Because the variety of online game remakes, remasters, and religious successors grows, so does the hesitation surrounding these initiatives. Although some may see these video games as loving homages to the artwork and tales that made us who we’re, it is simply as straightforward to see them as makes an attempt to bottle lightning–or maybe, extra precisely, nostalgia. So, how do these video games set themselves aside? Effectively, as Rabbit and Bear Studios’ debut title Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes–a religious successor to legendary RPG Suikoden–proves, having a workforce of veteran builders united beneath a beloved sequence’ creator is a good place to start.
Rabbit and Bear Studios launched again in 2020, with 4 ex-Konami builders at its helm: character designer Junko Kawano of Suikoden fame, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow director Junichi Murakami, Suikoden and Silent Hill’s Osamu Komuta, and Suikoden’s creator, the late Yoshitaka Murayama. The workforce got here along with a really clear function: to create the sport the 4 of them had all the time dreamed of creating, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
“All of us are ex-Konami, so we might meet up and drink collectively generally,” Junko Kawano instructed GameSpot. “One time after we have been consuming and speaking to one another, we form of realized that we have reached an excellent age, and that we actually needed to develop a recreation that we have been deeply fascinated with collectively. So we determined to kind the studio.”
After the studio had been fashioned and the workforce cemented their imaginative and prescient for the title, they determined to launch a Kickstarter to assist fund the challenge. Although the studio opted to not explicitly discuss with it as a religious successor to Murayama’s Suikoden sequence within the description, followers shortly made a connection between the workforce’s imaginative and prescient and the critically acclaimed sequence. Inside three hours, Rabbit and Bear raised over $500,000, exceeding the preliminary purpose that they had set for themselves.
Within the days that adopted, stretch objectives have been added, with the promise of a companion recreation being launched if the studio hit its astronomical finish purpose of $4.5 million–it did, and Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was launched on Might 10, 2022. Nevertheless, large crowdfunding success–and the burden of being an assumed religious successor–comes with lots of stress.
“Since I’m the particular person least concerned with Suikoden, I feel I am additionally the one most exterior of all of the stress. It [was] in all probability the simplest for me,” artwork director Junichi Murakami mentioned. “Nevertheless, I do know lots of the individuals at Konami. I perceive the sensation and the burden of that title. Even when I’m not instantly associated to that title, I do know I’m making a recreation with these members. I really feel that stress.
“The goal for us was actually how a lot we might understand the factor that Murayama-san needed to attain. In that sense, I consider Murayama-san was really beneath the best stress,” Kawano added.
But for as a lot stress as Murayama had positioned upon him, Kawano, Murakami, and Komuta made it clear he was pushed by a really particular imaginative and prescient for his next–and regrettably final–project. From the very starting of Eiyuden Chronicle’s growth, Murayami knew who the sport’s protagonists can be. He had a transparent thought of what they’d appear like, how they’d match into the world, and the way their tales would collide and conclude. He conveyed this all to his workforce, who then got down to convey his visions to life whereas additionally showcasing the expertise and artistry that they had acquired over a long time of working in recreation growth.
“I began by studying concerning the setting made by Murayama-san. For the principle characters, he gave me the data first. So I knew this could be their age, this was the sort of weapon they’d carry …Even a few of the hair colours have been predetermined,” Kawano mentioned. “I took all the data I acquired from Murayama-san and got here up with completely different variations of those characters. And then he mentioned, ‘Sure. Now preserve going.'”
Because the latter half of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes identify implies, the team–and notably Kawano–then created over 100 recruitable characters for the sport. All through growth, it grew to become a bunch effort to steadiness these characters–ensuring each had an fascinating design and function in Eiyuden Chronicle, whereas additionally ensuring the sport’s core thread and most important solid weren’t buried beneath all of it. It is a delicate balancing act that, Komuta says, could be “tough to strike.”
“As for the characters associated to the principle story, Murayama-san had decided their tales so the spine was already established,” Komuta instructed me. “Nevertheless, for the characters aside from the principle characters, the timing wherein they be a part of, their background, and the way that particular person develops, was extra open. There was a setting, however we needed to really deepen the story and the design.”
