Xbox 360
Traveller's Tales cut its teeth developing Mega Drive games way back in the early 90s (read up on your gaming history kids)! Since then, they've become the world's largest independent developer, getting involved with some of the biggest names in the business: no mean feat we're sure you'll agree.
It's this freedom that has allowed the Knutsford-based team to come up with riotously fun and imaginative titles time and time again. Chances are you will have played their most successful title to date, Lego Star Wars, and relished in its twee charm. See? We're all kids at heart really...
Product Manager Richard Earl hints at what makes the developer special: "The success we’ve seen over the past years is a testament to the hard work and talent of every individual on the team. We’re genuinely thrilled to be able to make games which resonate so strongly with such a wide variety of players, and it’s a privilege to be working in an industry with so many great companies, particularly in the UK."
It's a little-known industry fact that these guys have a blast when they make their games, and this comes across in the comedic side of their titles. This goes some way to helping them past the dreaded pitfall facing most developers of movie tie-ins. In short, they are usually abysmal, adding nothing of value to their respective movies whatsoever. Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars break this trend resoundingly.
How on earth do they succeed where so many others fail? "There are obviously a lot of challenges in dealing with the demands of a movie game,” Richard explains, “ensuring the game has a life of its own, while still matching people’s expectations from the cinematic experience. But we have great tech, great people, and a lot of experience to point us in the right direction."
From beating ten shades of plastic out of Jawas on Tatooine to whipping the studs off Nazis as Indiana Jones, everything feels faithful to the source material, despite being set in a Lego world. A round of applause for all then, but how do they nail the feel of the movies so exactly?
"It’s been hugely enjoyable to work on the LEGO Star Wars series,” says Richard, “Everyone on the team is genuinely in love with the two properties [Star Wars and Lego], and the interaction between the two of them – matching the infinite possibility and ironic spin of LEGO to the emotional punch and drama of the world’s biggest entertainment property – has enabled everyone’s creativity to flourish."
In short, Traveller's Tales understands its fanbase because they are as much a part of it as the movie-goers and Lego builders of the world. However, the team faces its biggest challenge yet in Lego Batman, a game set around the adventures of the Dark Knight which isn't confined to any of the film properties, requiring an all new storyline and spin on the infamous Gotham City.
Will this have a negative effect on the development process? Definitely not, according to Richard: "We truly let our creativity run wild when working with movie properties in LEGO form; and our licensors are extremely supportive of this process. Everyone understands that you can do things in LEGO form which wouldn’t be possible anywhere else. Our constraints are self-imposed, based on our own sense as fans of how far something can be taken before it loses connection with the original materials, and our desire to make games appropriate for all ages."
Lego Batman looks set to be the team's greatest title based on the absurdly popular building blocks. It truly captures the spirit of Batman perfectly, by being both dark and hilariously pantomime at the same time, displaying the Traveller’s Tales trademark understanding of the comic book source material. Fans of everything from the recent Chris Nolan films to the brilliant Warner Bros. cartoon will identify with the characters and locations.
As Richard says, Travellers Tales has a real love for the games they make, something which clearly carries on into Lego Batman. Check out our preview here.