It was recently revealed that the Nintendo Switch exclusive Astral Chain does not have any DLC currently in development. The director of Astral Chain Takahisa Taura explained in an interview with IGN of Netherlands that Nintendo and Platinum Games are instead going to make Astral Chain into a complete trilogy. So for those who’ve complained about today’s games having to much DLC extras it seems Astral Chain might be right for you. We’ve included a translated version of the interview with Takahisa Taura down below.
Astral Chain will be released in two months and seems to be an interesting title. During E3 2019 we were allowed to talk exclusively about the combat, the Legion and possible DLC for Astral Chain. As I don’t speak Japanese, the questions and answers are translated by the interpreter present.
You have a rich history in making games, including Kidney. What of those experiences did you use to create Astral Chain?
“This game has many different elements from previous platinum games, so I think fans can look forward to Astral Chain. This game also has elements that have never been shown before. You can customize the main character and investigate crimes like a police officer Fans who are not fans of platinum games can therefore get started with Astral Chain. ”
How are all the different elements balanced?
“In the game it is around 50-50. An accident is taking place, which you will investigate. On the basis of this you can expect things you know from previous Platinum Games.”
How do you ensure that this is balanced?
“I think the flow is smooth because your main character is a police officer. So it is very natural for you as a player to go to the crime scene and interrogate people there and then make the transition to fights. I think that’s good because of that is in balance. The balance between the fights and what I just describe is different from previous games. ”
Fighting seems complicated, how do you ensure that new players can also pick up the game?
“First of all, I want to say that it may look difficult because you control two characters, but the Legion you control does everything automatically. If you play it, you’ll also find that it’s not terribly difficult. Experienced players can choose to allowing the Legion to move freely allowing players to become even better at controlling two characters at the same time People who do not normally play action games can turn on a special mode called “Unchained Mode” and turning it on makes the Legion more active. if the player should be hit, the Legion will move, absorbing the blow and protecting the player. The Legion will also help in other ways that will allow everyone to reach the end of the game. ”
So that’s a mode where players can experience the story?
“You could say that, because it allows players to experience the story even better. It’s not something that takes the player out of the fight. Players still have the opportunity to contribute to the fighting.”
Where does the Legion inspiration come from?
We have not had the Legion in mind from the start. It started with an idea where the player would control two characters at the same time and where it was possible to turn the characters on or off. When we had the idea of having the game played in the near future and that you are driving a police officer, we were inspired by certain Japanese animation series. For example, if you look at the armor of the Legion, it looks a bit like Evangeline. A series that I happen to like. If you look more closely at the armor, you’ll see that the logos of the Neuron are written on the arm. Neuron is the police unit to which you belong and the inspiration comes from an anime called Patlabor.
How is the Legion being introduced?
“The game starts when the player does not know that Legion exists. The player is assigned a place in a special police unit called Neuron. The game starts when the player has the same position as the character. You know nothing about the Legion and as you progress through the game, you learn more and more about these creatures.The twins you play have an adoptive father, who heads Neuron, and actually didn’t want the two to come into that division because he’s worried about she makes. Something will happen to your adoptive father within the plot. ”
Like previous games, will Astral Chain be a reflection of today’s society?
“I don’t think it is a reflection of society at the moment. The story is made so that players can enjoy the game and control two characters. The game touches on topics like the extinction of humanity. That’s why I think the one who will play the game will feel something while playing. ”
What are you most proud of with Astral Chain?
“To make it possible to control two characters at the same time. It took us the time and effort of five games to get it to work properly. I am most proud of that. I would also like to point out that the graphics may look like anime “That only applies to the characters, but the environments are realistic. That is also something beautiful. Those environments are based on Ghost in the Shell.”
Are there many different types of environments in Astral Chain?
“We have many different environments in the game. We will announce those environments in updates. They are not software updates, but more information will be announced later.”
How do you ensure that the side quests remain varied and that you don’t have to pick up three chickens?
“You control a police officer. So it makes sense to help people in the city and get a reward for it. So it looks more natural to the player. We give the player many different types of side quests. It is not easy to bring items away or pick it up for characters So we don’t worry about that In other games you talk to an NPC, you get an item and you take it to another NPC In this game you have for example an ice cream with ten scoops to a child You use the gyroscope [in the Switch controller] while walking. You have to make sure that the pile does not fall over. That kind of gameplay is also included. ”
Is the use of the gyroscope included in other parts of the game?
“It is not used very often, but with the” Arrow Legion “you make use of it. You can then focus on what you want to hit.”
I have to ask, but why toilets?
“It’s hard to say why, maybe I should say I like toilets. We put the toilets in Treehouse live for the reaction. You can also look for cats scattered throughout the levels. When you find cats and feed them, you get an item from the cats and there is also a system in the game called “Orders.” Here you can find the progression of all cats you have found or other achievements you have achieved. By rounding that off, you also get rewards. Besides cats, I also love dogs. There are a number of dogs in the game. ”
Can you pet the dogs?
“The dogs that are in the game are not, but there is a special Legion. The“ Beast Legion ”that you can call up has the shape of a dog. You can’t do this with the other Legion, but I made the Beast Legion especially for that reason. ”
What about the possible multiplayer co-op in Astral Chain?
“It is a single player game, but you can use the Joy-Cons separately. In addition, one player controls the Legion and the other the police officer. For this mode, you really have to think the same. So it must be someone you are good friends with, but it can lead to a fight between the players. In this mode it becomes much more difficult, so you can take turns taking turns, but it can certainly be fun to split the controller and play together. ”
We know there is a story mode, are there any other modes that we can look forward to?
“The Story Mode is basically the only thing we have, but after you finish the game, content may be released that focuses more on the battles in Astral Chain. I can’t say more about it right now, it might come more.”
How do you ensure that everyone on the team feels at ease and that things are going well?
“I think it is important that everyone knows what the end product should look like. For example, I provide them with illustrations or a map explaining how to get to the end product. Of course there are moments in development when it is difficult for everyone As a director I sometimes get the feeling that I am lonely. We have many young people on our team and that is why we have a lot of fun making the game. ”
What would you like to say to the fans?
“Platinum fans can of course look forward to this and I hope that people who don’t have the game on the radar will watch videos to find out if it might be something for them. We talked briefly about the environments within the game where we Chinatown – have seen environments like that. Players can really enjoy the different areas that we have. In addition – and this is actually separate from this – there is also a camera function in the game and we hope that players will also try it out. ”
Can we expect extra content after release?
“There are currently no plans to release extras for Astral Chain. This is different for the game’s story. We make the game as a trilogy and this is the first part of that trilogy. If this game sells well, then we may see how the story of the series continues. ”
SOURCE: IGN.COM
