hen Two Worlds was released last August, it created a buzz from gamers looking for another large, open-world RPG. That initial interest was quickly replaced with a backlash, as players encountered myriad bugs, strange player models and dialogue that was odd, to say the least. That response hasn't stopped the team from working on a sequel to the game, though. Rather than simply adding a few new weapons and a new setting and calling it good, however, the developers say they're taking criticism to heart and examing where things went wrong before. We talked with James Seaman, managing director of Topware Interactive, about Two Worlds: The Temptation to get his take on player feedback, customization and much more.

Game Informer: In the announcement for the Temptation, Melanie Mroz said that Reality Pump is taking player comments to heart. There’s no way around the fact that players were pretty brutal (and vocal) about Two Worlds—how did that response affect the team, and what kinds of things did those negative reactions inspire you to address in the sequel?

James Seaman: We’ll be the first to admit that our biggest problem with the original Two Worlds is that we were overly ambitious. We created a huge world with highly varied environments, allowed for a ton of character and equipment customization, and we had online play. It was definitely no small feat to simply complete the game!

In hindsight, we should have narrowed our goals at least a little to create a more cohesive experience for players, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with The Temptation. We very specifically outlined what the game could and couldn’t realistically have before we got to work on the game. Our goal this time around is quality over quantity. That’s not to say The Temptation won’t be a huge game – it will be – but we’re not going to decide to add features months before release. We have a very clear vision this time, and we’re heading for it.

Sure, the reactions from the press and the gaming public stung, but if anything it provided us with great feedback on what worked and what didn’t. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to create a sequel to a game that is very near to our hearts, and we’re going to do our best to correct what people didn’t like, and keep the aspects of the game that got a positive reception.

GI: Two Worlds invited comparisons to Oblivion right from the start, though they’re two entirely different games. How do you suppose those comparisons affected player reaction?

Seaman: Oblivion was such a huge game, that it was inevitable that any open-world role playing game released after it would be compared, just like any open world action game where the main character drives cars and fires guns will be compared to Grand Theft Auto. Two Worlds came out about a year and a half after Oblivion, at a time when people were looking and hoping for a spiritual successor to Elder Scrolls. The comparisons helped in garnering attention for Two Worlds, but it hurt us in the fact that it was impossible for us to meet the public’s expectations. Two Worlds and Oblivion are pretty much different in every aspect other than overarching broad strokes. Since we weren’t Oblivion 2 – which is what people were looking for – I think reactions to Two Worlds were much harsher than is actually fair.

GI: Can you talk a little bit about the updates to the combat system? What’s being improved? Players will be able to manually block attacks now, right?

Seaman: Correct, blocking will be something the player actively participates in this time. Also, we’re making disarming more visually apparent. If you disarm an opponent, you’ll see the weapon fly out of their hands and fall to the ground, but I should add that you can be disarmed as well. We’re also going to completely rework mounted combat with improved animations and hit detection.