What can you tell us about the game itself in terms of its features?

Players will take control of Whizzle, the game's protagonist. Whizzle swims around the level and interacts with various elements by expelling bursts of air which translates into momentum. Whizzle can use this momentum to navigate around dangerous elements and enemies, break through obstacles and even rescue captured Fizzles. We used a combination of UE 3's fluid surface system, different particle effects, and materials to help create an underwater environment. The cages that hold the Fizzles captive and some of the destructible corral barriers use Unreal's fracture system, so they break apart into physics chunks that float/sink away. In addition to these effects, we also used cloth physics to simulate Whizzle's tail in the water. As you can see, we have created a small casual game, but were able to use all of the big UE 3 features!

How hard or easy was it to make Whizzle with just the UDK tools?

The UDK tools are the same set of tools that come packed with Unreal Engine 3 (sans native code access), so all of the content creation was just as easy as it would be for a full version of the engine. UnrealScript (the Unreal Engine 3 scripting language) is very easy to pick up and understand for experienced programmers. Since we have a few years experience working with UE3, it turned out to be a rather simple project to work on.

Do you believe the release of UDK will be a huge boost for indie game developers who might not have access to Unreal Engine 3 before now?

Absolutely. The UDK represents an unprecedented level of tools unavailable previously to the public. There really aren't any excuses for not being able to create next-gen level quality games by independent developers or just about anyone wanting to get into game development. We are all really excited about the possibilities.
Does Psyonix plan to expand Whizzle and perhaps turn it into a commercial game at some point?

It is definitely something that we are looking into. We are really excited to see what kind of response we get from the UDK community.

What hints can you give us about Psyonix's upcoming projects?

Wish we could say more, but the only thing I can tell you at this point is to keep up with us on Twitter @PsyonixInc.

Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Psyonix, Whizzle and the UDK release today?

We plan to maintain a high level of interaction and activity with the UDK community and on the forums. And we most certainly will be adding to Whizzle via future updates so be sure to bookmark the UDK website and check back frequently for news and information.

Download HD UDK Psyonix Developer Diary (344 MB)
Download Whizzle (112 MB)