by Eric Arevalo

Along with our review of the first episode of ShadowFlare this week we were fortunate to conduct an interview with Keiko Nakajima, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator from Emurasoft. Emurasoft is the company that is currently localizing the well designed RPG game ShadowFlare which was released to wide acclaim in Japan last year and was developed by Denyusha. We thank Keiko for taking the time to answer our questions for this interview. Please read on to understand what makes ShadowFlare an engaging RPG game.

INTERVIEW WITH KEIKO NAKAJIMA FROM EMURASOFT

SHADOWFLARE- THE GAME

1) Please tell us about the world of ShadowFlare and the main goals behind its creation?

The world of ShadowFlare is set in the future with civilization as we know it on the brink of extinction. The remaining human population, shattered and depleted, is forced to fight against a horrifying demon that appeared out of nowhere and who now leads marauding packs of lesser demons and creatures. With no choice but to fight, small circles of humans have taught themselves magical skills that they use to stay alive.

Players take on the roles of magical warriors intent on aiding in the survival of mankind. At first, the players are little more than mercenaries, gaining cash rewards for killing demons. Eventually, they are thrust deeper into the action and meet characters that can help them investigate the chain of events that led to the devastation.

The developer’s main goal was to provide speedy gameplay and lots of action. Hence, the game has a steeper learning curve than most but I think the rewards make the initial struggle very worthwhile. This is one aspect of ShadowFlare that sets it apart from other RPG games on the market.

2) What do you think is unique about releasing ShadowFlare in an episodic nature?

I think it shows the developer’s commitment to the players and the desire to listen to them and weave their feedback into future episodes. It made it possible for the developer, Denyusha, to gather opinions and requests, decide which ones would make the game better, and then deliver the enhancements in future episodes.

I think releasing the game in episodes also makes it fun. There’s anticipation and excitement about new episodes and maybe it’s more of a challenge for the gamers. The really good gamers might finish an episode a couple weeks before the release of the next episode and then they have to keep their skills fresh or work hard to get back up to the level of play they were at when they finished the last episode.

3) What do you find as the most appealing aspect within ShadowFlare?

I would say it’s the brisk pace of the game since players are immediately thrust into situations where they’re fighting for their lives and the action never lets up. Also, the career system and having a fighting companion are intriguing to a lot of gamers. Taking full advantage of the perks that come along with your career choice as well as the extra fighting punch your companion offers really pays off in the long run.

4) Originally released to wide success in Japan last year, how has the release of Episode One gone with US players?

Pretty good. More than 50,000 people have downloaded the demo during the first 3 weeks, and the response from people has been quite good. There have been a few complaints about the graphics not being cutting edge but we don’t worry too much about that sort of feedback since the goal of the game is providing lots of action. There are many games out there with better graphics but few that hold your interest as well as ShadowFlare so I think we have our priorities straight.

SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY

5) You have sought help from gamers in the community to test each episode before it is released, how has this worked and has it provided sufficient feedback to improve the game?

Yes, we recruited testers for Episode One and Episode Two in order to gather feedback, especially advice on the dialogue and scenarios in the game. Translating a game originally meant for Japanese audiences is difficult due to the differences in the cultures. We wanted to be sure we had a good idea of how American gamers would respond to the game and it’s worked very well. We haven’t decided if we will do the same for Episode Three and Four though since we’re fairly confident we now understand what gamers here are looking for.

THE FUTURE OF SHADOWFLARE

6) What can players expect in future episodes and when will they be released?

We often hear gamers saying that Episode One was awfully hard but future episodes won’t ease up. Gamers can expect the pace of the action to continue so they’ll have to really work to complete future episodes.

Players cannot save the game anytime they like and this was done intentionally to keep players sharp. For example, if players could save the game when they’ve cleared a town of demons, their fighting skills would hit a plateau. We make it easier for them to prepare for future episodes by not allowing them to take any shortcuts.

I think future episodes will be even more fun as well as presenting more of a challenge. They will be an increased variety of weapons and armor, including premier and rare items that can’t be found in previous episodes.

There are total of about 1,300 different weapons in the overall game, and most weapons can be divided into different categories - magical weapons (staffs, etc.), bows and guns, and swords. There are about 3,000 other items in the game. These other items include armor, accessories and medicines that can change a player’s attributes and health parameters.

Episode Two will be released on December 10th. Episode Three is coming out sometime in January 2003 and Episode Four is due in February 2003.

7) Are there any plans for a sequel to ShadowFlare or another game like it?

Denyusha was considering a sequel to ShadowFlare because Japanese ShadowFlare players have been clamoring for one. I am sure whatever Denyusha unveils next will turn out to be very exciting and a lot of fun. We will let you know when the time comes!

November 16, 2002