Following the
announcement of the Furyu-developed action RPG
Reynatis, Famitsu interviewed director Takumi Isobe, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, and composer Yoko Shimomura. Several topics are addressed, such as how Isobe managed to get Shimomura and Nojima on board and what the title’s influences are.
Unsurprisingly,
Kingdom Hearts is stated explicitly, which makes sense given how
Reynatis has an atmosphere incredibly similar to Quadratum, a world recently unveiled in the
Kingdom Hearts series. Additionally, the main character has striking visual similarities to Yozora, a new character who seemingly lives in Quadratum and is clearly based on Noctics from the ill-fated
Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
You can view select portions of this interview below, translated by our team’s Ryuji:
Interviewer: What is the meaning behind the name REYNATIS?
Isobe: There are two words that form the basis of the title. The first is renatus, which, in Latin, means birth or rebirth. The word can also mean and refer to a born king in Spanish. The word itself also has an important meaning in the game, and you’ll understand as you play through it.
Interviewer: Many renowned creators are participating in the production of REYNATIS. How did you come to ask Nojima and Shimomura to work on this project?
Isobe: When I thought of creators who could build REYNATIS’s dark world and the element of living in darkness to the maximum, the first person who came to mind was Nojima-san. I also thought that we would need some profound and divine music to go with it, and Shimomura came to mind, so I asked both of them to join us.
Interviewer: Interesting. Why were the two of them the first to come to mind?
Isobe: I like dark fantasy and action RPGs, and I have been playing the Kingdom Hearts series since I was little. Because of that, they have influenced my values and sensibilities, and that is one of the reasons that led to my choice.
The interviewer then turns to Nojima and Shimomura.
Interviewer: What was your impression when you were asked to work on the project?
Nojima: Not many people can come up with an easy-to-understand concept and theme from the initial planning stage. So, when Isobe-san clearly presented the idea, I felt it was fresh. Since I had just had some free time, I decided to visit.
Shimomura: Oh, so you
had time, didn’t you? (laughs)
Nojima: Yes, I was interested in doing it, so I cleared my schedule (laughs). I wanted to work with new people as much as possible, so I accepted the REYNATIS proposal.
Interviewer: What about you, Shimomura-san?
Shimomura: When he [Isobe] asked me to work with him, he said enthusiastically, and I quote, “I really want you to be in charge of this project!” I was impressed by how passionate he was about the job.
Interviewer: What were some of the memorable words you heard from Isobe-san?
Shimomura: What left a strong impression on me was when he reported: “I got in touch with Nojima-san! (laughs).” He said, “I definitely want to ask Nojima to do the scenario. However, Nojima-san is a very busy person, so he does not disclose his contact information, does he?
Nojima: You’d be right.
Shimomura: There was a problem with being able to contact Nojima-san before making a job request, so I approached him via myself using social media.
Interviewer: Via social media!?
Shimomura: I think there is some hesitation in telling people about this, but I could feel from Isobe-san’s enthusiasm that he still wanted to get in touch with me somehow. That is why I was so happy when I heard from Mr. Isobe that he contacted Nojima.
Nojima: When I hear something like that, it makes me smile (laughs).
Isobe: I had no intention of continuing this project without your participation. I told my boss, “If either of you is missing, the project is forfeit” (laughs).
Everyone laughs.
[…]
Interviewer: What were your influences on the development of REYNATIS?
Isobe: It would have to be the Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy series. They have a big influence on my sense of values.
Interviewer: Nojima-san, did you have the freedom to write the scenario as you saw fit?
Nojima: Yes. While some elements had to be included, I was pretty free to write. I wrote the plot and sent it for feedback, and over time, I gradually got a sense of the volume of the project, and it took shape.
Interviewer: So you were able to write a scenario that you liked?
Nojima: Yes. I was able to create an atmosphere in which the characters were having a hard time in the dark world, but they all talked lightly to each other. But the main character, Marin, doesn’t really fit in, you see. (laughs)
You can view the full interview via
Famitsu.
Following the announcement of the Furyu-developed action RPG Reynatis, Famitsu interviewed director Takumi Isobe and fellow staff.
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www.cs.furyu.jp
