Interview: http://www.4colorrebellion.com/arch...terview-final-fantasy-cc-the-crystal-bearers/I’ve been following Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers ever since I saw the first trailer. The multiplayer focus of the other Crystal Chronicles games has never really appealed to me, but I was all over the promise of a strong single-player Wii exclusive mired in the tropes of the Final Fantasy series yet with a gameplay style all its own. The open-world, the telekinesis-based puzzles, and the “Skies of Arcadia“-esque art direction have all left me salivating.
Not too long ago, I was given the opportunity to chat with producer Akitoshi Kawazu about the game. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he has worked on nearly every major Square Enix title since the first Final Fantasy. Click past the cut to read all about the design philosophy behind Crystal Bearers, its interesting multiplayer mode, the challenges of developing for the Wii, and more.
4 color rebellion:What is your name, and what role did you have in the development of Crystal Bearers? What games have you worked on in the past?
Akitoshi Kawazu: My name is Akitoshi Kawazu, and I am the producer for this title.. I’ve been involved in many titles, starting with Final Fantasy I and II. I’ve most recently worked as the producer on Final Fantasy XII and the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series.
Can you give us the “Twitter” pitch and summarize the game in a couple of sentences?
A game that fully utilizes the capabilities of the Wii that anyone can pick up and easily enjoy. It uses a variety of entertaining elements that are like the rides, shows, and actions you can find at a theme park. You control Layle’s crystal bearer powers to battle adversaries, navigate through obstacles and move objects at will in a highly interactive environment.
As players progress through Crystal Bearers, they won’t actually gain experience and level up. Instead, players will augment their abilities using items found in the world. How exactly does this work? Is it sort of like the skill enhancement seen in games like World of Warcraft? Will items actually give you unique powers?
We really didn’t want to make the kind of game where either the user’s skill level or the player character’s leveling up was required to finish the game, as this implies that you cannot clear certain stages of a game unless you spend the time strengthening your character. Our team has a strong commitment to ensuring that everyone can enjoy this game through to the end. Yet we also understand that one enjoyable element of a game is strengthening the player’s character, so we didn’t completely throw that away. We designed the player character power-up system in this game with this in mind. An in-depth explanation of this system follows:
The main character Layle can equip three different types of accessories – earrings, rings, and amulets. Also, there are five different aspects of Layle’s abilities that are enhanced by these items – attack power, defense power, attack range, lock-on power, and luck. Each of these aspects itself has five levels of strength. One accessory can strengthen any number of these five aspects. How much each aspect is improved changes depending on which accessory is equipped. For example, if there is an earring that improves attack power by four levels, there may also be an amulet that improves all five aspects by a single level. Customizing Layle by combining these different accessories is this game’s power-up system. You might find yourself stressing out about which earring to equip, since Layle can only put on one at a time. The game is made to be fundamentally straightforward, but here you’re able to enjoy putting together your own strategy as you power-up Layle.
Moreover, the game is setup so that you can cheaply make your own accessories rather than buy them from stores that sell them. Fusing uses materials that can be obtained throughout the game world. Materials are obtained from monsters, but defeating a stronger enemy doesn’t necessarily result in obtaining better material. Rare materials can’t be obtained unless you use a certain method to defeat an enemy. Better accessories require these rare materials. Monsters will display a variety of reactions depending on how Layle fights them. This is the key to obtaining these rare materials. Please play the game while thinking about different ways you can win battles. You should be able to obtain unexpected materials this way.
The battles in Crystal Bearers are action-oriented, not turn-based like in previous games. What were some of the key influences when designing the gameplay?
We designed the game with the goal of making it an action game overall, rather than just making action-oriented battles. We think that we’ve made a compelling game that takes our worlds and stories and combines them with a GTA-type of a game.
Where did the idea come from to give telekinesis to the main character? What were some of the challenges in implementing this power?
Giving Layle the ability to control gravity was the result of trying to answer the question as far as what kind of power would give life to the Wii Remote’s friendly control capabilities. We came up with new ways to play using the power to control gravity one step at a time. For example, we designed exciting actions such as when Layle swings from point to point or uses the power of monsters he’s captured to attack other monsters.
