We had a chat with the developer Teyon about their PSN game Robot Rescue Revolution which is coming out for PS3 tomorowin EU, on December 4th. We were curious what the story behind Robot Rescue Revolution was and why the robots started a revolution. Aneta Bajda, PR Manager over at Teyon helped us out and here’s what they said:
Robot Rescue Revolution is about a bunch of robots that have been tramped in evil labyrinths and they need help in escaping. The word revolution is not relevant to the story of the game rather was used to highlight the big changes that the game has gone through since the first DS release. The game itself is not a direct continuation of the series rather a more complex game using the same basis as the first release but with a new concept and new features.
Robot Rescue has come a long way since the original release for Nintendo DS. Can you tell us a bit about the evolution of the game and the challenges and motivations for developing it in 3D for the PS3?
The Robot Rescue franchise was well received by Nintendo users and so we decided that it would be great to expand its availability to other consoles for other gamers to also have access to and enjoy. The decision lead to its expansion to the PlayStation Network as we felt that in this market players enjoy game originality and will appreciate the challenges that this game possess. The game underwent significant changes to ensure that the mechanics of the game suited the PlayStation platform. We also had to create new appealing graphics as well as enhance the overall game-play with more dynamic and challenging levels.
This is Teyon’s very first release on a PlayStation platform. People who are not familiar with your studio, what have you been working on previous to Robot Rescue Revolution, and how big is your team?
This is the first game that we have developed which we are publishing ourselves on the PlayStation Network. Our team is made up of over 70 people with offices in Kraków and Łodz in Poland and Tokyo, Japan. Previous to Robot Rescue Revolution we also developed many games for Nintendo 3DS (Bird Mania), iOS (Crazy Chicken: Pirates), PC (Paranormal State: Poison Springs) and many more. At the moment we are in the midst of finalizing the development of Rambo the Video Game which will also be coming out on PS3 early next year.
Robot Rescue seems to also be a perfect fit for the PS Vita, was that ever considered?
Yes, originally we started development of Robot Rescue Revolution for PS Vita but after some internal discussions we decided that we would develop and release the game first on PS3.
Robot Rescue Revolution is first and foremost a tactical puzzle game. Did physical boardgames like RoboRally (a strategic board game where you avoid traps as different robots) inspire you or did any video games influence the development in terms gameplay and mechanics?
The game that inspired us with the underlying concept for Robot Rescue was called “Binary Land” which was a computer game released back in the 80’s. The games potential was quickly recognized appearing shortly after on the NES console. It’s a straightforward, classic game where players need to bring together a couple of penguins, moving them simultaneously through a labyrinth. The idea of simultaneous movement was adapted into the Robot Rescue games and that is where the similarity between the two games ends.
How did the unique idea of having every robot sharing controls during gameplay come about and was this always the case during the initial prototyping of the game? Also, how much time was spent on prototyping the game mechanics versus finalizing the levels and polishing it?
As mentioned previously, the idea of robots sharing linked controls during game play was inspired by an 80’s computer game called “Binary Land” and this unique feature played a big part in the initial development of Robot Rescue Revolution. The most difficult and lengthy part of the process what designing the maps and ensuring that they remained unique, challenging and dynamic enough for players to enjoy.
Are you using a third party game engine for this project (like Unity 3D or GameMaker) and if so what are some pros and cons using it?
We have developed our own engine which we currently use to develop all our games on for various gaming platforms. We have a separate team dedicated to continually updating and perfecting the engine which has the ability to utilize all the features and power of the PS3 console producing high quality visuals. For example post-processes like SSAO or Light shafts are done on SPU’s so we have more computing power on the main graphics card.
The game will have a level editor, which is a great feature. What do you expect people to create with it and is it scary to leave this much freedom to the player? Will there be any moderation in the level community?
The Map Editor is a feature that we are very excited about. Players will have the chance to be the brain behind the puzzle and create maps which they can share online with other Robot Rescue Revolution players. It will be great to see what others will come up with and how they will utilize all the features to design difficult maps. At the end of the day who better to create these types of puzzles than those who enjoy playing these types of games? There is already a certain level of moderation within the Map Editor itself as any map must first be tested and passed by the creator before it is made available to upload and share online with everyone else.
Will there be any other modes than the main campaign in the game? Co-op or versus modes?
Other than the main campaign in One-Player we have also included two extra modes of gameplay within Two-Player. There is co-op mode where players will have to work with a friend on the same map controlling different robots to find the best escape route to rescue them all. And for a little competition we have included split screen competitive mode where players in two separate but identical maps verse each other to rescue their robots before their opposition does.
Does Teyon have any future plans or ideas for games on PS Vita, PS3 or perhaps the upcoming PS4?
Our future plan in regards to PlayStation consoles is to focus mainly on game development for the PS4.
For everybody who wants to stay updated with Teyon and Robot Rescue Revolution where can they find you?
To stay up to date with us you can always check out our official website or the official site of Robot Rescue Revolution. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for all the latest news about Robot Rescue Revolution and all our other games!
