Guns Undarkness – TGS 2022 interview with Shoji Meguro

At Tokyo Recreation 2022, we bought an opportunity to sit down down with former ATLUS composer Shoji Meguro to debate his first impartial recreation Weapons Undarkness, which was not too long ago efficiently funded on Kickstarter.

Weapons Undarkness is a stealth-based science-fiction RPG the place you attempt to get the drop on the enemy earlier than partaking in turn-based fight. As Meguro’s first try at making his personal recreation, he utilized to Kodansha‘s Recreation Creators Lab, an impartial recreation developer assist group. Though not chosen, he was awarded 500,000 yen and raised the remainder of the sport’s improvement funds via Kickstarter.

Regardless of leaving ATLUS, he nonetheless plans to work with the corporate as a contract composer. We ask for particulars under.

Now that you simply’re not working at ATLUS anymore, does that imply you might work with different corporations?

Shoji Meguro: “I’ve relationship with ATLUS, so I don’t assume I’ll work with different corporations for some time. That’s to not say I cant do a collaboration on a track or two with different individuals, however by way of doing a full soundtrack, I might solely try this with ATLUS proper now. However that’s additionally no promise that I’ll be the composer for future Persona video games.”

How has your authentic idea for Weapons Undarkness that you simply got here up with in 2005 modified till now?

Meguro: “It modified virtually totally. All that stayed the identical was that I knew I wished to make a JRPG with weapons in a science-fiction setting.”

The story define mentions there was divide between the wealthy and poor. Does this recreation have a political message?

Meguro: “No, I don’t like to consider politics, so it’s not centered on any political subjects. On this world the divide of wealthy and poor result in a battle the place the world is destroyed and we have now to see what humanity does after such an enormous reset.”

Foolish query, however in selecting the yr 2045 for the setting, was that yr chosen at random or is there a specific purpose?

Meguro: “I strive to take a look at the true world timeline of occasions and know-how improvement and provide you with a conclusion that, in such and such yr know-how could be at a sure level. So once I laid all that out I got here up with 2045.”

In screenshots and movies, the principle character’s identify is solely “Protagonist.” Does this suggest you may identify the character?

Meguro: “Ah sure, the participant will resolve his identify. It is a little bit of a spoiler, however there’s a scene the place Will says one thing like ‘Hey, register your identify.’”

Characters are additionally typically proven with a specific weapon. Is everybody restricted to 1 kind of weapon, akin to Naomi with pistols, or can you modify them?

Meguro: “That’s query. For the protagonist, you may select any weapon you need, whereas facet characters concentrate on one weapon kind, like pistols with Naomi, however additionally they have a secondary weapon you may select for them.”

Are you able to discuss a bit in regards to the stealth system?

Meguro: “You don’t keep away from encounters outright like in some video games. As an alternative you attempt to sneak up on an enemy and conceal your characters round cowl to attempt to get the very best positioning for a sneak assault.”

“When aiming at enemies, a share of accuracy will be seen. The longer you set your sights on an enemy the extra your accuracy will go up, which ends up in extra injury when beginning the battle along with not lacking. It’s a danger, nevertheless. The longer you maintain the upper the accuracy goes up, however the likelihood the enemy could flip round and spot you additionally goes up. So that you’ll be in a state of affairs the place you’re aiming and pondering ‘come on, just a bit extra to 100%… please don’t flip round.’”

That sounds a bit like XCOM.

Meguro: “Oh, I like XCOM. He (factors to Yuki Katayama, Kodansha) confirmed me it saying ‘Hey, do that recreation!’ and I bought so hooked on it that I fell behind on my work (laughs).”

I see there’s a relationship system. Is it just like Persona? What are the advantages of growing your relationships?

Meguro: “Sure, it’s similar to Persona. You’ll be able to discuss together with your teammates to lift your relationship with them which ends up in unlocking crew mixture assaults in battle.”

Now that you simply’re growing a complete recreation relatively than simply music, you must take into account many issues like modeling, animation, stage design, and so forth. What’s been probably the most enjoyable and most difficult?

Meguro: “It’s all very troublesome. (Laughs.) It’s exhausting to decide on one factor as a result of I get uninterested in issues shortly. I’ll do one factor for a month or two, after which get uninterested in it and do a distinct factor for a month or two till I get uninterested in it and so forth.”

When making music for video games, are they made figuring out its for a selected stage or scene, or do you simply make a bunch of tracks and apply them later?

Meguro: “80 p.c of time I make a observe for a selected scene or stage, and about 20 p.c are songs that I made and get positioned after the very fact.”

For online game music, do you must take into account something game-related like matching the beat to the velocity of the character or timing a refrain when some occasion happens?

Meguro: “After all we take into account the velocity of the observe, ensuring the track from one scene to the following isn’t too jarring or totally different—there’s many parts concerned. Timing isn’t actually one thing I take into account, I simply make a distinct observe for a distinct scene.”

Earlier than we allow you to go, is there something you’d prefer to say to the followers?

Meguro: “We’re actually excited to fulfill our targets and make the sport for everybody. Seeing everybody’s enthusiasm has given us 120 p.c vitality to work even tougher. I hope followers sit up for the music, and in addition assist us in making our first recreation. As a designer I’m identical to a first-grader with no expertise. I’ll maintain working exhausting to enhance the sport. To those that funded us on Kickstarter in addition to those that didn’t, we thanks in your assist. Please sit up for it.”

Thanks in your time, Mr. Meguro!