Straight Right, the developer of Mass Effect 3 on Wii U, is "very conscious of not wanting to mess up". The Australian studio is currently responsible for bringing BioWare's acclaimed hit to Nintendo's new console, and they are feeling the pressure.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Straight Right boss Tom Crago flat out said, "We're very conscious of not wanting to mess up."
"Given the level of expectation and the fact that we're taking something which, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and PC, was exceptionally good," he said. "You look at the game and think 'how could I possibly make this better?' The Wii U gives you that opportunity with the GamePad. But first and foremost you say, 'well, I don't want to screw this up'."
"You want to replicate the experience on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as sympathetically as possible. But then you say, 'how can I enhance this experience?'. We tried to get the game looking great and singing on Wii U, and then use the GamePad to complement this," Crago explained.
As of now, the GamePad serves a couple of purposes. The main function shows a highlighted map of the planet, with indicators as to where enemies and doors are located. The GamePad also allows for quick power selection squad assignments while in battle. Also taking advantage of the second screen, the GamePad will allow you to play the entire game through the controller, thereby freeing up the TV for other use. Definitely some cool features, but is it enough to convince gamers to purchase the game if they had already played it on Xbox 360 and PS3?
I can't say for sure, but it's definitely one of the more attractive launch titles the Wii U is offering. Despite the Wii U have no solid release date — which we think will change with the upcoming Nintendo press conference — Crago emphasized that Mass Effect 3 will be available when the system releases.
"It's going to be a launch title, but of course we don't know quite yet when the hardware will launch. We intend to be there that same day."
"This is the biggest title we've worked on in a long time," Crago admitted. "There's a significant technical challenge bringing the game from its original format to the Wii U. It's a new, different and sophisticated piece of hardware, so there's a good deal of technical energy that's been expended making that happen."
And for those concerned about graphics, Crago said it looks "just as good" as the other console versions. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Mass Effect 3 on the Wii U runs at 720p, which may come as a disappointment to many of you who were hoping it'd be the previously reported 1080p.
In addition to Mass Effect 3, Straight Right is working on two additional Wii U projects.
"We've made a number of bets on the Wii U, so we're certainly hoping that the platform comes strongly out of the gate. We've got two other titles in development," Crago teased. "One of them is original, our own IP, and another is based on another big franchise that will come out in 2013. It's a big title and you will have heard of it."
