Game Informer: In the announcement for the Temptation, Melanie Mroz said that Reality Pump is taking player comments to heart. There’s no way around the fact that players were pretty brutal (and vocal) about Two Worlds—how did that response affect the team, and what kinds of things did those negative reactions inspire you to address in the sequel?

James Seaman: We’ll be the first to admit that our biggest problem with the original Two Worlds is that we were overly ambitious. We created a huge world with highly varied environments, allowed for a ton of character and equipment customization, and we had online play. It was definitely no small feat to simply complete the game!

In hindsight, we should have narrowed our goals at least a little to create a more cohesive experience for players, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with The Temptation. We very specifically outlined what the game could and couldn’t realistically have before we got to work on the game. Our goal this time around is quality over quantity. That’s not to say The Temptation won’t be a huge game – it will be – but we’re not going to decide to add features months before release. We have a very clear vision this time, and we’re heading for it.

Sure, the reactions from the press and the gaming public stung, but if anything it provided us with great feedback on what worked and what didn’t. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to create a sequel to a game that is very near to our hearts, and we’re going to do our best to correct what people didn’t like, and keep the aspects of the game that got a positive reception.