Silicon Knights on Too Human Trilogy

Denis Dyack explains why his team likes making big, expansive worlds for us to play in.

Announcing a next-generation game is one thing, but developer Silicon Knights thinks much broader than that. Its first game for the Xbox 360, Too Human, is only the opening act of a trilogy, and in a recent blog post at IGN, lead designer Denis Dyack explains why his team thinks so broadly.

"When creating an original game we start by conceptualizing an entire universe," writes Dyack. "Once the universe is conceptualized we then tell a story within that world."

In a way, Silicon Knights is in the business of creating worlds, not games, and the games are merely glimpses into those worlds. Dyack is mindful, though, that players want to get the most out of their games, and one of the main goals is to give them a full experience.

"We believe that an important part of making a trilogy successful is that each of its parts is self-contained," says Dyack. "Because we want each game to be a complete experience on its own, the major plot lines will be resolved at the end of each game."

This isn't the first time Silicon Knights has approached a project this way. Eternal Darkness, a cult hit on the GameCube based on the chilling tales of H.P. Lovecraft, was envisioned as a trilogy too.

"Although [the GameCube game] is just one story we had in mind for the Eternal Darkness universe, there are even more manipulations, great ancients, and numerous other stories to tell," he says, teasing us with the prospect of more to come.

While Too Human is still a way off, Dyack and Silicon Knights are already thinking bigger, developing central themes for the sequels.

"Without giving too much away, I can tell you that the theme of each instalment will be 'discovery', 'revenge' and 'enlightenment' respectively. We hope that you will enjoy exploring the Too Human universe as much as we love to create it."

You can get your first look at Silicon Knights' new universe when Too Human hits Xbox 360 this Christmas.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games