Kill or be killed in RoadKill

by Louis Bedigian

Midway’s upcoming car combat game is set to explode on game consoles everywhere.  Associate Producer Darren Walker gets us excited with new gameplay details.

(Milwaukee, WI – October 6) – Milwaukee Fried Chicken, the leading quick-service restaurant chain, is proud to announce our new breakfast menu.  We’ve satisfied your hunger with our big Bucket O’ Chicken Bits, and most recently doubled our net profit with our all-new all-white chicken sandwich.  Now we’re ready to bring you value-priced meals at sunrise with Pavement Patties and Road-Rash Browns.

To ensure the quality of our new offerings we teamed up with the fine chefs of RoadKill.  With inspiration from the Twisted Metal and Grand Theft Auto series, RoadKill was just the game to help us expand.

Thin and super-delish, Pavement Patties are baked fresh daily on the freeway.  Sometimes they’re chicken – sometimes we’re not sure what’s in ‘em!  We can, however, promise you that no matter what’s inside, it’s always fried.

Road-Rash Browns are baked from our top-secret mixture of “parts” found on the side of the road.  They’re the perfect way to complement your meal.

Get an order of Pavement Patties today for just $1.99.  Add an order of Road-Rash Browns for just a buck more.

Appetizing, isn’t it?  My mouth is watering just thinking about those Pavement Patties!

Hungry for another helping, GameZone Online took a break from reviewing games to chat with Darren Walker.  Walker is the Associate Producer of RoadKill and was delighted to tell us why this game is finger-lickin’ good.

RoadKill is described as a "combat driving game" and looks like it was inspired by the acclaimed Twisted Metal series.  Please give us a detailed outline of the gameplay, and describe the things that set RoadKill apart from the crowd.

Our main goal was to design a game that takes the exciting features of previous car combat games and layer it with story-driven missions all within a persistent world environment. By doing this, it gives the player unlimited freedom to drive anywhere in the environment while becoming immersed in the storyline and the constant changing surroundings. While developing RoadKill, we were inspired by a vast number of games that we ourselves enjoyed like Twisted Metal, GTA, and the Driver series; as well as our love of RPGs.

RoadKill includes a nice array of gameplay modes.  What can you tell us about each of them?

RoadKill provides the player with an assortment of gameplay features other than just story-based missions. The scavenger hunt system allows the player to explore the environment by searching for new vehicles and weapon blueprints that are hidden throughout the world. There is also a Reputation feature where the player starts out as a lonely “Rookie”, but as you destroy enemies, impale pedestrians, and cause chaos throughout the land these titles will change to “Maniac”, “Executioner” and so forth.  As the player’s Reputation title increases, they will slowly build up a gang following where they can even lead enemies over to their home turf and watch their gang take care of business. :)  There is also a Salvage system where vehicle scraps can be collected and then sold at the ‘shop’. Many vehicle enhancement upgrades can be purchased at the shop like air brakes, nitrous thrust, and armor protection. RoadKill also has a multitude of side missions and mini games from enemy sniping and vehicle races to pedestrian impaling and performing crazy stunts. What’s nice about having all these systems is that it doesn’t limit the player to only one aspect of the game. They can work on all these various gameplay elements at the same time or choose to concentrate on just one.

This screenshot alone shows signs of inspiration from

Twisted Metal and Grand Theft Auto.

Vehicle types: how many are there, how varied are they, and what weapons do they come equipped with?

We have 40 different vehicles in the game - each with their own handling, speed, and armor abilities.  The driving physics of each car are intuitive and responsive and every vehicle can be upgraded and fitted with various turbo boosts, flight controls and air brakes.

Do the vehicles have additional upgrades, power-ups or weapons that can be found/unlocked and used in combat?

We have over 15 different weapons and power-ups in the game like mini guns, homing rockets, and laser trip mines that all can be discovered and unlocked while playing. We also have weapons specific to multiplayer like invisibility or wingman power-up.

How will players control their vehicles?  What is the standard button configuration – are both analog sticks used?

At the heart of any car combat game is its controllability. We spent in great detail making sure the controls were simplified for the beginner, but yet allows the more experience player to have total control over their vehicle. The car handling feels good, but becomes exceptional after a player quickly learns the e-brake function. The e-brake is essential to mastering the controls as the player can basically flip around quickly and effortlessly while still maintaining complete control of the vehicle. We have multiple controller configurations for the player to choose along with the choice to use both analog sticks.

With over 30 missions, RoadKill must have a wide variety of locales.  Our readers would love to learn more about them.

Well the game takes place in 3 various cities. It starts off at an amusement park environment named Lava Falls and after completing some of the missions opens up the next city – Blister Canyon. Blister Canyon is an industrial looking city filled with broken bridges, moving cranes, and a power plant. The last, and biggest city in the game is named Paradise City. This city is filled with beach condos and downtown sky scrappers. These 3 cities are connected and once opened up can be driven back and forth at anytime for further exploration or to replay a favorite side mission or mini game.

I like my roadkill extra crispy.

While on the subject of the game's missions, what is it exactly that the player will have to do?  Is the game all about running 'n' gunning, or are there other objectives in addition to that?

Essentially we leave it up to the player to do whatever they want. After getting a quick tour of the city by your wingman, the player will start off doing the first main mission which has you picking up salvage parts, a few new weapons, and introducing them to the Reputation system.  After this, the player can continue playing the main missions, or do side missions, or scavenger hunt for blueprints, or collect salvage parts, or working on increasing your Reputation, or participate in mini games. The choice is theirs. Many people start out and just like to run n’ gun and impale every pedestrian they see or blow up every car they see. Be careful though, some cars just don’t have a high tolerance for being fired upon. :)

A lot has been put into RoadKill's single-player experience.  Would you say that this game is a single-player title first and then a multiplayer game?

Well, we worked extremely hard to make sure that the single player experience was a rewarding one. We wanted to make sure that the player was rewarded for every aspect of the game - from finishing first in races and winning a new car to adding gang members when the Reputation title was increased. Even though the single player experience is very deep and engrossing, the multiplayer aspect is extremely fun and addictive as well.

Players have the option of running over innocent pedestrians.  Is there a gruesome story to go along with the gruesome gameplay?

We place the player in this ‘dog eat dog’ environment where only the strong survive. Motor gangs now control the cities once ruled by government. Most of the gameplay nuances are over the top and exaggerated. We have some pretty outrageous events that can happen in the game depending on the situation. We have the ability to do soft body simulation that will provide a lot of randomness like bodies being dragged on your car bumper when hit or watching pedestrians hanging by their arms on rooftops and walls from the exploding grenades.

I could be wrong, but I’m guessing this game involves a lot of explosions.

What other hideous things can players do?  Can they destroy buildings or any other object stands in their way?

Some building signs can be destroyed. We have many breakable objects like fences, light poles, stop signs, mailboxes, etc. We have thrown in a few secret destructible items that the player can find if searched carefully enough. :)

It was recently announced that RoadKill will include a unique dynamic radio system.  Rock and rap are among the covered genres, along with a station dedicated to providing in-game tips.  What else can you tell us about the radio system?  Who are the artists lending their talents to this game?

The dynamic radio is pretty unique in the sense that the player will get an update on the weather events along with specific mission updates. For instance, after a player completes a mission, a radio broadcast may be announced letting the listeners know the events that just took place. With this, the player becomes more immersed in the game and gives the feeling they are controlling the outcome. We also have over 7 hours of radio content including gear talk, love chat, political talk, Rap, and Rock stations. We have licensed music from bands like April Wine, Blue Oyster Cult, and Great White.

Thank you for your time.