Sharky Games: How did the modifications to the engine help with Coffin Rock?

Tim: Basically, it just allowed us to make a more intense action portion of the game.

Sharky Games: Will the haunting theme in Coffin Rock blow away the spookiness in Nocturne?

Tim: No, they are really different games. We have gone for our own feel, and it is not that much like the original Nocturne.

Sharky Games: How was it decided for Human Head to do Coffin Rock?

Tim: They wanted to tell history backwards, and since we had the middle availability, and Ritual knew they would not be available until after us, we got the middle game - I guess that makes us kinda like the middle sister of the games, but we also have a lot of pressure since we don't have the Nocturne backstory to tie into.

The key characters in Coffin Rock are Lazarus and the girl, and both their backgrounds are discovered in bits throughout the game. Meanwhile, there are others involved, the grandmother, an old blind man and the soldiers of the past, that help players discover who Lazarus is, and learn more about the story.

Sharky Games: Some of the characters play key points in the plot of the game, how was character development handled to bring together the story and the gameplay?

Tim: You meet the characters progressively, and they tell you a bit about the story as it goes along. There are a few mysteries presented by them that all tie together in the climax at Coffin Rock and after.

Sharky Games: Is there anything else you want to say about the game?

Tim: Coffin Rock, like the other two games, is a budget title with AAA visuals. It is designed for the more casual gamer, but we hope hard-core gamers will find it entertaining as well.

Thanks to Timothy S. Gerritsen for taking part in the interview.

Enid Burns
Contributing Editor