Because of Murayama’s fantastical setting, the sheer quantity of characters that wanted to be designed, and Rabbit and Bear Studios’ personal creativity, the workforce was in a position to dream large whereas filling out Eiyuden Chronicle’s roster. From Mellore, a self-proclaimed magical woman adorned in a Sailor Moon-esque uniform, to Kawano’s favourite character, a luchador named El Alicante, Eiyuden Chronicle has fairly the colourful cast–and I’ve but to even point out the enormous, sword-wielding kangaroo.
That is to not say, nevertheless, that there aren’t loads of lifelike or edgy characters in Eiyuden Chronicle as nicely. It’d come as little shock given Murakami’s historical past with the Castlevania sequence, however his favourite characters have been a pair of “cool-type” ladies he created.
“Mio and Hildi are my favorites. Mio is a lady samurai warrior after which Hildi is the assistant commander to Seign, and I really created each of them on my own. Each of them are ladies with a “cool-type” character as a result of…” Murakami gave a coy smile, and I watched as each Kawano and Komuta started to snigger. “I like cool ladies.”
Equally, Komuta shared that his favourite character was additionally a robust girl: Basic Elektra.
“Initially, Elektra was not speculated to take part in battle, however as a result of I appreciated her a lot, I requested Murayama-san and Murakami-san if we might enhance the variety of characters so we might add her,” Komuta mentioned.
Although Murakami may not have been in control of designing all Eiyuden Chronicle’s characters, implementing them into the sport’s hybrid artwork model fell upon his shoulders–and, based on Murakami, this course of was tough and time-consuming. Equally to Octopath Traveler, Eiyuden Chronicle locations expressive, 2D character sprites atop 3D environments to create an expertise that feels lush and trendy, in addition to consistent with its ’90s-RPG roots. Although I discovered the top consequence lovely and intensely natural-looking, Murakami mentioned making certain that was the case took the workforce about two years.
“Merging these artwork kinds is definitely very, very, very laborious,” Murakami mentioned. “It took us greater than two years as a result of you need to be sure that all of your 3D angles and digital camera work don’t disrupt the 2D expressions, or make them look positioned unnaturally, or clip something… It really took lots of time to make it appear completely pure.”
Merging the outdated with the brand new was a recurring theme in Eiyuden Chronicle’s growth. Komuta, for instance, recalled the workforce having a dialog round a basic, ’90s-RPG characteristic that some have been nervous is likely to be somewhat outdated: the save level.
“We did have a dialogue,” Komuta mentioned. “The save level was really essential to Murayama-san’s idea, because it offers you a sign of how the situation is progressing. He had a robust give attention to conveying when the sport might naturally be suspended through the use of a save level. However however, with the intention to strike a steadiness between this basic characteristic and one thing trendy, we included some auto-save capabilities. We wish to have an excellent steadiness between the fashionable and the basic.”
Some issues, nevertheless, have been set in stone from the beginning–including the sport’s music. In terms of which musicians would create Eiyuden Chronicle’s rating, Murakami mentioned that even earlier than launching their Kickstarter, the workforce was set on two artists specifically: Michiko Naruke and Motoi Sakuraba.
“We knew that, alongside the 4 of us, they’d actually be the core and one of many strongest appeals of this challenge,” Murakami mentioned. “In that sense, we knew we needed Michiko Naruke and Motoi Sakuraba to hitch us. We felt they have been artists that actually represented Japan whereas additionally being well-known abroad.”
Each Naruke and Sakuraba have a powerful variety of well-received video games beneath their belt, with Naruke’s most notable work being her preparations for the Wild Arms and Tremendous Smash Bros. sequence. In the meantime, Sakuraba’s portfolio consists of quite a lot of titles from the Tales, Star Ocean, Golden Solar, Darkish Souls, and Mario sports activities sequence. Collectively, the pair created a soundtrack each I and GameSpot’s reviewer discovered “very good,” and really proves Murakami right: These artists did contribute considerably to Eiyuden Chronicle’s core attraction.
Different components that add to Eiyuden Chronicle’s attraction are merely how a lot enjoyable it lets you could have and its sheer replayability. In accordance with Komuta, the timing wherein you add a personality to your get together can change the script and the way the character speaks, attractive gamers to replay and try and seize characters at completely different factors all through the sport.
