Preparing for Adventure – Talking to the Creative Minds Behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Beginning right this moment, gamers can immerse themselves in the world of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which continues a wealthy legacy of memorable JRPGs guided by the stewardship of the late Yoshitaka Murayama and his crew at Rabbit & Bear Studios.

Funded by way of Kickstarter again in 2020, with a complete of 46,307 backers that have been hungry for extra Murayama-esque recreation experiences like Suikoden, Eiyuden Chroncole: Hundred Heroes is now accessible for gamers on Xbox Collection X|S, Xbox One, Home windows, in addition to with Sport Go.

To commemorate its launch, Xbox Wire Japan lately had an opportunity to communicate with Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano, Producer and Artwork Director Junichi Murakami, and Director Osamu Komuta at Rabbit & Bear Studios, the place the crew’s honest responses conveyed how a lot Hundred Heroes embodies the imaginative and prescient of Murayama, with a crew that was constructed round the need to make “the most fascinating recreation of [their] lives”.

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The Kickstarter launched again in July 2020, and now Hundred Heroes is sort of right here. How are you feeling?

Producer and Artwork Director Junichi Murakami: Really, I haven’t settled down emotionally in any respect but. There’s a sense of aid that we are able to lastly ship the product to everybody, however there are nonetheless some issues that we received’t know till it goes on sale. Though I’m anxious in some methods, there’s a sense of accomplishment in understanding that we’ve lastly come this far after working arduous collectively for a protracted time period.

Director Osamu Komuta : We have now been engaged on this recreation for about three and a half years now, so we’re all exhausted (laughs). We have now been working arduous as a crew to patch the recreation, however now we’re closing into the launch of the recreation. On one hand, I’m a bit relieved, however on the different hand, as Murakami talked about, I’m additionally excitedly ready to hear the reactions of the gamers as the recreation goes on sale in two weeks’ time.

Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano: I really feel just about the similar method as these two do, so that they’ve accomplished most of the speaking. It’s been too lengthy since I’ve labored on a shopper title, and I really feel like, “Properly, these days just about everyone seems to be already engaged on patches”, so I actually have to hold going till the final minute… I’m wondering if I’ll really feel accomplished as soon as it’s launched and everybody has performed it.

What are the highlights of Hundred Heroes, out of your perspective, particularly the elements you want to folks to listen to?

Komuta: As the title suggests, there are a number of characters. We would like gamers to go on adventures with their favourite celebration and put together for battles with them. We additionally need them to attempt utilizing characters they meet alongside the method, and hopefully take pleasure in switching characters round. In most RPGs, you’d prepare the expertise of, otherwise you discover the energy of particular person characters, however in HH, the enjoyable is rooted in the number of characters. The depth of the recreation turns into based mostly on the variety of characters that you’ve skilled and introduced up.

Murakami: By way of design, we’ve put a number of thought into every of the characters and made positive that every had a definite persona. Even for a single mini recreation, the characters have completely different seems to be ready simply for that recreation. Principally, I don’t assume we’ve minimize any corners, so for those who play by the recreation completely, I believe you will note many good issues that you simply anticipated when beginning to play the recreation.

What are a few of the elements of Hundred Heroes that you simply centered on from a JRPG standpoint?

Murakami: I’m positive every of us has our personal ideas on varied issues and what we have been specific about, however I consider JRPGs are distinctive in the method they painting the nature of the story and the characters. There may be all the time an added ingredient the place “something goes in a JRPG.” RPGs from abroad pursue actuality, however in the case of JRPGs, after an intense battle, the gamers are instantly spending time in a scorching spring (laughs). I believe the fantastic thing about JRPGs is that they comprise a versatile mindset the place enjoyable is hybrid, permitting gamers to begin enjoying with playing cards no matter location. I really feel that Hundred Heroes has been in a position to deliver that essence out very properly.

Komuta: Murayama all the time talked about the makunouchi bento when explaining RPGs. He would say that “RPGs had a wide range of facet dishes, and each considered one of them is scrumptious”. Absolutely, there’s a storyline that runs by the richness of variation and selection like a makunouchi bento. However for those who take a facet journey for a break, you possibly can soak in a scorching spring, play a card recreation, get into the theater…… and have enjoyable. There are various variations in the story.

We have been notably cautious about ensuring that when the participant goes off on a tangent, the recreation can have a correct response to no matter she or he does. Even a single line of dialogue could change relying on the celebration you may have shaped, so I consider that gamers will take pleasure in the abundance of choices and the growth the recreation offers in response to their selections.

The pixel artwork of the characters in Hundred Heroes is extraordinarily detailed, which appears to be a uncommon route to take nowadays. How did you resolve on this?

