Roman Gunyavy: My name is Roman Gunyavy. I’ve been working in game development for about 7 years and have participated in many game projects during this time. Among the most significant of them would be FarCry – I worked from the beginning to the end of this project. Now that it has ended, I’ve returned to Ukraine and after a while became one of founders of CREOTEAM studio, where I’m working now at art and game design of Collapse.

Gamersinfo.net: What was the initial inspiration for the game?

Roman Gunyavy: Well, there is no unambiguous answer… We just wanted to create a game, which would be, as much as possible, clear to players, but at the same time would introduce something really new. But it’s not half of the main thing! We wanted it to be really impressive with some unique trait, so that it would take your breath away! A whole new world, where the reality of our world is crossed with unknown matters. So gradually, from small ideas weaved together, the world of Collapse appeared. And as to why an action genre, we chose it almost at once, as it allowed us to demonstrate the strongest points of our team. We are doing what we can do best of all. Enjoying what you do is just the best way to become successful!

Gamersinfo.net: Did you use real world creatures as models for the creatures that are coming from the beyond? Or are they completely cooked up from your imagination?

Roman Gunyavy: This question is just to my liking! Well, that’s mainly what I’ve been working at for several years! ;) And up to now I couldn't understand what the imagination is, and from where improbable images in my head appeared. I can tell only that the imagination as such is too abstract, and in each creation should be something a little bit from our world so the player would feel this connection and believe in a reality of this creation.

Gamersinfo.net: Will the player have the option to choose his/her character model? Or is it set for you?

Roman Gunyavy: We have a very deep-laid main character’s story line. He has the background and the unique place in this world. To choose Elena instead of Rodan means to choose an absolutely different history. Probably, there will be possible to play for Elena in the sequel, but in this part you should pass Rodan’s way, and other characters in the game are supposed to help or to stir to him.

Gamersinfo.net: What is the basic storyline for the character? What is his/her motivation in the world?

Roman Gunyavy: The world of Collapse is thought over down to the smallest details. You will play for Rodan, but in the game there are more than 10 unique characters with their own tempers, skills and individual abilities. Prehistory of the game describes events over 100 years. Here is only a small part of that history to get some idea of the world Rodan lives in:

In 2013 in the center of Europe there happened a dreadful accident. Its cause remained a mystery for everyone. The major part of Europe had turned to a huge abnormal zone: lots of people in it were lost or missing, and those who have survived told incredible things. It was impossible to watch the zone from the satellite, and any attempts to study it yielded poor results.

Then there were 10 years of respite, which was followed by another inexplicable occurrence. Later it was called the First Aggression. An anomaly started to expand steadily, grasping territory of Europe and generating hordes of bloodthirsty creatures. Neither army, nor scientists could stop them and save people from death or disappearing without a trace. However, for unknown reasons, those monsters couldn’t adapt for our planet conditions, and the Zone has calmed down for a while.

To isolate the Zone and to defend themselves from further attacks people erected the quarantine line around the anomaly. That was a wall of armor plates with mine fields and machine-gun jacks on perimeter. And those who weren’t evacuated from the quarantine zone in time became cut from the other world.

The years passed, people remained in the Zone, have started to create small settlements. So there appeared the first clans led by Lords - the people possessing sufficient strength and courage for steering others behind themselves.

The action of the game is set in 2096 in days of the Second Aggression. Any efforts to repulse the next attack were futile. New Aggression destroyed the majority of clans. The young soldier Rodan is the only of Lords left alive. He has grown up in the Zone and life there taught him to wield perfectly cold and shooting weapons, it made him determined, trained his will and hardened his character. His main aspiration is to find out the reasons of death of his father, the last Lords’ leader. However, he doesn’t even know yet that the role he should play in this story is much more significant.

Roman Gunyavy: A player collides with puzzles where he is immersed in the cryptic and frightening atmosphere. It’s the world of anomaly, full of extraterrestrial creatures and mechanisms beyond our comprehension. Certainly there will be many riddles to solve. Just a tiny example… On one of the levels there will be a huge clock covered with some weird inscriptions and odd figures. To open the passage you will have to set a certain time on it. But of course, it’s not so easy to do this.

Unique design of the futuristic world, profound plot, impressive characters… Playing Collapse, you will explore this special universe and try to understand its countless questions. Understanding it will often be not so easy, but it’s terribly interesting! :)

Gamersinfo.net: What sorts of weapons are available for use? Are the effects based off of real world physics? Do you have a choice on what you carry?

Roman Gunyavy: The game is based on the combination of shooting and cold steel. Thanks to Rodan’s biomechanical hand he can snatch out or hide a sword in a split second. Due to it long-range and short-range gameplay are organically combined. In Collapse there will be several types of swords, each of them differs in the fight techniques and colorful combo-strikes, and several kinds of shooting weapon, for conducting fighting at a distance, including really unique samples of the future and extraterrestrial civilization. Besides, you will be able to use some power strikes which give you extraordinary abilities of distortion of space and allow you to come out of the most critical situations.

His biomechanical hand allows Rodan to carry all swords at the same time. And what about shooting weapons… you will be able to carry only 2 types, but you can get an arsenal to your liking using any weapon that your enemies use. All weapons in the game can be developed, but it’s not similar with RPG’s component. As we deal with non-stop action, any development here is directed on increasing the dynamics of fighting, on gaining new skills and combos.

As to physical model, it certainly conforms to the main rules of this world. There are many destroyable objects in the game, small and huge. You will be able even to destroy the whole building! By the way, destruction doesn’t exist independently, but is connected with game process. For example, if you are hiding behind a partition of a wall under the enemy fire, more likely your cover will be destroyed in a few minutes, leaving only a frame which won’t protect you any more. Certainly, in the same way you’ll be able to hurt your enemy. But if you don’t want to bang off, better kick an oil barrel towards the enemy and shoot it at the right moment … etc. We have plenty of ideas, and you will see most of them in the game.

Gamersinfo.net: Does this game have a multi-player aspect to it? If so, is it LAN based or Internet based?

Roman Gunyavy: We have many ideas to realize an interesting and unusual multiplayer in the world of Collapse, but while we’re just working at the story line development of multiplayer is postponed.

Gamersinfo.net: Are there plans to port this game to the XBox or PS2?

Roman Gunyavy: This project is being developed only on PC. Though, in prospect we will certainly move to the console platforms, and perhaps we’ll port the game.

Gamersinfo.net: Can you tell us a little about the acrobatics aspect of the game? How many different maneuvers does the character have available to him/her?

Roman Gunyavy: You won’t be able to see here acrobatics like in Prince of Persia, it’s just not adventure, but it is mainly action. So, it is a matter of fighting acrobatics! The acrobatics which will allow you to dodge the blows and to defeat effectively your enemies. Not all of these opportunities will be available at once when you start playing, but you’ll be able to learn them during the game.

Gamersinfo.net: What is your favorite part of the game?

Roman Gunyavy: The culmination. ;)

Gamersinfo.net: What is it that makes this game unique amongst shooter/adventure games?

Roman Gunyavy: I think it’s because of the really organic combination of cold and fire-arms, colorful impacts and fighting acrobatics, the interactive destroyed world, unique design and deep story line.

It will be enough, won’t it?

Gamersinfo.net: Are you a Cat person or a Dog person?

Roman Gunyavy: Human person (though, not everyone believes in it ;))