“There are specific scripts you can not hear within the early situation as a result of they’re tied to a personality changing into a member within the latter a part of the sport. So in that sense, if you’re replaying the sport, you’ll be able to possibly discover these characters of their first place and listen to a distinct script for those who beforehand picked them up within the second place. For all of these characters, now we have ready these scripts,” Komuta mentioned.
Moreover, a few of the recreation’s recruitable characters are optionally available, which means it is very straightforward to overlook them your first time taking part in. And but, this can be a very intentional a part of Eiyuden Chronicle’s design, Komuta mentioned. In accordance with Komuta, “How you discover heroes and members of your get together is a enjoyable and vital a part of the sport.” He then added there’s one character specifically, hidden inside a hidden dungeon, that he recommends gamers attempt to discover. “It is enjoyable,” he mentioned with amusing.
Kawano and Murakami additionally identified that a few of the recreation’s funnier moments–such because the theater and the new springs–play out otherwise relying upon your present workforce composition.
“The theater, I feel, is fascinating. In each the Japanese and English variations, the voice solid acts based on the continued story. You’ll be able to even have completely different [character] mixtures and various things will occur based on these mixtures,” Kawano mentioned.
Conserving consistent with his extra mischievous assertion earlier, Murakami mentioned the onsen–or sizzling springs–was one in all his favourite components. Naturally, all three of the founders started to snigger.
“I feel followers could have enjoyable with the new spring scene. I would like you to really discover and watch the entire sizzling springs scenes with the entire characters. Notably once they enter the bathtub.”
Within the few hours I spent with Kawano, Murakami, and Komuta, I am unable to depend the variety of occasions their laughter stuffed the room. From the workforce chuckling whereas sharing tales concerning the recreation’s growth, to a close to teary-eyed Komuta guffawing as I defined that, in English, we name cats kneading “making biscuits,” there was this sense that this workforce exuded levity and pleasure. The founders said that Murayama was maybe probably the most joyous of all of them, consistently dreaming, laughing, and galvanizing their work. After I shared my condolences and requested how issues have been on the studio since his passing earlier this yr, I might really feel the burden of his loss start to fill the room.
“It was an enormous shock to us,” Kawano mentioned. “We have been already within the course of of manufacturing the title and the discharge date had already been decided, so we have been on this remaining stage and not likely in a position to halt manufacturing.”
“In that sense,” Murakami added. “It was nearly a aid. We had to use and focus ourselves–we have not had time to lament his demise. We now have to maintain going.”
Komuta nodded in settlement with Murakami, earlier than including in one thing that warmed my coronary heart.
“Fortuitously, Murayama-san was concerned within the remaining changes, so we have been in a position to actually full this title.”
Earlier than our time was up, I requested the workforce what they thought actually distinguished Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes from being a Suikoden successor. Finally, Komuta mentioned that the workforce’s expertise, needs, and strategy to creation are what elevates it.
“There isn’t any member of employees concerned in growth who thought we have been simply making a sequel to Suikoden,” Komuta mentioned. “Nobody was pondering like that, or got here at it from that place. It in the end is a completely completely different recreation.”
And but, I do not suppose it is inaccurate or improper to say that, in some ways, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a religious successor to Suikoden–and a worthy one, at that. To be one of many handful of studios that can bottle lightning–that can create an expertise that makes gamers fondly recall taking part in one in all their favourite games–is an unbelievable feat. But on the identical time, it is rather more than that.
Eiyuden Chronicle is a recreation 4 mates determined to make over drinks and jokes about needing to get began earlier than they acquired any older. It is a recreation that seeks to grant almost three a long time of needs made by each Suikoden followers and the sequence’ creators. And most significantly, it is a shining instance of an artist’s remaining work totally realized. It’s wondrously cathartic to know Murayama was there to ship the final rounds of edits and adjustments–to know that he was there to witness his imaginative and prescient dropped at life. And but, it’s maybe simply as lovely to see how deeply his goals impressed his three pricey mates, every of whom have spent the previous couple of months making certain the remainder of us might see them, too.