Chat Interface: Luna Cruz of Anino Games
Written by: Glenn Ituriaga and Mary Anne Plaza
Publication: Starcade
Date published: Circa 2007
[Image: Game screenshot.]
Once again, the Filipino is trailblazing the way to paths of great opportunities. In the gaming sphere, local game developer Anino Entertainment has unveiled an upcoming unique RPG title for the Xbox 360. Code-named "Project Phoenix", this sci-fi cyberpunk RPG deviates from the usual tried-and-tested formula of RPGs as it explores this genre. Starcade recently talked to Anino's Producer, Luna Cruz, to learn more about this smashing new title.
Starcade: What is "Project Phoenix" all about?
Luna Cruz: Project Phoenix is an RPG set in the dark future.
Story - Inspired by cyberpunk, Project Phoenix is set in a North American megacity called Xenon. It's a dark future full of corruption and oppression from the megacorporations who control the city. Our heroine is Sara Calyx, the best hacker in the underground, who was set up and caught by a megacorporation. They offered her a deal - she agreed to become a cybernetic agent for the megacorp.
Genre - Project Phoenix is a role-playing game, still rooted in the traditional stat-based RPGs we know and love, but the action will be faster and more exciting than other RPGs.
Gameplay - Project Phoenix features open-ended gameplay, with randomly generated missions and several factions (like ‘sides' in a story) to choose from. Sara's cybernetics give her abilities never before seen in an RPG - she can jump up and over buildings, attack multiple enemies at once and on different levels (ground, vehicles, air), and has a wide arsenal of weapons and skills to choose from. Instead of magic, we have ‘nanites' (small microscopic robots that manipulate the basic building blocks of matter) and she can use these nanites to form spectacular attacks, like missile attacks, area of effect attacks, status effects, etc. There is plenty of customization, from weapons and armor to clothes and cybernetic parts.
Interface - We're trying to make the interface as intuitive as possible, especially because we're targeting it to be on consoles as well. Nanites and weapons can be accessed/switched instantly so your gameplay will be seamless.
Characters - Sara will have different factions that she can align allegiance with, from megacorporations to the rebels/hackers in the underground. The story is not yet finalized at this point (as we're only in pre-production, experimenting with gameplay ideas) but we're going to create memorable non-player characters that RPG fans will like.
SC: What was the inspiration behind the game?
[Image: Game screenshot.]
L: Anino Games has always loved RPGs and during production on Timothy and Titus, we started to come up with an idea for the next big RPG. We also wanted to break away from the traditional setting of RPGs (medieval or fantasy) and come up with something more modern and cool.
SC: What sets Project Phoenix apart from other console titles? What are its unique features?
L: Project Phoenix is an RPG at its core; it's stat-based, story-driven, with open-ended gameplay and a large immersive world. But we've never seen an RPG that lets the player be this powerful. Gone are the burdens of clunky armor and slow attacks. Phoenix lets you become a being of power - jump tall buildings instead of being limited by doors and fences, defeat several opponents in split-second attacks instead of having long wait time in between, explore multi-tiered worlds vertically and not just horizontally, etc. Plus, it's set in a dark future, cyberpunk-inspired - this is something new to experience in an RPG.
SC: What about its technical aspects? Is the A.I. and 3D engine exclusive from Anino? Are there previous games that we can use as "pegs" or "inspiration" for us to visualize Project Phoenix' scope?
[Image: Game screenshot.]
L: As we're still in pre-production, we're using middleware. There are different games with similar aspects to us but no one game that you can use as a peg. The mood is something like the films Blade Runner and Ghost In The Shell, combat and navigation are like the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and maybe part Devil May Cry, the open-ended world can be something like the Grand Theft Auto series.
SC: When is Project Phoenix' expected release date? Who are its target market? I've noticed in one of the screenshots that there's an American icon in it (Vote someone for president beside a US flag). Does that mean that this game has a global/western target? Will a special edition be available to us Pinoys?
L: We don't have an expected release date as this will be a long-term project. It's definitely targeted towards an international market. What we've learned from our first game is that Filipinos purchase pirated games even if they're made by fellow Filipinos. It's pretty disappointing, so we can no longer only target the local market.
SC: What do you hope to expect with Anino's foray into the big, brutal world of consoles?
L: We expect the competition to be tough, but that's why we're here - to make amazing games that we also love to play. And we're pretty harsh critics ourselves.
SC: What are Anino Entertainment's other plans in game development this year?
L: We might be working on smaller game projects throughout the year.
SC: A final fanboy question: will there be any further spin-offs planned for Anino's legendary Anito series?
