Laser trip wires -- Memories of Duke Nukem 3D? (Click to Enlarge)
| With the shell of a story outlined, the gang at Ritual had to decide how to migrate this concept into a unique 3D game experience. Selinske explains, "We want to raise the bar on what a 3D action game delivers. We will offer gamers an intricate and interwoven story line that unfolds as you play and explore our universe." So, besides having the concept of Blade’s tryst with Elexis, Ritual wanted to fully flesh out a story that would develop over time as the players immersed themselves deeper and deeper into the game. Since a good chunk of the employees from Ritual are ex-3D Realm-ers, and with Duke Nukem doing so well in the market, everyone realized the need to develop a personality for their lead character. No longer would your average anonymous space marine do the trick. As such, Blade is not your stereotypical mica-thin character you’d expect to find in old-school 3D action games. "We’ve explored childhood upbringing, delved into the demons from their past that have made them the people they are today. We have explored the how’s and why’s of what makes up each character," explains Producer Selinske. In essence, Ritual has created a bible for each of the characters, including Elexis Sinclair and your hacker companion, J.C. 
Robert Atkins, artist, practicing his sniper techiques behind some drywall during the build out of the new offices of Ritual Entertainment. (Click to Expand) | | | J.C. is another one of the many innovations Ritual promises. As your partner in crime-prevention, J.C. can be your most vocal supporter or staunchest critic. 
Sin Producer Joe Selinske
(Click To Expand)
| Selinske says, "JC will pose questions that help point you in the right direction, abuse you when you screw up, and generally act as another source of information as you uncover the story." The concept is similar to what Activision had planned for Bruce Willis to do in their 3D-action game Apocalypse, now rescheduled to be released late in 1998. Still, the addition of a companion to the game could be a lethal blow to competitors, but only if the artificial intelligence is smart -- J.C. will need to move beyond spewing out a few scripted one-liners at certain points in the plot to really turn heads. If this feature actually works, it could end up being one of the true breakthroughs achieved by Ritual. 
Black lights, and someone has a bullet with your name on it!
|  Continue with our story and see more screenshots of the game and learn about the interactive elements planned.
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