F.E.A.R. Extraction Point Interview
Written by Charles Husemann on 10/5/2006 for
PC
More On:
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point
F.E.A.R. was one of the more innovative FPS games to come out last year. The blend of sci-fi and horror combined with some of the most intense combat on a beautiful new engine made it an instant hit. Almost a year later the expansion pack for the game is due out and we had a chance to talk with the producer of the game about what we can expect to see in the upcoming expansion pack.
GamingNexus: Can you introduce yourself and explain your role on the project? How long have you been in the game industry and how did you get started working on games?
Tim Hall, producer, Vivendi Games Universal. I’ve been in the industry for 11 years and started working in QA.
GamingNexus: Why the decision to go the expansion pack route vs. just starting on FEAR 2?
Tim Hall: The expansion pack allowed us to have the next installment of F.E.A.R. ready for this year and while it is an expansion pack it’s a long one.
GamingNexus: Can you give us a brief synopsis of the plot of the expansion pack?
Tim Hall: Extraction Point begins where F.E.A.R. left off with you on the helicopter getting out of the city. Needless to say everything goes horribly wrong and you are placed right back in the thick of it.
GamingNexus: How long after the first game does this take place? Can we assume that Alma survived and is not particularly happy?
Tim Hall: Extraction Point kicks off around 27 seconds after the first game ended. Alma is back and as much fun as ever but there are also a few new things you need to be afraid of.
GamingNexus: Is the new content exclusive to the expansion pack or will some of it be making its way to the Xbox 360 and PS3 ports of the game?
Tim Hall: Extraction Point is currently PC only.
GamingNexus: One of the few criticisms about the original game was the lack of different environments. Will there be any new environments or will the expansion pack continue the warehouse/office space theme?
Tim Hall: We did listen to the criticisms of the first game and we have several new environments in Extraction Point.
GamingNexus: Can you give us a count on the number of new weapons, levels, and any new powers that are in the game?
Tim Hall: All of the levels are new and we have 3 new weapons including a turret based grenade, a laser rifle and a minigun that really makes a mess of everything in it’s way.
GamingNexus: One of the great features about F.E.A.R was excellent AI. Enemies would take cover behind sofas, vending machines, etc. Have you tweaked the AI at all or is it the same core AI that was in the original game?
Tim Hall: We have done some more tweaking to the AI so they are even more proactive about getting into position to take you out and to stay alive.
GamingNexus: Will there be any new multiplayer modes or maps or is the focus strictly on the single player side?
Tim Hall: Since we did just release F.E.A.R. Combat, the online multiplayer component of F.E.A.R., for free we wanted to keep this as just an expansion of the single player game. We have also been updating the multiplayer side of things all along with new maps and gameplay modes so if you haven’t played yet go and check it out.
GamingNexus: Will the expansion pack only be sold in stores or are you considering digital distribution as well?
Tim Hall: Extraction Point will be sold just the same as F.E.A.R. so look for it in stores and through digital distribution as well.
GamingNexus: F.E.A.R. had some great creepy horror moments, will Extraction Point continue that? What was your favorite horror moment from the original game?
Tim Hall: I was a big fan of all the little jumpy things like turning around and having someone in front of you. Those little scares keep you on your toes all the way through.
GamingNexus: You recently released a demo for the expansion pack which is kind of a rarity, why did you release the demo and how has the reaction been so far? Any good tips on killing the creepy invisible things at the end of the demo?
Tim Hall: Well we wanted people to know that we were coming out with the expansion pack and a demo seamed like the best way to do it. Extraction Point is also a pretty big expansion so we weren’t giving too much away with the demo.
The Shadow Creatures are pretty tough to kill. Personally I find that I can see them better with some dust kicked up so I like to fire off a few rounds ahead of me so I can see them coming. Slo-mo also helps if you’re too scared to aim straight.
We’d like to thank Tim for taking the time to answer our questions and to Stephanie for hooking us up with the interview.
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
About Author
Hi, my name is Charles Husemann and I've been gaming for longer than I care to admit. For me it's always been about competing and a burning off stress. It started off simply enough with Choplifter and Lode Runner on the Apple //e, then it was the curse of Tank and Yars Revenge on the 2600. The addiction subsided somewhat until I went to college where dramatic decreases in my GPA could be traced to the release of X:Com and Doom. I was a Microsoft Xbox MVP from 2009 to 2014. I currently own stock in Microsoft, AMD, and nVidia.
