FuRyu Corporation is a Japanese game developer who is perhaps best known in the West for developing and/or publishing various JRPGs such as The Alliance Alive and Crymachina. With the English release of FuRyu’s newest game REYNATIS coming out soon, we had the opportunity to interview several of the creators who worked on REYNATIS regarding its creation and development and ask them some questions about the game.
REYNATIS is an urban fantasy action role-playing game that takes place in the iconic Shibuya district of Japan, following the story of two protagonists, each fighting against an unfair world in their own very different ways. We asked several questions of the game’s director Takumi Isobe (known mononymously as TAKUMI), scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, and composer Yoko Shimomura.
TAKUMI
REYNATIS is FuRyu’s second game directed by TAKUMI, following 2022’s Trinity Trigger. TAKUMI describes REYNATIS as a game inspired by several of his own personal life experiences.
You’ve mentioned in interviews that this game was built off experiences with society in Japan. What sort of messages do you feel this game has to say that you feel may resonate with those overseas?
TAKUMI: There is an expression in Japanese: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” I would imagine that this sentiment exists outside of Japan as well to a certain degree. This is something that I’ve personally experienced in my life, so I wanted to express it in this game. Even though there might be a lot of peer pressure causing people to conform, I want them to be able to express themselves and share their own individuality.
You’ve mentioned previously wanting overseas people to see REYNATIS as a Japanese RPG. Aside from the Shibuya setting, what elements do you feel makes REYNATIS specifically Japanese?
TAKUMI: I think the fact that it tells of the tale of the growth of a young male and female protagonist is also important.
From a game point of view, it’s fun when there are no limitations and anything can be done from the beginning, but for me, as the tale proceeds, I want the protagonists to experience growth and gradually be able to do more and more. And I want the characters to experience growth on a personal level, as well. I think that is what allows you to really sink your teeth into the world, and is something that makes JRPGs interesting.
What experiences from your previous directorial work did you draw upon the most while directing REYNATIS? And what new challenges presented themselves for REYNATIS specifically?
TAKUMI: Because I held the position of director on the previous title I worked on, Trinity Trigger, I was limited in what I could do and what I could portray.
To elaborate, there was already a producer on the project who had set the targets, budgets, and the like, so I had to direct within those confines. For this game, in order to convey my intent to more specific players, I took on the role of Creative Producer, which meant I could check everything in addition to being the producer and director. Of course, having to check each and every thing was very difficult, but those days were very rewarding. (laughs)
Within all of that, reproducing an entire town [in-game] was something we had no experience with as a company, nor a lot of knowledge about, so that was very difficult.
What do you think were the most important elements when designing the battle system and in which way do you feel that the team achieved these?
TAKUMI: The most important thing is the concept.
Our concept throughout the entire project was the stress and tension of being suppressed and the feeling of catharsis when those feelings are released. From there, we were able to judge whether or not something should be included in the game or not.
Do you have a favorite aspect of the game? (specific location, characters and character relationship, section, etc.)
TAKUMI: I think the most appealing aspect of the game is the coalescence of the beautiful characters, divine music, and the story. And as a compliment to that, there is also a stylish combat system that stands out from the crowd.
I think we’ve made a game that is really unique. I don’t necessarily think that it is something that will be for everyone. However, I’m certain that for those who it does resonate with, it will resonate with them deeply.
Please enjoy the rich world of REYNATIS.
Is there a character in this game you feel you channeled yourself through the most?
TAKUMI: Each and every character was thought about carefully as they were being created, so I’m attached to all of them. Marin is the first character I came up with, though, so he set the standard for all of the other characters. The fact that Marin suppresses his individuality (his magic) and has this air about him of wanting to be liberated is something you could say resembles me personally.
You’ve said you’re a big fan of JRPGs, how do you feel about the future of the genre and where it’s headed?
