Recently, I was given the opportunity speak to some of the development staff (Gust Co. LTD.) behind the new JRPG title, Nights of Azure, and ask questions in relation to the new IP. In my review of the game, I gave it a rather high score and I do personally recommend picking up the game. Given how much I enjoyed this game, this opportunity was fantastic to get some inside scoop on the game itself. So, let’s get into the nitty gritty.
DYEGB: What is the premise/story of Nights Of Azure?
Gust: The game is set within European uncharted land in Rusewal Island which has been the stage of many battles between humans and demons, which have been inextricably linked to humans, since a long time ago. Nobody was informed of the island’s existence. After humans emerged victorious from the battle against demons several hundred years ago, the Nightlord scattered the Blue Blood through a whole world and polluted those who bathed in it, changing them into cursed creatures, called Servan. In this title, a young woman who was doused with the Blue Blood, Arnice, is the main character. Arnice fights against these demons.
DYEGB: Who are the main characters?
Gust: Arnice, a holy knight in service to the Curia, is transferred to Rusewal Island. After being accidentally bathed into Nightlord’s blood, she became a half-demon with the power to defeat fiends. Arnice is commanded by the Curia to protect the Saint and prepare her to be the sacrifice to the Nightlord. Lilysse, a childhood friend of Arnice, has been selected to be the Saint. She visits Rusewal Island with sacrificial readiness to save the world with Arnice.
DYEGB: Obviously, given the nature of the game, Nights Of Azure will feature a cel-shaded art style. Will there be anything that will set this game’s cel-shading apart from the others?
Gust: The previous Gust titles developed were like animated cartoons of the sticky coating that cel-shaded character model without normal mapping. In order to take advantage of the tastes and the world viewed by the illustrators, we have tried to make our efforts on creating the characters with normal mapping so that players feel quite real on them in this title.
DYEGB: Will Nights Of Azure feature an English dub in the western release, or will it be just English subtitles?
Gust: “Night of Azure” is released with a Japanese voice featuring English sub-titles.
DYEGB: What is the combat system going to be like in Nights Of Azure? Will it be like a Dark Souls style combat system where it’s slower paced and relies more on locking-on and timing, or will it be more like your traditional hack-n-slash system often known from games like Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors?
Gust: The combat system in this title is really fast pace, which is almost same as the Warriors series. We placed emphasis on developing the idea that Arnice and Servans fight lively in real time.
DYEGB: What has the development process for Nights Of Azure been like at Gust Co. LTD?
Gust: Because “Night of Azure” is featured as an action role-playing game, its development process was different from that of the Atelier series which has been created on the previous game base. More action elements have been incorporated into this game, through the process of trial and error especially during the first stages of its development. The development process of making events, expression of characters, and designing missions are quite similar with those of Atelier series.
DYEGB: What kind of character progression system will this game feature? Will it be your standard levelling of your characters or will your increase in power be determined by items you collect?
Gust: There are two ways that Arnice develops; this is through Servans and her accessories. After registering to the deck, Servans can learn various autonomous skills referred to in the RPGs. Accessories on the other hand increases her abilities based on its combination. This concept is quite close to mixing items in Atelier series.
DYEGB: What’s next for Gust Co. LTD?
Gust: In this title, we have been challenged to develop an action role-playing RPG. We have already started new game projects on the axis of role-playing RPG with characters of beautiful women. We would like to develop a series of “Night of Azure” by reflecting the various feedback received from players of the game.
Personally, I found this game to be one of the best JRPG hack n slash titles that I’ve played in a while. For my full thoughts on the game, read my review. We also currently have a competition running to win copies of this game which can be found here. You can also watch the launch trailer below or by clicking here.
Jordan lives and breathes Dark Souls, even though his favourite game is Bloodborne. He takes pride in bashing his face on walls and praising the sun. Hailing from the land of tacos, he is the token minority for WellPlayed.
