Digimon Survive devs on the game’s concepts, choices, Digivolution, amount of Digimon

In a recent issue of Famitsu, a couple of Digimon Survive developers were brought in to discuss the game. Producer Tsuzuki Katsuaki and series producer Kazumasa Habu talked about the game’s concepts, choices players can make in the game, how you’ll Digivolve in battle, and the amount of Digimon included.

We’ve gone ahead and prepared a full translation of the interview. To read it, continue on below.

First things first – could you tell us a bit about the game’s driving concepts and its development?

Habu: As of late the Digimon games have primarily consisted of two series: Digimon Story and Digimon World. This new series arose from the desire to implement a concept from the anime in a game: Digivolution stems from the bonds Digimon have with humans. Reproducing that in a game was the driving concept throughout planning.

Katsuaki: The adventure portion of the game has a simple, light-feeling playstyle that allows the player to experience the story without much difficulty. The battle portion, likewise, is much like a simple tactical RPG. Another driving concept was allowing players to experience the “charm” of Digimon through a system players might already be familiar with.

What role does Digimon Survive play in relation to the other games?

Habu: We’re developing a new Digimon Story game alongside this title, but development for that is taking a bit long. So, before we release that, we’re offering Digimon Survive to the players as new Digimon content – it’d be nice if this evolved into a third series all its own.

We’ve heard that “choices” will bear some weight in this game – in what way will they affect the story?

Habu: In the adventure portion of the game, the player can move from area to area and interact with the characters there. There, the player can advance the story by checking objects and gathering information. Over the course of the game, the protagonist will also find themselves in situations where they have to make choices and based on those choices the story will change. Characters may even die due to the player’s choices – in making this game, we’ve found that we can do a lot more than the anime would have allowed. This choice-centric system really emphasizes the tension that comes with having to “survive.”

So, does that mean there are multiple endings?

Katsuaki: Due to the sheer number of choices the player will have to make over the course of the game, we couldn’t accomplish what some might expect out of a game with “multiple endings.” The scenario unfolds as you play the game, and right now we’re working with about three routes; though, we’re thinking that if we can we’d like to add an extra one.

Does the battle portion of the game change at all according to the player’s choices?

Katsuaki: Yes; depending on the player’s choices enemies and allies’ statuses may change. Your choices may impact a battle’s victory conditions as well.

How exactly does “Digivolution” happen in battle?

Habu: In battles, Digimon Digivolve by consuming “energy.” By the end of battle, your Digimon will have reverted back to Agumon. The player’s choices also determine which Digivolutions are available; this can lead to an advantage or disadvantage depending on the enemy’s attribute. As such, choices are the key to victory in this game.

I’m sure people would be interested in hearing how many Digimon will appear in the game – including Digivolutions.

Habu: The total is somewhere around 100… And then some. That might seem a bit small compared to some of the more recent Digimon games. In Digimon Story, for instance, the emphasis was on catching and collecting a lot of Digimon; for this game, though, we put a lot more emphasis on depicting the drama between the player and their partner Digimon. So, in that sense, the core concept behind the game differs from most other Digimon games; in short, we didn’t attach too much importance to the number of Digimon. More than anything, we prioritized including Digimon that suited the game’s atmosphere and world. This game’s setting is less digital and is more focused on places like nature-rich ruins on an uninhabited island, for instance. To that end, we tried to have the Digimon match the setting.

It’ll be fun to try and guess which Digimon will end up appearing in-game! Lastly, do you have anything to say about the future of Digimon games?

Habu: I’m hoping the games’ uniqueness will help the Digimon franchise last long into the future. Digimon is a series with an incredibly large amount of content; from anime to toys – it can get confusing, and it may be harder for people unfamiliar with the franchise to get into the series. Since it’s a video game, though, somebody can play it and still have a good time even if they know nothing about Digimon. I’d like to keep making things like that.

Katsuaki: I sincerely hope everybody enjoys Digimon Survive when it comes out – that’d make me happy! We’re working on the game in all earnestness, and we hope you’ll continue supporting the series!

Translation by provided by Nico Thaxton on behalf of Nintendo Everything

If you use any of this translation, please be sure to source Nintendo Everything. Do not copy its full contents.