We recently had the chance to talk to American McGee about his upcoming game Scrapland. The game has you controlling D-Tritus, an intergalactic traveler who finds himself involved in a series of mysterious murders committed in a world where death had been previously unheard of. With the ability to transform into any of 15 character types each with their own unique powers and the skill to pilot hundreds of gunships found in the game, D-Tritus attempts to solve this murderous conspiracy plaguing the city of Chimera.

GamingNexus: Can you provide a brief synopsis of the game?
American McGee: Scrapland is a film noir murder mystery set in a world full of robots. The story revolves around a reluctant hero that manages to save the world, get the girl, and ride off into the sunset… The story explores themes of mortality, heroism, and greed. The gameplay is classic action/adventure with a couple of cool twists thrown in such as being able to assume the identity of any character you encounter. This means that the player can overcome obstacles in a multitude of creative ways.


GamingNexus: What was the inspiration for the look of the game?
American McGee: lead designer Enric Alvarez sites many influences and inspirations such as fiction author stanslaw lem and movies such as blade runner and the 5th element. Many of the narrative influences center on tales that concern the human condition as experienced in machines. These ideas have been stewing in Enric’s head for quite some time. The game has been in development for over two years.

GamingNexus:What do you think Scrapland has that will differentiate it from the other games on the market?
American McGee: The story, art style, and gameplay really set the game apart from others. The story because when you finish it you’ll walk away feeling like you’ve just read a great novel or seen an epic film. It is rare that games provide this sort of narrative depth. Next is the art style, which is truly unique and stunning. Finally the game play. We did our best to present the player with an entertainment experience first and foremost. That means that the frustration level is much lower than your traditional video game. Scrapland is an entertainment experience first and a video game second.

GamingNexus:What kinds of game play can users expect?
American McGee: There’s a little something for everyone. Game play ranges from traditional 3rd person action adventure story based mission solving to ship building, piloting, racing, and combat. The ability of the player to switch instantly between different character types means that traditional story driven mission elements can now be solved in a multitude of different ways.

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