GamingBolt spoke to Flying Wild Hog’s Tadeusz Zielinski, PR and marketing manager, about Hard Reset Redux and what new content – aside from the visuals – that players could expect.

"We wanted to introduce this old-school game to platforms lacking such titles. We know that each platform needs some versatility in its selection of games."

After Shadow Warrior and with Shadow Warrior 2 coming up, what motivated the decision to revisit Hard Reset?

Tadeusz Zielinski: We released Shadow Warrior for next gen consoles and noticed that it was very well received by the fans. This is why we decided that we want to share the game that started it all – Hard Reset. Even after all these years (HR is already 5 years old) it’s still difficult to find  a hardcore, action-oriented twitch shooter such as Hard Reset published on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One – we believe that HR:Redux will fill this gap.

Hard Reset is a decidedly old-school FPS and that was in 2011 when it first released. Why did you decide to develop the Redux version for consoles as well, especially given the generation’s lean towards blockbuster shooters?

Tadeusz Zielinski: Well – the answer for this question lies above – we wanted to introduce this old-school game to platforms lacking such titles. We know that each platform needs some versatility in its selection of games. You already mentioned that the newest generation leans towards blockbuster shooters. This is just another reason for us to release HR:R for PS4 and Xbox One. People love twitch-shooters that rely heavily on reflexes and speed so we strive to deliver!

Will there be any new areas to explore in Hard Reset Redux? What elements of the rebalanced design can you share with us?

Tadeusz Zielinski: HR:R consists of both – the original Hard Reset as well as the expansion Exile. While Hard Reset takes place in a cyberpunk metropolis, Exile takes you to the Barrens – a post-apocalyptic wasteland. You will never notice moving from the base game to DLC – it’s now one, big game.

Could you tell us about some of the cooler weapons we’ll get our hands on, aside from Shadow Warrior‘s katana?

Tadeusz Zielinski: Cyber-katana is the only new addition to Major Fletcher’s arsenal. But it’s so cool you can practically treat it as an arsenal in itself. Besides that we have our modular weapon system, which includes an electricity gun that looks like New Years fireworks and is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

"We did tweak difficulty levels so they fit better with the pacing of the game. However we didn’t redesign the game as a whole."

Will Hard Reset Redux come with any co-op elements?

Tadeusz Zielinski: No. Redux will stay a single player experience only. For our take on co-op you’ll need to wait until Shadow Warrior 2.

What kinds of new enemies can we expect to see? Will there be any that significantly change up one’s tactics, especially with the new weapons introduced?

Tadeusz Zielinski: We have significantly re-balanced all of our enemies to improve gameplay pacing and to make the overall experience better. There is also a new kind of enemies – cyber-zombies. These feral creatures are fierce melee fighters, so you will have plenty of opportunities to try out our new katana weapon.

Can we look forward to harder difficulties or new challenges in the Redux version?

Tadeusz Zielinski: We did tweak difficulty levels so they fit better with the pacing of the game. However we didn’t redesign the game as a whole. For instance you will meet certain enemies sooner – if you have played the original Hard Reset – this will make the game more challenging and interesting.

Like Shadow Warrior 2, is it possible that Hard Reset receives a sequel if the Redux version does well?

Tadeusz Zielinski: We will see. For now we are working hard on making Shadow Warrior 2 the best game possible.

"Our proprietary engine, the RoadHog, has grown bigger and stronger over the years – for instance, we added SSAO effects – so you can expect better quality of ambient lighting."

What are your thoughts on the overall  feel of Hard Reset Redux‘s gunplay? How will it appeal to hardcore shooter fans that didn’t play the 2011 release?

Tadeusz Zielinski: Well – shooting is what we are the most proud of so we strongly believe that no matter what is the year of publishing – good FPS is a good FPS. Even the original Doom after all these years is still an awesome game. We think that this is pretty much the same case with Hard Reset. Long story short – we believe people will love it.

Will Hard Reset Redux receive any updates or DLC after launch?

Tadeusz Zielinski: We don’t have any plans for DLCs. As stated before – everybody at Flying Wild Hog is focused on Shadow Warrior 2.

What kind of graphical updates will the Redux have? What kind of improvements in lighting and other engine upgrades can players expect?

