Q&A: More chaos for Just Cause 2
Avalanche talks about stirring up bother in its blue sky sequel
GR: Are there any plans for multiplayer in JC2? If not, why not?
PJ: When we started to design Just Cause 2 we looked at many things, including multiplayer. We wanted to make a game that truly delivered on the promise of the first one and we had to question if this meant multiplayer. Once we’d had a long hard look at the facts we decided the timing was not right for multiplayer, we wanted to do so much more with the single player experience. This doesn’t mean we’ll never see multiplayer in a Just Cause game, just not yet. When we do multiplayer we want to make sure it brings something new to the game play experience, we want it to feel integral to everything the player does and not put a limit to the freedom or variety.
GR: Have you given any thought to how multiplayer might work in JC?
PJ: We have several ideas floating around; we’ll see where they take us in the future.
GR: Just Cause brand manager, Alex Price, said that "Rico has done a bit of growing up". What's he on about? Don't tell us Rico's got a beard and has gone all Prince of Persia 2?
PJ: I think what Alex means when he says “a bit of growing up” is the way Rico has developed as a character. We have given Rico a complete next-gen make over with the introduction of much higher resolution model and textures, things like his skin texture and hair are far more detailed, bringing a new level of realism. His animation system has been completely redesigned and now provides really smooth and responsive movements.
GR: Just Cause 2 is the series' first appearance on PS3. How have you found working with the Sony hardware?
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PJ: It’s been exciting working on a new platform. The PS3 is a powerful machine but it handles things a bit differently so just doing a straight port will not yield great results. We’ve been really dedicated to working with the strengths of the PS3 instead of against it, and we’re convinced our latest engine is going to impress PS3 owners.
GR: Will the game have SixAxis support? What's your opinion on this feature?
PJ: We’re toying with a few ideas but we’ll see if we go for it in the end. The tilt feature is cool but only if it really enhances the entertainment or controllability of the game.