PAX Prime 2011: Primal Carnage Mobile
Image via Pub Games
It’s Ray Harryhausen’s fault, really. Way before the T. rex surprised me in Tomb Raider or Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs back to the big screen, Harryhausen had already showed me that dinosaurs could walk among us.
I have a feeling that the team at Lukewarm Media, the minds behind Primal Carnage—the upcoming humans-versus-dinosaurs online multiplayer FPS where you can play as either team—are of the same mind.
At this year’s PAX Prime, I had the opportunity to speak with Chris Murphy, Director of PubGames, who is codeveloping the mobile version of Primal Carnage, scheduled for iOS and Android devices in November.
This first thing that Chris tells me is that he’s keen to point out the version running on iPad at PAX is still very early in development. I’m not sure why he’s worried, because it already looks fantastic. Granted, the graphics are limited due to the platform, but they look crisp and clean, and the movement is nice and smooth. You can see the quality of the graphics for yourself from the screenshots below.
Chris follows this up by explaining that one of the most important things they were aiming for with the mobile version of Primal Carnage is something akin to the old arcade cabinets of old. By that he means designing the game with the capabilities and limitations of the platform in mind, and avoiding the pitfall of trying to force a console-quality experience out of a mobile device.
Image courtesy of Pub Games
The game itself is an on-rails shooter, with you firing from the back of a jeep as you’re chased by a variety of dinosaurs. Only the T. rex is present at this stage, but Dilophosaurs, Spinosaurs, Velociraptors, Pteranodons, and others are all planned. The short levels are an ideal fit for mobile devices, for whiling away time on the daily commute.
One of the other things the mobile platform lends itself to, according to Chris, is the inclusion of Quick Time Events. Normally viewed as the scourge of many a game, when done correctly QTEs are an easy way of adding a sense of immediacy to a game, a way of grabbing the player’s attention. I’m inclined to agree that they fit well, particularly on an iPad where there’s room for interaction.
Despite this unfinished version of the game looking quite good, there are a couple of things missing. Chris points out that the driver of your jeep will have a good amount of dialogue; she’ll provide a running commentary, pointing out dangers you may have missed and providing hints and tips. It’s also an opportunity to make use of the animators on the team by making her active and mobile, ducking and dodging to avoid smaller dinosaurs that jump on the jeep.
Image courtesy of Pub Games
What would any game be today without achievements? Primal Carnage Mobile will include them, although Chris tells me that they’re looking to do something different. Instead of the usual arbitrary e-peen increases, achievements in Primal Carnage Mobile will unlock in-game content and, perhaps most excitingly, will give access to beta keys for the PC version of Primal Carnage when it’s released.
DLC is already being planned for, with the current idea being to offer it for free. According to Chris, the team have an excellent system in place for creating good quality content as quickly as possible. There’s an obvious desire to create content that’s actually worthy of the name, instead of simply unlocking content already included in the game. Alongside the obligatory extra maps or weapons, Chris gives the example of a helicopter crash the player may see in the main game, DLC would allow you to play as a passenger on that helicopter, experiencing the crash, attempting to fight off the Pteranodons swarming the helicopter.
Image courtesy of Pub Games
The desire to produce a good-quality game that fits well on a mobile platform comes across clearly from Chris and the rest of the team at Pub Games. They’re the kind of studio that we really should be seeing more of in the industry. At the very least, we should be seeing more success from guys like this. On the lookout for something new to do, Chris contacted Ashton Andersen, the Lead Designer for Primal Carnage and suggested that they something together. Primal Carnage Mobile is the result; a game which compliments the main game without posing a threat.
Despite not having a Valley of Gwangi-style section where you get to lasso an Allosaur, Primal Carnage Mobile is looking like it’s going to be an excellent iOS game when it drops in November. Hopefully it will help to increase excitement for Primal Carnage on the PC, not that there’s any lack of that here at Giant Fire Breathing Robot.
