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THQ and Pandemic return to B-Movie heaven this year, with the release of Destroy all Humans! 2. We fired the Pro-G ‘Truth Ray’ at Pandemic to get some juicy details on what to expect from the alien invasion sequel.
Pro-G: The first Destroy All Humans! game featured some of the most laugh out loud funny moments ever seen in a video game; Is the humour still going to be fresh in the sequel?
Pandemic: Definitely! We have a huge pool of material to draw from in the 60s, from Hippies to Mods, giant radioactive monsters to international Super Spies, the Russian threat to the space race. All the key voice actors from the first game have come back, and we’ve added in a huge amount of new actors for this game. The same writers have also returned to put their special brand of twisted humour into the game. With the 5 international locations we have, the voice recordings are about three times as big as the last game!
Pro-G: With the sequel set in the 60s as opposed to the 50s setting off the first game, how will players see this different era reflected in the gameplay?
Pandemic: We have several new mental abilities that allow the player to manipulate humans in really amusing ways. Implant a suggestion to spread free love, and people start blissing out and dancing, no matter what they were doing a few moments before. Alternatively, implant the “Protect Me!” command and even the most peace loving hippy will rush to your aid. We have also changed the Holobob ability, so you don’t create the disguise of a person, you actually become the person. You can bodysnatch a cop and go over to a police box and call in the all clear if the heat’s getting too much, or bodysnatch a hippie to infiltrate a gathering in Golden Gate Park.
Pro-G: This time around the game is said to be a more free-roaming affair. Does this give you scope for more expansive missions?
Pandemic: Yes, and with the new waypoint save missions we have, it also means you don’t have to start the mission right from the beginning if you die. The mothership gets blown up in the opening few moments of the game, so this means that the player is constantly in the game world (it also means you’re trapped on Earth!). This allows us some greater variety as to when and how missions and side missions are triggered, and also allows us to trigger them from more than just Orthopox (A scientist from the first game).
Pro-G: Co-op play sounds like a nice new feature. How does the game change when you’re playing with a friend?
Pandemic: It makes things much more interesting from a number of perspectives. In mission mode, it allows players to divide up the tasks and have one person on offence and the other on getting mission objectives. In sandbox play it allows all sorts of hysterical challenges, like Psychokinetic Tennis, one person flying the saucer and the other operating the turret, teaming up to complete side missions and lots more challenges.
Pro-G: What new ways are players going to be able to destroy things?
Pandemic: One of the four new personal weapons we’ve added is called the Meteor Strike, which basically performs as advertised. It calls a massive meteor down from above to level just about any building in the game. We wanted to give the player that kind of destructive power on foot as well as in the UFO. Speaking of which, we have some cool new weapons and features for the UFO which are going to blow your mind. Oh, and all the weapons and mental abilities are upgradeable throughout the course of the game.
Pro-G: Destroy All Humans! featured some great visuals for current-gen systems. Why choose to go current-gen again rather than making a next-gen entry in the series?
Pandemic: We really feel that this is an excellent opportunity to max out the hardware and create one of the great end of platform games that really exceeds expectations. We realize that there are many millions of Xbox and PS2 platforms out there and it seems a shame not to make a great game for them.
Pro-G: Garry Schyman created a superb 1950s era score for the original game. Will he return with a 1960s themed score for the sequel?
Pandemic: Yes, Gary has been working diligently on creating an impressive score. He’s blended themes from Sci-fi and Spy movies to create an amazing score for us.
Pro-G: What’s your favourite part of the game that wasn’t seen in the first game?
Pandemic: There’s a few, but for sheer impressiveness I gotta go with the Meteor Strike. Abducting people into the UFO on the run is great too, without having to get out and grab their brain stems on the ground. For my third and final choice, I think the new cloaking feature of the UFO is Predator-licious!
For more on the game, check out our hands on preview from E3 and a brand new set of screenshots. Prepare for the second Furon invasion this October, on PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
