Stuntman: Ignition Q&A

We've been covering the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Stuntman: Ignition for some time now and have had numerous hands-on with the title. However, the game is also set to ship simultaneously on the PlayStation 2, which we haven't seen yet. In order to find out how it stacks up to the PS2 and 360 titles, we fired off a number of questions to the development team over at Paradigm, and here's what they had to say.

IGN: With a game that relies so much on the physics and cinematic visuals allowed by next-gen consoles, why essentially scale it down to the PlayStation 2? Paradigm: Stuntman was first introduced exclusively on the PS2 to a large audience - over a million world-wide. Those fans of the game are a bit older now, but the installed base of the PS2 console is a huge number and we wanted to provide that crowd with a worthy upgrade to the original.

One of the game's major attractions on the PS2 is the fun and addictive gameplay. PS2 owners will have the same level of enjoyment as players with next gen consoles, and can experience that thrill of landing the pipe ramp jump perfectly in Strike Force Omega or pulling a perfect Reverse 180 in Aftershock!

IGN: Aside from the visuals, what are the main differences between the PS3/360 versions of Ignition and the PlayStation 2 sku? Paradigm: The main difference is in the Multi-player Online features for the game. PS3 and 360 versions include a complete networked component, taking full advantage of the available facilities for the online community. PS2 offers a split screen multi-player component, which includes the Backlot Battle and Backlot Race modes. Players will be able to enjoy the rush of ramming opponents and stealing strings for maximum points or just racing against each other in the movie studio's backlot sets. IGN: Will the PlayStation 2 release feature any content or modes not seen its bigger brothers? Paradigm: No, the PS2 will include all the same content as the next gen versions, except for the Multi-player aspects.

IGN: Are there any features in the next-gen versions that couldn't be brought to the PS2 and wound up having to have been removed? Paradigm: The team has worked hard to squeeze every bit of memory and CPU performance out of the PS2 to ensure the player has a great experience. Career Mode with six movies, Stunt Shows and Commercials are all included in the PS2; awards and badges and the split-screen multiplayer game are there for the PS2 gamer. With that amount of content, a PS2 player won't be missing any of the fun! IGN: Will the PS2 sku feature the stunt editor? Paradigm: Glad you asked! Stunt Constructor is another major piece of the Ignition game and is available on PS2 and all platforms. There are two modes for Constructor: Freestyle and Challenge.

Freestyle Arena allows players to create custom Stunt Arenas, filling them with props or "toys" awarded throughout the game. Some of the props include exploding ramps, Nitro boxes and a Loop-to-Loop ramp. Once you've built your arena, you can choose your vehicle and get the chance to play the arena and create your own unique experience.

Constructor Challenge includes arenas with pre-defined director stunts that the player has to complete. The challenge is to build the arena so all the stunts can be performed within 30 seconds and score enough points to pass. IGN: Are there two entirely separate teams working on the PS3/360 and PS2 versions, or is there a fair bit of team crossover between the two editions? Paradigm: The Ignition PS2 project had a small, core group totally focused on PS2 throughout the development. As the game grew in complexity, developers would transition to PS2 to help with their area of expertise, to ensure we kept the same level of quality on all platforms. With a world-wide simultaneous release for all platforms, it takes a lot of coordination to keep all teams on schedule and current with the game code. The teams have done a great job keeping up with the lead SKU and trying to make each version of Stuntman: Ignition the best it can be! IGN: For gamers who already plan to pick up the PS3 or 360 version of Stuntman: Ignition, will the PS2 release offer something to entice said gamers to also pick up that edition?

Paradigm: Our primary goal for this version was to translate the fun and addictive gameplay of the next-gen versions and deliver it to the millions of PS2 owners out there. We're happy with the results and look forward to gamers getting their hands-on Stuntman: Ignition on August 28th.

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