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Over
two years in the making, Vivendi Universal's Judge Dredd:
Dredd Vs Death video game is certainly the most fully realised
version of the popular 2000 AD character's world to
have hit the small screen to date. Now fans can go behind
the scenes and examine the making of the game in minute detail...
The
Making of Judge Dredd - Dredd Vs Death is a fairly strange
subject for a book. It is only going to cater to a niche market
- those that like Judge Dredd, have played the game
and liked it enough to want to know how it was constructed.
So already the odds are not on Rebellion's side if they were
planning to make their money back on this title.
However,
I really hope Rebellion does make a profit from this release,
and that this style of book becomes popular. Because when
it is done well, as it is here, the results are well worth
£20 of anyone's money.
The
book starts off looking at the history of 2000 AD and
Rebellion and then moves on to examine the history of Judge
Dredd (and other 2000 AD strips) computer games,
before (starting at page 55) looking at the Death Vs Dredd
title.
The
game itself [see our review]
had critics split. Some didn't rate it, while others recognised
the effort and attention to detail that went into bringing
the world of MegaCity One to life. But, there is no arguing
that whatever you thought of the game it was visually breathtaking.
But,
will people who shell out £20 for a book on a specialist
subject really need to know about the "History of MegaCity
One" or "Who is Judge Dredd"? Or will they
feel patronised by such basic facts? Yes, there are sections
that cover basic elements that any real Dredd fan will
think he/she already knows. But they should take a look. They
may learn a few things - I did.
Personally,
for me, this is still a game that I play on a fairly regular
basis. Sure, I finished the main game a few days after I started
playing it, but there are a ton of other games that are unlocked
along the way and a whole heap of characters that you can
play (even though your regulation green Judge's gauntlets
don't seem to change no matter which character you are).
And
so, reading this book made me appreciate some of the complexities
that the games designers had to tackle to bring this to the
small screen. There are also some great chapters including
a look back at previous versions of Dredd, and other
2000 AD characters, as they have appeared in computer
games over the years.
The
repro is also visually very impressive, with some beautifully
rendered artwork to accompany the text. Anyone who sits down
and plays a video game without thinking of the years of hard
work and sleepless nights the developers have had are advised
to have a look at this. You'll be amazed at how many elements,
that you take for granted, took so much time to get just right.
An
excellent book that details the origins of a first rate game.
Droking
impressive!
Nick Smithson
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