Murakami: After we first began planning the recreation, we had already determined to make it an evolution of pixel artwork, or dots. After we started to contemplate what sort of decision we needed to use, we began with a measurement that was acquainted from previous video games, however we realized that if we continued on this method, it could be tough to distinguish the individuality of the greater than 100 characters Kawano had created, and it could even be tough to specific the individuality of the characters themselves.

As well as, the expressions themselves appeared a bit previous-original, so we determined to enhance the decision. Nonetheless, rising the decision would inevitably enhance the variety of dots, so the quantity of labor elevated. Moreover, if the decision is elevated too far, the pixel artwork could find yourself changing into extra like an illustration.

After attempting varied strategies, we determined that the present measurement would require extra approach, however would permit us to correctly specific the detailed design and equipment that adorn the characters Kawano has created. The dimensions and really feel of the design matched the sense of expression that we have been wanting for.

There are a number of battles accessible: regular battles (with a celebration of 6), boss battles, duels (1 vs. 1), and wars. What are the highlights and key factors of every?Additionally, was the resolution to use random encounters based mostly on the really feel of previous JRPGs?

Komuta: The adoption of random encounters was based mostly on the premise that this recreation was a JRPG. As well as to this, Murayama’s thought of RPGs was to make it doable for anybody to full the recreation, even when could the first time of their lives that they’ve performed such recreation. As long as you already know the fundamental guidelines, anybody can advance and full the story in HH.

At first, we thought-about utilizing symbolic encounters, however we determined to use random encounters for this recreation, as we thought it could be simpler for gamers to perceive (the recreation). We additionally needed to respect the preliminary idea of clearly separating between the scenes, particularly when the video games change between normality and battle.

In the very early levels of planning, we had two concepts, and considered one of them was to have the battle transition happen on the spot, which is quite common nowadays. The thought additionally got here up throughout the strategy planning stage, however since we needed to specific the transition correctly, we determined to use random encounters with clear transitions, that may set the tone and temper and put together the participant for battle. The battles themselves are relatively easy command battles; even if you’re new to the JPRG style, when you get used to it and begin leveling up, it is possible for you to to transfer on inside the story.

After all, there is a component of problem in the recreation. The upper you set the issue inside the recreation, the extra you’ll have to mess around the attributes and the order of actions. There are many difficult battles ready for you, and we hope gamers can have a good time strategizing and overcoming.

The system of strongholds, one-on-one battles, wars, and so forth. have been additionally seen in Gensou Suikoden. Did you plan to embrace these methods from the starting of the undertaking? Is there a cause why you determined to use it once more in “Hyaku Eiyouden“?Additionally, what did you modify from the previous video games to higher go well with right this moment’s recreation expertise?

Murakami: All of those components have been included in the Kickstarter stretch purpose, together with conflict, single fight, and the Fortress City.

Kawano: Together with the prepare dinner-offs, too.

Murakami: The backers are followers of Murayama’s video games, so evidently these components have been required. All of them have been lifelike targets if we bought the price range and time-frame proper, so we included them as objects, however we’ve already completed all of them. We began from the level the place we had to goal to embrace all the components we promised in the Kickstarter program.

Komuta: From the very starting of the undertaking, we needed to develop the Fortress City facet of the recreation. We weren’t speaking a few fortress the place everybody may collect, however relatively a city the place folks may construct their very own city, as if we have been placing in a complete different recreation the place folks may construct their very own city.

Murakami: It was borderline loopy to consider such factor (laughs).

Komuta: It’s true that after we began imagining the Fortress City, it was not a simple activity. It might have been higher if it was simply an computerized development of components, comparable to the metropolis rising because it ranges up, however this time, we needed to contains components comparable to constructing constructions of your individual selecting, and calling in the folks wanted to construct and preserve them. Some folks advised me that I used to be making one other recreation inside the recreation (laughs).

Murakami: When you get into that part, HH will get increasingly fascinating. In the starting, you don’t even have the Fortress City.

What sort of response did you obtain from abroad gamers (after Kickstarter)? Have been there any areas the place the response was notably sturdy?

Murakami: Initially, HH began with the indisputable fact that Murayama had many followers abroad, since Kickstarter and crowdfunding on the whole has not been too acquainted inside Japan. That’s why we didn’t embrace Japan in our crowdfunding actions at first. When the crowdfunding began, we got here to assume, “No, there are undoubtedly Murayama followers in Japan as properly,” so we determined to strategy them too, and thus the order was first abroad after which home. The sport itself is developed by Japanese folks with Japanese sensibilities, so it should have a JRPG-like end. We have now been attempting to create one thing that’s uniquely Japanese, relatively than specializing in international nations.

