Sudeki: The ultimate RPG

By Jonti Davies

Sudeki is going to be big. So big, in fact, that we needed to speak to Jason Avent, games director at Sudekideveloper Climax, just to get our heads around it ...

Polygon: How big is the Sudeki team, and how long have you been working on the game?

Avent: We have 70 members on theSudekiteam and have been working on the title for about three years now.

Polygon: What type of game would you saySudeki is? Does it fit comfortably into the RPG (roleplaying game) mold?

Avent: Sudeki is a real-time action RPG.Sudeki definitely fits the RPG mold with its story line, character progression, and awesome combat.

Polygon: How does Sudeki compare to other contemporary roleplaying games? Are there any particular features that set it apart from the crowd?

Avent: In Sudeki, there are four characters that you can switch between in real-time. Each has unique skills and abilities for use in combat and puzzle solving. We have a unique and exciting blend of real-time and turn-based combat, which occurs in an all-action setting. It's fast and furious but still very strategic.

Polygon: Why did you decide to ditch the strictly turn-based battle system that roleplayers have become so well acquainted with over the years?

Avent: Turn-based is the old way of doing it. With the Xbox hardware, you don't have to cheapen the experience by slowing it down to turns. We've done for RPGs whatDune did for strategy games. We like to think ofSudeki as an RTRPG (Real-Time RPG).

“We’ve done for RPGs what Dune did for strategy games.”

Polygon: What outside influences—film, music, literature, or other games—would you say are most evident inSudeki?

Avent: Devil May Cry, Zelda, andFinal Fantasy are some of the most evident influences inSudeki.

Polygon: Did you view it as a risky game? Taking on the Japanese at a style of game that is pretty much owned by them?

Avent: True, it's risky. But we feel thatSudeki isn't really the same as the Japanese market entrants. The only reason why people make this argument is because historically the Japanese have done RPGs well. We do lots of stuff really well in the Western world. We've made an exceptionally good game. The Japanese didn't call them RPGs; we did. Because we projected our understanding of RPGs from Dungeons and Dragons, Traveller, and Warhammer on to the type of game experiences that the Japanese created, we coined this new term.

Polygon: Sudeki uses an engine that was built from the ground up. Why did you decide to do it like that, and what have been the pros and cons encountered as a result?

Avent: Quite simply, there was no other option at the time. The people at Microsoft called our renderer “really rather good.” Since they’re the experts, I guess we took the right road.

Polygon: Which Xbox hardware features have you been able to use, and how so?

Avent: The hard drive for streaming, pixel shaders for some effects, and the raw power. It would not fit on a PlayStation and would change beyond recognition to fit the GameCube. It's not that we've been inefficient either; we're just asking a lot of the hardware, and the Xbox is the only one that can deliver.

Sudeki: “It's fast and furious but still very strategic.”

Polygon: What can players expect fromSudeki in terms of lifespan and replay value?

Avent: It will take over your life for a few weeks if you're a hardcore RPG gamer.

Polygon: Finally, do you hope to establishSudeki as a series?

Avent: Of course we’d love to see this become a series, but we are focused on making Sudeki the best game possible right now.

Sudeki will arrive early in 2004. From what we've seen thus far, Jason Avent's team is onto a winner. We can hardly wait.