Project Sylpheed : Interview with Duane Colbert
- Global Product Manager, Xbox -

June 2007

English version
Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

XCN (Xbox Community Network), with which Xbox Gazette is affiliated, has been able to ask some questions to Duane Colbert from Microsoft, about Project Sylpheed.


XCN : How does Project Sylpheed let you master your environment?
Duane Colbert : In Project Sylpheed players pilot a fully weapon-customizable fighter ship through exhilarating battles where they must shoot down swarms of enemy ships and immense vessels while completing a variety of strategic and tactical missions. You'll be able to master your environment by piloting your Delta Saber star-fighter like a pro and knowing which weapons are best for each mission.

XCN : What does Project Sylpheed have in common with the old Silpheed games on PC and Sega CD?
Duane Colbert : The newest iteration of the Silpheed franchise morphs the arcade, side-scrolling shooter into a next-generation, intergalactic 3D dogfight. Set in the 27th century, Project Sylpheed combines aerial combat and customizable starfighters into a deep story, providing a unique action-arcade experience. The ability to shoot off multiple weapons at once against swarms of enemies will give you a similar sense of exhilaration as the original

Supported by a multi-levelled storyline and almost an hour of polished cinematic cut-scenes, Project Sylpheed features intense aerial combat combined with a dramatic tale of friends turned foes. Gamers will help Katana, the main character in Project Sylpheed, evolve as a combat pilot and mature as a young man, against what some might consider insurmountable odds.

XCN : Can you describe what the feeling of piloting your ship in Project Sylpheed is like?
Duane Colbert : Exhilarating…and hectic at times. As a gamer progresses through "Project Sylpheed" their flying and tactical manoeuvres will become more precise and polished, allowing them to execute daring offensive and defensive aerial combat manoeuvres.

XCN : What kind of cool moves do your ship's controls allow you to pull off?
Duane Colbert : Players have full control of thrusters, can perform 180 turns & flips, activate a slo-mo mode, and fly all throughout 3D space. You'll be able to choose from cockpit view (1st person), close view or far view and control level of normal, advanced or professional. The key to a successful mission in this game is to grasp the mission objectives and recognize the important enemies. Enemy units are attacking you in an overwhelming number, so you have little chance of winning the battle if you just keep fighting without any strategy. Here are some tips for you:

- Study the conditions for success during the mission briefings and put priority on shooting down the mission targets in each stage
- Learn the weapon locations of enemy battleships, and focus on key targets such as the shielding device and the engine
- When your aircraft's damage level is high or ammo is low, you can re-supply at your base ship (Acropolis) or other tankers so you can complete the mission
- Listen carefully to incoming communications, as they may include your allies' request for help
- Make use of the radio command to direct your wingman or squadron to attack, support or break away as the fighting progresses
- Utilize the map to grasp the overall situation and to check the locations of enemy reinforcements, ally tankers and battleships in need of assistance.
- When your shield and power are at full strength, there are 3 bonus tactics available - fire all weapons and ammo, ram your fighter, and slowing down time... use them wisely.

XCN : Can you customise and upgrade your ship?
Duane Colbert : Players can choose different control types, but primarily customize the ship via type of weapons to equip.

XCN : What kind of weapons can you use against your enemies?
Duane Colbert : Players will have 50 different weapon variations to equip their star-fighters and a variety of mission types to complete, from dogfights to protecting cargo ships and to destroying much larger enemy weapons or ships. Weapon types include guns, missiles, rockets, lasers, bombs, cannons, and larger anti-ship arms.

XCN : We've heard there is some squad-based gameplay in Sylpheed. How do you communicate with your teammates?
Duane Colbert : A quick tap of the D-pad will bring up the squad communication interface that allows you to command your wingman or entire squadron to attack, support, or break away from formation.

XCN : Does Project Sylpheed have Xbox Live modes? How do they work?
Duane Colbert : For Project Sylpheed we wanted to focus on a pure offline single player experience. The title is Xbox Live aware but does not include any mulitiplayer features. We are exploring whether we can add a leaderboard feature so gamers can track their score versus others in the Xbox Community, but that is not yet confirmed.




Related links :

- Project Sylpheed videos

- Project Sylpheed on Xbox.com

- Project Sylpheed japanese official site

- Others Xbox 360 interviews

Inspecteur Gadget, Xbox Gazette, june 25th 2007

Thanks to : Duane Colbert, XCN