Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka is again to work with Spike Chunsoft on a brand-new journey recreation titled Grasp Detective Archives: RAIN CODE. The sport, not too long ago re-revealed simply earlier than Tokyo Recreation Present, definitely comes with some similarities with the favored Danganronpa franchise, however there are additionally many variations.
It’s price mentioning that the sport additionally sports activities the work of Danganronpa character designer Rui Komatsuzaki and composer Masafumi Takada. To study extra concerning the new title, Twinfinite sat down with Kodaka-san, who shared a number of perception about his plans and his work on Grasp Detective Archives: RAIN CODE.
Giuseppe: Because you’re working with Spike Chunsoft, which owns the Danganronpa IP, why did you resolve to create a brand new IP and never a brand new Danganronpa recreation?
Kazutaka Kodaka: I wished to make a brand new IP, and Spike Chunsoft wasn’t pushing for a Danganronpa sequel, so I made a decision to go along with it.
To be trustworthy, if ask Spike Chunsoft whether or not I ought to make a brand new Danganronpa title, they could say sure, so I didn’t ask (Laughs).
Giuseppe: This recreation appears to be like a lot increased in price range than most video games you’ve beforehand labored on. It’s in full 3D, with extra animations, higher graphics, and so forth. Was it a problem to modify to this sort of recreation?
Kazutaka Kodaka: I wished to make an journey recreation becoming for 2023 and one thing that’s extra developed in comparison with Danganronpa.That’s why I made a decision to shift the graphics to 3D and enhance them.
Spike Chunsoft’s improvement groups have labored on a number of 3D video video games over the previous years, so for this challenge, I wished to work with these groups to make a better-looking recreation.
Giuseppe: What’s the cause for releasing the sport solely on Nintendo Change?
Kazutaka Kodaka: I’d like gamers to take pleasure in this journey recreation on a handheld console like I used to do with the Vita earlier than. That was my imaginative and prescient.
Giuseppe: Is there any probability for this recreation to be ported to different platforms sooner or later if the sport is profitable? Maybe PC or PlayStation? I keep in mind you as soon as advised me that you just had been a PlayStation fan.
Kazutaka Kodaka: There isn’t a plan for that. And sure, I wish to play video video games on PlayStation as a participant, however for this recreation, I’m going with the Change.
Giuseppe: Because you didn’t ask Spike Chunsoft about making a brand new Danganronpa recreation, is the sequence achieved for you? Or maybe sooner or later, it’s possible you’ll think about going again to it when you find yourself prepared or have time?
Kazutaka Kodaka: It’s not like I don’t wish to make one other Danganronpa recreation, however I’ve a number of concepts and wish to create one thing new. Sometime I could return, perhaps.
Danganronpa is extra of a distinct segment recreation, and now I’m engaged on an even bigger one, nevertheless it’d be cool to return to Danganronpa sooner or later afterward.
Giuseppe: So that you consider that Grasp Detective Archives: RAIN CODE has a wider addressable viewers than Danganronpa?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Sure. I feel so.
Giuseppe: Attention-grabbing. I really thought that Danganronpa could be a safer choice with a wider viewers because it’s such a longtime IP.
Kazutaka Kodaka: I’m not likely fascinated with doing the identical factor different individuals could also be doing. I’d fairly not choose the secure choice. When individuals begin to overlook about Danganronpa, maybe I’ll be extra inclined to work on it once more.
Giuseppe: You heard it right here first, individuals. If you need extra Danganronpa, cease asking for it (laughs).
Kazutaka Kodaka: (Laughs)
Giuseppe: What impressed you to maneuver to a cyberpunk setting?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Initially, I personally like cyberpunk; actually, I’ve labored on Akudama Drive not too long ago. I like to combine it with Japanese folklore parts, fantasy, and sci-fi.
Giuseppe: You’re additionally together with puzzle parts within the recreation. Are you able to discuss extra about them?
Kazutaka Kodaka: the puzzle parts are the mystery-solving half, and you would say that it’s much like Danganronpa.
Giuseppe: As you’ve stated, you’re mixing a number of genres along with cyberpunk. Is it a problem to make all the pieces match and make sense organically?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Japan typically will get influenced by different cultures, Asian, American, and extra. It’s really a part of our tradition, and it’s fascinating to combine all these parts collectively.
You would say that mixing all of those elements into one setting is without doubt one of the enjoyable components of being a Japanese creator and making Japanese video games. It comes actually naturally to me.
