Interview: 100 Bullets explodes!

Set to appear later this year on PS2 and Xbox with a possible PC version to follow, 100 Bullets is a videogame adaptation of the much lauded Brian Azzarello comic book.

Acclaim is developing the title, which promises to appeal to arcade fans and conspiracy theorists alike; we're promised a strong story which dissects the the dark underbelly of contemporary America, along with a pleasing amount of searingly violent action.

Producer Frank J. Lafuente and the masterfully named lead designer Berenger Fish dropped by to explain what to expect from the title.

For anyone who's unfamiliar with the premise, 100 Bullets is based on a comic book - could you give us a little background on that?

Lafuente: 100 Bullets is a DC comic, printed under the Vertigo label. It is the creation of Brian Azzarello, penned by Eduardo Risso.

The story starts with a certain Mr Graves approaching individuals with a briefcase in hand. In the briefcase, he presents them with proof that their lives were ruined by an individual, irrefutable proof that they were wronged. In the case there's also a gun and 100 Bullets.

They are given with the assurance that they are untraceable - if any law enforcement investigations find the gun or bullets, they will cease. The individual will have complete immunity.

As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Mr. Graves is not trying to right every wrong...

Fish: The story slowly reveals a world where America is secretly ruled by a secretive group of families known as The Trust.

One of the major characters in the comic book is Cole Burns, a member of the Minutemen. The Minutemen and their leader the mysterious Agent Graves were once an internal police force for The Trust but are now operating for their own motives. Cole is one of the characters that the player will get to play in 100 Bullets the game.

Maybe we've grossly misunderstood the idea, but it sounds like moral choices figure in the game - isn't that a rather ambitious conceit for a videogame, where you're more normally concerned with just shooting everyone?

Fish: One of the original game concepts when Acclaim first looked at the 100 Bullets property was to have moral choices be a major part of the game. We decided however this idea would be difficult to make compelling to the player. The concept is not completely abandoned but instead there will be certain aspects of the story that will convey the same feelings.

Lafuente: Yes, that would be too ambitious for the development cycle that we have. Our game is rooted in the classic shooter, you don't have to shoot everyone, but it doesn't hurt to try. However, the story that we're getting from Brian will present the player with complexities that go well beyond that of the average shooter.

How has writer Brian Azzurello contributed to the game?

Lafuente: Brian has been an important part of the game from the very beginning. Once Acclaim secured the 100 Bullets licence, we met with Brian and brainstormed a basic plot for the game. A couple of months later he delivered to us the final story for the game.

At this time he's almost completed writing all of the dialogue for the game as well. We have been extremely lucky to squeeze some time out of him, as he's very busy with his other commitments to DC.

Fish: When we started the project, we identified the story as a key element. Except for Brian, no one knows what is going to happen in the 100 bullets universe. We had Brian come spend several days in Austin where we presented what we wanted to do with the game.

His first thought about a game in the 100 Bullets universe was that it couldn't be done. When he saw the game systems we were proposing he really changed his outlook - not only was he convinced that it could be done, he insisted that he would write the story and the script, and that Eduardo would provide the concept art.

Can you tell us about the two characters we'll be playing as?

Lafuente: Our original goal was to use Cole and Dizzy (two characters from the comic book) but Brian didn't want to make their stories cross - he has clear plans for his story and the game story is integral to that story. Instead, he proposed that we use Cole Burns, but that he would create Snow Falls specifically for the game.

Fish: Cole Burns is lifted directly from the comic book. He is currently unaware of his past as a "killing machine" for the Minutemen and works as an ice cream truck driver in New York City.

Snow Falls is a tough boxer who basically grew up on the streets of New York. The murder of her mother when she was young was never solved. Never solved that is until Agent Graves shows up bearing a very important attaché case.

The gameplay has been described as "Hollywood-esque" - can you expand on this idea?

Fish: Well I suppose that would mean the style of the combat. When we look for inspiration about the kind of gunplay we want, what better place to look then action films?

We're guessing this is primarily an action title; what other elements can we expect? For instance, can we expect mind-testing puzzles?

Fish: You are correct in assuming that this is primarily an action title but there will be some elements of puzzle solving, strategy, and stealth as well.

Lafuente: We're building 100 Bullets into a third-person shooter - lots of action with a superb story. There will be puzzles, mini-games, and other gameplay elements to break up the game pace - but I doubt that you would call any of them "mind-testing", fun would be more accurate.

You've also talked about fully interactive environments; can you give us examples of how this will work?

Fish: We want to try to make the world as interactive as possible. This can range from the simple "If you shoot it, it will break," to being able to knock over objects and then use them for cover, to smashing a hostage's head into a TV or other painful things.

We also know about the hostage-taking abilities - what other moves will we be able to pull off?

Fish: Once you take a hostage you can do all sorts of nasty things to him, sometimes letting his friends shoot him instead of you or even just bang his head against the wall.

When not hauling around a hostage you can counter some of the enemy's attacks such as pushing a shotgun in their hands up to their own head when they fire.

For fans of the comic book, will the game shed any light on the mysterious Agent Graves character's motivations?

Fish: The game sheds as much light as the comic books do. In other words... No. From what Brian has told us it does hint at some things to come.

Lafuente: The storyline for the game takes place in the current timeline of the story. The player will definitely learn more about Graves, though in true Brian fashion you'll be left with new questions.

For the fans of the series, we'll also provide some insight into what happened before Atlantic City, you'll see some of the dealings of the Trust families, Megan Dietrich's character probably has the most development.

That said, Lono has an interesting development. But as I said, as our story exposes a layer you'll find a new layer waiting to captivate you.

Anything else you can tell us about the title?

Lafuente: Obviously, the fans of the series will be served a treat, Brian is integral to the development of this game, and they won't be disappointed.

That's not to say that the game will be inaccessible to gamers who haven't been exposed to the story - the story is a part of the whole, but stands completely on its own. If you haven't had the chance to read the comics, this game will be the perfect way to be introduced to the intrigue of 100 Bullets.

Brian and Eduardo have won eight awards for 100 Bullets; they've been nominated for many more. Getting Brian to write the story and script means that the gaming audience is in for thrill ride - a story and script written by one of the best.

Fish: We're also pretty excited about the music that we are in the process of securing for this game. It's different from what you would find in most games but it fits so well into this universe, kind of a jazz hip-hop feel.

Also don't forget that we'll be in stores Autumn 2004!