Tweet
Want to know what's in store for Stewie and Brian?
A few weeks ago, Activision announced Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And... that was about it. No details, no names, and no art. Now, the company's ready to talk about our upcoming adventure in Quahog.
Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will arrive this fall and cast us as Stewie and Brian in a third-person, couch co-op game (but you can play it by yourself, loser). If the title didn't it give away, the game leans on the alternate reality theory seen in the Family Guy episode "Road to the Multiverse," according to Activision producer Andy Owen.
"It doesn’t pick up from where the episode ended, but it continues the idea of Brian and Stewie travelling in the multiverse," Owen said. "The game features a completely original story that sends the guys back through the Multiverse on a mission to stop Bertram."
That original story? Penned by Family Guy writers Mike Desilets and Anthony Blasucci -- the guys behind Season Nine's "Foreign Affairs." So, yes, they know Bertram, Stewie's half-brother, is dead.
"He died in the show, but since there are infinite multiverses, he could come into the Griffin family’s universe from one of the others," Owen said. "Bertram is a great villain and foil for Stewie. We saw a good opportunity to use him as an evil force in the multiverse."
Developed by Heavy Iron Studios -- whose former work includes Evil Dead: Hail to the King and a lot of licensed work like Rataouille -- Back to the Multiverse is going to make use of melee, guns and power-ups as the duo travels to a universes run by a frat boys, ruled by the Amish and more while keeping the spirit of the show.
"We’ve focused less on random cutaways and more on maximizing the humor within an individual level," Owen said. "For instance, in the Amish level you’re going to see Amish versions of your characters along with a number of other gags tailored for each level."
If you tire of Brian and Stewie's tale, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will pack co-op challenges built around characters (there was mention of a Peter and Death pairing) as well as competitive multiplayer levels. Extra challenge levels, multiplayer maps, costumes and playable characters will be unlocked via gameplay.
We'll know more about Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse next week when the game shows up at E3. You can check out IGN's report then, but keep an eye on the Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse Facebook page for updates.
And don't think that Owen doesn't know the expectations fans have.
"One of the nice things about working with a license is that someone has gone and decided what it looks like, how characters act and so forth," Owen said. "On the flip side of that, it can be challenging to try and match up exactly like that. One of the challenges we’ve had is making sure characters look correct in 3-D since the show is primarily done in 2-D. There’s a lot of checking and confirming that has to be done, but it’s really just different than an original IP."
A few weeks ago, Activision announced Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And... that was about it. No details, no names, and no art. Now, the company's ready to talk about our upcoming adventure in Quahog.
Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will arrive this fall and cast us as Stewie and Brian in a third-person, couch co-op game (but you can play it by yourself, loser). If the title didn't it give away, the game leans on the alternate reality theory seen in the Family Guy episode "Road to the Multiverse," according to Activision producer Andy Owen.
"It doesn’t pick up from where the episode ended, but it continues the idea of Brian and Stewie travelling in the multiverse," Owen said. "The game features a completely original story that sends the guys back through the Multiverse on a mission to stop Bertram."
That original story? Penned by Family Guy writers Mike Desilets and Anthony Blasucci -- the guys behind Season Nine's "Foreign Affairs." So, yes, they know Bertram, Stewie's half-brother, is dead.
"He died in the show, but since there are infinite multiverses, he could come into the Griffin family’s universe from one of the others," Owen said. "Bertram is a great villain and foil for Stewie. We saw a good opportunity to use him as an evil force in the multiverse."
Developed by Heavy Iron Studios -- whose former work includes Evil Dead: Hail to the King and a lot of licensed work like Rataouille -- Back to the Multiverse is going to make use of melee, guns and power-ups as the duo travels to a universes run by a frat boys, ruled by the Amish and more while keeping the spirit of the show.
"We’ve focused less on random cutaways and more on maximizing the humor within an individual level," Owen said. "For instance, in the Amish level you’re going to see Amish versions of your characters along with a number of other gags tailored for each level."
If you tire of Brian and Stewie's tale, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will pack co-op challenges built around characters (there was mention of a Peter and Death pairing) as well as competitive multiplayer levels. Extra challenge levels, multiplayer maps, costumes and playable characters will be unlocked via gameplay.
We'll know more about Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse next week when the game shows up at E3. You can check out IGN's report then, but keep an eye on the Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse Facebook page for updates.
And don't think that Owen doesn't know the expectations fans have.
"One of the nice things about working with a license is that someone has gone and decided what it looks like, how characters act and so forth," Owen said. "On the flip side of that, it can be challenging to try and match up exactly like that. One of the challenges we’ve had is making sure characters look correct in 3-D since the show is primarily done in 2-D. There’s a lot of checking and confirming that has to be done, but it’s really just different than an original IP."
