Parlez-Vous Omikron?

Omikron is a new 3D action-adventure game, replete with a combat system like that of Tekken 2. It's currently in development at French company Quantic Dream and is slated to be published on PCs and PlayStations by Eidos in October. We spoke with Tom Marx of Eidos to find out more about the title.

GameSpot News: How explorable is the 3D universe in Omikron? Is it anything like Batman & Robin - mostly explorable but not entirely?Tom Marx: The world of Omikron is totally explorable. The player should be able to go through every door in every part of the city. It is entirely possible for the player to practically ignore the game's objectives and just "live" his or her life in the streets of Omikron.

GSN: How can you build a completely explorable universe in a PlayStation game and still have room for Tekken 2-style fighting? What are you sacrificing in order to fit all that in?TM: Nothing! Omikron combines three "genres" of gameplay - adventure, action, and fighting - into one seamless, real-time whole. Making the transitions between modes of play as invisible as possible reinforces the cohesive feeling of participating in a "real" world.

GSN: What are the basic storyline and the adventure objective?TM: Omikron is the ultimate futuristic action-adventure 3D experience developed by the French-based Quantic Dream. Omikron's ambitious storyline and gameplay elements transcend the narrow confines of traditional genres. It has the depth of storyline of Blade Runner, the gameplay longevity and exploration of Tomb Raider, combined with numerous traditional RPG elements.

As the game begins, a plea for help draws gamers into the domed city of Omikron where they explore, discover, and fight against a hideous and ancient force that wishes to steal all the souls within this futuristic city, including your own soul! Omikron's story, environments, and character interaction are so well created and implemented that gamers may very well wonder which reality they find themselves in.

Ed: According to Quantic Dream, in the puzzle-solving parts of the game, any possible solution will work - a door can be opened, blown up, or telelported through. They call the technology behind this the IAM.

GSN: How does IAM work? How do you script for a game where any clever solution works? And how far can you take the clever solution process? Can you pull a MacGuyver and make magic out of bubble gum and paper clips? Will the game recognize anything that's physically possible as a solution?TM: IAM is a revolutionary design tool that is used to manage the entire game design process. It allows the designer to script, using a legible icon-based system, every event, condition, and consequence in the game - no matter how complex.

GSN: What will the differences be between the PC and PlayStation versions?TM: Obviously screen resolution and the D3D enhancements for the PC, but, seeing as the two versions run off identical data, the game experience should be exactly the same. It is important to us that enjoyment of the Omikron world is not limited by the player's choice of platform.

GSN: Thanks for your time Tom.