We’ve been promised a large overworld, like that in Final Fantasy XII. Can you give us an idea of some of the side quests and distractions that will be available for players that want to get away from the main storyline for a bit?
The game has been made so you can freely play through the main story, but of course there are many built-in opportunities to move off the main path as well. You periodically get letters with photographs from an organization hunting for treasure all over the world. You can become a member of this “Treasure Hunt Club” by finding the treasures shown in these pictures. There is also a game where you can find ghosts in Psychic Spots.
Can you discuss the multiplayer component of the game, particularly the “assist mode?”
Yes. It is the Wii after all, so we’ve tried to implement as many scenes as possible where a second player can either assist or get in the way of your progress. The main character’s movements and camera controls can only be manipulated by player one, but the second player can pick up and throw items and monsters, as well as protect the main character. Using this functionality, the second player is free to interact and participate in the game alongside the first player.
Crystal Bearers seems like a bit of a departure from the standard Final Fantasy formula. What familiar elements (if any) will make an appearance?
I think that taking on new challenges is a part of the Final Fantasy series, so I believe that this game is like previous Final Fantasy titles after all. But anyhow, there are many familiar elements that appear in this game like airships, Chocobos and Moogles. Familiar faces can be found on the monsters as well. You’ll be able to enjoy (or suffer?) a greater variety of action than ever before. There are also elements that are completely missing, like using “Cure” to heal yourself.
In particular, what are some of the challenges of developing for the Wii as opposed to other systems? How did working on a Wii game shape the development cycle?
First, developing for the Wii in itself didn’t lengthen the development time. We are always thinking about how we should go about making a new game. This time around, there was a continuous process of trial and error while trying to figure out the best way to work with new hardware for new users. We were most heavily challenged not by the new features the Wii hardware provides, but by the characteristics of the new video game users the Wii has brought to us. The game had to be enjoyable by anyone while also having features that can’t be found anywhere else. Up until now, we have always made games for core gamers like ourselves. We’ve assumed that making a game that excites us means that we’re making a good game. Yet this time we’ve had to make a game that we can enjoy with our families, and not just by ourselves. It was tough to convince those around us that this was the right way approach development.
The graphics in Crystal Bearers look phenomenal, especially compared with other third party Wii releases. What is your team’s secret to squeezing out this kind of performance? Is it all in the art direction?
Great efforts have gone into the graphical side of the game, as Itahana-san is working as both the director and art director. Itahana-san is in control of examining the entire game and deciding which graphical elements will contribute the most to improving the game’s overall quality. The key characteristic of this team is its focus on making graphic design decisions while focusing on making the game more and more enjoyable.
Let’s get away from the Wii for a bit. Can you tell me more about the general design philosophy behind Crystal Bearers? What are some of the goals that your team had while designing the game?
Our goal is to create a game that any member of the staff can pick up and enjoy. The game production process is becoming more and more compartmentalized so that staff members can only see what they’re working on. Is it possible to make a game for the entire world with just a handful of people thinking about what would make it interesting? I think that a larger number of people will be able to enjoy the game because the opinions of many staff members on what makes an interesting game will be reflected in the final product. There are a combination of the opinions of not only engineers directly involved with development, but also those in management and marketing. Though we’re far away from the ideal, a more enjoyable game will naturally come about by improving the process of making an enjoyable game.
The last question is a slightly more personal one. If you had unlimited resources and a team of any size that you desired, what would be your dream project? What kind of game would you like to work on if given that opportunity?
I actually don’t want anything on that scale, as I wouldn’t be able to see all of it at once! My ideal team would really consist of anyone willing to dedicate themselves entirely to reaching the end goal. As far as what I’d like to make right now, it’d be a digital entertainment form of something like a Cirque du Soleil show or the Lion King musical where anyone can enjoy themselves. Video games are a more affordable way for people to experience the entertainment these shows provide.
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Ich lasse so was nicht mehr gelten, meine alte These stimmt wohl, sie wollten die Wii umgehen, aushungern, nennt es wie ihr wollt.
