Freedom Force vs The Third Reich

I think multiplayer was the only aspect where we really felt rushed in the original. Now that we're making our own rules and only have to answer to ourselves, we're able to take our time and do everything right. The area that benefited most from this extra time would have to be the multiplayer. Story-based multiplayer itself would be enough to make FFv3R a better multiplayer game. We didn't stop there though. We added several other new modes, in-game browsers and tons of other new features that'll have fans of freedom busy online for quite some time.

Sharing development has been a challenge given the obvious time differences. Thankfully, everyone has adapted their schedules to make sure there's as much overlap as possible. I don't know if we would have been equipped to share development on two sides of the globe a few years ago.

Absolutely. Everyone's opinion counts at Irrational. We don't hire robots here. We want everyone engaged in as many parts of our games as possible. Being a programmer doesn't mean being simply glued to code all day. In order for a game to work, everyone needs to be as active in the creative process as possible. This probably wouldn't be possible if people didn't get along and weren't receptive to feedback and open discussion.

It's certainly bigger in the sense that it's a more complete package. As we've mentioned before, multiplayer in the original Freedom Force was lacklustre to say the least. We wanted to stay true to the original and give our fans as much new content as possible. All the new characters and improvements to the Character Tool and other features make for a much more robust game. It's also a lot better, with countless enhancements to interface, graphical features, and tons of new characters in a brand new epic storyline.

Three words: Story-Based Multiplayer. This brand new mode will give players context for all their custom characters. We find that one of the biggest problems with multiplayer games in general is that you don't really even know what you're playing for. Sure, Unreal Tournament 2004 has Assault Mode, but we wanted to let people create their own stories. Story-Based Multiplayer lets players put all their favourite fan created assets to use.

For starters, new effects including the ability to, for example, attach emitters to your characters. Take a look at the new improved El Diablo. He leaves behind a trail of flames. Effects such as this are now possible with the improved character tool. We've also done some work in making it more user-friendly. There'll be a whole lot less digging through folders and files this time around. We want everyone to try and get involved and create that character that's been brewing in the back of their mind for years.

Tough call. Not wanting to sound clichéd but I like them all for their own reasons. I really enjoyed writing Black Jack. I also really like his powers as well. Limey Lure is a definite fav. Fortissimo is a riot as well. I'm going to stop before I start listing why I love each character.

I read all of Marvel's new "What If?" books. Despite my nostalgic leanings, they were actually much better than the old "What If?" series. Except the old ones were only 50 cents.