One of the surprise announcements at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show was the announcement of a new title being developed by CyberConnect2: Asura’s Wrath. From the creative character designs, to the stunning action sequences it was clear this was going to be an experience like no other. After being drawn in and watching the trailer multiple times, we had a few burning questions for the developers, and Seiji Shimoda, Game Director at CyberConnect2, was kind enough to take time to answer them.
PSLS: In the trailer, Asura’s Wrath gives you the feeling that you’re part of something much larger. What type of experience can players expect?
Seiji Shimoda: What the players will be experiencing in Asura’s Wrath is the instinctive feeling of pure rage and the drama themed around the fundamental human emotion of anger. Often times in popular Japanese manga such as Naruto or Dragonball there have been impossible comeback in situations triggered by uncontrollable rage. Our aim is to assimilate the catharsis of unleashing unlimited rage set in this unique oriental Sci-Fi world.
The trailer for the game is action-packed yet very moving. Was this by design? Can you give us any details on plot or story?
Unfortunately I can’t tell you much about the story but it will be truly blood boiling. The aim of this particular trailer was to show fragments of the story so those watching would be tantalised by what awaits them, even though it may at first seem bizarre and disconnected.
How was the Unreal Engine 3 decided upon?
Asura’s Wrath is highly ambitious in terms of game design and so we have had to completely renew the way we develop games. The largest merits of UE3 that won us over were the visual scripting that allowed us to create emotional scenes on-the-fly, and the highly sophisticated level editing functions that facilitated smoother level designing.
The character designs are extremely impressive. What was the motivation behind them? How did you decide on them?
We have chosen an oriental mythological deity ‘Asura’, who is also an expression of rage. This game will be truly unique in the way it will fully utilise the atmospheres and ideas of oriental mythology (yes, not Greek again!) combining it with a brand new adaptation of science fiction. This will definitely be a one-of-a-kind.
Any other details you would like to share on Asura’s Wrath?
We’ve only shown the tip of the iceberg at this point. If there is one thing I want to get across this title will bring players to become involved with Asura, feeling and experiencing his drama. We will be revealing more in the near future so be sure to keep us on radar!
PlayStation LifeStyle would like to thank Mr. Seiji Shimoda for taking the time to hold the interview, and to Mr. Mizuho Hyakutake for arranging the interview. Stay tuned to PSLS for more interviews, news and reviews.