TAKUMI: I’m under the impression that many strong titles are frequently being developed outside of Japan. And, currently, indie games are also being developed with a high level of quality, so I wonder about the future of the Japanese games industry. (laughs)
However, my role in all this is to simply make the games I want with everyone’s support.
Kazushige Nojima
Scenario writing for REYNATIS was by Kazushige Nojima. Nojima is known for scenario writing and/or story for several beloved JRPGs such as the Kingdom Hearts series and many installments of the Final Fantasy series, from the original Final Fantasy VII to the modern Final Fantasy VII: Remake and Rebirth.
What were your main inspirations behind the narrative for this game? (e.g. any sorts of stories you drew upon, or even personal feelings)
Nojima: Hmmm… That would have to be Shibuya. I had my wife come with me, and we went walking around Shibuya at night many times. In a fantasy setting, you couldn’t really do something like that.
When writing REYNATIS, what aspects of Shibuya did you most enjoy depicting in its dialogue and theming?
Nojima: I was writing this at a time when the Tokyo government was taking various measures to combat COVID-19. It was a fresh experience to switch out the virus for monsters and wizards within the story. Shibuya is a real-world location known by many people, so it was difficult to keep things factual. I spent more time researching than enjoying [the writing process], which was tough.
You’ve done work on games with a sort of urban-fantasy backdrop in the past, what do you feel is the most distinct aspect of REYNATIS for you from your previous work?
Nojima: In REYNATIS, we had to depict a world that was really close to real life, so we had to consider things like, “What if there were monsters or wizards in Shibuya?” in order to come up with the setting and story. We approached it from the angle of thinking about what kind of world would be appropriate for the setting of a story where wizards play an active role.
What was it like working with TAKUMI and the team to craft the scenario for REYNATIS?
Nojima: Starting with TAKUMI, it was great to participate in the development of a game with a team whose individuality you could really feel.
How did you incorporate the gameplay mechanics of REYNATIS into the narrative?
Nojima: I thought if Marin and Sari expressed each and every one of their frustrations, it would make the player feel that sense of suppression… How do you think it turned out?
Yoko Shimomura
The musical score for REYNATIS was composed by Yoko Shimomura. She has done music for many iconic JRPGs including the Kingdom Hearts series and Super Mario RPG, as well as fan favorites like Live A Live and Legend of Mana.
What sort of processes did you go through to create the music of REYNATIS, and how might they have differed from work you’ve done in the past?
Shimomura: The most important process is to fit the music to the world setting, so that hasn’t changed from my past works.
Would you say your work for REYNATIS is more driven by the characters and the action, or more by the setting and the locales of the game?
Shimomura: I’ve tried to integrate things like the characters’ backgrounds, the look and feel of the locations, and the speed of combat so that they would feel unified.
You’ve done plenty of music for a variety of more fantasy-driven settings. What sort of approach do you take to composing specifically for an urban-fantasy game like REYNATIS?
Shimomura: First of all, I thought it was important to take the desires of the Creative Producer, TAKUMI, into account, but other than that, there was nothing special about my approach.
How closely did you work with TAKUMI and those who worked on the game’s scenario on composing for REYNATIS? Was there a lot of discussion/back-and-forth, or were things relatively straightforward?
Shimomura: Mainly [worked] by myself, but occasionally, I would consult with TAKUMI or ask him questions.
What would you say was your greatest challenge in composing for REYNATIS?
Shimomura: It would be making sure I didn’t do the same things I had done on other projects when pursuing TAKUMI’s vision. Because of that, it took a while to create the first composition.
If you are looking for another game by FuRyu, you might want to check out Crymachina.
Many thanks go to Reef Entertainment for arranging this interview opportunity with the team behind Reynatis.
Been playing games since my papa gave me an NES controller in the early 90’s. I play games of almost all genres, but especially focus role-playing, action, and puzzle-platform games. Also an enjoyer of many niche things ranging from speedrunning to obscure music from all over the world.
