Kotaku: spark unlimited

Legendary Backstory Revealed In Graphic Novel

Stuart Houghton — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:20:00 MDT

Spark Unlimited's fantasy action game Legendary has become a graphic novel (like a comic only you get to stroke your chin and go 'hmmm' while you read it) available now from indie publisher Top Cow Productions.

Legendary, the graphic novel, is written by Mark Waid - author of DC apocalypse tale Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright and penciled by Top Cow house artist Martin Montiel.

The 96-page comic will flesh out main character Deckard's backstory - including how he came across (main MacGuffin of the game) Pandora's Box, how he came to terms with his powers and why the writers couldn't be arsed giving him a character name not already used in Blade Runner.

Legendary: Behind the Scenes

Brian Crecente — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:20:00 MDT

Legendary has been in development now for more than three years by a team at Spark Unlimited (not the same ones who did Turning Point). With a little more than a month left before the Sept. 30 ship date for the Playstation and Xbox 360 (the game hits PC on Nov. 4) I'm posting this look at all three Legendary Behind the Scenes videos.

Legendary Werewolves Evoke Childhood Nightmares

Mike Fahey — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:40:00 MDT

Back when I was but a wee child I would have nightmares about werewolves. I'd be in a secluded area somewhere in the woods, and I would hear a sound in the distance. I would turn to look, and there, silhouetted in the moonlight, would be a twisted, lupine form. Slowly the form would turn, and lightning would flash, a snarling face looking my way only to disappear in the blink of an eye.

I mention this because the werewolves in this latest batch of screens from Spark Unlimited's PS3, Xbox 360, and PC game Legendary (formerly Legendary: The Box) look exactly like the ones I used to have nightmares about. Could be time for a little virtual catharsis.

Turning Point Not For "Core Gamers"

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:20:09 MST

Spark Unlimited's alternate history FPS Turning Point: Fall of Liberty didn't fare well with reviewers. A rather lackluster demo was followed by a relatively lackluster game, leading to some fairly mediocre reviews, like a 5.0 from IGN and a 3 from Game Informer. What happened to Turning Point, a concept that had such promise? According to Spark CEO Craig Allen, those pesky "core gamers" got a hold of it.

"You know, I think that when you try to do games that are about a mass market, and Turning Point is definitely a high concept idea, that with the time and money we had we did the best to execute on, our target was not really the core gamer."

You heard the man! If you're looking for a revolutionary game with innovative play mechanics driven by new technology, then Turning Point isn't for you. Maybe they should include that in the game's marketing materials, ushering in a new era of truth in advertising! "Stale gameplay in an interesting setting!" Sign me up for a dozen!

Turning Point dev hits back at poor review scores [VideoGamer.com]

Fall Of Liberty Demo Fails

Mike Fahey — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:20:30 MST

Last week we mentioned Microsoft's David Edery's tips on how to make a more compelling demo for Xbox Live. It's a pity that the developers of Codemasters' Turning Point: Fall of Liberty didn't catch this article in time, or a lot more people might have been ready to buy their game next month. As it stands, I've been looking forward to the title for months now and after playing through this brief snippet of gameplay I'm considering going to the store and pulling my preorder simply on the merits of this lackluster demo.

The first thing Spark Unlimited did wrong was give us the same opening scene we've seen countless times in teasers, trailers, and behind the scenes clips. The Nazi invasion of New York is certainly an important part of the game, but there is no real impact for the player if they've already watched it played out countless times. As Luke summarized in the previous article, "give players a taste of the game's strengths, not simply the first 15 minutes of the game." This demo keenly illustrates this point.

Games rarely snag a player's full attention within the first 15 minutes, especially when all you are really getting is a tutorial on gameplay mechanics using the weakest weapons available versus the dumbest enemies possible. I am almost certain that Germany and its allies wouldn't have made it across the pond if their crack soldiers opted to hide around the corner from every construction worker who stumbles upon a gun. Then again, maybe they were briefed beforehand. "If you see an American construction worker, avoid them at all costs. Same with florists and plucky news boys." Probably not.

The graphics and general atmosphere are alright I suppose, but nothing that really leaves a lasting impression on my brain. Perhaps later in the game the visuals perk up and we get a better taste of the unique flavor of 1950's America hinted at on the game's website, but aside from a few architectural choices and the very last scene of the demo, Fall of Liberty could really have been set in any time period.

Gameplay is rather standard shooter fare, with a few nifty platforming elements dropped in here and there. The level design in the first bit is completely linear - even when it looks like you have a choice you can be sure a stray bomb or exploding gas tank will lead you by the nose to the next checkpoint. Bleh.

If the Turning Point: Fall of Liberty demo did anything, it made me much more apt to listen to anything David Edery has to say. Give me a nice chunk of gameplay in the middle of the game, with more powerful weapons, tougher enemies, and basically just glimpses of what's in store for me further down the line if I was to purchase your game. In this case the demo might have done more harm than good.