Chase Preview

Have you ever pictured what it would be like to drive a stunt car across a film set? Now, the Xbox will make it all happen. The dudes from BAM Entertainment are known for next-generation games (like Driver - Game Cube, PS2). This time they've decided to team-up with the developer I-Imagine Interactive, to bring you a new action-packed Xbox racing title, Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver.

The game Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver lets you get deeper into the exciting world of Hollywood stunt car action. Why is it called Chase? Normally, you'd think: that's OK for a racing game - Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver, as in chasing, racing, and all that sort of thing. But alas, Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver Corrada is the name of the main character - a sexy stunt-woman, put in the driver's seat to participate in her first movie stunt ever. You'll get to drive with Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver through four huge movie-adventures: a 1920's gangster movie set, post-apocalyptic set, Asian City, and Spy Thriller Set.

There will be 23 movie scenes for you to complete and they won't be a peace of cake either. Luckily, you'll be able to communicate with the movie Director at all times, so he'll guide you through the whole procedure...

In short, if you've ever imagined yourself in the shoes of a movie stunt-driver now's your chance to get a piece of the action and to build a reputation and career in the world of movie-making.

To learn more about this interesting game-project, we got a chance to Q Dan Wagner, the Managing Director at I-Imagine Interactive. Here's what he had to say about Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver.

Watch that nasty turn. Screeeech!

Get off the road...err I mean sidewalk!

Action Trip: How long has your team been involved in the gaming industry? Have any of them worked on previous game-projects?

Dan Wagner: We started with a 90% international team. With employees that came to South Africa from America and Canada on a development contract. The team came from various companies and projects. We have guys that have previously worked at Westwood Studios on Command and Conquer, another from Looking Glass Studios (which was still around then) that worked on Destruction Derby for N64 and even a member from Volition. As we got established in South Africa we began filling the team with local talent which eventually replaced some of the international team.

AT: Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver was mostly compared to games like Driver. Can you tell us what will make Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver look unique when compared to other driving games?

DW: When we set out to make Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver we knew one thing and that was that we could not reinvent driving but we could build on what's out there and add some unique elements to make Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver a truly compelling game. In other words, we wanted to take the driving genre to a new level. Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver incorporates mission-based scenes but adds a lot more for the player to do and think about with its objective system (described in more detail under the gameplay question). In addition, putting players in a movie world allowed us to make unique environments and vehicles so that players not only drive in a 1920's gangster era, but also rampage through modern day Asian city streets, blast through Post Apocalyptic canyons and even accelerate through military infested jungles. We incorporated motorbikes and even a missile truck to add that little bit extra in vehicle variety and handling in our game.

AT: What's the basic story and plot behind Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver? Tell us more about the young and sexy stuntwoman Chase Corrado - the main game character.

DW: Chase Corrada was born for speed and adventure. She entered the world in a rush and it was clear from a very young age that Chase would not grow up to be a "normal" young woman. It was apparent from the first time she raced in a go-cart championship that she possessed a "talent" for the ultimate and the extreme. Now, as a young stunt actor, she is willing to go to any length for a stunt, as long as it is the best - and very often Chase does what no stuntman dares to do. Following in the footsteps of her father, himself a legendary stuntman, Chase Corrada at age twenty-three is already one of the best and most sought after stunt actors in Hollywood. Famous for her amazing precision as well as attention to safety, Chase is breaking new boundaries in the stunt industry, earning the respect and admiration of directors and movie stars alike - at least, all but Rick Baen.

Baen has been the "king of stunts" since his own debut in the stunt world. And just like Chase he possessed a burning ambition. But unlike Chase, he wanted to achieve the best stunts with no respect to safety or fellow stunt artists. Although his stunts and dangerous achievements were greatly admired, the man was himself was not well-liked. And with the arrival of young Chase, he was soon aware of the obvious threat the female rookie posed to his "throne." But when the action director, Mr. Chin, picked Chase over him as the lead stunt driver and actor in his blockbuster movies, Baen cracked under severe jealousy and hatred.

Just merrily riding you motor-bike across crates - la,la,la...

Here, we go aaaand ACTION!

Chase has become very aware of Baen's mean disposition and jealousy towards her, and although she still puts safety first, she is playing his game - and beating him at it: the bigger the stunt, the better the stunt actor. But Baen is starting to go over the edge and will stop at nothing to ensure Chase's humiliation and failure. He has not succeeded in his mission yet, and Chase will not let him. But as his hatred grows, so does the extremes he goes to in order to "outplay" Chase on the field. Not only does Chase risk her life in order to achieve stunts never done or seen before, but she also has to compete with another stunt actor who wants to see her fall, no matter the fatal risks it might take to ensure her failure.

AT: Give our readers a brief look into the game's visual effects.

DW: In true Hollywood fashion, Chase incorporates all sorts of cool effects. Explosions, explosions and more explosions, cars blow up into pieces, rockets from jets, helicopters and even a Post Apocalyptic buggy blow up buildings a bridge and the ground around you (the force even propels you off your path). Bushes break into leaves, and wooden fences into wooden debris. Glass shatters, bullets leave their mark and did I mention objects can bend and break into pieces? Your car can lose its doors, bumper, and windows amongst other things.

For the more techy-inclined, we have incorporated real-time reflections and self-shadowing amongst other effects.

AT: In terms of gameplay, what can we expect to experience in Chase?

DW: As I mentioned before, Chase incorporates an objective system in the game that truly immerses the player into each scene. The way it works is quite simple, each movie has a main goal such as ramp onto the boat, blow up the evading vehicle, escape from the pursuing chopper. To finish a scene, a player has to complete the main goal. In addition to the main goal, each scene has multiple objectives. These are things the director wants you to do to make the scene better. Examples of these are: destroy 10 tables, blow up 6 cars, make 10 meters of power slides, jump 7 meters etc. Each objective carries a score (that we call reputation points) and players can retake the scene as many times as they want to try and meet all the objectives. Players have to achieve enough "reputation points" to unlock further scenes and not all objectives have to be met to do so.

What's great about the gameplay is that it gets players to think about what they want to do in the scene. In most cases, players will concentrate on one or two objectives at a time. This gives the levels a great replay value and it's really fun when you're going for a new objective even though it's the same scene.

AT: What sort of things can players expect to encounter in the so-called Challenge mode?

DW: The Challenge mode has a jump challenge where you have to try and jump over as many cars as you can. A Stunt point challenge is where you earn points for doing flips, spins and rolls, and finally, a Race challenge is where you get into a Formula 1 style vehicle and race Rick Baen through one of the Asian City scenes.

AT: Explain how does the "Hit the mark" system work and in what way does it assist players.

DW: The "Hit the mark" system was originally the main system in our game and has since become an objective that you will see in each scene. The concept behind the system is that the director marks out areas he wants you to get to in the scene. Sometimes this means jumping into a second story and sometimes it might just lead you through an area populated with objects to smash through. You will have to keep your eyes peeled for the markers and sometimes you may have to figure out how to get to them.

AT: We understand that the game will include a multiplayer mode. Give us more details about that.

DW: Chase will incorporate up to 4 player split screen. Much like the challenge modes we have different games you can play against your friends. There is a stunt duel which works along the same lines as the stunt point challenge. A stunt race has you speeding around the track doing jumps as you make you way to 1st place. We also have a tag mode in which one player tries to tag the other players. Needles to say we had to disable multiplayer in our offices as the team tended to give the "I'm testing the game" excuse a little too often ;)

AT: When do you plan to release Chase?

DW: Chase is on schedule for a summer release. Probably June.

AT: Will Chase be made for the PC or other next-generation console platforms?

DW: N/A