Did you like Dementium? You're going to love Renegade Kid's next DS-exclusive game.
by Matt Casamassina
April 9, 2008 - Last year, development studio Renegade Kid released Dementium: The Ward for DS. The monster-filled first-person shooter not only played and looked very good on Nintendo's handheld, but it was scary, too. In fact, it was one of our personal favorites for the year. Now, Renegade Kid is working on another DS-exclusive first-person action adventure title -- this time featuring a science-fiction theme. It's called Moon and it's already one of the most intriguing projects underway for DS. Below, we chat with Moon's director and producer, Jools Watsham, about the ambitious effort.
IGN: Dementium: The Ward was one of the most refreshing and unexpectedly entertaining DS games we've played in a while. It's also a scary handheld game. Tell us about the concept powering Moon.
Jools: Thanks Matt, we had a lot of fun creating Dementium. The idea behind Moon is to create another entertaining single player adventure for the DS; one that might be unexpected on the system. An important aspect for us was to utilize our enhanced Renegade Engine 2.0 to allow us to focus on creating the content for Moon, rather than spend time on the engine during the development of the game. This enables us to not only produce more varied assets for Moon, but also devote time to pushing the 3D power of the DS further with our environments, enemies, cut-scenes, particle effects and gameplay.
IGN: Who do you play as and what is your goal?
Jools: You are Major Kane, leader of a special task force. Your immediate goal is to investigate a hatch that has been discovered on the moon.
IGN: Moon takes place in the first-person, correct? Would you classify it as a first-person shooter or an adventure, and why?
Jools: Yes, Moon is viewed from the first-person perspective. Although Moon features both first-person shooter and adventure qualities, at its heart Moon is a shooter. We have paid special attention to how the player's weapons and the enemies compliment each other, providing challenging gameplay that require skill from the player to progress.
IGN: How is the game controlled?
Jools: The + Control Pad is used for movement, while dragging the stylus on the Touch Screen controls your aiming. Press L Button to shoot. Other menu commands, such as weapon select, are accessed through the Touch Screen. A left-handed control type is also supported.
IGN: How are you using the DS screens?
Jools: The Upper Screen displays your view, while the Lower Screen displays menu commands and a real-time map.
IGN: Moon takes place -- well, on the moon. Any gravity-based puzzles or challenges? If so, can you give us some examples? Jools: Yes, Moon takes place on the moon, but as it is set in the year 2058 everyone's suits are fitted with an advanced gravity control device that enables astronauts to maneuver with ease.
IGN: How does Moon push DS technically? What're you most proud of?
Jools: The environments in Moon are much more ambitious than those we created for Dementium. They are larger and have more detail. I am very proud of what Renegade Kid's Art Director (and Co-Owner), Gregg Hargrove, and the environment artists have achieved in that regard.
IGN: Is Moon a violent game?
Jools: Moon is violent in the sense that you shoot enemies, however violence has not been a focus for us during the development of Moon as it was with Dementium. Our goal with Moon is more along the lines of providing variety in gameplay and visuals, as well as delivering an intriguing story-driven experience. There are a variety of weapons that you will collect over the course of the game, and a couple of very special items - but more on those later.
IGN: Will there be a multiplayer mode?
Jools: As it stands right now, we are devoting our resources to developing a great single-player adventure.
IGN: What did you learn from developing Dementium that you've applied for Moon?
Jools: We learned a lot from developing Dementium. Dementium was our first Nintendo DS project, so we were learning about the console while we were developing the game. Having more knowledge about the DS this time around has helped a lot in terms of being less cautious with our approach to implementing content. We also learned that the save system in Dementium was unfavorable, so we have approached that differently with Moon. Moon is presented in digestible episodes, each having checkpoints that save you progress. We feel this supports the mobile gaming nature of the DS.
IGN: Finally, what do you absolutely want DS owners to know about Moon, or about your development philosophy behind Moon?
Jools: The development philosophy behind Moon has been to produce a story-driven gaming experience that both entertains and challenges the action-adventure crowd. There are three difficulty levels to choose from: Rookie, Normal, and Veteran. I think even the hardcore may even have their work cut out for them on Veteran mode.
(nur, dass das da oben fast besser aussieht 
