Exclusive interview with the game developers. Specifically for Gamer.ru
Two Worlds 2 – the continuation of the massive role-playing project from 2007. Some might have assumed that after the not-so-successful first part, the developers from the Polish studio Reality Pump should forget about producing projects in the role-playing genre, as if it were a bad dream, and return to their usual process of developing RTS games (see Earth 2150), which they had been doing until then. But they were not timid and decided to prove their professional competence, albeit on the second attempt.
Despite the abundance of information on various foreign websites, many details remain untouched, and many aspects of the game are still unknown. Without putting things off, I decided to personally reach out to the developers and ask them a few questions both about the game itself and on slightly detached topics.
Why did the developers continue working on their dream role-playing game? What makes their project so attractive? Will they be able to compete with more renowned competitors? These and many other questions were answered by the CEO of Reality Pump, Mirek Dimek. Enjoy your reading :
Mirek Dimek
1) Hello. Could you introduce yourself, please.
My name is Miroslav Dimek. I am the CEO of Reality Pump. We are recognized developers of computer games, known for our award-winning series of strategy games Earth 21x0 and, of course, the first part of Two Worlds. Our team has been producing quality games for over 12 years. My role as director covers overseeing development and game design.
2) Your studio used to be better known as a producer of strategy games. Why did you decide to shift your focus to producing RPG games? The competition in this genre is very high, and you have already carved out your niche in strategy games with the Earth series.
The idea of creating an RPG has been brewing in our studio for several years, but we always lacked the time and opportunity. Once it became possible, we knew exactly what we wanted. I must say we were thrilled and happy to finally make an RPG and just started preparing for production. This was bound to happen sooner or later, as almost all our studio staff are fans of role-playing games. Moreover, we are not worried about fierce competition; we are just doing our job, putting in all possible efforts.
3) Are you satisfied with how players received the first part of the game, including its sales? Have you learned any lessons since then?
The game has sold 3.6 million copies worldwide, including various sales and promotions. So we are very pleased with the outcome! The first part of Two Worlds was our first role-playing project, and we had to enter this genre on a new platform for us - Xbox 360. Thus, we had to constantly learn new things, despite the costs and challenges, but the result was worth it. We truly appreciated the massive input from the fan community and implemented many suggestions in the sequel. Two Worlds II will be what we dreamed of—a realization of many of our ambitions in this genre because now we have the experience of creating unique and captivating worlds in role-playing games.
4) Can you briefly tell us what the game’s story is about? Where does it all begin?
Two Worlds II starts five years after the events of the first part, in the dungeons of Gandohar, who has since become Emperor of Antaloor. The main character is imprisoned, while the emperor is using the power of the fire god named Aziraal, embodied in his sister, Kira. But unexpectedly, help comes from an unexpected source – the Orcs gather a rescue team to get the hero out of his cell. He meets a mysterious Dragon Queen on a desolate island and receives all the means to take revenge on his sister. But before he can challenge the dark mage, he must embark on a journey through Antaloor, visit many places where Gandohar once tread, and find the weaknesses of his upcoming adversary. An exciting adventure through entirely new territories of Antaloor begins!
Dragon Queen
5) How significantly does the current version of the game differ from Two Worlds: Temptation? Has much been added since then?
Temptation and Two Worlds II are completely different projects. The new game, which will be released in the fall of 2010, will have nothing in common with the previously planned expansion. Due to significant improvements in our new engine and other technical measures, the previously planned expansion was canceled and replaced with a full-fledged sequel. We want to release a game in line with all modern trends, and this was only possible with a complete rethinking of the idea of a sequel.
6) Will there be brothels, bars, and similar establishments in the game? Can players get drunk in the game? : )
Yes, some towns offer such pleasures. Depending on your behavior, you may have more or less platonic flings with women. You won't be able to get drunk and feel the consequences, but you can participate in various mini-games in taverns and inns.
7) Do dialogues and various response options play a significant role in the gameplay? Recently this has been noticeable in the ambiguous project Alpha Protocol.
Of course, we implemented numerous choice options in dialogues. Depending on your answers, quests will evolve differently. This also applies to how you solve problems. On one hand, your reaction could lead to very harsh consequences as you progress on a bloody path. On the other hand, you might complete a task through a skilled conversation, and some investigations will help you in finding the right answers. Women are particularly sensitive to what you say. Just like in everyday life ;)
And, of course, the player's actions will influence the gameplay. For example, if a player decides to pay the "toll fee" to one of the conmen in town, that guy will insult the hero during their next encounter and demand even more money. If the player decides to engage in a fight with the dishonest crook and wins, they'll avoid further problems with him. Furthermore, there are many more emotional contacts with various characters, who do not just appear and then disappear for the entire game, but appear multiple times along the hero's path as the adventure unfolds. Depending on previous behavior, these NPCs will either befriend you or not.
Dialogue system in action
8) In the recent game Mass Effect 2, and later in Witcher 2, a save transfer system was implemented from the first part. Can we expect something similar in your project?
Players will not be able to transfer their character from the first part. The game does not have this option.
9) Do you plan to continue developing the game through additional content, and what will it roughly represent: new weapons and small things, or full narrative expansions?
Absolutely, we will release plenty of content for Two Worlds 2 through DLC, but we still haven’t decided how much and what specific material will be produced.
10) Can you tell us a little about how we will fight monsters, in short, about the new combat system.
