Games Happy

Throughout Tokyo Sport Present, Nippon-Ichi Software program introduced the discharge date for Phantom Courageous: The Misplaced Hero – the sequel to 2004’s PSP TRPG basic. On the similar time, we had the possibility to go hands-on with the sport a second time, and sit down with the sport’s Situation Author – Kento Jobana. We mentioned among the challenges going through revisiting a collection so a few years later, themes of loss of life and the supernatural in Nippon-Ichi Software program’s catalog of works, and extra. Phantom Courageous: The Misplaced Hero launches worldwide on January 30, 2025 forPlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Swap. A PC launch will come at a later date.

RPG Web site: It looks like over the previous decade, Nippon Ichi Software program has had the behavior of creating a bunch of recent IPs whereas older franchises have languished, outdoors of Disgaea. So, it’s extremely attention-grabbing to see that Phantom Courageous is returning – not even only for that, but additionally as a result of it is a significantly lighter tone in comparison with the same old NIS fare. Somewhat ironic, contemplating it is a collection that carefully offers with the departed. How has it been to return to that universe after 20 years?

Kento Jobana: I have been concerned for Phantom Courageous: The Misplaced Hero for the reason that very starting, I labored on each facet of it for the reason that begin – and I used to be informed by my superiors that it is a recreation that we would like, as an organization, to show into one other pillar – one other face of the corporate – very like Disgaea is. That was the excessive stage of expectation I used to be going through, and far as you mentioned; it is a follow-up to a recreation from 20 years in the past. Actually, at first I very particularly did not need to sort out it, and I mentioned as a lot. After I was commanded to deal with the venture’s story, I even requested if I might strive utilizing a brand new set of essential characters – which was denied. The proprietor of the corporate even went so far as to say that I used to be simply operating away from issues, and that I wanted to put in writing a brand new story, with the returning characters. He was assured that I might ship on that premise. So, okay – if that was the mandate, then I am going to do it, however on the very least if we’re bringing again these characters I did not need to betray the followers’ expectation – we would have liked them to be voiced by the unique voice actors.

RPG Web site: It sounds prefer it’s been a reasonably difficult scenario for you, mandated as you have been. 

Kento Jobana: Yeah, so I principally obtained berated by the proprietor of the corporate that I needed to discover methods to work inside these tips. So I ended up going again to fundamentals, going again to the unique recreation and the novelization that was additionally launched in Japan. Approaching that with a recent thoughts, I used to be capable of see that there have been some facets of the unique video games story that remained unexplored. I used to be capable of take these parts, and develop them, and work them into the story I’ve now. Really, I’ve labored on a bunch of Disgaea video games; however since Disgaea adjustments the primary character each time, I’ve by no means actually had to consider a personality retaining their progress whereas nonetheless altering over time, throughout a number of video games. So in the long run, regardless of getting right into a little bit of bother, I really feel prefer it’s been an excellent problem for me as a state of affairs author. It pushed me to do one thing new that I’ve by no means completed earlier than, and I admire it.

RPG Web site: Now that you just point out it, I might say it is somewhat uncommon. Prior to now when NIS has launched a sequel to an present IP, more often than not that sequel does in truth observe a brand new set of characters, and a brand new viewpoint. In some circumstances it is even solely tangentially associated, akin to how Labyrinth of Chorus and Labyrinth of Galleria are merely in the identical multiverse as one another, however in any other case utterly separate tales. In that sense, how do you steadiness introducing new characters whereas additionally looking for methods to develop present ones?

Kento Jobana: Let’s begin with the alternative finish of your query. First, I took a take a look at the unique whereas contemplating “What was it in regards to the unique Phantom Courageous that followers cherished?” I attempted to method it from the viewpoint of a fan; about what particularly they cherished about this recreation. Followers love Marona. One factor about Marona is that she has this journey all through the course of the sport the place she begins as somebody ostracized, she’s not well-liked, she’s not likely in an excellent place. But by way of the course of the sport she grows and earns the love of these round her. So, my first plan of action – since I could not simply have Marona retread the identical story beats – was to create a brand new character, and work out what I might do to have them develop like Marona did within the first recreation. This result in Apricot.

Now however, for present characters – I assumed, “What ought to I do about them?” I ended up serious about what facets of Marona and Ash’s relationship may not but have been explored – so I made a decision to dig deeply into that. Lastly, how do I make a brand new and wider forged of characters, and have them match? Nicely, one factor that occurred to me was that whereas there have been many Phantoms gamers might use within the unique recreation, solely Ash was ever truly a named focus. The story revolved round Ash and Marona; I noticed that I had a chance to inform a brand new story by inserting new characters, named Phantoms with their very own personalities, at factors of the sport that might be a part of Marona whereas depicting their very own relationships. I figured this was the easiest way to steadiness the outdated and the brand new, and to set the stage for a unbroken story.

