Whereas it wasn’t prepared for a gameplay demo at Evo, the brand new Virtua Fighter venture was nonetheless one of the crucial thrilling video games of the present, because of a model new trailer launched throughout Finals day that gave us our greatest look but at what Sega and RGG have cooking for this revival of a sequence that has been dormant for greater than twenty years at this level.
On the present, I acquired an opportunity to sit down down with Riichiro Yamada, producer on the New Virtua Fighter venture, to dig into a few of his earlier statements in regards to the recreation, ask about how he plans to modernize the sequence to compete with different extra, present 3D fighters, and extra.
[Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity]
The idea gameplay that we have seen for the brand new Virtua Fighter venture has been very fluid with guards going for every particular person assault, the arms shifting to dam every particular person assault. How near this do you anticipate the ultimate recreation to look?
Riichiro Yamada, Producer on New Virtua Fighter Challenge: When it comes to the way it seems, sure, [the battle system is] 70% there, and tomorrow there shall be an announcement made at EVO [Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded the day before the trailer release]. So I actually really feel that I’ll be capable of showcase what the present state of affairs is. And from a imaginative and prescient perspective, I actually have a really robust imaginative and prescient and actually really feel that we’re getting very near that imaginative and prescient.
So preventing video games are in a really completely different place than they had been when Virtua Fighter V was launched. What are a few of the ways in which you are making certain that the brand new Virtua Fighter venture will modernize the sequence?
Yamada: Virtua Fighter initially was a quite simple recreation. It solely has three buttons and everybody may mainly contact and play it, however because the sequence went on, it turned very sophisticated. And when it comes to that and when it comes to the development, I really feel that Virtua Fighter 5 is the whole model. When it comes to a brand new Virtua Fighter, we have to preserve progressing much more, not simply within the gameplay however perform as properly.
I actually really feel that I must look in the direction of how can we progress this recreation, how can we enhance this recreation, when it comes to functionability, gameplay and the way can we make it extra modernized? In any other case, I actually really feel prefer it will not promote. So these are the locations that I’m actually wanting into. Not solely gameplay, however performance as properly. We have to modernize these elements.
In a earlier video, you stated that the 2 phrases that come to thoughts when requested what’s Virtua Fighter had been innovation and actuality. Are you able to clarify a bit bit extra about what which means and the way these phrases have guided you thru manufacturing on this new recreation?
Yamada: So when it comes to innovation, I actually will not be capable of specify in particulars, but it surely was graphics on the very starting, after which laptop graphics like CG has been bettering. However with CG, it is actually up there proper now. It is actually tough to enhance the present CG.
CG is already innovated, it is actually up there. So when it comes to innovation, I actually really feel that citing extra concepts is essential in terms of that time period. After which as for actuality, I really feel like actuality is a really tough phrase, however Virtua Fighter, it is not a really UFC-like battle. It is extra of like a kung-fu film battle. It is extra of that kind.
And after I performed Virtua Fighter on the very starting, I felt like the truth of being hit, whenever you’re being hit by an opponent, you felt that harm in your arms or your legs, your physique. In order that sensation, I actually felt that. So with the brand new venture, not simply the battles however actuality, I really need that actuality to be felt inside the gamers, not solely the battles however the different locations as properly, which I really feel is essential.
So with this new Virtua Fighter venture, do you envision this as a brand new starting for the franchise? Not only for the franchise however for the characters? Like Akira clearly seems rather a lot completely different than what we’re used to. He isn’t in his conventional gi, his hair just isn’t styled up, he is carrying a hat. Are these the identical characters from the earlier video games or is this sort of only a new reboot of Virtua Fighter?
Yamada: So when it comes to characters, I actually really feel that new characters are needed, and as you stated, Akira seems completely different. So on this one, Akira is a bit bit older than the earlier sequence. So when it comes to that, I really feel {that a} new era of characters is required and [I’m not] saying that the character designs within the earlier VF just isn’t excellent. That is not true.
I do not need to say that the VF characters beforehand, that the character designs had been a bit bit weak. I’m not attempting to say that. I really feel that they had been trendy, however we do must evolve these characters, we have to make the character designs look higher, to look cool.
Not saying that they had been unhealthy earlier than, however I simply must make them cooler. In order that’s why after I take into consideration new characters, I stated actuality is likely one of the statements that I’m actually specializing in. That too, after I create new character designs, I’ve to carry this actuality to it and to make it a extra handsome character. So sure, utilizing the identical characters, however evolving it from the previous, placing extra components to it, placing extra design characters to it, making it extra actual is my stance.
Talking of characters, in a earlier Virtua Fighter direct, you revealed Stella, a personality that bears a putting resemblance to Sarah Bryant. Is there something you may inform us about this character? And on the display screen the textual content says that she’s the bridge between worlds. Are you able to elaborate a bit bit about what which means?
Yamada: Sadly, I will not be capable of reply your query on that, sorry. However please be excited. Please look ahead to that.
You touched upon this earlier, Virtua Fighter historically is a three-button recreation — punch, kick and guard — but it surely derives plenty of depth from that quite simple management scheme. Do you’re feeling just like the three-button management model for Virtua Fighter is core to the sequence, or is that an space the place you see a possibility to evolve the franchise by both including one other button or simply altering the way in which the everyday Virtua Fighter core gameplay works?
Yamada: So initially when Yu Suzuki created the Virtua fighter, he did plenty of testing. He truly examined with greater than three buttons, like plenty of buttons. However they got here to the three button conclusion. On the time it was extra of a Recreation Middle (Arcade) centered recreation, in order that was one of the best on the time.
And the idea was that they wished to create a recreation that was not too sophisticated and that anybody may take pleasure in. And so from that idea, I really feel like, sure, I must respect that idea. I need to create a recreation the place anybody can play.
However presently, or shifting ahead, it is not only a Recreation Middle recreation, it is extra of a family recreation. So when you consider how folks may take pleasure in taking part in this recreation of their lounge or of their home, that is when it type of modifications a bit. So sure, the idea does keep the identical, However… I’m probably not centered on, oh, we have to preserve it to 3 buttons. The extra necessary factor is I need to create a recreation the place anybody can play of their family in terms of the brand new model.
For all of the years that Virtua Fighter has been round, Akira has been the face of the franchise and he is additionally the character that you simply revealed the brand new Virtua Fighter venture with, however we do not actually get to see his face all that a lot. Do you’re feeling like Akira continues to be the type of face of this sequence or is it a brand new era? Is there going to be a brand new individual that’s going to take that mantle of being the face of the franchise?
Yamada: So in terms of the protagonist, I actually really feel that customers will nonetheless purchase a recreation due to the protagonist. For instance, for Road Fighter, it is Luke, there’s most likely a motive why it is nonetheless Luke. For Ryu-Ga-Gotoku (The Yakuza sequence), it was Kiryu, but it surely’s altering. They did carry a brand new protagonist, Kasuga. Initially, RGG followers love Kiryu.
So I believe there have been challenges in bringing a brand new protagonist, a brand new character, Kasuga, into the sequence. Ideally, I wish to carry out extra characters, but it surely looks like customers actually like Akira. Historical past has confirmed or is proving that there’s a lot of affection for Akira.
Sure, I wish to carry out new characters, however I actually really feel that the protagonist, as a result of Akira has been a robust face, the customers will nonetheless look ahead to or see or wish to purchase the sport as a result of it is Akira. So I really feel that altering characters or bringing new characters just isn’t an easy factor to do.
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. Yow will discover him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
