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Episodic is right. The original 12-part Watchmen graphic novel -- considered one of the top 100 novels of all time, according to Time Magazine -- is, as most of you know, finally making its way to movie theaters in March 2009, courtesy of 300 director Zack Snyder and scripted by David Hayter and Alex Tse. Of more immediate interest to gamers, though, is the news that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will release, in videogame form, the prequel to the Watchmen comic/film, on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. However, separating Watchmen -- which is a third-person action game -- from the typical licensed movie crossover videogame adaptation is the fact that all three versions will arrive in episodic, downloadable fashion, via Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and the usual but-yet-to-be-determined sources for PC game distribution like Steam.
The main question Watchmen fans might be asking themselves is how do you make an action game out of a graphic novel with little action? The answer is simple when you realize that, as a prequel, Watchmen (the game) dials back the years to when the game's dual, playable characters, Rorschach and Nite Owl, are younger, trimmer, more physically fit versions of their older, graphic novel counterparts. In the demo we saw behind closed doors at E3, both Rorschach and Nite Owl were playable, either as a single-player game with an A.I. partner (whichever character you're not playing as is controlled by the CPU), or as a co-op split-screen venture. Since the game takes place before the time in the graphic novel when superheroes were outlawed, it allows both characters to do what they do best, which is fight crime.
Developed by Deadline Games (Chili Con Carnage, Faith and a .45), Watchmen puts both Rorschach and Nite Owl on the streets in a game set exclusively at night, when most of the nation's crime takes place. Bloody and brutal, the level of punishment that the game's heroes dish out is aimed squarely at a Mature-rating, just as the film adaptation will be rated R. "We're bringing the Watchmen universe to gamers in a distinct episodic game revealing action and combat for a great overall experience for fans," said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "The team is working to develop a high-quality game story as well as match the outstanding visual style of the film." When a punk takes a knock on the chin, blood spills out of his mouth as Rorschach and Nite Owl use their unique, individual moves. Rorschach, being the feral, loose cannon that he is, is more of a dirty street fighter, who'll use anything at his disposal (including some psychotic special moves, like his signature lighter and spray can combination) to clear the area. Nite Owl, by comparison, is a finesse fighter, using martial arts, his utility belt, and electricity attacks to handle the city's most wanted. Gamers playing cooperatively will find plenty of puzzle-solving elements that require two sets of hands to complete.
While no assets were released to coincide with Watchmen's announcement, having seen the game first-hand we can definitely say that it's worthy of being a now-generation game, with a lavish, fully realized night-time city, filled with steamy sewer grates, great lighting effects, convincing Gotham-esque architecture, hazy neon signs, and some torrential rain effects. Rorschach looks appropriately unnerving, with a crouched stance when in fighting mode, while Nite Owl clearly has better posture, almost like C3-PO in an owl mask. When the action hits the fan, both characters are ready to rumble.
If you're wondering who could possibly replace the much-revered Alan Moore in the scripting department -- as the story is the lynchpin upon which the whole Watchmen experience pivots -- comic fans will be glad to know that respected comic veteran, Len Wein (co-creator of DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Wolverine characters), is on board to provide the dialogue, while original Watchmen illustrator, Dave Gibbons, is lending his insights as the game's advisor. Due out around the same time as the film's theatrical release, the Watchmen game will be released in multiple parts designed to lead the player up to the graphic novel/film's events. We'll have more on this intriguing new release as it becomes available.
The main question Watchmen fans might be asking themselves is how do you make an action game out of a graphic novel with little action? The answer is simple when you realize that, as a prequel, Watchmen (the game) dials back the years to when the game's dual, playable characters, Rorschach and Nite Owl, are younger, trimmer, more physically fit versions of their older, graphic novel counterparts. In the demo we saw behind closed doors at E3, both Rorschach and Nite Owl were playable, either as a single-player game with an A.I. partner (whichever character you're not playing as is controlled by the CPU), or as a co-op split-screen venture. Since the game takes place before the time in the graphic novel when superheroes were outlawed, it allows both characters to do what they do best, which is fight crime.
Developed by Deadline Games (Chili Con Carnage, Faith and a .45), Watchmen puts both Rorschach and Nite Owl on the streets in a game set exclusively at night, when most of the nation's crime takes place. Bloody and brutal, the level of punishment that the game's heroes dish out is aimed squarely at a Mature-rating, just as the film adaptation will be rated R. "We're bringing the Watchmen universe to gamers in a distinct episodic game revealing action and combat for a great overall experience for fans," said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "The team is working to develop a high-quality game story as well as match the outstanding visual style of the film." When a punk takes a knock on the chin, blood spills out of his mouth as Rorschach and Nite Owl use their unique, individual moves. Rorschach, being the feral, loose cannon that he is, is more of a dirty street fighter, who'll use anything at his disposal (including some psychotic special moves, like his signature lighter and spray can combination) to clear the area. Nite Owl, by comparison, is a finesse fighter, using martial arts, his utility belt, and electricity attacks to handle the city's most wanted. Gamers playing cooperatively will find plenty of puzzle-solving elements that require two sets of hands to complete.
While no assets were released to coincide with Watchmen's announcement, having seen the game first-hand we can definitely say that it's worthy of being a now-generation game, with a lavish, fully realized night-time city, filled with steamy sewer grates, great lighting effects, convincing Gotham-esque architecture, hazy neon signs, and some torrential rain effects. Rorschach looks appropriately unnerving, with a crouched stance when in fighting mode, while Nite Owl clearly has better posture, almost like C3-PO in an owl mask. When the action hits the fan, both characters are ready to rumble.
If you're wondering who could possibly replace the much-revered Alan Moore in the scripting department -- as the story is the lynchpin upon which the whole Watchmen experience pivots -- comic fans will be glad to know that respected comic veteran, Len Wein (co-creator of DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Wolverine characters), is on board to provide the dialogue, while original Watchmen illustrator, Dave Gibbons, is lending his insights as the game's advisor. Due out around the same time as the film's theatrical release, the Watchmen game will be released in multiple parts designed to lead the player up to the graphic novel/film's events. We'll have more on this intriguing new release as it becomes available.
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