One of the new trends emerging in the first-person-shooter genre is the attempt to bust out of the linear gameplay found in many games. While fun, these types of games basically take you on a tightly controlled roller coaster ride. But there are a slew of shooters on the horizon that aim to combine action with role-playing to give you more control over your destiny. Interestingly, many of these games, such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Boiling Point, hail from Russia and the Ukraine. Such is also the case with Vivisector: Beast Inside, an upcoming Ukrainian-designed action game that will place you on a mysterious Pacific island surrounded by the mutant army of a twisted scientific genius. To get the details on Vivisector, we caught up with Valentine Yeltyshev, the game's PR manager.

When science runs amok, we get animal-human hybrids!

GameSpot: Can you give us a brief overview of what Vivisector is about? How is the game different from a typical first-person shooter?

Valentine Yeltyshev: Vivisector is about human relationships, only veiled under animal muzzles. It differs from other games through its storyline. The story will not only join the events that happen onscreen, but it will also let the player make choices and draw his or her own conclusions. Playing the game will make you feel like you're watching a film, but with one exception: interactivity.

GS: Tell us about the game's story, which, as we understand it, was inspired in part by H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau. Why did you decide to use this unusual premise, and what does it add to the game?

VY: The game starts on a forgotten volcanic island in the Pacific, where the evil genius Dr. Morhead conducts his experiments. His line of investigation was the creation of humanlike soldiers with high intellect and animal aggressiveness. This resulted in several kinds of monsters being created. In the game, you will encounter an unpredictable story of friendship, betrayal, and the consequences of a madman's uncontrolled activity. The different endings will surprise the player. As for the inspiration, we are fond of Wells' works in general and, of course, The Island of Dr. Moreau inspired a game about half-human beasts that possibly possess souls.

GS: Tell us about the game's structure and pacing. Is Vivisector intended to be a straightforward, action-packed shooter, or will there be adventure elements, such as puzzles and character interaction, or role-playing elements, like character advancement?

Vivisector features Black Hawk helicopters, Pacific islands, and mutants, but it's a far cry from standard games.

VY: Vivisector could be classified as a story-driven action shooter with role-playing elements. It features simple adventure elements such as puzzles and non-player character interaction. Also, you are free to choose the route to the next checkpoint, as long as you're on a huge, open level. This will allow for exploration and extra experience that can be used to improve your character. It's all part of our role-playing system. Your skills are divided into personal ones, such as speed and health, and weapons mastering. You can improve your skills by using experience. The game has more than one ending, so everything depends on your actions and decisions.