Shadow of the Sun: HotHead Studios

Written by Brian Vienneau  on February 12, 2003

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It was only last week that HotHead Studios announced Shadow of the Sun was in development for PlayStation 2, and yet the company is already talking to us about the new first-person action adventure title. Find out the first details regarding this vampire game in our exclusive interview with Tony Charlton:

Gaming Target (GT): First, I'd like to thank you for agreeing to answer some questions for us. I know that a lot of people are interested in learning more about your forthcoming Playstation 2 title, Shadow of the Sun. Would you be kind enough to introduce yourself and tell everyone what your roll is in the production of the game.

Tony Charlton (TC): Hi, I'm Tony Charlton and I'm the producer for HotHead Studios.

GT: What is the goal and philosophy behind Hot Head Studios?

TC: Our Goal and Philosophy is to develop games that will not only excite the gaming public but also ourselves. Everyone at HotHead Studio's are avid gamers so it makes sense that we want to develop a game that we'd love to play.

GT: There's probably a lot of people out there that still don't know much about the actual storyline of the game, could you fill them in on all the important events that lead up to the games beginning. Also, how in-depth is the story?

TC: The story of the game involves a fallen Vampire Lord that is imprisoned by the Vampire Council. After hundreds of years he is visited by a vision of a beautiful woman pleading for his help. He must escape the prison and find the source of the vision, which in turn will lead him on a path of revenge, death and romance.

GT: What kind of specific adventure elements are within the game?

TC: Task solving plays a huge importance in Shadow of the Sun, solving certain problems will unravel the story, reward the player with new abilities etc..



GT: What inspired the games vampire theme? Is there another game or perhaps a book or movie that inspired it?

TC: We had the idea for Shadow of the Sun for a while, but never had the time to nurture it. We felt that now is the perfect time to develop the title and give it the full attention it deserves. We get ideas from everywhere, books films and games such as Eternal Darkness.

GT: The Playstation 2 has seen its share of First Person Shooters, what makes Shadow of the Sun stand out from the rest?

TC: Shadow of the Sun is not your average First Person Shooter; players have to use their brains as well as their trigger finger. The best way to describe it is to think of the adventure elements in Eternal Darkness set in Middle Earth and mix it with the action of Time Splitters 2.

GT: Will Hot Head Studios include any multiplayer features within the game? If so, could you tell us a little bit about it?

TC: Yeah, multiplayer will be catered for via split screen and will include death match and capture the flag modes to name but a few.

GT: The games official website states that your can acquire and learn numerous vampire abilities. Can you fill us in on what kind of abilities we can expect to use in the game?

TC: The Vampire Abilities play an important role and certain tasks can only be completed using them. The abilities include night vision, far sight and mind control.

GT: The official site also states that the player is Уvisited by a haunting vision of a beautiful woman pleading for helpФ in the beginning of the game, who is this beautiful woman, the Earth Goddess?

TC: No she's not the Earth Goddess but she's a major part of the story. I don't want to give too much away at this time because it will spoil the plot.



GT: The game takes place on the once beautiful and fertile planet of Threa, what kind of terrain will players be exposed to?

TC: For the style of the locations we have took inspiration from Lord of the Rings and the medieval period, giving the game a middle earth look and feel with a gothic undertone. We feel this is the perfect scenario for Shadow of the Sun. The Locations will range from vampire prisons, vast wooded areas, peasant villages and terrifying Vampire castles. There will be plenty of visual variety to excite and enthrall the player.

GT: What is your favorite aspect of the game?

TC: I've got lots of favorite aspects but my main two are the story and how it unfolds and the Vampire abilities.

GT: Does the frame-rate remain constant?

TC: We are only 2 months into development and are already seeing pleasing results.

GT: We know the player can use a crossbow, what other weaponry can we expect?

TC: Combat will take the form of weapon type and vampire magic. There will be plenty of nasty weaponry to try out and the Vampire magic and abilities will add another dimension to the game, making good use of the player's brains and trigger finger.

GT: The main character was once a powerful vampire, now everyone knows vampires are notorious for sucking the blood out of their victims; will players get the opportunity to get their fix of blood sucking?

TC: Well it wouldn't be a vampire game without blood sucking would it ; - ). The sucking of blood is the main way to regain strength and heal wounds.

GT: How much time do you think the casual gamer will spend on the game once its complete? Also, how far into development is Shadow of the Sun?

TC: About 15 hrs for a skilled gamer.

GT: How many people are currently working on the project.

TC: We have a team of 15 working on Shadow of the Sun.

GT: Will we see Shadow of the Sun on rival consoles?

TC: We intend to bring Shadow of the Sun to all Platforms.

GT: How m#AF0F0Fuch voice acting is planned and who will be doing the voices?

TC: This is still in the planning stage; so I cant really answer that right now.

GT: Hot Head Studios has yet to comment on a release date in North America, do you have any idea when the game will be ready to ship? Also, do you have plans to release this title in Japan or Europe? If so, when

TC: Shadow of the Sun is still in its infancy stage of development but we are looking at first quarter 2004 release.






GT: Well, I'd like to thank you on behalf of everyone at Gaming Target for talking with us about your game. Would you like to say anything to our readers?

TC: Yeah thanks for taking the time to read my tedious mutterings. And get ready for the ride of your lives. Not only will you need to get your trigger fingers at the ready but you'll also have to kick your brain into gear if you want survive Shadow of the Sun. Cheers.