Mage Knight: Apocalypse Interview

Hooked Gamers has published a three-page interview with Namco senior producer Dave Georgeson about their now-gold action RPG, Mage Knight: Apocalypse.
Q: How deep is the interaction with other characters in the game? Do your NPCs discuss things with you? Are you able to converse with other characters?

A: The game is an action RPG, first and foremost. That being said, we really wanted to bring more story to the genre and set up things so that the game satisfies *both* the combat player and the RPG (explorer) types that want to find out more about the world. Do you want to know more about the world and understand the plotlines in greater detail? Then go talk to the various NPCs in the world. Many of them have lots to say and you can learn as much (or as little) as you desire.

Your sidekicks (the NPCs traveling with you in your adventure party) often say things to you and react situationally to what's going on in the world, plus they have a lot to say in various cutscenes, piping up with stuff whenever a subject touches on one of their specialties.

So is this game a vast RPG where there are countless side-quests and mountains of conversations that may or may not have anything to do with the plot? No. It's not. We focus the conversations and action around the epic that you're experiencing as a player so that almost everything (matters). Is it a straight-up action game with a sparse plot that barely explains why you need to go kill stuff? Nope. The story is much deeper than that, with many of the plotlines revolving around your character and the sidekicks that travel with you, evolving into a major central plotline in the Land.

In other words, you probably haven't played an action RPG that's similar to (Mage Knight: Apocalypse). We've added a lot of elements to it that are different and unusual in order to make it even more compelling as a game and adventure.