GameSpot Q&A With BioWare Over Command & Conquer Generals 2

At the Video Game Awards tonight, BioWare announced a new IP that has been being rumored about lately and teased constantly, announcing Command & Conquer Generals 2. GameSpot followed up with this by speaking with EA BioWare Label head Dr. Ray Muzyka and the Executive Producer of C&C Generals 2 Jon Van Caneghem. "...the PC-exclusive strategy title posits a world in which all of civilizations' leaders and diplomats have been assassinated by terrorists, leaving only military heads to rule." - Gamespot

GameSpot: Unlike other games in the series, the original Generals had little story to speak of. Bioware is known for its attention to story. Will story be a significant part of Generals 2, and if so, will it be as over-the-top as other C&C games?

Ray Muzyka: One of the things we’re most excited about in adding strategy to our portfolio is finding a way to incorporate BioWare’s vision of genuine emotional engagement and quality, including the attention to story and narrative, in a way that is fresh, new, and additive to the genre. I think story has always played an important role in the C&C franchise, more overtly in the Tiberium and Red Alert universes with the FMV cutscenes than in Generals, which takes place in a more modern, serious setting. We are definitely keeping to that tone in Generals 2, delivering over-the-top action, but also incorporating a more intense, gritty story. The key is that we’re thinking about story as an additive element, rather than something that replaces what fans loved in the original Generals game.

GS: Fans are still smarting over Command & Conquer 4 and its perceived missteps. What would you say to anyone concerned that Generals 2 might stray too far from what made its predecessor so good?

Jon Van Caneghem: Generals 2 is a return to the roots of core C&C gameplay, balancing fast-paced action with strategic decision-making. The best C&C games are known for being accessible but also challenging to master and we are embracing that at the heart of the game design. Most importantly, we’ve heard the fans and we’re bringing back the elements of C&C they love--bases, resources, and giant armies.

GS: This is the first strategy game using the Frostbite engine. What does the technology allow you to do that you might not have been able to do with another engine?

JVC: Frostbite 2 is an amazing, cutting-edge piece of technology which allows us to produce a level of detail in the units and environments and destruction on a scale that really hasn’t been done in the genre before. We can make incredibly visceral experiences thanks to the robust physics and particle systems in Frostbite 2. Additionally, the engine allows us to create high-detail cinematics that are all in-game, which will keep the level of immersion we want to achieve with Generals.

Read more of the Q&A at GameSpot!