I thought you wouldn’t ask this question. I’m proudly excited to tell you that we have completely changed the entire combat system. I’ll tell you – it was a tough task to make battles in Antaloor much more exciting and engaging, but we did it. Thus, thanks to the MoSens system, we succeeded in integrating these attacks into the game and realized exceptionally spectacular fighting with standard and special attacks that look great in the game … but let’s return to the main part of the question. The player has three main types of attacks - normal hit, thrust, and jumping attack. These are supplemented by active defense against attacks using weapons and shields. If the player has distributed their skill points appropriately, they will unlock all sorts of new techniques. If they execute the moves correctly, they will see a short video clip showcasing their actions. The most important moves are the Finishing Blow and knocking out the opponent with a karate kick!
Combat system in action
11) What types of quests are there in the game? Has their number increased? I hope the smallest number among them won’t be fetch quests and similar "ctrl c,v" missions.
We have implemented a huge number of quests in the game. They are divided into tasks related to the main storyline and tasks related to side plotlines. For example, in New Ashos, you will immerse yourself in the atmosphere of life among young students at the University of Veneficus. The hero will have to organize a student party, hold a lecture for students about unusual monsters, or even accuse one of the professors of having sex with students in exchange for high grades.
12) It is known that the hero will have their own house. Besides the so-called decorative function, what other functions does it serve?
Besides the great sense of owning your own home in Antaloor - it's an excellent place to store trophies collected during travels through the vast world. The house frees up your main inventory and is simply a safe location.
Book room
13) Do the romantic encounters of the hero play a significant role in the game? Will they influence the development of the story or similar aspects?
The game features two types of relationships with women that are completely different from each other. Relationships are important for both the main quest and side quests, as they indeed affect the events occurring throughout the game.
14) It is known that the hero will have a boat. Now a bit of a silly question: Is it possible to upgrade her, change her appearance? Can she transport other characters, store items? A little thing, but nice.
The boat will serve as the hero's vehicle only. The sail can be adjusted later. Navigation is very realistic in itself. You must keep an eye on the wind direction, indicated by the red flag at the top of the mast. Based on this, you must steer the boat in the right direction, and even manually adjust the sail position to speed up.
15) Will Two Worlds 2 have a completed story, or is a third part possible in case of success?
Of course, we plan to expand the world of Antaloor further because we believe in the success of our product. Two Worlds II will offer players a completed story, but there will still be several open questions that provide us with multiple paths for future development projects in the Antaloor game universe.
16) What can you ride on besides various horses? Is it possible to ride in carts, carriages, and so on?
The hero can only ride horses. No other transport is provided.
17) What guilds can you work for in the game? Can you join them, or is the hero a lone wolf in this regard?
You can join the fighter's guild, the merchant's guild, the mage's guild, the thief's guild, and necromancers. You can choose as many guilds as you want. The hero is not tied to a specific guild. But, of course, there are real limitations to your ascension in a particular group. For example, if you plan to kill the leader of the merchant guild to gain reputation in the thief's guild, your relationships with merchants will certainly be hopelessly ruined!
18) And now a little about the game engine. Will it support such trendy technologies as Nvidia Physx, 3D, or at least DirectX 10, 11?
The GRACE engine will support all trendy technologies except 3D.
The new engine demonstrates quality graphics
19) Are you afraid of competitors, such as Arcania: Gothic 4 and Witcher 2?
Not at all. We are completely confident in our product and offer a truly unique role-playing experience with a wealth of features that our competitors don't have. We have implemented a vast number of breathtaking innovations regarding storytelling, gameplay, and graphics, so we should not fear any other projects. Moreover, we have implemented a very powerful multiplayer mode in the game that is genuinely unique in the RPG genre.
20) Will there be Easter eggs in the game? : )
Of course. You just have to find them. But I’ll give you an example - you should look for two specific guys in the Savannah. They are a senior history professor and his son Henry …
Gorharius with the main hero
21) Many people have not been entirely satisfied with the animation in the game since the first part. Will it change by the release?
We have acquired completely new motion capture systems called MoSens. This has allowed us to create entirely new animations: from fighting to various gestures during dialogues. Players will enjoy smooth and realistic animations!
Swamp witch
22) How many different endings are planned for the game?
There will be only one ending, which can be reached in various ways.
23) Will there be unique landmarks in the game that players will remember for a long time? Give an example.
The game has many notable locations. You have to see it for yourself.
24) How have the sizes of the game world changed compared to the first part?
Two Worlds II still takes place in Antaloor, but this time in a completely new area of the continent. The player will explore various islands with diverse vegetation, including jungles, savannas, deserts, etc. The world will be somewhat larger than in the first part and has an open ocean for sailing.
25) Will we meet characters from the first part in the game?
Firstly, you get to play once again as the hired assassin as in the first part of the game, so you will encounter yourself once again. Additionally, some well-known heroes, like Kira, Gandohar, or Aziraal, the god of fire, will play important roles in the main storyline of the second part. However, it’s important to note that the story will be entirely standalone. Thus, players do not need to play the first part to understand the events in Two Worlds II.
The priest
26) How is the dynamic weather change implemented in the game, and will it even be there?
Dynamic weather change will be there. Thanks to the GRACE engine, we have been able to implement rapid weather changes and time transitions. Also with rain, storms, and thunder – we foresee no problems implementing this!
27) And now the last question: what distinguishes your game from many role-playing projects?
Two Worlds II combines all the best elements that have occurred in the role-playing genre in recent times. We’ve crafted an engaging story told through diverse gameplay with numerous cutscenes. We’ve created a vast open world that can be entirely explored without any loading screens. We’ve implemented an exciting combat system, with different styles and weapons that keep gameplay alive. We offer an impressive world with beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Last but not least, we provide players with a unique multiplayer experience in its genre with three game modes (Arena, Quests, Simulation).
28) P.S. Who will be the publisher of the game in Russia?
The publisher of the game in Russia will be the company **1C**.
Well, that’s probably all. We will learn how ideal the game truly is in mid-September this year. Just a little longer.