Do you like co-op games? Do you like wacky takes on historical figures? Do you like Gauntlet? If you answered yes to any of these questions then Second Chance Heroes might be the game for you. This co-op action game is still in beta, but still very playable. We had a chance to digitally sit down with Dana Massey, the Lead Designer of Rocket City Studios, and talk about their new game.
To go along with this Q&A, we are also having another giveaway! Up for grabs this time are Second Chance Heroes beta keys. To get your hands on one, use the Sites with Benefits widget on the right side of the screen. Completing a few missions will let you grab a key. Once you do, just head on over to the Second Chance Heroes website and register.
Now, on to the Q&A!
Noobist: For those not familiar with Second Chance Heroes, can you describe it in your own words?
Dana: Second Chance Heroes is a cooperative arcade action adventure where your goal is to collect historical figures to fight off an apocalypse of aliens, werewolves, zombies, robots and sentient fast food.
We made a game that hearkens back to an old school sensibility where fun takes a back seat to nothing. We set out to make players laugh and I think we’ve accomplished that.
Collection is the real backbone of the game. You’re not tied to one character that you level up. Instead, you can change people not only from level to level, but also even within a single level. Each character has its own unique approach to combat and play style.
On top of that, you also collect relics. Historical relics provide you extra abilities, of which you can take in three per level. These are, for example, Henry VIII’s Reinforced Toilet Seat, which summons a toilet from the sky that grabs nearby enemies and then blows them up.
Noobist: The variety heroes seems to be one of the central features of the game. Will you draw solely from historical figures or might we see some original ones introduced?
Dana: The launch roster is exclusively drawn from history. There are 12 people everyone should recognize.
I think the real joy of the world we’ve created is that history gives us a limitless pool of wonderful characters to draw from… and then make utterly ridiculous.
Marie Curie is probably the least “famous” person on our roster, but for those who know their history – she was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, a pioneer in the field of radioactivity – her shooting laser beams out of her eyes is pretty funny. For everyone else, she’s probably one of the only video game heroines who runs around with her walker and annihilates people.
One area we’re really excited about is that as the game matures, we can obviously continue to add more and more characters for people to enjoy. We have an internal list of over a hundred names and we’d love to one day bring them all to life. I don’t think we’ll run out of historical heroes any time soon.
That said, we have a pretty good design for Santa Claus that I’d one day like to see put out for the holidays!
Noobist: Are there any kind of historical figures that you plan on avoiding?
Dana: You can make a lot of arguments about the relative merits of pretty much any major historical figure. A lot of that depends on your perspective. We have no chance of pleasing everyone, but there are some clear lines we will not cross. You’ll never be able to play as Hitler or Stalin in this game, for example. Those are obvious.
Religion is also a tough subject since so many historical figures are tied so closely to the religions of the day. We look at it on a case by case basis. A good example is Queen Elizabeth I who was the head of the English Church, but I think most would see her as a political, not religious figure. Given the kind of game we’re making, we want people to have fun and not be offended by the people we’ve taken, so clearly religious people in a game that revolves around combat is a line we also intend not to cross.
Noobist: Can you share with us the kind of business model Second Chance Heroes will use? Will it be Free to Play plus a store or a more traditional model?
Dana: We’re looking at a more traditional model where you pay once up front. No final decisions have been made though.
Noobist: Right now, the game features co-op play. Any plans on additional modes, like PvP?
Dana: We’ll launch with an offline single player mode as well. The current Beta is exclusively online, but we do not want to limit our customers in that way.
Beyond that, we have lots of ideas for other gameplay modes, but we want to give our future customers some say in where we go next. It could be more narrative content, or perhaps specific gameplay modes, like competitive challenges or PvP.
Noobist: You have recently released a UI update and game controller support. Can you share what you’ll be working on next?
Dana: Each week we announce another hero, and we’ll include them in each release.
We’re also actively finishing off much of the narrative elements of the game. There are some missing voice overs and comics that will tie the world together more clearly for the user. Expect those soon.
On a longer term, the single player mode is a big undertaking and that’s one of our major focuses. We are also exploring other platforms beyond PC and Mac, although I cannot yet reveal which ones.
Noobist: Who is your favorite hero currently in the game and why?
Dana: That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child!
I cannot name a single one, each is quite intentionally unique. I do get an inordinate amount of joy from Abraham Lincoln’s tornado and Marie Curie’s laser beam eyes, though.
It really all depends on circumstances. Caesar is a menace against boss monsters, but no one clears a hallway quite like Napoleon.
There’s also one other who… well, you’ll find out soon when we reveal them!
Noobist: Anything else you would like to tell the readers about Second Chance Heroes?
Dana: Of course, we appreciate you taking the time to read up about the game and if you’re interested, make sure you take a moment to sign up for our Closed Beta (https://www.2ndchanceheroes.com/beta). It’s an invaluable tool for shaping the game. We really want people’s feedback.
And, if you enjoy what you see, we could use your support on Steam Greenlight. In fact, it’s not just us. There are lots of amazing games in that community that could use your vote. If you have not yet had a chance, or not been back in a while, check them out. There’s a lifetime of amazing games in there and each vote makes a difference.
To hear more about the game, check out our Developer Blog. We’ll be updating it regularly with insights into what we’re working on and where we’re going. We’re also building a community on Facebook and Twitter if you can stand some lame history jokes.