Eiyuden Chronicle Interview: Rabbit & Bear Studios Share Developer Insights

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes officially launched on April 21st. Island Blasting conducted an email interview with the developers at Rabbit & Bear Studios, the studio behind this game.

Three developers participated in answering Island Blasting's questions: Osamu Komuta, the game director. Junichi Murakami, the art director and Junko Kawano, the illustrator and head of the studio. Following the sudden passing of Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the Suikoden and Eiyuden series, Junko Kawano took over and directly managed the remaining development period of this game.

Here is the content of the interview:

It’s clear that Suikoden has greatly inspired Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Many elements seem to echo Suikoden. Is this the series that Eiyuden Chronicle aims to mirror?

Murakami: Rather than being inspired, it is the work of the author himself, so his artistic style will come out. We don't have intentions of aiming for something like the titles of other company, but we believe that the second time is the perfect time to create something truly complete, and we would still like to pursue this if we are given the opportunity.

Are there other games that have influenced Eiyuden Chronicle in terms of art style, gameplay, or world design? We believe that the art style might bear some resemblance to Octopath Traveler.

Murakami: I see "Octopath Traveler" as a wonderful title in terms of the possibilities and the movements it created for the pixel-art genre. However, I have never referred to "Octopath Traveler" or other companies' titles in my work. If I refer to them, I end up with the same kind of pictures. In that regard, I created "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes" as I wanted to.

As a JRPG, will Eiyuden Chronicle feature multiple endings and a linear structure? Could you briefly describe the structure of Eiyuden Chronicle?

Komuta: The story of the Hundred Heroes is structured around three main characters, Nowa, Seign, and Marisa. There are major branches along the way, but the main storyline consists of a single storyline. However, the interactions between the characters in the story vary depending on the party members you have organized.

Concerning over 100 heroes who can join the player, how are they integrated into the story? Do they each have a chance to display their unique personalities? How can players get to know them well, considering the large number of characters could be overwhelming?

Kawano: The characters who become your companions are involved with you from various points in the game, whether they are key characters in the story, have what you need to develop your headquarters, or challenge you to a battle, and they all have their own unique personalities.

While the game is touted as a celebration of PS1-era JRPGs, are there any modern gaming elements that you’re excited to incorporate?

Komuta: I think it depends on each one what the modern technology is, but we created Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes with the aim in mind to show the old classic JRPG with the modern technology that can be expressed on current hardware. We used the modern technology in many places. Be that as it may, I am personally interested in drones and MR glasses.

Like Shenmue 3, this game was crowdfunded on Kickstarter but will later be published by a game publisher. Given that Shenmue 3 did not meet expectations, has Rabbit & Bear taken any lessons from that experience? How is 505 Games supporting this project, and does the publisher have any influence on the game’s direction?

Murakami: We were not conscious of Shenmue III. 505 Games basically understood our concept, and we were free to take it in any direction we wanted. However, 505 Games is in control of the sales development, schedule, etc., so we had a lot of discussions about these issues.

The studio had assembled a team comprising both developers who have previously worked in Konami and newcomers to the industry. How did the studio strike a balance? Did the studio hire many young developers to assist with the game’s creation?

Kawano: Rabbit & Bear Studios originally teamed up with a company with development capabilities to create the game, so it is not as if we hired the developers for this game.

Since this game will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, will this impact the game’s development? Has the Microsoft or Xbox team provided any assistance to Rabbit & Bear Studios, especially considering they have promoted the game at their events?

Kawano: Rabbit & Bear Studios has not received any direct support.

Do you have any messages or insights you’d like to share with your fans, particularly those in South East Asia?

Kawano: We apologize for the long patience between the announcement and the launch date. Please do enjoy our game!