Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Producer Q&A

By Staff, GameSpotPosted Jul 6, 2007 5:03 pm PT

Spark Unlimited's Dean Martinetti talks to us about this alternative reality shooter set in Nazi-occupied America.

Official Trailer

The Nazis commence their invasion of America in this action-packed trailer.

Currently scheduled for release toward the end of this year, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is a first-person shooter set in an alternate universe where Winston Churchill, after being hit by a cab in New York in the early '30s, died long before he had a chance to rise to power. In Turning Point's version of events, the Nazis have already overrun Europe and, as the game gets under way, they're launching an offensive on the United States of America. To find out more about this intriguing premise and the gameplay that will complement it, we got in touch with Turning Point: Fall of Liberty's producer, Dean Martinetti of Spark Unlimited.

GameSpot: What gave you guys the idea for a World War II-style game set on American soil?

Dean Martinetti: The original idea spawned from our old design director Eric Church. We took a lot of what he had and reworked it, but kept a few key elements such as Churchill dying in NYC and therefore not making the speech that set the war on fire. It was a cause-and-effect kind of thing. If he is not there to spearhead the resistance from the UK and the US...then none of those things (Pearl Harbor, D-day, and so on) would have taken place.

GS: What sources did you draw on and what factors did you consider when crafting Turning Point: Fall of Liberty's version of history? Formulating a historical "what if" scenario can be a tricky business.

DM: We did a "what if" scenario, as you say... We took a look back at key elements in the war (Churchill dying, let's say) and said, "Well if this happened then this would not have happened, which means this other thing would not have happened." And then we said to ourselves, "What would have happened?" It wasn't really tricky because we are making a video game, not actually changing real history, so you have more room for things that could be "sorta" plausible... Follow?

New York City is already in trouble when the game gets underway.

GS: For the history buffs out there, which major figures of World War II will figure prominently into the game's plotline? Did any of the war's famous, or infamous, players survive longer in your timeline than in the real one?

DM: Due to license restraints, none, I'm afraid. But, we do have people in Turning Point: Fall of Liberty who are their "what if" counterparts to the famous chaps you are thinking about.

GS: We've previously seen the game's opening level, set in New York City. What other areas of the United States will we be seeing invaded?

DM: NYC and Washington are in the game; we wanted more but the schedule didn't allow for it. If the game does well and we get the blessing to do a sequel...well, hell...there are a ton of things we can do for the sequel we could not do on the first...

GS: How did you come up with the designs for weapons, equipment, uniforms, and so on that we'll see in the game?

DM: We took the actual WWII weapons and again added a "what if" to them. What would the Germans have done to advance their weapon tech? What did they actually have in R&D? We did find information that is now public domain on German technology and the things they wanted to create. Some of it was just amazing, even for today...just stunning. And a lot of it actually worked--they just never got a chance to use it. Which to that I can only say...thank God!

GS: So you've got a unique, historical context. How will Turning Point: Fall of Liberty set itself apart from other WWII shooters in purely mechanical terms?

DM: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty has fewer calories than your normal shooter, chicks dig it, and it stays crunchy...even in milk. But beyond our totally unique vision of WWII, and alternate history, and updated Germany weapons and vehicles, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty also has a unique new grappling system. Since you aren't part of this super invading freedom force in our game, players are always outmanned, outgunned, and need to rely on hand-to-hand combat in order to save ammunition. It also looks pretty sweet when you bust a German soldier up with your mitts, take his gun from him, then take him hostage and use him as a human shield while you mow down other German soldiers...just for example.

GS: How are you making use of Epic's Unreal 3 engine? Any nifty new technology you're bringing to the fore?

DM: Wait...we're using Unreal 3? I thought we were using the Tetris engine! Actually, I'd rather not say anything other than the fact that we are under the hood a lot and we have done a few things.

Many of the weapons and vehicles are more advanced versions of those used in WWII.

GS: What can you tell us about Turning Point: Fall of Liberty's multiplayer features?

DM: There are two core gameplay modes in Turning Point: Fall of Liberty's multiplayer. There's deathmatch and team deathmatch. The idea is to make more available via XBL and the PS3 store later on down the line. Who knows...only the people can dictate what will happen. If the game is received well...we will keep making content.

GS: We've heard that Turning Point: Fall of Liberty will feature a grappling system of some sort. What can you tell us about that?

