Fate/Samurai Remnant is just around the corner, and it’s already shaping up to be a fresh and exciting depiction of the Holy Grail War set in the relatively peaceful Edo period of Japanese History. We recently had a chance to interview Ryota Matsushita, director at Koei Tecmo games and known for his extensive history with both the Warriors series and adapting well known IPs such as Pokémon Conquest and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. From Japanese history and manga to game development and music, we asked Ryota Matsushita all about the upcoming installment in the long-running Fate series.
RPGFan: Since its inception, the Fate series has crossed numerous game genres. Yet, with such a grand cast of distinct and exciting characters, games with a large amount of playable characters have always felt right at home — as seen with Fate/Grand Order and Fate/Extella link. What prompted the decision to create an action RPG focused on the protagonists Iori and Saber?
Ryota Matsushita: In this title, we aimed to create a classic game that returns to the essential appeal of Fate, and was modeled to be an “action RPG that depicts the Holy Grail War from the Master’s point of view.” By focusing on Iori and Saber, we believe that the harshness of the Holy Grail War and its thrilling developments would be more enjoyable. Many Servants other than the main characters also appear in the game, but we also believe that we were able to make their most appealing features shine more brightly because you can feel their toughness through the gameplay as enemies that Iori and Saber have to face.
In addition, as you progress through the game, there are subquests where you will learn about the other teams, and you will also have the opportunity to control other Servants. This is an element that adds variety to the experience from the halfway through the game onward.
RPGFan: Many games set in historical Japan often take place during the Sengoku period, with a large number of these focused on Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu and their quests for unification. With Fate/Samurai Remnant taking place almost sixty years after the most well-known period in Japanese history, what was the reason for choosing this time period?
Ryota Matsushita: In the Fate series, the battle for the Holy Grail is kept secret, so the peaceful yet unsettled Edo period is a natural setting for it. In addition, there are many individuals in this period who have strong feelings about becoming Masters throughout history, including Miyamoto Iori, a disciple of the most famous swordswoman, Miyamoto Musashi, as well as Yui Shousetsu and Chiemon, a survivor of the last civil conflict, the “Shimabara Rebellion.“
RPGFan: In the trailers and gameplay previews that we’ve seen, the combat is focused on fast and flashy attacks with numerous cooperative attacks involving both Iori and Saber. During development, was there any consideration or hope to make the game co-op with a player controlling each character?
Ryota Matsushita: It would indeed be interesting to be able to play in co-op. However, since the main appeal of Fate is to take your time by yourself to immerse yourself in its story and be shaken to your core by its sometimes unfair developments, we decided to make this game an immersive single-player game so that you can feel the true thrill of the story. The player takes on the role of Iori, who faces difficulties with the help of his partner, Saber.
RPGFan: As the adopted son of the legendary Miyamoto Musashi, Miyamoto Iori has a lot to learn from one of the greatest swordsmen in history. What prompted the team to focus on Miyamoto Musashi and his lesser known adopted son?
Ryota Matsushita: Miyamoto Iori was not actually the main character in the initial stages of the project, but when we decided to make this game “a title that depicts the Holy Grail War from the Master’s point of view,” we decided that his background and depth as a person would be appropriate for the role and so that players could experience his perspective. Miyamoto Iori, the Master, is weak compared to the Servants, but against humans, he is a force to be reckoned with. He is also a person who wants to be strong. These elements are perfect for making this universe “your experience” as the protagonist of an action game.
RPGFan: The Fate series is famous for its modern takes on historical figures, myths, and ancient legends. In the latest trailers and site updates, new faces and returning fan favorites such as Cú Chulainn and Tamamo Aria have excited fans as Rogue Servants. What prompted the team to introduce these characters into the Waxing Moon Ritual?
Ryota Matsushita: The Servants in this title are certainly popular, but they were introduced out of necessity, not just to please the fans. They also make this title an intriguing game and every battle against the seven teams should be a tense one, making it feel like your life is on the line every time. As a result, there would be less fights with enemy Servants, and in order to make the confrontations and joint battles with Servants more enjoyable as an action game, both in terms of frequency and variety, we have introduced the Rogue Servants. They also trigger subquests, adding to the volume of the RPG experience.
RPGFan: The character designs by Rei Wataru have a unique and striking appearance that fits the Fate series perfectly while translating well to 3D. What was it that drew the team to Rei Wataru? Was it a chance meeting, or was this artist sought out for their prior work in manga such as BB. Hell and Kurenai no Assassin?
Ryota Matsushita: We chose Rei Wataru due to a recommendation from Takashi Takeuchi from TYPE-MOON. At the same time, they were also working on a comic book adaptation of “Fate/Grand Order” called “Eirei Nanaban Shoubu.” All of Rei Wataru’s characters are fascinating, and we have been able to incorporate many of their illustrations in the game, which reminds us of how powerful their illustrations are.
RPGFan: The Fate series has numerous games that feature characters from almost every Fate game, anime, or manga. With Fate/Samurai Remnant opening a new chapter in the Fate series, can fans look forward to future crossovers within Fate/Grand Order, or perhaps even an anime adaptation?
Ryota Matsushita: I can’t tell divulge what will happen in the future regarding that matter, but you can look forward to enjoying Fate/Samurai Remnant! I’m really looking forward to it too!
RPGFan: Fate/Samurai Remnant appears to have been developed with Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. As Omega Force is best known for their frantic action and one-versus-one-thousand style Musou/Warriors series, what was it that prompted the team to choose Koei Tecmo and Omega Force for this game?
Ryota Matsushita: As a brand that has worked on action games that have collaborated with many different series, Omega Force was a natural fit to develop this game. And while Omega Force has certainly worked on many Warriors series, we have experience in creating a surprisingly large number of genres, including action RPGs, hunting action, and sandbox games. We feel that having those experiences in flexibly designing games was a major factor in creating this title as a completely new Holy Grail War experience.
RPGFan: Fate/Samurai Remnant composers Keita Haga and Daisuke Shinoda are both well-known figures within both the Fate franchise and games and anime as a whole. With composer Keita Haga’s long career with Type-MOON and Daisuke Shinoda’s vast experience with orchestral arrangements, what was the motivating factor in bringing these two together for the Fate/Samurai Remnant soundtrack?
Ryota Matsushita: First of all, we could not have chosen a better sound designer than Mr. Haga to bring color to this new Fate story. Mr. Shinoda was hand-picked by Mr. Haga, who had also worked on a different title of ours and showed a deep understanding of our style of games.
RPGFan: Fate/Samurai Remnant‘s second trailer briefly introduced us to Rogue Servants alongside the Spirit Font system. With all these interesting and unique elements coming into play in this exciting looking action RPG, what would you say the team is most proud of with Fate/Samurai Remnant?
Ryota Matsushita: The most important aspect of this title, and the one we are most proud to have achieved, is the “experience of living through the Holy Grail War as a Master.” In order to properly express this major concept, we worked really hard on adopting each element of the game. While against humans you can fight like you would in a casual action game, against Servants you are required to use RPG-like ingenuity and they can be quite a challenge. We have made it so that the “real experience” that this gameplay provides leads to showcasing the recklessness and harshness of the Master fighting the Holy Grail War. I’m proud of our development team for their ability to bring this challenging style of game to life.
RPGFan would like to thank Ryota Matsushita for his time and insightful responses. Fate/Samurai Remnant releases September 29th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Stay tuned to RPGFan for our review as well as all things RPG.
