Mindware Studios goes behind the scenes of Cold War
By Michael Lafferty

“We wanted to create a game where the story was rich, where we were capable of telling a story of deception, intrigue, and betrayal.”

A journalist, minding his own business (Ok, point of order – journalists mind other people’s business, which is why they are journalists) when he tumbles into the story of the century. Apparently there is an international conspiracy to take control of the U.S.S.R. Before you can say “who?” Matt Carter is beaten unconscious and thrown into a KGB political prison.

With nothing, initially, but his wits, Carter must break out, defeat or elude elite Soviet forces and defeat the conspiracy.

Just another day at the office.

Cold War is the brainchild of Mindware Studios, and will be published for both the PC and Xbox by Dreamcatcher. The current ship date is listed as late September.

The folks at Mindware Studios took time to chat with GameZone.com about this title.

Question: This game takes place during the era when the USSR was a viable threat and much was done that was secretly hidden from the world. What makes this atmosphere a viable gaming environment, especially in today's society?

MS: “The Cold War was a time of secrets, spies, and espionage. We think this creates a perfect atmosphere for a game. We wanted to create a game where the story was rich, where we were capable of telling a story of deception, intrigue, and betrayal. What better time period for this to take place? Also, hard line communists of the old Soviet Union are an easily recognizable set of villains, particularly in North America and Western Europe.”

Q: When creating a title like this, how do you balance the suspenseful feeling with action to create a perfect blend?

MS: “The story is our core element. We spent a long time working on the story, which is not told in cutscenes only, but also through gameplay. The player plays the story; one moment you are stalking a KGB boss in order to overhear his phone call, which will reveal elements of the story.

“The tempo of the game changes all the time, one moment you are crawling through the enemy territory, then you are running away as you are chased by Spetsnaz; then you have to stop a chain reaction in a nuclear power plant.”

Q: Does this game use new technology in the aspect of graphics or controls? Does it play out from the first- or third-person perspective and what were the determining factors when making that decision?

MS: “You are playing from third person, but during shooting or using of your X-ray camera, the game switches to first person.”

Q: How does the sound contribute to the environment of the game?

MS: “Sound in this game is very important, particularly in terms of stealth. Depending on how fast you are moving will also determine how easily you can be discovered. The faster you move, the louder you are and the more detectable by enemy units you become. Also, guards talk, cough, make remarks. All of these sounds alert you to nearby enemy presence. You can often hear their footsteps as they walk down halls.

“Aside from this, the music itself is very important. When enemies become alerted to your presence, the music becomes very dramatic, heightening the tension.”

Q: How many missions will players need to complete, or is this game a free-flowing thrill ride where players are confronted by one circumstance after another? Is this a linear game or will players be able to take various paths to the same end?

MS: “There are essentially 23 levels in the game; some longer, some shorter. The story is linear, but the game play is not. In order to complete the game, the player must go through each level from start to finish, but how a player goes through the level is up to him. Some levels allow you to approach objectives from different paths, other levels do not. How you approach the objectives is also important. This will be different from player to player as the game is built to accommodate those who like to blast their way through as well as those who like to sneak their way around obstacles.”

Q: Does the plot have twists and turns insofar as the hero is presented with misdirection and he doesn't know who to trust or not trust? When creating the plot for such a title, how do you find a balance to make the game accessible for players of different capabilities and knowledge within the genre?

MS: “In general, the player knows who his enemies are and who his friends are. What he doesn’t know is ‘what are they trying to do?’ The mystery is the villain's goals and objectives. These are discovered as the player makes his way through the game, garnering more bits of the story as he completes his objectives.”

Q: What presented the biggest challenge in the creation of this game?

MS: “The biggest challenge was the proper implementation of our story. It called for the implementation of many different kinds of game play, and all these game play styles had to be tuned well.”

Q: The game will be released on the PC and the Xbox. Is one merely a port of the other? What differentiates the two builds?

MS: “In truth, they are, for all intents and purposes the same game on both platforms. Of course, they both have different control schemes. This does cause a slight game play effect in that it forces a player to be a tad stealthier when playing the Xbox version.”

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