Interview with Brian Etheridge, producer at D3 America:
Some snippets:
Good...
Good...
Hmm... yet to be convinced.
Hmm... really worried about level numbers, structure and focus. Objectives? God please, no escort objectives. Waiting for the next bug onslaught is the basis of the series, we really don't need fussiness.
Quite like the sound of these, as long as they're visceral and exhilarating. A real Starship Troopers-vibe could be great, but they really do need to FILL the screen with baddies on these bits.
Fans 1 v. Committee Thinking 0!
Some snippets:
The gameplay is still arcade-style. Entire buildings come down with a rocket or two. A tiny human with a little assault rifle can mow through an entire column of approaching mecha-ants the size of cars. You don’t have to worry about fallout when a nuke goes off near your player. All of these things are the same. The game is still about holding down the trigger until everything is dead or your finger hurts.
With the enemies, we tried to build on what had been done in the previous EDF games. For example, there was no reason to change the way the flying saucers worked because they were fun. We changed the look of enemies a bit to match our style, but otherwise, they are the same. We also added some new enemies, like a mechanical daddy long legs and a praying mantis… those two will definitely give core EDF fans a run for their money.
As far as weapons go, we have more than 300 this time around. We did try to add a little bit of depth (not realism) with the armor upgrade system. In 2017 you had 1 armor style and in the previous Japanese releases, you had as many as 2. In Insect Armageddon, you now have 4 armor styles to choose from. They gain levels and earn abilities the more you use them. You can focus on one armor to maximize it, or jump into different armors depending on the make-up of your co-op group. They all level independently.
As for mission types, the fans of the series will notice that the missions are longer this time around and with some more varied objectives. We wanted the online experience to take a little longer (on average) than some of the missions in 2017 did, so that when you’re done with a mission, you feel a real sense of accomplishment, not just like you’re waiting for more bugs.
To make sure the vehicles felt good, we stuck to just the Tank and the Mech. These were our favourites from 2017 and really played the best if someone else could not get into a vehicle. Now, if you’re playing co-op, everyone in the squad can jump into one tank and man a turret to turn it into a mobile death machine, crushing ants and levelling buildings (on accident, of course).
We also have a number of turret sections, including some level intro sections where you fly in on an EDF lander equipped with turrets for everyone. In some missions you can jump into a number of different turrets (machine gun, anti aircraft, and rocket) and try to hold a position against a massive onslaught.
We also have a number of turret sections, including some level intro sections where you fly in on an EDF lander equipped with turrets for everyone. In some missions you can jump into a number of different turrets (machine gun, anti aircraft, and rocket) and try to hold a position against a massive onslaught.
I just wanted to say thanks to all of the people who offered their thoughts on the game in the forums and at all of the events. With their feedback, we were able to get split screen co-op back into the game and make some other tweaks that that fans of the series really wanted to see. If anyone has anything else to say, please speak up! We are listening!
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