Action, Horror and Melee Combat Collide in “Shade: Wrath of Angels”

by Louis Bedigian

“We wanted to make the combat system more personable instead of relying on ranged weapons.”

Does anyone know what Hell is like?  It could be a world where all you have to eat is bugs, and all that’s on TV is Fear Factor.  It could be a world where OJ Simpson becomes president.  Or it might just be an exact replica of the world we live in today – minus the video games (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!).

Whatever it is, hopefully we’ll never have to find out.

But doesn’t mean we can’t explore a fictitious Hell, right?  I mean after all, it’s littered with demons and they’re just waiting to be slayed!  (Actually, now that I think about it, demons are already dead, so what happens to them when you kill them?  Is there another level of Hell?  Or do they just go back to where they came from?)

Is this what we can expect from Shade: Wrath of Angels – a hellish world with demons who never die?  The developers aren’t talking.  They’re keeping the story and survival horror elements a secret (apparently they think if they tell us about the scary moments they won’t be scary when they happen.  Okay, they’re right).

However, Shade’s Team Leader, Radek Volf, was happy to provide us with many gameplay details.  Just what kind of a game is this?  Read on to find out.

The game has changed a lot over the course of its development.  Recently it was announced that all firearms have been removed and replaced with melee weapons.  What sparked this change, which not only alters the look but also the gameplay style?

Radek Volf: We wanted to make the combat system more “personable” instead of relying on ranged weapons. But, that is not to say that all combat will be fought in such an in-your-face manner, the player will have a choice of how he wants to fight – and will be given a Crossbow and Desert Eagle to use – these weapons will be very useful in some situations, but in emphasis has been moved to a melee style of combat.

It is also worth noting that as well as the human weapons available to the game player – they can also change into the Demon at any time throughout the game, and this creature has some very effective magical attacks, which can deal server damage from a great distance.

Evil horses?

The story seems to be somewhat spiritual.  Whose idea was it?  Did the development team work with a writer when putting the script together?

RV: The story told in Shade: Wrath of Angels is very mysterious and spiritual. The story was written in-house and we have looked at many successful horror and action games which we have been playing for many years, and tried to take from them the essence of what makes an intriguing and imaginative story to produce a story which we hope will both entertain and scare the gamer.

Which came first, the story or the gameplay concepts?

RV: It is hard to say which one of these two came first, as they have both been developed hand in hand though the life of the game – starting with a rough outline of what we wanted the story to tell, the way we wanted to tell it and how we wanted the game to look and feel.

As we worked on the story and became more comfortable and familiar with how the characters would behave and react to situations, we then transferred that to the actual gameplay. And conversely, there where times when we developed new features in the game engine that altered how the story was told and how the characters reacted to situations.

If this guy comes to your birthday party, be afraid.

His doesn’t enjoy celebrating the birth of human life, but rather the opposite…

After coming in contact with the shadow figure, he gives the player his servant -- a Demon, which the player can morph into.  How does this work?  Are there limitations as to how long you can be a demon in the game?

RV: The Demon is the players’ servant, and is available to him at any point in the game. The Demon will be of great use to the player – possessing great strength and powerful magical attacks. But, the player will not be able to player as the Demon all the time.  While they are the Demon, a time bar (Demontime) still decreases.  If the player uses any of the Demons magical abilities, or is attacked by another character, this Demontime will reduce faster.

Once out of Demontime the player will transform back into their human form (they can also change back into human form at any time) – while in human form the Demontime bar will increase steadily back to its original level. As you progress though the game it is possible to increase the size of your Demontime bar and improve the Demon’s magical attacks.

Tell us about the Demon abilities and the Angel Tears system.

RV: The Demon is a creature of great strength and power – he will help the player out in a number of locations, not just in defeating enemies, but also in solving problems and reaching new areas – his great strength allows him to move objects a mere mortal would have no hope of moving.

As you progress through the game you will encounter Angel Tears, these are small glowing tear shaped crystals that can be exchanged inside Magic Shops found throughout the game. Here the player will be able to improve his sword and Demon abilities. Some of these magical shops are hidden within the levels, and the Angel Tears can also be well placed as to be missed by someone running though the level eager to reach the end – it is in the gamer’s best interest to explore every dark corner and barrel to prepare themselves for the horrors that lie ahead!

Dark and spooky.

What makes this a horror game?  Is it scary because war is horrifying, or are there moments where players will be trembling with fear?

RV: Well, if we told why something is horrifying, it would not scary you as much! :)  Let us say that we are creating an intense atmosphere using the graphics, sound and shock! We want to make sure the player never feels comfortable with there surroundings, we want to keep them at a heightened state of anxiety, never knowing what horrors await them around the next corner.

What can players do to change the course of the game, thus altering the engine that is received?  Can you be evil?  Can you harm the innocent?

RV: One of the fundament ideas that have prevailed through the game is that the player has a choice how they are going to play the game, they will be given options, and the result of these options will have consequences to the outcome of the game (much as in life!). The game will have different endings – which one you encounter will depend on your actions.

A dark corridor for you to explore.

Is there a reward in being evil?  Sure, it can be fun to be evil in a virtual world, but does the game reward the player for choosing the dark side?

RV: Well, I am afraid we cannot give too much information away – but there are going to be different ways to play the game, and different endings – so you are going to have to play through it a few times to find out!

I know PC games are designed differently than console games, but Shade: Wrath of Angels seems like it'd be great on Xbox or PS2.  Your thoughts?

RV: The game has been made for the PC, and this was the plan from the start, but recently we have been looking at the possibility of porting the game to the console market, and yes, we do feel that it is well suited for that field.  [However], this is not to take anything away from the PC version of the game – we have spent a great deal of time and energy to ensure the game works well and intuitively on the modern day PC. But watch this space for news of console conversion!

 

Thank you for your time.

And yes, Radek is right.  You should watch this space for any news regarding Shade: Wrath of Angels.  If an announcement is made, you’ll hear about it right here on GameZone Online.