Tadeusz Zielinski: Our proprietary engine, the RoadHog, has grown bigger and stronger over the years – for instance, we added SSAO effects – so you can expect better quality of ambient lighting.

Will the game run at 1080p and 60fps on both the PS4 and Xbox One?

Tadeusz Zielinski: Yes. The game will run in 1080p/60fps on both current generation consoles.

"We love the idea of backwards compatibility and we wish PS4 would have it the same way Xbox One does. There is a ton of old PS games we would really like to come back to."

What kind of improvements have you made to the PC version of the game? Are you ramping up graphical settings?

Tadeusz Zielinski: The most important change from the #pcmasterrace perspective is newly added support for multi-threaded processors. Thanks to this change the game will run much better on newer machines, taking full advantage of a rig’s processing power.

Are there any plans to include a DX12 version of the game?

Tadeusz Zielinski: No, we don’t have any plans concerning DX12 support.

What is your personal take on the differences between backwards compatibility feature offered by the PS4 and Xbox One? Sony is obviously charging for this feature whereas Xbox One is providing it for free.

Tadeusz Zielinski: We love the idea of backwards compatibility and we wish PS4 would have it the same way Xbox One does. There is a ton of old PS games we would really like to come back to.

Flying Wild Hog’s Hard Reset Redux will be bringing back the rather unorthodox gameplay from the 2011 cyberpunk shooter of the same name. However, as the “redux” part indicates, there will be several visual improvements as well.

Flying Wild Hog’s marketing man Tadeusz Zielinski was asked by GamingBolt if both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game would run at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS, to which he said, “Yes. The game will run in 1080p/60fps on both current generation consoles.”

What other improvements can players look forward to in terms of lighting and engine upgrades? Our proprietary engine, the RoadHog, has grown bigger and stronger over the years – for instance, we added SSAO effects – so you can expect better quality of ambient lighting.”

However, when it comes to DirectX 12, Zielinski said, “No, we don’t have any plans concerning DX12 support.”

Hard Reset Redux will be out later this year for Xbox One, PS4 and PC so stay tuned for more details.

Last year, Microsoft announced that they would be enabling backwards compatibility on Xbox one for Xbox 360 games. It was a great move – backwards compatibility is generally not a feature that is much used, and is most useful at the beginning of a console generation, to enable a smooth transition between systems – but it represented the new, consumer friendly way that Microsoft was doing things, in stark contrast with how Sony was handling legacy content on the PS4 with PS Now.

Eventually, Sony announced PS2 Classics on the PS4 too, but they handled it terribly- none of your already purchased legacy content in the guise of PS2 Classics on PS3 carried over to the PS4- put simply, you would have to repurchase GTA: San Andreas if you wanted to play it on the PS4. It was a crying shame, and it was an important area where Microsoft definitely acted more ‘for the gamers’ than Sony did.

Obviously, we as customers were unhappy about it- but how do developers feel about the differences in Microsoft and Sony’s strategy? GamingBolt recently had the chance to sit down and talk with Flying Wild Hog, the folks who brought us Shadow Warrior, and who are currently working on Hard Reset Redux, and we asked them what their take on the differences in approach to backwards compatibility was.

“We love the idea of backwards compatibility and we wish PS4 would have it the same way Xbox One does,” a representative from Flying Wild Hog said to GamingBolt. “There are a ton of old PlayStation games we would really like to come back to.”

Indeed, there is no real reason why continuity could not have been achieved between legacy content offered on PS3, and the legacy content offered on the PS4. No reason, that is, other than Sony wanting to maximize on revenue.

Hard Reset will be getting a new re-release, featuring tweaks to the game balance, new weapons, new enemies, and of course, updated graphics. Hard Reset Redux has been announced, and it will be launching on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC some time soon.

Chief among the new weapons that will be included in Redux, but which were not in the original game, is the cyber katana, a ridiculously badass weapon that lets you get up close and personal with all the enemies you face off against in style. Most other details about the re-release are under wraps- apart from this announcement, and the trailer for the new release, which you can see for yourself below, we really don’t know a whole lot about what Redux will entail.

What we do know is that, as fans of the the original game, which managed to blend a dark sci fi tale with shooter and RPG trappings to great effect, we are glad that Hard Reset is getting a chance to shine yet again.