Introduction

Developer nFusion and publisher Midway are preparing to enter the crowded WWII shooter genre with their Xbox 360 exclusive game Hour of Victory this summer. FiringSquad got a chance to chat with the game's producer Jeremy Ray to find out if Hour of Victory will be a worthy addition for the genre's many fans.

FiringSquad: First, how did the idea for Hour of Victory come about?

Jeremy Ray: Midway concept tests all of the game proposals before they are greenlit. The WW2 proposal with the three different perspectives we have for Hour of Victory was one of the highest concepts that Midway has ever tested. The high concept test and healthy shooter market fit nicely with Midway’s desire to enter the military shooter genre.

FiringSquad: There have been a ton of WWII shooters released in the past. Why do you think this game will stand out from the others?

Jeremy Ray:In Hour of Victory, Midway wants to give the player more choice. The player can choose to see battles from the three different perspectives of the British Commando, Army Ranger, and Covert Op. Each character specializes in different weapons and has different skills that enable them to snipe, sneak, and push their way to victory. There are also vehicles that the player can jump in and out of whenever they see fit, rather then only when the designer decides you can. The scripted game play is also kept to a minimum allowing for the player to experience battles differently each time they play. You don’t just memorize enemy locations you constantly think about your tactics during combat as you react to the changing tactics of the AI.

FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the game's main storyline and the three playable characters?

Jeremy Ray:Without revealing too much, here’s a little setup. The game story takes place during the WW2 years of 1942 – 1945 through the African and European theaters in North Africa, the Bavarian Alps, and culminating in a showdown in Berlin. The three playable characters have been specially chosen by the high ally command to use their unique skills to help stop a secret weapons program within the Nazi rank lead by Wilhelm Steckler. The story is historical fiction with an adventurous tone and fictional plot situated firmly within historical WW2 locations, uniforms, weapons, and vehicles.

FiringSquad: How does having three different characters change the gameplay design of Hour of Victory?

Jeremy Ray: The three playable characters are Ross the British Commando, Blackbull the Army Ranger, and Taggert the Covert Operative. It will be up to the player to determine which character they want to choose to accomplish their objectives, but the ultimate goal will require all three characters to work together. Each character’s skills, weapons, and game play are based on the different game play styles of run-and-gun, sniper, and sneak.

For example: Taggert uses a silenced sten gun and has abilities like picking locks and stealth knife kills. Bull uses a sniper rifle and has the ability to control his breath for more accurate shots or use his scaling ability to get to a unique sniper vantage point. Ross has the highest proficiency for taking enemies head on and can create his own cover by moving physics objects.

FiringSquad: What sort of missions and locations will the game have?

Jeremy Ray: There are different gameplay missions that include things like action based first person gun combat, tank battles, infiltration, rescue, cable-car rides, Anti-aircraft gun combat, and protection to name a few.

These missions take place in locations including North Africa, Bavarian Alps, and the last days of Nazi controlled Berlin.