HISASHI KOINUMA TALKS ATTACK ON TITAN 2
"So many things I would love to try and do"
Daniel John
As a fan of video games yourself, what kind of games did you grow up with and that maybe inspired you to become a game developer?
I think I was introduced to video games when I encountered the first ever Japanese game console, the Epoch Electrotennis. Then around grade two I began playing arcade games, but when the Famicom was released and we were able to play arcade games like 'Mario Bros.' and 'Donkey Kong' at home, I think that was what inspired me.
What was the first game you got to work on?
It was the game 'Brandish' which we ported from the PC to the SNES, and I was involved as a programmer. It is an action RPG game where you defeat enemies and proceed through a dungeon.
Today you’ve been at Koei for a long time and has had quite the journey within this company. How has all these years been?
It’s as if twenty-four years just passed all of a sudden. A lot of things happened during those years, but I do feel that I have personally grown and that I confronted the games by working like mad on them. Looking back on it, I would summarize it in one word, fun.
The 'Musou' or 'Warriors' franchise have now seen many of these kinda third–party cross over-titles, partnering with other companies for their IP. What originally sparked that idea?
It came about from a trivial matter, for one of our games we made a request to have a guest character appear but were not able to make it happen due to various reasons. And then I thought that if we were to have a guest-appearance, then if we can use all the characters we would create a game that gamers would not have imagined.
Which IP has been your own favourite to work on?
I think that it would be impossible to create an IP if you did not love it, so for the IPs I have become involved with I have come to love them even more, so it’s hard to not think of them equally, but I think that 'Hyrule Warriors', 'The Legend of Zelda' was something enjoyed by the worldwide audience.
This game will be released simultaneously all over the world, why do you think ‘Attack on Titan’ is so popular not only in Japan but also on a very global scale?
The world-view of humans constantly living in fear, in a world surrounded by human-eating Titans, I think this is something that is not seen in other titles, and a reason it is an IP that is loved not just in Japan but throughout the world.
What was it about it that made it a great fit for 'Musou' games?
The omni directional mobility gear which was created by humans to combat the Titans by allowing people to race stylishly through the air, is one of the features of this title, and I thought that creating an action game where you can use this freely would be something players can enjoy while really feeling immersed in the 'Attack on Titan' world.
How involved has Kodansha been in the making of these titles?
We had Isayama-sensei, the creator of the manga, review various elements of the game, like the story of the protagonist and the design of the Titans. Also, he has played the game and gave us feedback as well. In particular he seemed to like the character creation studio which we were happy about.
What would you say are the main challenges in adapting an IP like this while staying true to its source when the game should strike a balance between something that's engaging for both the manga and video games fans?
The previous game was very well received by the fans of the comics, it was also interesting to see this reaction not only from Japan but from overseas. But on the other hand, we did receive feedback that it leaved something to be desired as a game. So we aimed to make this game so that it will meet the needs of not only manga fans but also the game fans. This game’s volume is much more than it was from the first. Especially the interactions with the characters in the Town Life feature will be favoured by the manga and anime fans. Combat has been improved and easier to control, so we hope game fans enjoy this too. For those who are not so confident about the action, change the difficulty-settings to “casual” for stress-free fun-filled-gameplay. We approached the development of this game with the goal of pursuing a uniquely enjoyable game experience. The 'Attack on Titan' IP has already been used as content in various types of media before so we thought about creating an experience that can only be experienced within this game.
Was there anything that you immediately knew you wanted to achieve in the sequel that you didn’t manage to in the first?
While the action system in the previous game received positive reviews, we also received feedback that once you get used to it, it felt monotonous. We think that the reason is because the enemy, the Titans, had very little variety in their actions, so for this game we paid special attention to the Titans' behavior. Also, we thoroughly looked at the character expressions in this game. You can feel that they are much more realistic, from facial features and body language of the characters from the manga, to the grotesque action and AI of the Titans. Finally, the graphical representation of battlefield, where the player can feel like they really are there, has been incorporated through the vigorous destruction of buildings, and dynamic battlefield effects such as spurts of blood from the Titans and the ground cracking apart.
Lots of players also thought the Escort Missions were broken in the first game?
We've balanced the game more than the first, and stressful situations such as the “game ending unreasonably due to a teammate’s behavior” are resolved.
We get to create our own hero-character this time. What kind of RPG-elements can players expect?
