Recently we had a chance to talk shop with Noah Heller, the Producer for Suffering: Ties That Bind, the sequel to The Suffering. We wanted to get to know more about this action / horror game so our Creative Director Christina had a little chat, and found out some pretty interesting details on this upcoming game for the Xbox from Midway. So rather than tell you about the game, read the full Suffering: Ties That Bind Interview below and see why Christina is now more hyped than ever for this revamped and improved horror title.

XBS (Christina) – First off hello, can you tell us a bit about yourself and what role you play in the making of The Suffering The Ties That Bind?

My name is Noah Heller and I’m the Producer for Suffering: Ties That Bind. A Producer is a little bit of everything: designer, artist, programmer. Mainly I help push the team and the game across the finish line.

Can you give us a bit of insight into the storyline of The Suffering Ties That Bind, and what was the inspiration behind it?

The Suffering: Ties That Bind is Torque’s story. He’s our main character. He’s a conflicted anti-hero with pretty complex motivations. In the first game, playing as Torque, you examined whether or not you killed your family.
In Ties That Bind we wanted to get deeper into Torque’s head and his psychoses. We wanted to create a real thriller. All the elements of our story sprung from this basic realization.

In the original game (The Suffering) there were three different endings, how will this be implemented into the storyline of the new game?

If you happen to have a saved game from the first game available, you’ll be able to start with one of three separate beginnings: good, neutral, and evil. If you don’t happen to have a saved game, you’ll start with the neutral beginning which fills you in on most of the backstory. And if you beat the game, you will have access to all three beginnings. With three beginnings and three different endings, there are nine possible story paths. Some involve major characters living or dying too.

Torque’s family was a big part of the storyline in the first game, will his family also be a part of the new game? Also, will we see some of the main characters from the previous title reappear in the new installment?

Carmen (your ghostly wife), will be around to advise you on the good path.
And your kids will continue to advise you or torment you depending on your path as well. We think that this character interaction is one of the stronger parts of the game. Beyond your ghostly family, however, Dr. Killjoy, the alienist in your head, is back to examine even more of what makes you tick.

I was looking at the screenshots and see that some of the more interesting enemies are being brought back, will they have new abilities and will there be new enemies to deal with as well?

There are 15 total enemies in STTB. This is quite a step up from the first game. Returning from the first game are enemies such as the Slayer, Marksman, Burrower and Mainliner. All the returning enemies have taken a heavy graphic and animation re-tooling as well as a major AI upgrade. There are also plenty of new creatures to fight. All of the creatures in
Suffering: Ties That Bind are themed after some sort of urban form of the Suffering. From the Gorger who represents hunger to the Triggerman who represents gang violence.

Also new to the series are creatures which require special tactics to get around them. The Suppressor, for example, is a fat security guard missing his lower legs, with guns protruding from his belly and a flashlight jammed through his skull. If he happens to spot you, he will generally cut you down in a hail of gunfire. You are best off trying to sneak around this monster.

Suffering: Ties That Bind Xbox Screenshot

Aside from ‘Insanity,’ will there be any other special abilities that the main character Torque will have, if so, can you tell us a bit about them?

Well we haven’t really talked about “rage mode” or Torque’s insanity yet. It didn’t get much use in the first game and we wanted to change that. There are now three different sorts of creatures you can transform into as you go down the good, neutral, or evil paths. Each of these creatures has different special attacks depending on where you are on the path as well. These attacks are generally themed off the creatures you fight – there’s an excellent electric shock-sonic boom, for example.

Beyond his creature form, Torque is much more acrobatic this time around. He can crouch, duck, and roll to help make combat more strategic.

Being able to change from first to third person perspectives was a highlight of the game in my mind, and something that many games would do well to implement, is this going to be an option in The Suffering Ties That Bind? What perspective is your favorite?

Like the first game, the entire game can be played in 1st or 3rd person mode. Switchable at any time. We spent a lot of time polishing animations and effects for both modes, and both are pretty rewarding. Generally I play most of the time in 1st person, and switch to 3rd person when the going gets rough. This is actually a pretty cool feature and I’m glad to see its getting some attention this time around.

