Project: Snowblind is a new futuristic first-person shooter in development for the PS2 and Xbox at Crystal Dynamics. Initially, it was rumored that the team was working on a new, console-exclusive Deus Ex title, but as it turns out, the Crystal D folks happen to be making an original game with its own flavor. We pinned down designer Zak McClendon to find out what will make this new technology-driven shooter tick.

GameSpot: What was the impetus for Project: Snowblind? How did the original concept come about?

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Zak McClendon: We're all huge fans of FPS games and we saw the chance to do something really unique. We wanted to combine the drama and large-scale battles you see in World War II FPS games with the open-ended combat and huge arsenal you see in less linear shooters. The result is a game that constantly gives the player new options, weapons, and tools to tackle overwhelming odds and come out on top.

GS: How long has the project been in development?

ZM: We finished preproduction in February, so we've been in full production for about 11 months.

GS: Does Snowblind have any actual ties to the Deus Ex series?

ZM: Warren Spector and the team at Ion Storm were amazingly helpful at an early point in the project, and much of their help and inspiration can still be seen in the huge number of weapons, abilities, and gadgets we give the player and in the multiple ways players will be able to meet the game's challenges. As the game moved forward, though, Project: Snowblind quickly evolved its own unique identity.

GS: From where did you draw inspiration for the game's world and storyline?

ZM: We've tried hard to capture the feel and heroism of the World War II era, while injecting it with sci-fi elements and a bit of the fantastic. Nathan Frost's Liberty Coalition may be a fictitious entity, but we drew inspiration from movies like Saving Private Ryan and other World War II classics to create a story that's full of character and personal heroism--it's not just about fighting.

GS: In your estimation, what makes Project: Snowblind different from other first-person shooters?

ZM: Most importantly, it's the weapons and player abilities. The sheer wealth of options available to the player at every step is amazing. At any point, Nathan Frost can have a primary weapon, a secondary thrown weapon, and an enhanced special ability, referred to as an "augmentation." Although the player will start out with some genre favorites--the shotgun, the rocket launcher, and so on--every weapon in the game offers a unique alternate fire mode, effectively doubling your arsenal. These aren't just more-powerful versions of the primary fire modes, either. The shotgun, for example, fires a sheet of sticky bombs that adhere to any target. Shoot a few of these into an enemy and watch him panic. If he runs back to his friends, you get a few extra takedowns. If he runs back your way, you'd better look out.

As you progress through the game, Frost will gain more of the futuristic weapons, like the flechette gun, which fires high-energy rounds capable of bouncing around corners, and has an alternate fire mode that shoots out an intelligent swarm of attack drones. These drones can track targets you can't even see yet and cause mass hysteria among a group of enemies. Or the HERF gun, which is effectively an electric flamethrower. Hit one target with the primary fire and it will arc to other nearby targets, causing a chain reaction that can take down a crowd in seconds. The alternate fire mode on that one is an electric mine that will stick in place and zap anyone who comes near, before eventually exploding.

The secondary weapons offer even more options. Blind your enemies with a flashbang, immobilize them with a gas grenade, or block their attacks entirely with a riot wall--a portable cover that the player can place anywhere. Once you add in the augmentations, you'll begin to see just how many options for attack and defense Project: Snowblind offers. We tried to make sure our arsenal would constantly be giving players something new to try out, and reward experimentation with unexpected results in battle.

Snowblind began under the auspices of Warren Spector but has since become a unique game with its own universe and mechanics.

The battles are another thing we're extremely proud of. We really wanted give the player actual war zones--not a continual progression of three to five enemies popping out of side passages. Project: Snowblind's large-scale battles push half a dozen friendly troops and about triple that number of enemies at any time, while maintaining a consistent frame rate.

The battles themselves are stunning, and, on the visual side, we think Snowblind really stands out from a lot of the FPS games on the market. There are a lot of gorgeous shooters out there, but almost all of them take place in the olive drabs of World War II, inside rusty space stations, or in grim dystopian futures. Snowblind's still got plenty of grit in its atmosphere, but we worked hard to ensure we choose settings and color palettes that would help the game stand out in an extremely competitive genre. Players will find themselves in such diverse locations as a makeshift military outpost built inside a Buddhist temple or a giant opera house converted into a political internment camp.