The biggest feature of this game is the original protagonist where the player can see and experience the world of 'Attack on Titan' from their own character’s point of view. There are many elements added in the game that can only be experienced from this unique viewpoint, such as the interaction with the characters from the anime. The Town Life-part of the game focuses on the interactions of the original protagonist and the characters from the series through side stories, with over a hundred unique conversation events, allowing us to show deeper and or hidden sides to these characters, which weren’t shown in the previous game. We hope players will enjoy seeing the secret sides to these characters that are uncovered because of the original protagonists’ point of view. Outside of battle, we have enriched the gameplay experience with the growth parameters of the characters, the development of weapons and the collection of materials.
The first game had different base camps. Is the world itself built up differently in this?
It looks a bit more detailed and colourful! In this game, the Town Life-part includes interactions with characters from the anime, and players can freely move between various districts. The threat of Titan attacks doesn’t change from the first game, so the Town Life serves as a place to be able to return from fierce battles and a place to feel what "daily life" is like. In districts such as the Trost District and Stohess District, you can also catch a glimpse of the way-of-life lived by non-military people such as civilians and royalty.
What is your own favourite ‘Attack on Titan’ character?
Same as in the first game, my favourite is Hange, of the Survey Corps. Hange’s interests in the biology of Titans, and eccentric personality of wanting to research these enemies of humanity are what I like.
What is the new Annihilation Mode?
Annihilation Mode is a team battle mode of up to 4 vs 4 players. Players can gain points by defeating the devastating Titans and setting up bases, and the team with the highest score wins. Various powerful enemies such as the Female Titan and Beast Titan can be defeated for a lot of points so we recommend working together with your teammates to defeat these powerful Titans.
Titans are not that easy to take down. Will these Titan battles be even more intense and challenging this time around?
By adding a variety of new elements the battle system has greatly evolved from the previous game, examples are sneak attacks, where players can sneak up on the Titans, buddy actions, where team members’ specific traits can be triggered, a restraining gun, used to capture Titans, and hook drives, which are power counter attacks. These new elements have vastly improved the degree of freedom players have with in-game action. The opposing Titans’ actions and AI has also been greatly strengthened, so players will be able to greatly enjoy the battles against the Titans in this game. We’ve implemented a detection system for the Titans also, there is a caution gauge which indicates how aware the Titans are of the player’s presence, and the level will increase or decrease depending on the players’ actions, the fuller the gauge, the higher the threat of being detected by the Titans. When the caution gauge is full it will trigger a danger zone. While the danger zone is active, Titans will be able to perform highly powerful attacks, forcing the player into a desperate situation, overcoming the danger zone is the key to victory.
How much gameplay-time can people expect in this sequel?
To finish the story mode, it will take about thirty-five hours. And to complete all of the items and features, it will take about ninety hours.
What storylines will the sequel cover?
The game’s story follows the narrative of the anime Season 1 and 2, but since the story is being shown from the eyes of an original protagonist players can enjoy the story unfolding in a different fashion from the manga. And while it doesn’t branch off from the main story, there is an original storyline featuring the characters from the comics.
This game will also mark the series debut on Nintendo?
I think that the concept of the Switch, which can be played handheld in a quick, casual fashion, or docking it at home for extended gameplay, is something that is really great, and I think this game can be experienced using either playstyle that is unique to this hardware. Taking the game and the Switch unit along for local team battles would be fun, as would be heading into a difficult battle with a highly experienced player, so I hope people can also enjoy these online gameplay options.
Will Nintendo Switch-players get to enjoy new content?
There isn’t any Switch specific content, but we plan on continuing to develop games for the Switch.
Are there any other franchise you have not worked on yet that you think would suit a Musou-style game?
We are looking to see if there are any IPs that are loved by people worldwide that we can work with. We would welcome franchises that are more western, as well as something like 'Super Mario Bros' or 'Star Wars' for a Musou-like game, there are so many different things that I would love to try and do.
Is there anything you’d like to say to both new and old fans alike that are playing your games and now might be thinking about picking up ‘Attack on Titan 2’?
We are very grateful to the fans that purchased the previous game, and thanks to their support it allowed us to make this sequel. For those who are new to the series, there is no need to worry. Although the viewpoint of the games changes from the first game, 'Attack on Titan 2' follows the storyline of the anime from the start of the first episode to the latest episode of the series. And for this game, deeper interactions with the characters from the 'Attack on Titan' series have been added. So not only can the game be enjoyed through the exhilaration of the omni-directional mobility gear but the game can be enjoyed as a solid character-based game. I hope that people who do not normally play games, or those who have trouble with action games will pick up this game. There is an 'Attack of Titan'-experience that can only be experienced through this game. Please try this game out.
