Uncovering Full Throttle's Sequel That Ruined LucasArts

[@m1sterF0x]

Great summary and breakdown. As one of the original developers of Full Throttle 2 (and a LucasArts employee from 1995-2005), I can say you're spot on in the first 3 minutes about the demise of PC games and adventure game genre in general. This, more than anything else, is why Full Throttle was cancelled. Also cancelled around that same time were a few other adventure games, including Sam & Max (which went on to spawn Telltale, but that's another story.) The graphical quality and gameplay wasn't polished yet, and it probably needed more time (a result of LucasArts being generally too stretched thin in 2001-2003 and prioritizing programming and art resources to Bounty Hunter and RTX:Red Rock.) However, a bit of an erroneous conclusion at the end that this graphical polish and lack of Tim Schafer's involvement was what led to its cancellation. (Tim was NEVER going to be involved, as he'd left to start Doublefine, so that wasn't even on the table. That's just incorrect.) The cancellation was more due to its needing more time overall (therefore more $) AND the death knell was a conclusion by our Marketing and c-Suite that *no* adventure game -however good- would sell enough. (Coming off the heels of two high quality point and clicks, Grim Fandango & Monkey Island.) Several other games were cancelled as LucasArts contracted and re-evaluated its market strategy, changed leadership to Jim Ward, and doubled down on focusing solely on big budget Star Wars titles. Interestingly, Tim's original notion for Full Throttle 1 came out of his frustration with wimpy overly-intellectual adventure game heroes. That's why FT1 has riding and more physical verbs. So the inclusion of brawling in FT2 was a natural extension of that. But we needed more time to master creating this (new to us) gameplay mechanic-- which we didn't get! C'est la vie. Thanks for this - could've been a great game!

[@elroma7712]

There could always be a spiritual succesor kind of game but alas you're right. I wish you success dude.

[@GFXMOD]

Great insight man. I appreciate it. I was a little kid when FT1 came out and remember playing it with my (then) very young mother. We'd spend hours during the afternoon and night playing it and finding ourselves stuck thinking what to do. Such a pity FT2 never saw the light of day. Are you still in the gaming industry or did you move out of it?.

[@m1sterF0x]

@@GFXMOD I'm still in the games industry, in fact, still doing narrative adventure titles! First with Telltale, and now with a new studio.

[@MY5TCrimson]

Great insight from one of the people working on what could have been. Did you work on FT1 as well, perchance? In terms of overall completion, how far along was FT2 before it got cancelled? Was the E3 demo just a vertical slice/proof of concept, or was there much more playable behind the scenes?

[@m1sterF0x]

@@MY5TCrimson I worked on FT1 but only as a lowly tester. I was really lucky because that was my first testing job. What a game! Still one of my all time favorites. FT2 was more than a demo when it was canceled but it was nowhere near finished. Lots of concept art and environments but only some of the puzzles were scripted up to play and the action bits were only in prototype stage.

[@raenfox]

I wish there was a true sequel to the game. In the style of the original, with the story of the sequel. Then again, I also wish someone would make the story of the first game into a Full Throttle movie.

[@evanhanley6437]

Hey there! Its the guy who found the Full Throttle Hell on Wheels stuff! Nice coverage! Could you give me a mention?

[@Consequencesarts]

Hi Evan! I've added a link to your channel in the description and edited the pinned comment!

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

It is cool to see some new footage from the game but I'm not dissapointed it didn't come out. It looked like it would have been terrible. It is a shame they thought that every game genre had to be 3D back then. I think it actually worked fairly decent with Grim Fandango and while I like Escape from Monkey Island it would have probably looked and played better with 2D graphics. Just have really good 2D graphics like for example the game Deponia. If a Full Throttle sequel is ever released I think the graphics should be about the same as they were in Full Throttle Remastered.

[@briansmith2739]

Agreed. Just find a way to make the gameplay work on Gamepads, just like you mentioned, with the same style as in the remasted edition with updated graphics. It can be done.

[@sonofeyeabovealleffoff5462]

Wholeheartedly agree.

[@Consequencesarts]

Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels was announced at E3 2003, almost 20 years ago! Were you there?! Did you play the game? Thank you to Evan Hanley, who found the new footage - check out his channel in the description for load of uncovered footage from a wide range of games!

[@vcmdpropulsion126]

i hate when a "developer" shows up in the comments and they are younger then me. im 36 right now. making me 9 in 1995.. so you're telling me you are a developer when you was 9 or even 6? "get out of here" you would have to be at least late 40s 50s right now. not the first time i seen comments saying "i was a developer"

[@Planetdune]

Good thing this was scrapped...

[@scbtripwire]

Aw man, came here as soon as I learned Full Throttle 2 could have existed, from the new documentary about Psychonauts' development. I wish the two Full Throttle sequels had been finished, I loved Full Throttle!

[@RaptorZX3]

I have no idea what i've done with that Lucasarts preview CD, which contained a lot of promotional materials of upcoming games, including Full Throttle: Hell of Wheels. I remember seeing screenshots, storyboards, and i believe this intro is also present on the CD as well, but my memory is a bit foggy for this one, maybe it was just a gameplay preview montage, but i do remember seeing game footage in 3D and thinking back then "i'm still looking forward to this, but it doesn't look that good, and it's not a point & click adventure game anymore".

