Inside the Developers Studio: Nina Kristensen

1. What game do you have at E3 this year?
Heavenly Sword – I saw that you, the readers here, have given us 3,700+ votes in the poll on this blog as one of the most anticipated titles of the year, so thanks!!!

2. Tell us more about your game. What’s the story?
The game is a blast to play, we’ve been flattered by the great write-ups so far. We have a great story line as well so here it is: Heavenly Sword is a story of revenge and redemption centering around our heroine Nariko…she’s the one in the screen shot above. She was born into a clan who had been guarding the Heavenly Sword for generations. They had been expecting a god to be born to reclaim the sword, but instead got Nariko. She has been seen as a curse on the clan ever since and when King Bohan invades, the idea of her being an omen of evil fractures the clan. As the King persecutes and decimates them, Nariko is the one that many blame. In a moment of desperation she decides to take charge and use the Heavenly Sword to destroy King Bohan and his army…

3. What did you do on this game that you couldn’t do on another platform?
We’re exploring how to utilize as much of the power of the PS3 as we can to create a powerful atmosphere. There’s a lot of stuff in there, and everything in the game is designed with this in mind. With the level of fidelity we have been able to achieve in performances (detailed facial animations etc), we’re looking to draw you in, to emotionally engage you. Within the combat (which is comprised of thousands of animations), we introduce cinematic cameras to show off your coolest moves. The environments are huge and filled with atmospherics to make it feel alive and real. You can smash up pretty much everything in the environment and all these objects behave naturally under physics. There’s a colossal amount of things going on at once, and you’ll know it from the moment you pick up the controller!

4. What do you think is the coolest aspect of this game?
The super-style moves are the coolest. They’re big and dramatic, you have to work quite hard to get them (especially the level 3 ones) and they completely annihilate the enemy. It’s just so much fun. My personal fav is the one where you drag a guy massively up into the air, ride him back down, slam him into the floor, and while you’re cart wheeling off him, a huge shockwave from his impact with the floor wipes out everyone else.

5. Describe it in five words or less.
Big Sword, Hot Girl!!

6. If you could sit one person in front of your game for an hour, who would it be?
Wentworth Miller (assuming I was there helping him out of course!)

7. What game do you most want an hour to sit in front of yourself (besides your own)?
Assassin’s Creed – I’ve had my eye on that for a while and can’t wait to play!

8. How many E3’s does E3 2007 mark for you?
I’ve been to ten E3’s. Does that make it E30?

9. Describe the pre-2007 E3 experience in five words or less.
Deafening, intense, fun, booth-babes, mullets.

10. Most over used phrase or expression during E3 season.
“Convergence” and “synergy.”

11. You are asked to make suggestions for an E3 survival kit- what three items HAVE to be included?
Redbull, Nurofen, a chiropodist (see my next answer)

12. What advice would you have for someone who has never experienced E3?
Don’t wear heels over three inches, you’ll regret it by lunch on the first day!

13. What’s your favorite part about developing games for a living?
The best thing about my job is being paid to have some of the most truly bizarre conversations. I can’t tell you how many very serious (and heated) conversations I’ve had about the pros and cons of dismemberment. Also, the word “bollocks” has come up in conversation a lot recently… “Bollocks” is a common term used here in Britain; it’s not a particularly naughty word, and Europe’s fine with it, the ongoing debate is whether or not the word should be present in the game for America? I love my job!