Kawano: By way of the response from folks abroad, we acquired assist for “making a recreation that Murayama likes,” and we anticipated that there can be many followers round the world. In reality, after we launched the crowdfunding, the largest variety of assist got here from the U.S., and the second largest was from Japan. In addition to that, we even have acquired assist from France and the Asian area, but additionally from Brazil, and actually from throughout the world. We didn’t actually put together something particular for anybody place, however not like Japanese followers, we acquired requests from American followers which are a bit extra hardcore, comparable to wanting a mode with a better stage of issue.

Eiyden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes might be accessible on day one with Sport Go. What’s your impression of the subscription service?

Murakami: When the thought of distributing Hundred Heroes by Sport Go first got here up, It bought me considering since I used to be but to contemplate it as an possibility. I believed it over very properly and determined that our precedence must be to unfold consciousness of Hundred Heroes relatively than to goal for the stars with the first recreation.

After we settled on this route, we realized that our core followers had already turned their consideration to us. The backers of Hundred Heroes are the most essential, and we are going to produce the work they want, however I felt that their assist alone wouldn’t be sufficient to proceed the collection — if that was the solely method to proceed the collection, it could not final.

What I had to do as a producer was to enhance the quantity of people that may play Hundred Heroes and broaden the base of the fan neighborhood. I believed that Xbox Sport Go can be the greatest method to enhance alternatives for individuals who have by no means performed this style to choose up the recreation and see it. After contemplating these concepts, we determined that we must always go for it.

Are you able to inform us about a few of the memorable occasions in the growth of Hundred Heroes?

Murakami: Reminiscences abound (laughs). Considered one of the issues that was unprecedented was the (COVID) lockdown throughout growth. I’ve very fond reminiscences of that particular atmosphere, the place we had to crew up with folks we didn’t know and had by no means met face-to-face from the starting of growth to create the recreation.

Komuta: About half of the folks on my crew have by no means met me face-to-face.

Kawano: All the things was accomplished on-line, principally from residence.

Murakami: There are various such episodes. However the most memorable one was when Murayama and I launched the Kickstarter undertaking.

Komuta: After we launched the Kickstarter, we reached our purpose right away. All of us went a bit of loopy at that second.

Murakami: If it have been a lottery ticket or one thing, I’d merely be pleased, however in the case of crowdfunding, the extra it goes up, the extra I bought fearful.

Kawano: Sure, you are feeling the sense of accountability build up (laughs).

Komuta: I couldn’t consider our dream would collect a lot assist.

Murakami: I bought the feeling that the expectations have been being taken on board in a brand new method.

Komuta: I felt like I used to be taking up one thing nice.

Kawano: Whereas I felt grateful, it additionally got here with a sense of heavy commitments being positioned on my shoulders.

Murakami: I had the feeling that there was no method I may escape from this (laughs).

Komuta: I had a number of blended emotions operating by me, however above all, I used to be pleased. Even now, I can’t neglect what Murayama mentioned at that second. He mentioned one thing alongside the traces of, “I can’t cease my fingers from shaking”.

Kawano: It was like that from the starting, and it was a particular form of recreation manufacturing proper up to the finish.

Lastly, what’s your message to Xbox gamers who’re new to the JRPG style?

Kawano: We have now created a spot the place folks can play in a wide range of methods. We hope you’ll take pleasure in the recreation, as a result of we’ve created a recreation that may be performed in any method you want and will be enjoyable regardless of the place you choose up the items.

Komuta: In the event you play the recreation usually, you could get the feeling that “It’s only a common JRPG”, however for those who take pleasure in the deep variations, comparable to taking facet journeys, going off to the facet, gathering your folks and altering to a special celebration, I believe you will see that HH very fascinating. In the event you take pleasure in these facet contents, I can assure you’ll really feel the enjoyable of HH.

Murakami: It’s tough to think about what sort of particular person would possibly expertise a JRPG for the first time. However one factor I’m positive of is that whoever experiences JRPGs by HH for the first time will discover the whole lot new and contemporary. I believe they are going to be in a position to take pleasure in a recreation they’ve by no means performed earlier than, a sort of worldview they’ve by no means traveled in, and a sense they’ve by no means had earlier than. We have now used completely different voice actors for all the characters. All characters have their actions and results modified intimately, and there are additionally eventualities for every of them. General, I believe you possibly can take pleasure in the recreation with out considering too arduous about it. There may be not a single tough factor to do, so in that sense, I hope that newcomers will be at liberty to give it a attempt.

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is offered now for Xbox Collection X|S, Xbox One, Home windows, and with Sport Go.