Battlezone Combat Commander HD Laid Bare

Big Boat Interactive’s Mike Arkin gives us the low-down on what it took to remaster this classic

We sat down with Mike Arkin, CEO of Big Boat Interactive and lead developer of the original Battlezone II, to discuss the challenges involved in bringing the FPS/RTS classic into the modern era with the addition of HD graphics and modern-day OS compatibility.

Maximum PC: Hi Mike, the question has to be asked: Why now? Where did the desire to remaster this classic come from? Even in its heyday, the original BZ2 was a somewhat niche title, holding a hardcore base of players and fans, but it never came close to the heights of other RTS and FPS titles of the time. Can you tell us what inspired you and your team to take on this challenge?

Mike Arkin: Well, if we go way back in time, Battlezone was a game I worked on back in 1997. For me, it was the first game I worked on as a developer, not a publisher, and it’s where I really learned all about game development. But it was more than that. Battlezone was something spectacular. In some ways, it was the ultimate RTS, and in others, it was a new experimental genre. We always assumed there would be many more 3D RTS games to follow, and I have to say, all these years later, I’m still shocked it never happened. But the lack of follow-ups and clones means the original games have that much more meaning.

When I was offered the chance to remake Battlezone 98, it was the greatest thing I could ever imagine. In some ways, it was like this awesome do-over. Work on Battlezone again, and make it better! When we finished Battlezone 98, I was hungry for more. It was just like finishing any other game; once it’s done, you think of all the things you didn’t do, and hope you can make a sequel. In this case, I just finished this great do-over, then there was a chance to do another. Having just finished one redux, we had so many ideas about what we could do better next time. So when Rebellion suggested a redux of Battlezone II, it was like Christmas! I guess the question was: How could we not do it?

MPC: What do you think it is about the original Battlezone II that captured the imagination of so many players and fans? What makes the game so unique?