Galleon Exclusive: Toby Gard interview!

"It's never coming out!" People are cynical about Galleon, and with a game that's been in development since the late 1990s, that's entirely understandable.

But with original Tomb Raider guru Toby Gard adamant that the game is almost ready, and new publisher SCi announcing an Xbox-only release for Spring 2004, it would seem the title is finally set to make an appearance. We grabbed Toby Gard to find out the truth...

Can you tell us how Galleon came to be sold to SCi?

Gard: Interplay has always been strongly behind Galleon, but its financial situation prompted it to sell it on. SCi saw the game and liked it very much and now everyone is happy.

Can you explain why the title has been in development so long?

Gard: There are a great many reasons, but essentially it boils down to a game that was over ambitious for a team that was too small. Once we realised that we needed a bigger team, we simply couldn't afford to bring in more people.

So it ended up with a tiny group of people who have stuck with the project long beyond the expected time because we all believe in the game.

Realistically, games would normally be canned during such a long development period but, well, it's a damn good game and people have been able to see that throughout its development.

With such a long development time, doesn't the game look dated now?

Gard: Not at all - we did do a major graphic update to it this year, as the graphics were originally started back in the 1990s! Galleon has a specific style, a look and feel that ages well. And, of course, what makes Galleon good isn't the looks, it's the gameplay.

Is this the game you set out to make at the beginning, or have you had to sacrifice some of your more outlandish ideas?

Gard: No, no sacrificing. In fact, it's turned out a lot better than I expected simply because the length of time it's taken has given us the chance to iteratively improve it. When some members of the team have been the bottlenecks, others have been left with the freedom to simply improve on what's already there.

We understand you're aiming to release the game in early 2004, round about March or April. With release dates coming and going over the years, is this a realistic final release date? Also, can you tell us what formats the game will be released on?

Gard: It is realistic. SCi has taken on Galleon because it's basically finished already. All we've been waiting on is someone to help us make sure we've fixed all those last, hard to find bugs and then physically publish the game. Galleon will also be on Xbox only.

Okay, so tell us why we should still be excited about Galleon - what kind of features does the game have that will blow people away?

Gard:Galleon has pretty cool storyline. Its got very varied levels, filled with a good deal of exciting set pieces, puzzles and battles. It has a very fresh feel, since the control system offers a unique freedom to move around the levels. It's got some really fun group fighting, boss fights unlike any boss fights you've seen before and some pretty cool kung fu moves.

There are also other characters who join your team during your adventure, characters who have their own special abilities, strengths and weaknesses. To sum up - romance, adventure, sword fighting and giant monsters. What more could anyone want?

As the creator of Tomb Raider, is there a recognisably "Lara-esque" quality to the central character Captain Rhama, or are you trying to disassociate yourself from your previous character?

Gard: I think the two characters are very different. Where I saw Lara as a strong silent type, Rhama is much more at ease with himself and more of a swashbuckler, so he gets to talk a lot more than she did. Rhama is more of a tongue-in-cheek character, as you'd expect from someone who comes from the Errol Flynn school of cool, but he's played quite straight.

Overall he's a bit less of a cliché than the usual breed of monosyllabic heroes.

How important is the story to the game?

Gard: It is crucial. The design of each island is integrated into the storytelling and the dialogue at every level. Pretty much all of the challenges in Galleon are given a reason to be there through the story. Plus of course, it's part of the reason for wanting to carry on playing - the wish to know what happens next.

What's the single most enjoyable aspect about the way Galleon plays?

Gard:For me it's the whole speed and acrobatic nature of the main character, all the crazy moves that he effortlessly pulls off, and the total freedom to clamber, climb and vault over anything you can see. Perhaps that's just the explorer in me.

Also, I suppose on a more disturbing note, I do like throwing bad guys off cliffs and hearing them scream as they disappear into the distance, waving their little arms and legs about. Bless them.

Do you have concerns that this far down the line, people have lost interest?

Gard: If someone has already decided they aren't interested, the best we can hope to do is try to convince them to actually try the game before judging it.

Anything else you want to tell us about the game?

Gard: I'm still having fun playing Galleon after five years. I think that says a lot.

What's Confounding Factor's future once Galleon is in the bag?

Gard: Rest and party.

So have you got any more ideas for gaming extravaganzas?

Gard: More ideas than time, it seems.