Code Vein won’t break the player’s spirit, says director

New interview tidbits from Dengeki Online.

Following the release of a new gameplay video.

this week, Dengeki Online spoke with Code Vein producer Keita Iizuka and director Hiroshi Yoshimura, who shared new information about the upcoming action RPG.

Get the tidbits below.

Are you developing the game identically across all three platforms and both in Japan and around the world?

We’re planning to develop the game the same everywhere including Japan. We also also aiming to release the game on the same date worldwide.

When you decided the game’s genre and gameplay, did you look at western development and proceed with a global mindset?

Code Vein is a new challenge for us, and so including Japan we want to make a game that will excite and be enjoyed by players around the world. Moreover, we took the recent game market into account and thought we should make a title that will launch us into worldwide recognition.

Is there any part of the game that you adjusted with regard to a global audience?

I don’t think there is a difference between western and Japanese gamers when it comes to the nature of dungeon crawling RPGs and their experience with them. And so based on that, we will make final adjustments for the overall direction based on a single standard. Also, this will be a game truly worth playing, but on the other hand, we are bearing in mind not to break the player’s spirit. I think there’s a difference between players based on region when it comes to motivation upon having to retry a section, but we are working hard to make it enjoyable by everyone without breaking their spirit. One way to preserve player motivation is the buddy system. The buddies that accompany you each have unique special abilities that alter your play style, and there are many options to perform trial and error with.

Can we expect dramatic story progression and personable characters?

In God Eater, you gained affection from characters by fighting together, but in Code Vein we have evolved a part of that concept. While taking a long time venturing into unexplored territory, your buddies will react to various things that occur. For example, if the player is felled, your buddies will come running to help and vice versa. Different from the relationships you raise while fighting, I think we can make more emotional relationships.

Any hints about characters that will appear in the game?

Characters with various upbringings as vampires will appear. Depending on the time and situation you’ll progress together with some and also separate. Also, although they are all Revenants they have a variety of different standpoints, and through interacting with them there are different types of bonds you can form which is new I think.

You released a video introducing the action (combat), but will you continue to adjust the action (combat) and effects?

Of course. The video we released showed the current progress we’ve made thus far. We will continue to make adjustments until the end of development.

In the video the blood spraying was impressive, but does that have an effect on the gameplay systematically?

We’re preparing other original components in addition to the previously announced Blood Veil. Please look forward to our follow up report.

How will you acquire weapons?

You can pick them up in dungeons, but we are putting an emphasis on acquiring them via enemy drops.

Will the explorable area be open-world or divided areas that you travel between?

It’s difficult to define “open world” but, all the fields are connected and can be traveled on foot.

Will similar areas repeat and become monotonous such as underground?

We’re aiming to make locations you won’t grow tired of, such as natural caverns and ancient ruins.

Code Vein is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018.