DM: Wait...who told you that? I want names and home addresses. Actually, I kind of got into the grappling system a bit above. Short version is that you're going to have to use hand-to-hand combat more in our game than any other WWII game out there. And aside of just fistfighting Germans until you win, we've also got a few places in the game where you can use the surrounding environment to your advantage, like throwing a guy off a rooftop, or sliding somebody across a kitchen table and down a trash shoot, and so on.

GS: Since you're not going to be playing as a soldier per se, will you be spending the entire game fighting solo, or will you ever get to team up with Allied forces?

DM: In Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, you play as Dan Carson, a reluctant NYC construction worker turned US resistance fighter. As you progress through the game, you'll meet people along the way that are like you...regular folks. Like them, you just want to survive, so you may work together for a bit. But like typical human beings, they won't stick around. No one knows if you are going to make it. You are just a regular guy surviving on instinct. So they may break off at some point, or die, or stay where they are after you fight together. It's totally about survival. Everyone is in it for themselves. It sounds horrible, but it's not really. You do what you can to survive... So do the NPCs in our game. They will stick with you as long as they think you have what it takes to get them out alive. The minute you do something that seems a bit risky...they will leave you.

GS: Thanks for your time.

174 Comments

  • vicsrealms

    Posted Feb 24, 2008 10:38 am PT

    Actually, I think Hitler was more of the reason that they lost the war. If he had stayed in the background and left the war to his generals (they pay these men for a reason), he probably wouldn't have made the mistakes he did. Going to war with Russia, while you are already in a war with the US and the UK isn't the smartest move ever. Keeping Russia on his side for a little longer would have given him more time, which would have allowed some of the newer technology a chance to shine. His troops were well trained, and far better equipped then the US and UK. So, they could have solidified their hold on the territory taken and neither country would have been able to do a thing about it. After a while, the UK would have fallen and the US would have been a side note. Also, Pearl Harbor didn't help matters and neither did the attack on civilian vessels. Keeping the Japanese in check would have pretty much kept us out of the war. Hitting Pearl Harbor was a stupid move, as the US was pretty much a sleeping giant back then. We would have stayed out of the war until the Japanese pissed us off.

  • Gasconyman

    Posted Jan 25, 2008 12:10 am PT

    according to what I know Nazies lost the war for two reasons: first betrayal of Italy and the breath taking cold in Russia. otherwise if the Russia's cold weather had not stopped them we would probably be speaking German right now.
    The Russia lost 10 000 people. I think everybody know about the battle of Leningrad.

  • Robert9650

    Posted Dec 3, 2007 4:00 pm PT

    I think the game will be great, and I bet it will be a good buy, as it is something different because most WWII games are mainly based on the actual battles and those get kind of boring since they've made several games like that. That's why I think this game will be great, as it is alternate history WWII. I say it pwns other WWII games.

  • magicguy17

    Posted Nov 26, 2007 10:28 am PT

    This sounds like a great game but some of you need to read "World War 2 the rest of the story and how it effects you today" yes that is the title it is a mouth full but the Germans could not have won world war 2. The war was just two countries verses the whole world. for more info read that book the book. I sure hope the game will be good though. After all it is not every game that takes places in America. P.S. READ THAT BOOK
    P.P.S. Vote Ron Pull

  • Jimborious

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 12:40 am PT

    This may only be fiction but it actually comes close to what could have happened.

    The idea that the war in europe would have been lost because of Churchill's death isn't that far fetched. The main reason us Brits continued to fight the Nazi's was because Churchill convinced the war cabinet that it was the right thing to do. Image if we had't fought and had capitulated, the Nazi's would have ruled the vast majority of europe and with no other fronts to consider could have thrown their full force at Russia, probably beating them. With the rescources available they would have ramped up thier R'n'D programs considerably, considering that they had combat operational jet fighters in 1944 and only months behind the Americans in the A bomb race image what they would have had if they'd had 4 or 5 years in which to focus all their energies on preparing to invade America without any other fronts to deal with?

    Just speculation though seeing as how they got spanked. Oh yeah the game looks pretty sweet too.

