Too Human: Interview with Denis Dyack

We get some one on one time with Too Human's Denis Dyack.

Denis Dyack, the founder and president of Silicon Knights, has recently completed the much publicised and long awaited Too Human. So what does one do after working on the same game for almost a decade? One sits down with NZGamer.com and answers a few pressing questions, that's what.

NZGamer: After being so long in development, how much has the game changed from the original design?

Denis Dyack: Although "Too Human" has been in our hearts and minds since 1993, it has only been in full development since 2004, after we finished "Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes". Often we hear things like the game has been in development for over a decade, this is simply inaccurate. The concept of "Too Human" was built around collaboration between Silicon Knights and Microsoft, and taking advantage of the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. The game is a fusion of action and RPG, with deep hunting and gathering elements, plus the added bonus of co-op play throughout the whole game.

In addition, we were also able to incorporate into "Too Human" all that we learned from the development and creation of "Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain", "Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem" and Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes." The final result is something we are very proud of.

NZG: With the game out the door, is there anything you'd have done differently if you knew what you know now two or more years ago?

DD: Given the chance and going back in time, we would not have tried to use the Unreal Engine 3 (only to have to create our own later). This set us back significantly and was extremely costly. Despite this, we have made the game that we wanted to make, and are happy with the final result.

NZG: There doesn't appear to be much reason to have the attacks mapped to the right stick, and this occurs at the cost of a decent camera. Why was this decision made?

DD: It appears you need to give the game and the controls more time if you feel this way. The control mapping is very analogous to mouse clicking in loot gathering RPGs, like Diablo, and is also very similar to games like "Geometry Wars" and classics like "Robotron". Of course all these games are in 2D, and the automated camera is necessary when moving the control scheme to 3D.

And if you believe a right-stick controlled camera defines a "decent camera", then we would disagree strongly that that is a "decent camera" – we don’t like that camera scheme very much. When the game industry introduced the right-stick camera control with 3D games, it added a layer of complexity for gamers that removed the fun for many players and only added frustration. Why worry about controlling the camera, when you can have more fun just concentrating on the game play? The control is innovative, new and something worth taking a second look. Give it another try. Like most of the million plus people who have played the demo, you might find it clicks and there will be no going back.

NZG: Are you able to detail your downloadable content plans?

DD: "Too Human" is perfect for downloadable content, but we have nothing to announce at this time.

NZG: Is there any work going on behind the scenes around extending this game, or is all development focus now on Too Human 2?

DD: There are many things going on, but nothing we are ready to talk about at this time.

NZG: Are there any plans to bring Too Human to PC?

DD: No

NZG: What has reaction been like outside of the volatile, hardcore video gamer crowd??

DD: It has been positive across the board among both hardcore and casual gamers. The downloadable demo was, and continues to be, very well received.

NZG: Who would you say is your key demographic? What other games, for example, are they playing today?

DD: Everyone; we have created an innovative, genre-bending game that we hope to attract all types of gamers.

NZG: What are you most proud of in the final product? What key things kept you going all this time?

DD: Our strong belief in the game kept us going. I am most proud of the seamless and amazing blend of game play, story, art, sound and technology that makes "Too Human" an engaging game beyond the some of its parts.

NZG: And finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans out there that have waited so long to play Too Human?

DD: It is worth the wait! It is a Silicon Knights’ game through and through, and something we believe is our best game to date.