GameDAILY got the chance to speak with American McGee about his latest project, Bad Day L.A., one of the more intriguing looking titles on the horizon. Whoever thought playing as a homeless man could make for an entertaining videogame? American did, and we get in his face and ask him to explain himself.

GameDAILY: Tell us about the game's main character? What is his background? Where does he hail from?

American McGee:Anthony Williams is a modern day urban survivalist who gave up on a cushy job as a Hollywood agent so that he could get away from the madness of modern society. In many ways, he's just your average "everyman". The big difference with Anthony is that when he'd finally had his fill of modern life he didn't go postal or something... he just checked out. At the time that the game begins we find him living a happy new life, pushing a shopping cart down the 10 freeway in Los Angeles. He has everything he needs to survive including his wits and a massive attitude problem.

GD What sort of obstacles will the player face throughout the adventure?

AM:The game revolves around 3 major elements:
1. Basic run and run 3rd person shooter action.
2. "Chaos management" which involves performing hero-like deeds on a constant basis in order to keep the local area calm and controlled.
3. Solving missions that are delivered during in-game cinematics and usually revolve around saving people from various disasters.

Mixing all of this together you've got to fight off angry civilians, zombies, terrorists and other threats using a variety of weapons. You keep things "calm" by extinguishing the random burning person or assisting an old lady in a fight against a zombie. And all the while you're finding your way to your next mission point, breaking through fences, jumping over tar pits, and so forth.

GD:Are you modeling LA to scale, and if so what important landmarks will be included?

AM: We took hundreds of photos of the areas that are featured in the game. Using these were reconstructed pretty tight "impressions" of the areas in question, but certainly not one to one recreations. The goal wasn't to have the most accurate model of Los Angeles ever created, we simply needed well-known locations as backdrops to the action and gameplay. As far as landmarks, we've got plenty, like the Hollywood & Highland area (along with our own non-copyright infringing versions of the Mann's Chinese Theater), the Park La Brea buildings, the La Brea tar pits, Los Angeles International Airport, and other places.

GD: Why Los Angeles? Did you just pick that city because its initials rhyme with Bad Day or was there a more specific reason?

AM: Actually, there are a lot of reasons why Los Angeles works so well. First off, it contains a huge number of elements that wake it interesting for characters, locations, and missions that people around the world would understand. There are just so many globally recognized aspects to the city. Next, the fact that Los Angeles normally has to deal with so many "disasters" in any given year, fires, earthquakes, riots, and mudslides. It isn't difficult to imagine even more disasters befalling the city. Finally, Los Angeles is the self-made "core" of American entertainment culture, the fountainhead of bad reality shows, disaster movies, action heroes, and ridiculous plot-lines.

GD: Does the game run on a brand new engine or one you've used in the past? If it's your own engine, how long did it take to create the technology?

AM: The engine is something that was developed in-house at Enlight. They've been using the same engine now for a number of years, although this is the first time it has been used for a 3rd person action game. Lots of modifications had to be made to support the complexity of the game.

GD: How will Bad Day L.A. differ from the "me too" sandbox games on the market?

AM: First off, it isn't really a sand-box game. This is a linear 3rd person action game, more like a "Call of Duty" than another GTA clone. In general it is going to differentiate itself for a number of reasons: the comedy element, the chaos management gameplay, the art style, overall story and characters, and the goofy, often surreal missions. This is a really different game, maybe a little too different.

GD: Are there weapons in the game, and if so which ones will be included?

AM: The player starts off with a fire extinguisher. This "weapon" ends up being one of the most used because it is so versatile. You can confuse enemies, cure zombies, and extinguish fires (on people, cars, and elsewhere). After that you get a crow bar, which is good for beating and breaking things without causing too much panic in those around you, and then a range of conventional weapons such as s shotgun, machine gun, and flame thrower. The emphasis with all these weapons is on fun over realism. Ammo is abundant, reload times are quick, and enemies die in satisfying and humorous ways.

GD: Can you give us an idea of how the combat system will work?

AM: The "combat system" per say is straightforward 3rd person shooting. Where the difference comes in is in managing the "terror alert" level. The player has to work hard to keep "bad things" from happening at all times. See someone on fire? Better put them out? Kids being attacked by zombies? Better assist them. And so on. If you neglect to help out in these circumstances then the terror alert will go up and you'll find that living becomes more and more difficult. Civilians will start to perceive you as a threat and will attack more frequently. So the game becomes a matter of balancing good actions in the world against completing mission.

GD: How does the player happen upon these situations? Is the game level based, or do things just randomly occur as the player walks around?

AM: The game is linear, with the player working from point A to point B in order to escape a particular disaster. There is a new disaster each level with the overall effects compounding through each new level. New missions are highlighted through in-game cinematics. Larger disaster cinematics are pre-rendered in very high quality.

GD: Will there be multiplayer options?

AM: Nope, this is a single-player only experience. There is a limited "coop" mode with the Xbox version, where the 2nd controller can be used to give limited "hint input" to the support characters.

GD: Can you describe some of the more unique levels?

AM: Each new level is pretty unique in the way it is presented as each new level brings a new disaster to the mix. Probably my favorite level so far is the meteor level. This one takes place in the Hollywood and Highland area (where the Oscars are filmed these days) and highlights all the local famous theaters and the star walk. The area is filled with tour busses and tourists, who make great fodder for destruction. While the playing is moving through this area massive meteors are raining down from above. One of the meteors turns some wimpy cos-players into mutants with real powers. The player has to battle these guys, fend off giant zombies, and fight a power-mad theater owner. All of this just to get to the subway!

GD: How will a homeless guy end up saving L.A.?

AM: The main character's story arc takes him from being a non-caring, self-centered jerk to realizing that it takes teamwork in order to survive a truly bad day. He's sorta like a comedy version of Mad Max, uninteresting in helping others, only wanting to save himself, until he finally learns his lesson. When our main character does this it allows him to make the decisions necessary to put others above himself and save the day. You'll just have to play the game to see how he does that!