L: Besides the two mobile games (Anito: Tersiago's Wrath and Anito: Call of the Land) we have already, you mean? None at the moment, but we never know. (smiles)
Interview by Glenn Ituriaga and Mary Anne Plaza
Once again, the Filipino is trailblazing the way to paths of great opportunities. In the gaming sphere, local game developer Anino Entertainment has unveiled an upcoming unique RPG title for the Xbox 360. Code-named "Project Phoenix", this sci-fi cyberpunk RPG deviates from the usual tried-and-tested formula of RPGs as it explores this genre. Starcade recently talked to Anino's Producer, Luna Cruz, to learn more about this smashing new title.
Starcade: What is "Project Phoenix" all about?
Luna Cruz: Project Phoenix is an RPG set in the dark future.
Story - Inspired by cyberpunk, Project Phoenix is set in a North American megacity called Xenon. It's a dark future full of corruption and oppression from the megacorporations who control the city. Our heroine is Sara Calyx, the best hacker in the underground, who was set up and caught by a megacorporation. They offered her a deal - she agreed to become a cybernetic agent for the megacorp.
Genre - Project Phoenix is a role-playing game, still rooted in the traditional stat-based RPGs we know and love, but the action will be faster and more exciting than other RPGs.
Gameplay - Project Phoenix features open-ended gameplay, with randomly generated missions and several factions (like ‘sides' in a story) to choose from. Sara's cybernetics give her abilities never before seen in an RPG - she can jump up and over buildings, attack multiple enemies at once and on different levels (ground, vehicles, air), and has a wide arsenal of weapons and skills to choose from. Instead of magic, we have ‘nanites' (small microscopic robots that manipulate the basic building blocks of matter) and she can use these nanites to form spectacular attacks, like missile attacks, area of effect attacks, status effects, etc. There is plenty of customization, from weapons and armor to clothes and cybernetic parts.
Interface - We're trying to make the interface as intuitive as possible, especially because we're targeting it to be on consoles as well. Nanites and weapons can be accessed/switched instantly so your gameplay will be seamless.
Characters - Sara will have different factions that she can align allegiance with, from megacorporations to the rebels/hackers in the underground. The story is not yet finalized at this point (as we're only in pre-production, experimenting with gameplay ideas) but we're going to create memorable non-player characters that RPG fans will like.
SC: What was the inspiration behind the game?
[Image: Game screenshot.]
L: Anino Games has always loved RPGs and during production on Timothy and Titus, we started to come up with an idea for the next big RPG. We also wanted to break away from the traditional setting of RPGs (medieval or fantasy) and come up with something more modern and cool.
SC: What sets Project Phoenix apart from other console titles? What are its unique features?
L: Project Phoenix is an RPG at its core; it's stat-based, story-driven, with open-ended gameplay and a large immersive world. But we've never seen an RPG that lets the player be this powerful. Gone are the burdens of clunky armor and slow attacks. Phoenix lets you become a being of power - jump tall buildings instead of being limited by doors and fences, defeat several opponents in split-second attacks instead of having long wait time in between, explore multi-tiered worlds vertically and not just horizontally, etc. Plus, it's set in a dark future, cyberpunk-inspired - this is something new to experience in an RPG.
SC: What about its technical aspects? Is the A.I. and 3D engine exclusive from Anino? Are there previous games that we can use as "pegs" or "inspiration" for us to visualize Project Phoenix' scope?
[Image: Game screenshot.]
L: As we're still in pre-production, we're using middleware. There are different games with similar aspects to us but no one game that you can use as a peg. The mood is something like the films Blade Runner and Ghost In The Shell, combat and navigation are like the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and maybe part Devil May Cry, the open-ended world can be something like the Grand Theft Auto series.
SC: When is Project Phoenix' expected release date? Who are its target market? I've noticed in one of the screenshots that there's an American icon in it (Vote someone for president beside a US flag). Does that mean that this game has a global/western target? Will a special edition be available to us Pinoys?
L: We don't have an expected release date as this will be a long-term project. It's definitely targeted towards an international market. What we've learned from our first game is that Filipinos purchase pirated games even if they're made by fellow Filipinos. It's pretty disappointing, so we can no longer only target the local market.
SC: What do you hope to expect with Anino's foray into the big, brutal world of consoles?
L: We expect the competition to be tough, but that's why we're here - to make amazing games that we also love to play. And we're pretty harsh critics ourselves.
SC: What are Anino Entertainment's other plans in game development this year?
L: We might be working on smaller game projects throughout the year.
SC: A final fanboy question: will there be any further spin-offs planned for Anino's legendary Anito series?
L: Besides the two mobile games (Anito: Tersiago's Wrath and Anito: Call of the Land) we have already, you mean? None at the moment, but we never know. (smiles)
Interview by Glenn Ituriaga and Mary Anne Plaza