Giuseppe: You’ve labored as an worker for Spike Chunsoft, then you definitely’ve gone impartial with Tookyo Video games, and with this recreation it’s form of a center floor, working for Spike Chunsoft as a member of Tookyo Video games. Which certainly one of these choices is you favourite?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Initially, the thought for RAIN CODE is one thing we had earlier than I left Spike Chunsoft. I had already spoken with the corporate about doing this collectively. That’s why Spike Chunsoft and Tookyo Video games are doing this collectively.
We opened our personal studio as a result of we wished to work on a number of tasks without delay. That’s why our studio doesn’t have an inner improvement staff. We work on the state of affairs, the music, and the character design solely, retaining the flexibleness to work on a number of tasks developed by different corporations.
Giuseppe: I keep in mind after I interviewed you simply after the muse of Tookyo video games, you advised me that you just already had a challenge that will be developed for Spike Chunsoft. Is it this one?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Sure. Precisely.
Giuseppe: So issues have gone full circle. What do you suppose is probably the most engaging component of Grasp Detective Archives: RAIN CODE?
Kazutaka Kodaka: It’s not an open world, however you possibly can stroll round freely and discover the town. I feel it’s one of the crucial engaging parts.
Additionally, the truth that the characters are going to be in 3D is probably going going to make them extra expressive and likable.
Giuseppe: You talked about that this isn’t open-world, however you could have the flexibility to discover the town. I don’t know in case you’ve performed them, however is your metropolis corresponding to what we discover in Like a Dragon (Ryu ga Gotoku) video games?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Within the metropolis, you possibly can go to sure districts just like the enterprise district, the procuring road, and extra.
Giuseppe: So maybe it’s extra much like Persona 5?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Sure.
Giuseppe: And you’ve got a loading display screen when transitioning between the varied districts?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Precisely. However you get to stroll round slightly bit greater than in Persona 5.
Giuseppe: So, if I perceive appropriately, the districts work like in Persona 5, however they’re slightly bit larger?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Sure, they’re slightly bit larger.
Giuseppe: You’ve achieved characters in 3D earlier than in a few of your video games, however the characters of RAIN CODE look positively higher. Maybe it’s a matter of shaders, however I suppose let’s imagine that they give the impression of being nearer to anime. Is that impression appropriate?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Because the theme of the sport is darkish fantasy, I wished to make the characters really feel a bit cuter. The story entails homicide and all these darkish themes, so it’s good to have a little bit of a distinction with the cuter character design.
Additionally, we wished to realize one thing near the picture of dolls with the 3D fashions.
Giuseppe: Not too long ago, you labored on anime. Are there any learnings from that form of work that you just utilized to your recreation improvement?
Kazutaka Kodaka: Nah. It’s a totally totally different form of work. In fact, it does broaden my expertise as a state of affairs author.
Giuseppe: Followers of the Danganronpa sequence expect sure issues from you, largely a super-dark and super-crazy recreation. How darkish and the way loopy are you going to go along with this title in comparison with a Danganronpa recreation?
Kazutaka Kodaka: RAIN CODE is a brand new IP, so I don’t know if I can go as darkish as Danganronpa. These days there are a number of rules to remember, however I’m making an attempt my greatest.
Giuseppe: It’s not on PlayStation, so it ought to be advantageous proper? (Laughs)
Kazutaka Kodaka: The Change may be fairly strict as properly (laughs). That being stated, I’m decided to create one thing of higher high quality for the customers.
Giuseppe: Ambiance and temper appear to be actually vital parts on this recreation. What sort of ambiance are you going for, maybe additionally to separate RAIN CODE from Danganronpa?
Kazutaka Kodaka: I’m not very involved about similarities with Danganronpa, because the staff members engaged on this recreation additionally labored on Danganronpa. I’m not making an attempt to deliberately transfer away from it, however there’s a brand new state of affairs, characters, and all the pieces else.
It feels prefer it ended up like a Tim Burton-inspired ambiance.
Giuseppe: What’s the most difficult a part of creating a brand new IP?
Kazutaka Kodaka: If you create one thing from zero, fascinated about what parts you must embody is usually a problem.
Giuseppe: do you could have any message you’d wish to share with the followers which were following you for thus lengthy?
Kazutaka Kodaka: You would see this recreation as an evolution of Danganronpa, nevertheless it’s nonetheless constructed on related rules. That being stated, it’s its personal recreation and never a substitute for Danganronpa, so please keep tuned for extra data.
We’ll be delivering data on the characters and on the gameplay, and the followers will be capable to see how fascinating this recreation is. Please sit up for it.
Grasp Detective Archives: Rain Code launches completely for Nintendo Change within the spring of 2023.
