Level-5, Koei Tecmo talk Yo-kai Sangokushi – origins, making the strategy gameplay approachable, more

“Romance of the Three Kingdoms” for adults X “Yo-kai” for children = A strategy game like never seen before

Famitsu: While Yo-kai Sangokushi  is based on the Yo-kai Watch series’ world setting, there are some new experiments in its [gameplay] system as a strategy game.

Shibusawa: That’s right. It’s the biggest stimulus in doing this collaboration.

Famitsu: A stimulus?

Shibusawa: Yes. While we were progressing with development, Mr. Hino gave various ideas on how to make “a strategy game that can be enjoyed from adults to children”. After all, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games which I have been creating for 30 years have been geared more towards adults. There are also parts which are hard to grasp by children.

Famitsu: So what kinds of ideas did Mr. Hino give to make it appealing to children too?

Hino: It’s not that big [of a factor]. However, in order for children to enjoy it, I think the important factor is the tempo, and we talked a lot, sharing advice on how to make a strategy game that can be lightly enjoyed.

Shibusawa: In the end we must change the way of making [the game] based on the age range; this also applies to strategy games. So Mr. Hino had a good point on the tempo factor to match the way of making the game with a broad age range. Especially when systems like “recommended movements” are implemented, even we are surprised with the result, “that this strategy game can be played with smooth progress”.

Hino: I was just suggesting it. It became comfortable thanks to the development power of Koei Tecmo’s development team. While it’s a strategy game, by making the overall game tempo lighter, it can be progressed smoothly, and you won’t be able to know when to stop playing. I’d like not only children, but also adults to taste this mysterious sensation.

Not willing to compromise for children

Famitsu: So you’ve made a strategy game that while keeping the strategic element also has a lighter progression tempo. When we think about that, even in the history of games, there haven’t been many war simulation titles aimed at children.

Shibusawa: There are almost none of them.

Hino: Yes, there are almost none indeed. So we’re really looking forward to seeing the reaction if children accept Yo-kai Sangokushi, a strategy game compatible with a broad range of generations.

Shibusawa: We’d be glad if these little kids believe the “coming up with a strategy to beat a unit” gameplay is interesting.

Famitsu: That’s right indeed. However, in order to make a game that realizes that, it isn’t easy to think about things that were never there before, is it?

Hino: Yes. We must make children know about Romance of the Three Kingdoms and familiarize them to the strategy game genre. That’s where I think this Yo-kai Sangokushi project is a “place to fight”. Actually I was very worried about the plans to make it a reality.

Shibusawa: As Mr. Hino said, strategy games are for enjoying a competition of strategy and tactics. So that’s why we had trouble thinking about how to make it enjoyable for children. I might end up making a rather tight game (laughs). Parts like commands, data, and number calculations are important in making strategy games, so we talked about how to make those factors more compact and easier to understand.

Hino: Staff from both Level-5 and Koei Tecmo had tempered ideas on how to make it fun to children. However, when development was almost complete, we wanted to have just this thing fixed, and that’s when we ended up asking to implement the recommended movement system… we’re sorry.

Shibusawa: That was a really tough problem where I was almost possessed by the Yo-kai Murikabe (a yo-kai that if possessed by it will literally become a wall that always says “Muri”, or “Impossible”). But I think our company’s development team is well accustomed to major system changes around crunch time (laughs). In the end, there are things that we won’t be able to understand unless the game is finished in some degree. Since we must make a game that’s enjoyed by adults and children alike, we didn’t make any compromise on the final adjustments.

Hino: It was an adjustment at a very tight timing, but looking at the finished product, I felt that Koei Tecmo’s development power is really great. I think it’s the potential of the staff working under a president who’s also a game creator. But when I look back, I still feel bad about that fix because of the timing (laughs).

A dream alliance is formed through Yo-kai Sangokushi

Famitsu: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms series has been carved into history for 30 years. But with this collaboration, it takes a turn to make it so children can also enjoy it. Isn’t it very challenging for Koei Tecmo too?

Shibusawa: That’s right. We have been creating games that are to be thoroughly played by adults. But this time, it might be the first time we were making a strategy game that children are going to touch for the first time. Especially since they’re going to play with a new genre in Yo-kai Watch, we seriously went full force with making a game that is simple yet deep.

Hino: We too [at Level-5] learned much by collaborating with these professionals of historical strategies, and were also surprised with their high development power at the same time. The finished Yo-kai Sangokushi is very easy to get into unlike most war strategy games before, and we didn’t make it so that children won’t be able to understand well. The pairing of Level-5 and Koei Tecmo, Yo-kai Watch, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms inserts each of their specialties into the game.

Shibusawa: Indeed, this game is possible because of us.

Hino: Yeah. As entertainment, there’s an interesting factor that in order to make it enjoyable to someone, adults are seriously working on it.

Famitsu: The fun of yo-kai performing “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is really possible because of these two companies, indeed.

Hino: By knowing Romance of the Three Kingdoms generals in Yo-kai Sangokushi, [children] may be able to gain interest in the [Romance of the Three Kingdoms] world, just like how we have experienced in our childhoods.

Shibusawa: Exactly that indeed.

Hino: And then, when those children grow up to adults, they will all be playing the latest title in Koei Tecmo’s mainline “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” series. I think Mr. Shibusawa might have looked at that prospect (laughs).

Famitsu: That’s really a grand scheme.

Shibusawa: That’s a tactic from a strategist on the same caliber of Kongming. I look forward to the future (laughs). However, when they first know of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms world by playing Yo-kai Sangokushi, and after that read the novels, I’d be even more glad if they think that “Kongming is actually very reserved like this”. (everyone laughs)

A few years ago when I talked with Mr. Hino, I didn’t really have a clear image at all on how it would turn out to be. However, now the shape has become clear, the game is done and becomes interesting. And that’s my honest impression. We’ve made the game this responsive perhaps because of Mr. Hino’s eager suggestion to “make a strategy that’s enjoyable by children too”, which I think is very close to affection.

Hino: I could only contribute that far.

Shibusawa: The game’s easiness to play has also changed in each stage. The moment an idea was born from enthusiasm towards children, what was done right in front of my eyes, has made me very happy now. In our company we have slogans for development [of Yo-kai Sangokushi] like “You’re too serious!”, “Don’t force yourself too hard and have more fun!”, and more. Since we have been always making historical simulation games, the company atmosphere has been serious. So that’s really why we should learn from Whisper Kongming from hereafter (laughs).

Hino: Oh no (laughs). I rather would like to make another game together with Koei Tecmo in the future.

Shibusawa: Yeah, of course I would too.

Famitsu: By finishing a strategy game that can also be enjoyed by children, the dream alliance of these two rulers has been established. We look forward to their future collaborations!

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