bring the lifeless body of his love back to life - the ultimate fantasy of all desperate males and females who have lost their loved ones, be it family members, friends or their significant other. But this is no fantasy in Shadow Of The Colossus: it takes you on a journey into the vast forbidden land of the giants - known as Colossi - with a mammoth of a task at hand: to kill all sixteen towering inhabitants, the task which somehow has a tie with the revival of the deceased girl you've brought along with you.



You have the best transport and armament to defeat each Colossus: a steadfast black steed, a bow and a magical sword.



Shadow Of The Colossus should be out now in stores around Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley.

NEWS: Diamond In The Rogue Galaxy

Level 5, renowned creators of Dark Cloud and Dark Chronicle, are again set to push the boundaries of the RPG genre with the unveiling of Rogue Galaxy, the third title in the series.

Fusing fantasy with reality, the setting is the Milky Way Galaxy, home of numerous planets. It is a place where rivalries and conflicts between worlds never settle; a place where arms dealers prosper behind the scenes of great wars, and a place where buccaneers venture forth across the cosmos, in search of great treasure.

Rogue Galaxy tells the story of the adventures of one band of space pirates who would one day become legends of Milky Way lore. Using top of the range technology to create epic battle scenes with an anime style, combined with incredibly detailed backgrounds, Level 5 has developed a game that challenges the traditional perceptions of the RPG genre, creating a unique world unlike any other.

A couple of screenshots and character art below for your viewing pleasure (names of characters have been directly translated into English from their respective Japanese katakana names):


Jester takes a galactic swipe at an enemy



Zegram looks like the bad guy in the game, but so does Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean...



Jester Rogue



Kisara



Ruruka Raiza