Dark Summit Q&A
We talk to the brain behind Dark Summit--Radical Entertainment's Justin Sheffield. Get the skinny on this exciting game.
Snowboarding games, as a whole, tend to focus on the actual mechanics of the sport. Seldom is the human drama involved in this crazy pursuit ever touched upon in any real way. EA's SSX briefly explores the rivalries and interactions that occur between people on the slopes, but the story behind their motives for actually being on the snow to begin with is left untouched.
Radical Entertainment's Dark Summit, though, wants to alter this a bit. Heavily driven by a lighthearted adventure narrative, the game blends the tight snowboarding gameplay, which has become Radical's trademark, with quite an oddball tale. As the Sassy boarder Naya, you have to brave the snowy slopes of the mysterious Mt. Garrick in a quest to rid the once-fair park grounds of a nefarious ranger with some very dark plans. Along the way, she'll encounter a great many people, a few of which will end up helping her.
Of course, the game's foundation is in trick-based snowboarding, and luckily, the foundation is solid indeed. The game's control scheme is based on that of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and its level of intuitiveness shows. The game looks great, moreover, easily on par with the best that its competitors have to offer. In any event, we managed to get some Q&A time with the game's lead designer, Justin Sheffield, who answered some of our more prominent questions about the game. See what he had to say.
GameSpot: Why the urge to create a narrative-driven snowboarding game? Care to mention any particular sources for the actual story's inspiration?
Justin Sheffield: Dark Summit was a story that simply had to be told. It may sound strange, but this is a snowboarding game based on everything from The X-Files to Apocalypse Now, Scooby-Doo to Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother.
GS: In terms of the world's layout, how will it differ from recent games in the snowboarding category? What types of games would you say served as sources for this type of design?
JS: Building on our architecture from MTV Sports: Pure Ride, we developed a wide, expansive world. We're all about exploration, secret trails, and back roads--not narrow rails. Not to mention the fact that a once pristine mountain resort is going to hell--heavy construction equipment, surveillance facilities, even tanks are littered over Mt. Garrick's slopes.
GS: How will players measure their progression?
JS: As Naya progresses on her quest to save Mt. Garrick, you'll gain lift points by completing challenges. Lift points are the currency that will unlock further chairlifts and runs on the mountain. You'll also get equipment points for completing tricks. These will get you new gear packs to improve your performance, along with some cool new outfits.
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