  • PHeMoX

    Posted Jul 18, 2007 5:27 pm PT

    ** u guys should read the overview more carefully: IT'S ONLY FICTION! In an alternate history, anything can happen! some of u ppl sound like it's still in our universe, but IT IS NOT!
    Note: this comment is directed at anyone and everyone who is arguing about whether or not Ger. can invade the US. **

    May I remind you that although it's a fictional reinvention of history, that anything is possible as long as there's a future? I'm not claiming there will be a future invasion by Germany into the US, because I wouldn't see why that would happen. Still it's one of the properties of future to not yet have happened, and all I'm saying is that the fictional reality isn't that different from the real reality in terms of what might happen whenever or where-ever...

    ** I saw this game from a weblink that I got from somewhere, to me it looks "wayyy too similar" to the game Freedom Fighters by IO-Interactive by way of EA Games, in that game, the Russians take over New York and your a Plumber who needs to garner support to take back New York. **

    Freedom Fighters is a completely different game. I am biased because I actually love Freedom Fighters, but trust me these two games are not comparable, both in scale, missions, graphics and gameplay. Yeah, that makes you wonder what ís similar. In Freedom Fighters the US was invaded by Russians, not Germans. Add it all up, or substract if you like and nothing turns out to be similar.

  • DeathsAngel666

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 5:14 am PT

    What oO we can't play as a german soldier??? Damn! =(

  • HaloFanSam034

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 4:33 pm PT

    u guys should read the overview more carefully: IT'S ONLY FICTION! In an alternate history, anything can happen! some of u ppl sound like it's still in our universe, but IT IS NOT!

    Note: this comment is directed @ anyone and everyone who is arguing about whether or not Ger. can invade the US.

    - HFS034

    P.S. @ thurston: they mean trash "chute"

  • thurston

    Posted Jul 12, 2007 7:15 pm PT

    trash shoot?

  • jsb5

    Posted Jul 12, 2007 10:27 am PT

    hy this game sounds and look pretty cool.but does enybody know is it directx9 or directx10 hope i don`t have to upgrade graphics card again

  • DaMiGi22863

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 4:35 pm PT

    I saw this game from a weblink that I got from somewhere, to me it looks "wayyy too similar" to the game Freedom Fighters by IO-Interactive by way of EA Games, in that game, the Russians take over New York and your a Plumber who needs to garner support to take back New York.
    Turning Point;Taxicab Driver,Freedom Fighters;New York City Plumber, I'll pass on this one

  • klinsi

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 4:03 pm PT

    @mikep09
    Well u must thank you to Germans cuz of them, we now had a JET plane or PC or LAPTOP or any INFRA RED devices or ROCKET or much else
    Without war, the tech development will be so so so sllllllooooooowwwwwwww... Just hope that this game is not another MoH or CoD
    I am pretty boring too with that kind of game that the player became RAMBO !
    Ahhh... need another revolutionary gameplay for a WW2 FPS game (like BF42)
    What about a story about a German soldier that must go to war cuz its a citizen duty although he don't want to kill any people ?
    Thats will cause a lot of dramatic & dilemma that make a good war stories too (plus another "what if" style too)

  • JoeyPegasus

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 7:26 am PT

    Great, cant wait

  • famattjr

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 5:37 am PT

    guy gets out of taxi, overcomes the German and takes the weapon but not his magazine belt. How far is he going to get with the one clip.

  • Flamius

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 5:29 am PT

    Chelo77 German forces were larger than American just until about 1943. But yeah the main reason why the Allies succesfully invaded France was because the majority of german land and air forces were fighting russians on the other front.

  • DeadshotDavido7

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 5:27 am PT

    this is fiction, and thats all ok, but europe being taken by germany just because of churchill. PREPOSTEROUS.

  • Chelo77

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 1:40 am PT

    mikep09 the German Army was significantly larger than the US Army in WW2. The only reason the western allies were able to defeat the germans in europe was due to the fact that 3 quarters of the german force was on the eastern front (and the west's air superiority). Successfully sailing that army from Europe over to the US may be another matter though...
    Also aasvesta can you not fight as German & Japanese soldiers in Battlefield 1942???

  • gazro

    Posted Jul 11, 2007 1:05 am PT

    Great idea, why don't they make the multiplayer like bf2 with awards etc. In that city type environment it would be excellent. Imagine the battle for mount rushmore or fighting with US hover boats (the ones with the big propellers) in Florida Keys with the added hassle of Alligators. This game would also allow us to choose US or Nazi forces.

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