RPG Web site: Piggybacking off the latter half of that reply a bit – earlier in the course of the press briefing, one explicit character that stood out to me was a Phantom, Henna. She left behind a sister, who she’s particularly been possessing. Having somebody these Phantoms left behind looks like an attention-grabbing change of tempo; what went into deciding this story hook for that part of the sport?

Kento Jobana: Yeah, as soon as I would determined what we simply talked about – that I wished to deal with completely different Phantoms at completely different elements of the sport – I began to consider it a bit extra deeply, and I questioned “What do individuals take into consideration after they go away?” Phantoms are, after all, lifeless… so what sorts of issues would maintain them tethered to the world of the residing? Whether or not it may be a baby who passes away early, craving for his or her mom, their household; or vice-versa. Something that might drive a spirit to maintain going with out passing on, tying it to the world. I wished to have a way of drama inside this world; I wished it to be a dramatic story. So, simply all these facets of human life, and other people passing away, I believe, it is the obvious and pure means to have the ability to implement it on this recreation; in order that’s the place Henna’s story got here from.

RPG Web site: It looks like loss of life and the afterlife is a quite common theme in NIS’ tales. Not simply with Disgaea, with it going down within the Underworld, and we now have Phantom Courageous which offers with the departed. But, it looks like a theme that NIS likes to maintain coming again to, when NIS creates new worlds, and tales to suit these worlds. Is there any explicit motive you assume the corporate is so enamored by the concept?

Kento Jobana: I assume we’re a ton of unusual individuals at NIS, we’re an organization who gathers lots of people who’re very within the darker aspect of life, the darker aspect of humanity, and issues like that. You’ve got obtained The Coven collection with Izumi-san, the Yomawari collection by Mizokami-san, and even when he is now not on the firm – clearly, the Disgaea collection by Niikawa-san. All of those creators, these individuals had their very own views about loss of life and what occurs afterwards. All of them depicted it in their very own distinctive methods. I, too, am very all for issues like that. Specifically, I am not simply all for tales about what ties people to different people, but additionally people and their relationship to nature. To a non secular, metaphysical stage. For instance; I am an enormous fan of the film Director Tim Burton; I really like the best way that he depicts a few of those self same facets of life we’re speaking about, right here. I really feel a resonance there; I wish to showcase people within the pure world, and that form of contact with the metaphysical, in one other world past our personal.

RPG Web site: Wrapping it again round to this being the primary entry within the Phantom Courageous collection in 20 years – not solely will returning gamers have inevitably modified within the many years since, however inevitably you are going to have a ton of recent gamers, treating this recreation like a model new IP. Is there something particularly you’d wish to share to both finish of that spectrum, about what you wished to convey with The Final Hero?

Kento Jobana: So one of many first issues I keep in mind considering after I took over writing for the Disgaea collection was “What makes this collection good?” One factor I keep in mind feeling is that simply by having the identical surroundings across the growth of the sport because it was initially doesn’t suggest that you will create one thing that is cherished or appreciated as a lot as the unique recreation. Subsequently, I wished to consider what parts drew individuals to the collection within the first place? What about Disgaea, particularly, did individuals like? That is the really necessary factor. I imagine I grasped these parts, so after I wrote Disgaea 7 I felt assured I had an excellent deal with on it. Fortunately, it appears that evidently gamers have felt the identical means.

That is why, with Phantom Courageous, I additionally went again to the drafting board to ask the identical query, “What, particularly, do individuals like about Phantom Courageous?” I would wish to hope that I’ve grasped that reality, as effectively. If you work on a recreation, it is necessary that there is a sense of freshness to it; you’ll be able to’t simply rehash what has got here earlier than. It is by discovering the core of what makes these tales, these video games so good that you would be able to really make one thing that does justice to the unique whereas standing by itself as a brand new expertise. For Phantom Courageous, there is a sense of status to it, a pedigree. We might’ve simply relied on nostalgia for The Misplaced Hero, however I hope that every part – each new and outdated – will be capable to enchantment to the complete spectrum of gamers. On the one hand, followers of the collection from a very long time in the past ought to be capable to discover these parts that they cherished inside it again then, and people selecting it up for the primary time ought to be capable to admire the brand new. 

Truthfully talking, regardless of this being a recreation with such a historical past – a whole lot of the check play has been dealt with by individuals who by no means truly performed the earlier recreation earlier than, and all of them have reported that regardless of that baggage of being a real sequel they discovered it very straightforward to know. We do not assume you essentially need to have performed the primary recreation to play the collection for the primary time; and in that sense, we really feel like we succeeded. Past that, although, followers will be capable to test it out for themselves – we’ll have a demo releasing within the coming months, and if gamers do have any points – tell us! I need to hear what each units of gamers need to say, and I am going to do my greatest to answer that criticism – if that is what it finally ends up being. Because it stands, I am assured I used to be capable of create one thing that upholds what made the collection nice to start with, whereas providing that have to everybody.