Kingpin: Reloaded will be adding a brand new quest system along with its revamped graphics.
The biggest selling point for 1999's Kingpin: Life of Crime was the fact that Cypress Hill provided the game's soundtrack. A big-time musical act providing a video game's audio backing was a big deal way back in 1999, and Kingpin enjoyed special status for years because of it.
Unfortunately, the game itself was a victim of timing. Releasing shorting after the Columbine massacre meant that it got a lot of bad press and Congressional scrutiny for its graphic depictions of violence and somewhat colorful dialog. Retailers dropped it from their stores' shelves which bit into Kingpin's sales.
However, 3D Realms has decided to give Kingpin a second chance. Last month, the developer famous for creating Duke Nukem announced that they'd remaster Kingpin with updated graphics and 4K support. In addition, they'd provide both a "Classic" mode and an "Enhanced" mode.
In Classic, the game tries to stay as true to the original as possible, with washed-out colors, weak lighting, and textures that made it impossible to tell the difference between mud and brick. In Enhanced mode, 3D Realms tweaks the game's textures and lighting to give it an enhanced look. Both modes will support 4K resolution and widescreen monitors.
Enhanced Mode will also get a brand new quest system. In an interview with OnlySP at PAX South 2020, 3D Realms vice president Frederik Schreiber dished on Kingpin: Reloaded’s new quest tracker.
“In the original game, there were quests, but since the UI wasn’t fully developed, you had no idea what to do unless you remembered what someone randomly told you,” said Schreiber. “It was a lot of trial and error. So we’re going to develop an actual quest system.
The quest tracker will only be available in Enhanced mode, while Classic will retain the original game’s obtuseness. Schreiber also revealed that Enhanced mode will rebalance many of the game’s encounters to be a little more consistent and a little less frustrating.
You can check out the interview here. Kingpin: Reloaded is tentatively scheduled to release later this year on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
Source: OnlySP