With Isonzo, the next entry in the heralded WW1 Game Series due out later this year, we sat down (at a distance) with Jos Hoebe, co-founder and creative director of the WW1 Game Series to see how the sequel to Verdun and Tannenberg has evolved and how it’ll make the most out of PlayStation 5. If you’re a fan of historical first-person shooters, then Isonzo looks like it’ll be bringing the goods and then some.
PSU: Isonzo looks absolutely incredible with what looks like fairly substantial environment destruction and a range of other visual improvements over Verdun and Tannenberg. Has the WW1 Game Series moved away from the Unity engine, or, does Isonzo leverage the latest iteration of Unity?
Jos Hoebe: Thank you! We’re still using Unity, but there have indeed been a whole lot of visual enhancements made for Isonzo! We’ve entirely redone the way we handle terrain so that we can use tessellation for the razor sharp rock formations that are so typical of the Italian Front – and it also allows for more detailed trenches, too. Global Illumination has a big impact on the entire atmosphere of the game, and we’re using IK-assisted animations to make player movement and the game in general feel smoother and more dynamic.
PSU: Isonzo will be the first game in the WW1 Game Series to be developed for PlayStation 5. How will you take advantage of the new hardware? It would feel cool to have the adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller provide resistance as you’re trying to cut through barbed wire and so on.
Jos Hoebe: We’re still considering options for DualSense controllers – there are a lot of possibilities, but we want to do this right if we do it at all!
PSU: What made you decide to take on the Italian Front as setting for the next game in the WW1 Game Series?
Jos Hoebe: Our last game Tannenberg covered the Eastern Front, so we had to decide where to take the WW1 Game Series next. After much discussion (and several research road trips) we decided that the Alpine warfare of the Italian Front offered great opportunities to elevate the series to unexpected heights! It’s also an opportunity to cover another underserved area of WW1 – millions of people fought on the Italian Front, yet it hasn’t penetrated much into popular consciousness.
PSU: The idea of the conflict unfolding in a more vertical fashion thanks to the mountainside environments, rather than the distinctly flat grounds of Verdun and Tannenberg, make Isonzo unique. What were challenges in moving to this sort of combat?
Jos Hoebe: As we mentioned before, improving our animation system was important – when players are moving vertically as well as horizontally it’s important that stuff like mantling works well, players don’t get caught on bits of scenery, details like that.
PSU: Given just how different the nature of combat is in Isonzo, what new game modes can players expect?
Jos Hoebe: The new ‘Offensive’ game mode has one team attacking while the other defends – the attackers need to break through several defensive lines to win. Objectives range from mountaintop fortifications and river crossings to ruined towns and hastily dug foxholes. We’re leaning even more into the history with this new mode as the offensives in the game are based on historical offensives, and players will battle for landmarks like the Salcano Bridge (seen at the end of the trailer).
PSU: What player limits are you allowing this time around? Can we expect maps to support more players or less than the likes of Verdun and Tannenberg?
Jos Hoebe: We’re planning for 50 players across all platforms.
PSU: How many different maps will players have access to at launch?
Jos Hoebe: We’re still at the stage of balancing and testing maps, so it’s hard to say right now how many will make the cut for release – and remember, in the new Offensive game mode every map will have multiple distinct stages, which might pose very different challenges to the attackers and defenders. Also we will reveal more maps and details towards release!
PSU: Will Isonzo support cross-platform play on PS4 and PS5 with other platforms?
Jos Hoebe: We’re striving for PlayStation – Xbox cross-platform play at release, as we also have in Verdun and Tannenberg.
PSU: Have any changes been made to how the progression system works, or is the system used in Tannenberg being used here also?
Jos Hoebe: There will be changes to the progression system, and the loadout system that goes along with it. For Isonzo we wanted players to have more ability to react to the tactical situation, and so the new system will offer more flexibility. We’re looking forward to sharing more details closer to release!
PSU: The WW1 Game Series has always prided itself on realism and authenticity, how does Isonzo push the envelope here?
Jos Hoebe: As we mentioned before, the new Offensive game mode is more historical than previous modes. We’re also maintaining the high levels of accuracy in uniforms, weapon models, and battlefield scenery seen in our previous games.
PSU: Thank you so much for your time!
Isonzo is set to release on PS4 and PS5 sometime later in 2021.
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