The game theme was very dark and dreary in the The Suffering, and it did match the story quite well, do you plan to add any additional effects to enhance this feeling in the game?

Oh yes. Along with a huge visual upgrade from the first game (you won’t believe the difference), our programmers and FX guys got together to make some stunning screen effects. They really heighten the tension and make the mood darker. This is everything from heat warps from heavy fire to screen overlays which hint at your psychosis.

Suffering: Ties That Bind Xbox Screenshot

The Suffering included some bonus materials, such as the making of the game and special documentaries, are there plans to include such features in The Suffering Ties That Bind?

Unfortunately we ran out of disc space to include much extra! We’re trying very hard to squeeze in some out-takes from a motion capture session starring several members of our crew. We’re also including a demo for Mortal
Kombat: Shaolin Monks and demos of other great Midway games on the disc.
We’re packed.

Will there be additional weapons in the new game? Can you elaborate on any of them for us?

Absolutely. Aside from the new “rage mode” which is pretty much the best weapon in the game, we’ve also added plenty of weapons from a great rocket launcher and grenade launcher to melee weapons like pipes, bats, and axes.
Some weapons can be dual-wielded like the Skorpions or Revolvers as well.

The original storyline was quite engaging, and kept people playing to see what was going to happen next. Do you think that The Suffering Ties That Bind will have this same grip on players? Why?

When we talked to people who loved the first Suffering, many of them pointed to the story as their favorite part. We wanted to give people more of that.
It’s a pretty thrilling thing to play a psychopath. And beyond that, we wanted to reward people who played the first game. If you have a saved game from the first Suffering (and you completed the game), you can start with one of three separate beginnings, good, neutral, and evil. Those who don’t have a saved game will start with the neutral beginning which does the best job of fleshing out the backstory.

Will the ending of the game differ, as it did in the first, based on your actions throughout the game?

We already spoke about the three separate beginnings. well there are three separate endings based on your morality path and choices you make throughout the game. This gives us nine separate branching story lines. So. You’d better believe the endings of the game will differ! There’s a lot of replayability here. It’s fun to start with the good beginning and turn blackest darkest evil. Or redeem yourself from evil to good. Many different possibilities.

If there was one key point you wanted to get across to gamers around the world about The Suffering Ties That Bind, what would it be?

We’ve really concentrated on giving you a uniquely American horror experience. Something very different from the Resident Evil’s and Silent Hill’s of the world. You are going to have an excellent, polished combat engine backed by some of the most horrific creatures and twisted story lines you can conceive.

We noticed Torque is still wearing the white shirt and yellowish-orange pants, will we see a whole new Torque presented in the new game as well in regards to his attire?

Early on we experimented with changing his look. But Suffering: Ties That Bind is set the morning after the events of the first game. It makes sense that you’d still be wearing prison gear. We like to think that Torque’s orange convict pants have become iconic, after all. You do have a chance to acquire straps and shoes off an enemy in the earlier stages of the game however. He’s no longer barefoot!

Suffering: Ties That Bind Xbox Screeshot

My favorite monster in the game is without a doubt the Slayers, what is your favorite and why?

I’d say my favorite is the “Captain Arsonist” – this is a vastly upgraded version of the arsonist which can only be attacked in rage mode and can spawn lesser versions of herself! A very tough creature! She sort of looks like two bodies melted together, and walks with a three legged walk. She throws fireballs at you like an ersatz Nolan Ryan. Very very tough creature.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

To the fans of the first series: we’re back. With plenty more of what you love and a much more polished and horrific game experience. Welcome home.

To those who haven’t played the first game: we’ve tried to wrap that sweet several minutes of combat with a ton of great horror and effects. If you’re a fan of horror games like Resident Evil, Doom, Silent Hill, or even great shooters like Halo, I’m certain you’ll get a lot out of Suffering: Ties That Bind.

Thanks for your time!

Related Links Regarding The Suffering Series of Games

Look for more Suffering: Ties That Bind converage from Xbox Solution as it’s release date draws near, and expect a full review of the game from Christina.

Filed under: Interviews

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