When Activision announced a multiplatform videogame tie-in to The Peanuts Movie, it was described as “an intricate game of hide-and-seek.” How does such a premise play out in gameplay terms? This is the question GameZone hoped to have answered after approaching Behaviour Interactive, the team overseeing the project. Creative director David Williams was kind enough to shed some light, not only on the gameplay structure, but also on some of the unique attributes the team is working into the game’s DNA.
The character-themed environments and unusual sights in Snoopy’s Grand Adventure are all works of Snoopy’s imagination. And as longtime Peanuts fans know, Snoopy’s many fantastical adventures served as a well of humor in the comics, making it appropriate that the game follow this route where the design is at the mercy of Snoopy's rambunctious mind. Personal expressions of the late Charles Schulz on his creation served as a guiding map for the game’s settings and conditions. Williams shared with GameZone that it was this particular quote from Schulz that was of significance to the direction they wanted to take:
“Snoopy’s whole personality is a little bittersweet. But he’s a very strong character. He can win or lose, be a disaster, a hero, or anything, and yet it all works out. I like the fact that when he’s in real trouble, he can retreat into a fantasy and thereby escape.”
He elaborated: “Some of the most loved moments in the Peanuts comics are when Snoopy becomes one of his alter egos and creates a fantasy world to act out in. We wanted to create an innocent situation that could make Snoopy feel that the kids are in trouble, and with this, create his own heroic adventures to rescue them.” Thus, the hide-and-seek premise took effect.
Behaviour emphasized that in keeping with the younger target audience for this project, distinct stealth elements took a backseat to platforming. “We decided to focus more on traditional platforming rather than implementing stealth mechanics,” he said. How, then, does the hide-and-seek premise assume its identity? Williams added: “Defeating enemies does not give Snoopy additional points or powers. Defeated enemies are just stunned and will regain their composure after a moment. These factors mean that it is often better to avoid confrontations with most enemies rather than attack them.”
Part of the reason for this is a desire to stay by what is tried-and-true for the development team. “The main elements we are bringing to the project are our platform gaming pedigree,” Williams shared. “We are the developers of Doritos Crash Course and Crash Course 2, which were hugely popular multiplayer platform games on Xbox 360. For Peanuts, we took our experience from creating these platformers and added more fun exploration elements, as well as costumes for Snoopy to unlock so he can gain access to new areas of the game.”
In the way of features, Snoopy’s Grand Adventure has a cooperative component whereby a second player can take control of Woodstock. This was inspired, both by a desire to make Woodstock a playable character, and a way for parents to play alongside their kids. “Parents can play as Woodstock together with their children, stunning enemies, activating shortcuts, or simply saying ‘Follow me!’ It was a perfect fit.”
Williams also confirmed that Snoopy will need to overcome bosses “at the end of each environment” in his quest to find Charlie Brown and the rest of his friends. And speaking of familiar faces, Snoopy’s Grand Adventure will feature “almost all the main characters from the movie,” plus a few that aren’t seen in the film. Progressing through the story will populate Charlie Brown’s backyard (i.e., the main menu) with characters and other goodies that change each visit. Williams teased a few examples. “Lucy may be hanging out in the backyard after she is found,” he began. “Certain collectibles may unlock her Psychiatry booth. Once you find Schroeder, she may decide to hang out at his piano and watch him play.” And that’s not all that Lucy fans will see of her.
Williams continued with more teasers: “With Snoopy’s imagination gone wild, there are many elements of the Peanuts characters mixed into the environments and even the enemy characters themselves. So don’t be surprised to find snakes in the jungle that look like Peppermint Patty, or even a giant robot Lucy.”
Peanuts fans won't want to miss these and other encounters when Snoopy’s Grand Adventure launches on November 6 for Wii U (retail and eShop), 3DS, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