[@mrmaxaxl]

Thank god this was never released.

[@falconeshield]

It didn't help Ben's va died during production

[@m1sterF0x]

it wasn't during production, incidentally. Roy Conrad had passed away years before. Nothing to do with the cancellation.

[@itsalways420_]

i still hold out hope now that someday we will finaly get a full throttle sequel

[@roebuckmckinney]

It's strange how close they were to what was going to be the next big thing. A driving/cycling action game with lots of combat and some kind of mystery plot isn't really all that far away from GTA and the GTA clones. Some of the bits in GTA San Andreas where you're stuck out in the country do feel kinda (I SAID KINDA) like Full Throttle. You're separated from your gang, you've got to do weird little fetch quests that don't make much sense; it's not a perfect comparison and I haven't played FT in 25 years probably, but I think Lucasarts were really close to what the future would be. They just missed it by a hair.

[@Consequencesarts]

Imagine a world where full throttle evolved into something like this! It’s an endearing thought

[@Reinehr]

great work on the channel! looking forward to more!

[@Consequencesarts]

Thank you!!

[@briansmith2739]

Toejam and Earl back in the groove is another example of how 2D games can work with 3D graphics hybrid. It even includes online cooperative gameplay.

[@RaidenHeaven]

And yet we got Ride to Hell. Damn, those vehicles look awesome!

[@stevancovic6251]

Thanks to the guys who worked on the game and graced us with their presence in the comment section. But yeah, good thing this was scrapped. You'd loose most of the original customers who liked FT1, and you wouldn't get many new ones. Ben looks like he had a botched facial surgery. Reminds me of Mickey Rourke. If you just put out another 2D adventure that continued the story, hoards of fans would've bought it. Always easier in hindsight...

[@stevancovic6251]

But I do like the choice of music, though 😎

[@lpbsargvd07]

It would be nice if they took up the project again and had new misadventures for Ben Throttle and see if there was romance between Mo and Ben and so on, this was a fantastic game and despite getting stuck in some parts I always wondered why there were no sequels if the game was so good.

[@rodgnarley4986]

FULL THROTTLE was one of my most favourite and beloved games of my childhood. Def was a point n click junkie lol ... I would've played EITHER sequel for sure and enjoyed them!

[@Pluh88]

There is a rumor that I heard for many years that there is a tech demo somewhere online.

[@bluetopia42]

I must say, too, that this would've been a game that would've felt out of Lucasarts common qualities. Just imagine all the work and money involved into it and then it got cancelled. If you do games nowadays the quality assurance must take plance quite early to see if everything goes into a good direction.

[@AJC508]

Hm. That 3-ishD definitely hasn’t aged as well as the 2D, hand drawn games. It’s a shame to say this, but it’s probably better that it never came out. As fun as the concept sounds, the aesthetics just don’t gel, and the lack of the original gameplay mechanic would have definitely detracted from the overall experience. FT payback, however, looks like it would have been a lot more faithful to the overall feel of the original.

[@luchosab1]

Totally agree. I would like to play Payback but... Hell on Wheels, thank God it has never been released.

[@Missterpaja]

I Will love a sequel of FT... Even in a 2.5d comic style game Will ve good, but never in 3D

[@rumpelRAINS]

Great video!

[@artimise99]

This should be un Abandoned 😉😉 first one is one of my top three games of all time imagine what they could do with today's engine's I don't mind either way new style or point and click

[@eddieking6723]

Man I have to replay this game

[@RichardHoogstad]

Games that were canceled before reaching a full developed state often look rough and the final product could have been much better. However if think they made the right choice canceling this. The charm of full throttle was the 2d animation and the expressions (even at times pixelated) brought it to life. At the time the 3d characters would look dead and bland. Something that wasn't a problem for grim fandango because well.. yeah they are intended to be that way. Great seeing this footage after so many years though

[@GuadalupePicasso]

Holy cow the 3D footage in that trailer is so hilariously bad, particularly for the characters and their faces😆😆😆

[@crowsbridge]

I don't really like it when they try to replicate an animated/comic book style in 3D. Didn't like it with X-Com and I was happy when they toned down the exaggerated proportions in X-Com 2. I'm interested in hearing about Payback.

[@sonofeyeabovealleffoff5462]

Just release the story and put it in 2D with the ScummVM engine. 3D doesn't work for everything.

[@rockybeats8682]

Another day? When?

[@DanielS2001]

9:20 - Ernie Hudson?

[@Kigavrok]

Thanks ❤

[@yanava]

The sequel was the shittest of shits and show how little whoever remained understood the universe, tone, character development, etc, etc. When I started this video I expected the trailer was just a goofy exercise that would have some substance underneath. After watching the video, I'm glad it was cancelled and (almos totally) destroyed.

[@CH-ml4rz]

Damn.

[@vcmdpropulsion126]

the voice of ben was mark hamill ,,, you know luke skywalker ? lol

[@Consequencesarts]

Mark Hamill voiced Ripburger! Roy Conrad played Ben,

[@vcmdpropulsion126]

@@Consequencesarts ahhhh ok, awesome thanks.