We speak exclusively to the most wanted writer in gaming today
![4113Rhianna Headshot]()
How did you originally get started working in the games industry?
Originally I started writing freelance games reviews back in 1998 for an 18-24 year-old women’s magazine called Minx. I then took on a full-time role on PC Zone. I worked there for a couple of years before I eventually left to go back into freelancing. That was when I got a call from Larian Studios (the Belgium-based developers behind Divine Divinity.) They were working on a spin-off title (Beyond Divinity) and were looking for an English speaking story editor. I was a known fan of the previous game and they thought of me. Since I was wondering how I was going to pay the bills, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and didn’t let go.
How has your process changed since you started working in videogames?
I’m not sure I’ve ever had anything as rigid as a ‘process’. Basically I just think a lot, write a lot and edit a lot! I’ve certainly become more flexible over the years. As I work freelance, I’ve normally got multiple projects on the go, often across different mediums. That’s not just changing gears, that’s changing cars!
Most writers we speak to are attached to specific studios. How different is it to work as an independent freelance writer in the games industry?
I would find it very difficult to take on an in-house job because I really enjoy working across multiple projects (and not just game projects either.) I think that strengthens me as a writer, which ultimately benefits those I work with. It does mean I’m not quite as imbedded with a team or studio culture, which can make it harder to keep tabs on how development is going. However, that’s balanced by the fact that I can work from bed if I choose to – my winter office!
What sort of things are you looking for when you take on a game-writing gig?
Mainly it’s the team’s attitude to narrative. Not just saying, “Oh, we think narrative is important”, but actually demonstrating that by giving the narrative due care and attention. That means things like having a pre-production phase for the story, investing the rest of the team in the narrative, hiring talented actors, cinematographers and directors etc.
Due to the fact that professional writers in games have only really become a regular occurrence in the last five to eight years, a lot of roles have been for what I call ‘narrative paramedics.’ These are the people hired towards the end of development when a story isn’t working. They end up doing a patch-up job and it can be incredibly frustrating because, had they been hired earlier, they could have prevented these problems from occurring. I no longer take on those kind of roles as they can be quite soul-destroying, but they are still pretty prevalent even now.
Have there been any development teams that you’ve found just clicked for you in your tastes and working practices?
Definitely the Triumph Studios team who I did Overlord 1 and 2 with. Working with the Overlord: Fellowship Of Evil team at Codemasters has also been good fun too. I also have a great working relationship with the narrative team at Crystal Dynamics as we’ve been together quite a while now.
Have there been any games that really surprised you with how they turned out compared to what you got to see in the early stages?
You always start a project, or at least the writing side of it, with big dreams. Ultimately, you always know that you’re probably going to have to give many of them up during the rigours of the development. Narrative is often the last thing thought of and the first thing pulled apart.
Mirror’s Edge was certainly very difficult towards the end. Not only had the game been initially designed with no narrative in mind (meaning that we had to craft a story around the level design) but all of Faith’s level dialogue was scrapped at the 11th hour. In my opinion, the story lost a lot because of that. I would have liked to have done all the cutscenes in engine as well, but the time and budget simply didn’t allow for it. It had a lot of potential, which I’m sure they’ll be drawing on for the next game. As a game writer, your script will have to expand and contract to fit the gameplay changes. That can mean losing characters, levels, even whole acts. It can be pretty brutal and you have to steel yourself against it.
When were you approached to take on the Tomb Raider reboot? Was it something that grabbed your interest?
It’s Lara Croft, so of course! There weren’t so many reboots around back then, so being able to work on the reimagining of such an iconic character really was one of those once-in-a-lifetime gigs. I really loved the new look for Lara and that was something that instantly drew me to the project.
Many seemed to believe Lara Croft had lost some relevancy prior to the reboot. Did you feel the pressure of that when you were writing for Tomb Raider?
A little bit, but this wasn’t until my name got publicly attached to the game. And by that point I’d done a lot of the writing already.
How will you be looking to develop Lara through Rise Of The Tomb Raider?
In the next game, Lara is trying to reconcile what she saw and what she did, with who she thought she was and who she might become. The events of the first game threw her off what she thought was her path and she’s still trying to come to terms with that.
Part of that is through following leads that might help better explain what she saw, one way or another. As she’s doing this she looks into her past for answers and ends up uncovering even more questions.
What sort of mandate were you given with the character and the ways you could develop her?
It wasn’t like Crystal said “Go nuts!” and just left me to it. They had ideas about how they wanted to develop her and were really open to listening to mine. We gelled surprisingly well on how we wanted to depict Lara and her journey.
What does the character of Lara Croft mean to you personally?
I am immensely fond of her. Probably more so than I was when I played my first Tomb Raider game. It’s really been an honour to be part of her journey.
Since Tomb Raider’s release and the hugely positive reception it received, what sort of extra offers have come your way?
Well, more Tomb Raider for a start! Alongside Rise Of The Tomb Raider, I’ve also got the opportunity to work with the great Gail Simone on the second arc of the comics with Dark Horse [which picks up where Tomb Raider left off], and head up the third arc solo.
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