NeoRanger wrote:I've been drooling over the idea of a decent Knight Rider game for a very, very, very long time. When Davilex was handling the IP, it was the beginning of the open-world craze, so most of us (myself included) wanted a GTA-clone Knight Rider. And while that would have its advantages (roam around the city, trying KITT's features, helping unrelated pedestrians in side-missions, flirting in the classic Bond style etc.), there is one little problem that would probably hamper the title dramatically: it would be very hard to properly utilize KITT.
I mean, you have the super-car. And, seeing how this isn't the '80s anymore, the talking and the jumping alone won't cut it (same issue the show had to deal with). A sandbox game would have to go out of its way to truly put KITT to use, beyond Turbo Boost, ski mode, maybe a few weapons and attack mode (or SPM, if we're talking original). Therein lies the problem with a Knight Rider game in general, but even more with a GTA-clone, which will inevitably switch the focus to Mike/Michael from the awesome car.
That's not to say it's an impossibility. But it'd have to be very careful and use a few gimmicks. Maybe that's why it would probably be better to go about such a game with the original series and an '80s setting, where you could at least replicate the '80s atmosphere. That would also make it easier for the hero to stand out, as in the technology-condensed era of today, the talking car is a little more than an impressive weapon.
If they had in mind to do a game based on the current show, they'd be better off with a somewhat more linear style. Say, 20 missions, split (not necessarily evenly) between Mike and KITT with refined controls and actions.
I'm with NeoRanger on this one - a sandbox game is a great idea, but it might not fit the premise very well. A linear game might parallel the TV format better - you've got scripted events within "episodes" which would serve as missions, but there are multiple paths that the story can take depending on how well you do. The game, then, could end up having the same dramatic moments as the TV show, via interactive and non-interactive cutscenes.
Has anyone ever played
Stuntman: Ignition? I enjoyed that game, and I imagine that driving gameplay could be something like that...except that during the driving gameplay, there would be dialogue between Michael and Kitt ('82 or '08, doesn't matter - Kitt speaking would be better than the generic "Hit the gap! Hit the action button!"). If you do badly while you drive, the episode doesn't end - it just branches to a new scenario (until the end of the episode, where you get a bad ending and have the option to do it again).
There could be unlockable achievements for certain things, similar to Stuntman: Ignition, certain goals that you have to meet (and this would fit well into the X360 environment). Stuff like Turbo Boosting a certain distance or something, or hitting a certain speed, or maintaining a certain speed during a chase. Unlockable achievements for getting the best ending of an episode, instead of a mediocre or bad ending. Anything, really. Replayable episodes would work really well for this.
Additionally, with the episode format, you can have cutscenes with Mike and Kitt driving, with the classic dialogue between the two - without any time restraints.
As for the Michael Knight part....I don't really have any ideas here. Something from a third-person view would probably work best - there would be combat possibilities, armed and unarmed, and you could contact Kitt for certain information....but if they made a Knight Rider game, I think this would be the problematic part for the developers. The driving....they could make a great game with that, but playing levels as Michael would have to involve some type of gimmick to be interesting, and it would probably flop. Well....maybe unless they had mission objectives, or something like that....like, Save the Damsel, or Find the Object....and once you hit a certain trigger, a cutscene takes over. (Just so if you're looking for an item, or a clue, you aren't stuck trying to pick it up or anything - just get within a short range of it, and your character notices and starts the cutscene.)
I think it could be pretty fun, if done well, and I think that the episode format would work well and provide a lot of replayability. However, odds are, if it's made, it'll be a mediocre game at best - a lot of TV-to-game conversions are.
Edited 1 time in total. -lunchmeat
If I am destroyed... ...so shall you be. -KARR
I love how they have a FLAG truck that comes and fixes you.
