So over the past two and a half years, we’ve been laboring at Surreal over a game that is really a different sort of game than those I’ve worked on in the past. The cool thing is that we’ve been able to apply all our knowledge from a multitude of past action games into a completely new experience. Overall it’s been an enriching experience, making me think of new ways to tackle old problems, as well as come up with solutions to entirely new challenges. If anything it’s a fantastic breather from “shooter of the month”.
But I can’t say that the silence has been easy to endure. “So Pat, what’re you’re working on?” my industry friends would casually ask as we munched awesome, giant slices of pizza… The answer used to be so easy… “Military shooter” or “Star Wars game!” Those chats were easy, and would elicit a knowing nod… Little else needed to be discussed. Maybe talk about a new weapon or multiplayer mode, or gripe about problems with the technology, but not much else. Lately it’s been a struggle: “Well, it’s an open-world action game, but it’s got this sort of lifestyle component…” They’d stop, and give me a puzzled stare. “I can’t really say anything else, but it’s pretty different. It’ll be announced soon I think.”. As they turned back to their slice, they mumbled: “Uh, sure, sounds cool. Can’t wait.”
Well, after an eternity, it’s finally announced. It’s called This is Vegas.
There’s only a thimble-full of information, so until more gameplay is revealed publicly I’ll have to continue to wave my hands at our monthly pizza ritual, but at least I can point you in the direction of some of the early coverage:
On IGN:
- Announcement, including our teaser trailer.
- Full Preview, this is one of the better overviews
- Entertainment, featuring a tourist map written by the ever-awesome Jay Pinkerton.
- Gigs, touching on a number of the side missions you’ll undertake throughout Vegas.
- Suits, providing an overview on the factions and communities that you’ll get to know.
The Teaser Trailer: