Banjo 3 is 80% vehicles

The Banjo-Kazooie designer understands fans will find vehicles "tough" to accept.

Speaking in a live chat with some Rare fan sites, Rare's head of design Gregg Mayles revealed that approximately 80% of game time in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts will be spent with vehicles.

"I would say around 80% vehicles, but just a rough guess. Banjo gets in and out of the vehicles all the time, but the travelling is done in the vehicles. A lot of the tasks require Banjo to get out and either do something to the vehicles, put something in the vehicles and so on," explained Mayles.

However, the Banjo designer was keen to point out that this doesn't mean players will have restricted freedom.

"... once you play the game and realise the freedom the vehicles have you will forget that they are vehicles and simply a different way of having abilities, albeit ones that you choose and combine," said Mayles.

Mayles also acknowledged that the concept of using vehicles so heavily is going to be a tough idea for fans to accept, but believes Rare made the right decision.

"I believe they make the old games look limited and very outdated," declared Mayles. "People are always afraid of change. But change for the better is great, which is what I believe this game to be. It's going to take time for people to get it, I know!"

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is scheduled for release exclusively for Xbox 360 in Holiday 2008.