Motiga’s hero shooter MOBA hybrid Gigantic flew under the radar for many upon its launch in 2017, but it’s making a surprise comeback. Developer Abstraction Games and publisher Arc Games are bringing the game back for audiences to dive back into, and doing so not just with a simple port, but with an expanded and enhanced version that’s adding new content, features, and adopting a free-to-play model. To learn more about what these changes and additions will bring to the table and how significantly they will impact the core experience, we recently sent across some of our questions about Gigantic: Rampage Edition to the folks behind it. Below, you can read our interview with game design lead Bart Vossen and producer Maverick Bautista.
NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.
"We decided to bring back Gigantic not only because of the incredible fans of the original game and they’re amazing support over the years, but also to introduce a new generation of hero shooter and MOBA fans to the game for the first time ever."
What was behind the decision to bring Gigantic back with an enhanced and expanded version?
Maverick Bautista (Producer): We decided to bring back Gigantic not only because of the incredible fans of the original game and they’re amazing support over the years, but also to introduce a new generation of hero shooter and MOBA fans to the game for the first time ever. From the incredible response we received from players in their limited-time Throwback Event for Gigantic last year, it was clear that more than ever, players want a unique, microtransaction-free hero shooter to jump into. We feel now is the perfect time for the game to make a comeback, but this time as a premium title without microtransactions.
What can you tell us about Rampage Edition’s new heroes and what they bring to the table for the game’s overall roster?
Bart Vossen (Senior Game Designer at Abstraction Games & Game Design Lead on Gigantic: Rampage Edition): Roland is a bounty hunter who excels at short-mid range combat. Besides his strong shotgun, he can set traps for players and ambush or escape with his grappling hook. Kajir, on the other hand, is an air pirate who can be his own three-man crew. He’s a burst focused assassin with high mobility.
Baustista: To add to what Bart mentioned, Roland brings some charm and promise from the old days of Gigantic, it was a hero that was seen before but never saw the light of day due to skill issues. This hero brings another “ranged” hero with a unique twist on mobility and additional friendly support in the form of an attack drone. Kajir is another DPS assassin, similiar to Tripp, with a kit that provides a lot of stealth and deception. Kajir is the perfect hero to clean up heroes who move out of position and can get in and out of fights in a different way compared to other DPS heroes.
With the new Rush mode promising a more streamlined and accessible experience for players, can you elaborate a little bit on the sort of changes it makes to achieve that?
Vossen: Rush mode reduces the complexity and number of mechanics that players need to know about during the match. You start with all your upgrades, don’t have to worry about creature summoning, and can just focus on the fights at hand. There’s still strategy involved with which points to attack and trying to outplay the enemy team, yet for players that love more intricate strategies it’s better to play Clash mode.
This bigger focus on fights also allows players to focus on learning their heroes. We didn’t want to completely remove upgrade choices, which is why you can select your build on the airship. This removes the need to make upgrade choices mid-combat and instead gives you plenty of time between matches to think really your build through.
"This bigger focus on fights also allows players to focus on learning their heroes. We didn’t want to completely remove upgrade choices, which is why you can select your build on the airship."
What was the process like of designing new maps for Rampage Edition? How much of a benefit was it to be able to dive into fully made maps from the original game to get a feel for the sort of design style you need to be targeting for the new maps?
Vossen: Heaven’s Ward and Picaro Bay started off as maps that were in early development by Motiga. We looked at what the design intent was behind each and took that as the starting point. After that it was a lot of iterating and playtesting. The biggest challenge was making the map work for all the different heroes. For this, the existing maps were very useful to look at and see what did and didn’t work.
Beyond the new content, what are the biggest tweaks Rampage Edition makes to Gigantic’s core gameplay?
Vossen: Rampage Edition stays true to original Gigantic in terms of core gameplay. The biggest quality of life feature we added was the ability to create custom builds and auto upgrading for Clash matches.
Besides that, the tutorials got a revamp to gradually introduce each mode’s various features in an actual match context — which then also allows players to practice and learn all intricate details about each mode.
Progression was also largely overhauled, since there are no microtransactions in the game. The emphasis is on hero mastery, earning XP as you play matches and by completing Fortunes (a set of challenges). This enables you to unlock all cosmetics for a hero.
You’ve confirmed that you’ll be adding new skins and a ranked mode to Gigantic: Rampage Edition with free post-launch updates, but do you have any other content or updates planned beyond that?
Baustista: We’ve very excited to release new skins and a Ranked mode for free post-launch, especially Ranked mode as that was requested by many players of the original. We’ll share the release timing for the new mode and the skins shortly after launch. For additional content plans following that, right now, we’re currently focused on getting the game ready for launch, and the current post-launch content ready as well.
"I like to say the new progression system is similar to something found in something like Super Smash Bros. and how things are unlocked in that game – where you unlock things over time — that’s what we strived to achieve here with Rampage Edition."
With Gigantic going from a free-to-play experience to a paid one with this version, how will that affect things such as monetization, cosmetics, and the like?
Baustista: For starters, we completely removed all the microtransactions from the original and there will be zero microtransactions in Gigantic: Rampage Edition. Once you pick up the game, you can unlock all content, like heroes and cosmetics, just by playing the game. With Gigantic: Rampage Edition, we’ve revamped the Fortunes system to be a challenge-based progression system. After matches, you’ll make progress on various Fortunes (challenges in the game), you can earn rewards, including hero vouchers, Crowns and XP. Hero vouchers can be used to unlock new heroes, and crowns can be used to unlock various customization options. Additional game modes, such as Clash that will available at launch and Ranked available post-launch, can be unlocked by playing the game and leveling up via XP. I like to say the new progression system is similar to something found in something like Super Smash Bros. and how things are unlocked in that game – where you unlock things over time — that’s what we strived to achieve here with Rampage Edition.
Do you have any plans to eventually also bring the game to the Switch?
Baustista: Anything’s possible. As mentioned before, we’re currently focused on getting the game ready for launch on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.