Lost Planet

Here’s Part 3, the conclusion to my exclusive interview with game designers Tomoyuki Hosokawa and Kazuhiro Hikida, with Director Kenji Oguro adding some thoughts as well.

Miss the first two parts? Jump here:
Part 1
Part 2

[Brian] What is something in the game that you came up with that you are most proud of?

[Hosokawa] For me it would have to be the cutscene in Mission 0. Ive loved monster movies ever since I was a kid, so it was great to be able to make a cool monster movie type of scene in the game.

Click to read the rest of Part 3 of the interview.

[More:]

[Hosokawa] When youre in the game playing through this particular event, its actually a little confusing for the player. Theres this huge monster coming after you, and the game doesnt tell you where to go. Purposely not having anything like that drives the panic and the fear home as you desperately search for a place to run and hide.

But when people play through this part of the game, I hope they move the camera around as they run away so they can watch all the destruction. Big chunks of buildings flying everywhere. Thats what Im most proud of in the game, this whole sequence.

Hikida, Oguro, and Hosokawawith Ms. Michiyo Aoki
(“coordinator” for the Producers and Directors)

[Brian] How about you, Hikida-san? Which of your contributions to the game are you most proud of?

[Hikida] As I said before, my duties mainly consisted of balancing the game. So its hard to point to an object or scene in the game that I can claim I created.

But one time I checked out a message board to see what people were saying about the game, and found that someone had written exactly what I was aiming for. The balancing in the game is a lot like rock-paper-scissors, and he had figured it out. What I mean by that is that Weapon A is good against Weapon B but weak against Weapon C. Weapon B is good against Weapon C but weak against Weapon A. Thats exactly what I was aiming for. Thats something Im very proud of.

[Brian] So do you have a favorite weapon?

[Hikida] One I really like is the Plasma Gun. Its for long-distance sniping, and emits red plasma shots that zip through the air that make it really stand out. The balance on this was something I put a lot of time and effort into getting just right. I like using this weapon to call attention to myself and kind of challenge other players to come and get me. I used the weapon a lot like this, giving away my location on purpose, and at one point the Plasma Gun was a lot stronger than it is now. (haha)

Plasma Gun

[Oguro] Actually the standard Rifle is easier to kill with, and is more powerful to boot. But Hikida-san apparently likes using the Plasma Gun to taunt people, giving his location away on purpose because he knows hes good enough to fight people off.

[Hikida] But lately the other team members have been getting better so winning isnt such a breeze anymore. So Ive secretly been using the Rifle lately (haha). So I use both now. Ill use the Plasma Gun when I want to stand out, and Ill use the rifle when I dont want to be spotted. Finding which weapons work best when and all that is a pretty fun part of the experience.

Rifle

[Brian] So how would you guys describe Lost Planet as a game?

[Hosokawa] For me its basically about being able to play out all these situations that I think are really cool. Shooting like this or going in from that angle, attacking situations from different angles. I think all of the parts taken individually are very cool.

The game reminds me of what games are supposed to be like. Everything in the game is something I like and that I can play and have fun doing.

[Hikida] Its about all of the situations that make up the whole. Its cool to take down giant Akrid, and satisfying to mow down Akrid with a Vital Suits massive firepower. The game is just packed with all these cool situations.

Running network cables through the office

[Brian] Great. Why dont we wrap things up with a few words to the fans from each of you.

[Hikida] Ive been playing Lost Planet online for testing for the last 6 months, and Im still not tired of it. It never seems to get old. I hope you give the game a chance this January when it hits the stores.

[Hosokawa] There are lots of situations built into the game that we had a great time planning out and implementing, and then actually playing. I hope you enjoy the fruits of all the effort we put into the game to make it a memorable experience. This game is certainly something that well never forget.

There you have it. Feel free to drop by the forums to chat with me and everyone else!

—Brian