STACK New Zealand December Issue 69

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2015 has delivered some incredible titles for theWii U, and Xenoblade
Chronicles X is a beautiful bookend to the year. STACK spoke with
Mr.TetsuyaTakahashi, executive director at Monolith Software, Inc.
Xenoblade Chronicles is our
favourite game on theWii. Did its
popularity and success take you by
surprise?
Thank you very much.
While we tried to be faithful to
our beliefs of our ideal game, we
were confident that it would be well
accepted and we’re happy to receive
such positive feedback!
What were the most important
lessons you learned from making
Xenoblade Chronicles?
In Japan we say, “to carry out
the original intention”. So to answer
your question on important lessons,
I think it’s important to complete a
project without giving up on the initial
objectives.
What challenges did you face when
developing this title specifically
forWii U?
The greatest challenge
would have been in creating
the vast environment to realise the
“Open-World” design for the first time
in a Monolith Soft title for Wii U.
We believe that we’ve managed to
find a good balance as a result of the
many additions and exclusions made
within the available parameters.
Xenoblade Chronicles X has been
said to be more of a spiritual
successor as opposed to a direct
sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles.
How did you decide on this
approach with a new setting?
We concluded that if we were to
create an Open-World RPG, a quest-
based design would have more affinity
than that of a linear story-based style.
However, we also decided to take
an approach where we could keep the
exploratory and adventurous elements
as a core part of the game.
How does the combat system differ
from Xenoblade Chronicles?
The biggest difference in Xenoblade
Chronicles X is the mixture of
characters and robots. In addition,
there aren’t many potion-type items
or straightforward recovery Arts
in this game, and in fact, the healing
is accomplished by utilising a feature
called Soul Voice. With this, players
can appreciate the exhilarating attack-
focused battle system.
How does the second screen on
theWii U controller influence the
gameplay?
It actually doesn’t affect the
gameplay directly, however, it’s
utilised to check the map, travel and to
explore. With an open-world design,
it’s possible for areas to be too big
and can lead to losing purpose easily;
however with the segments displayed
on the map, you’ll be able to enjoy the
open-world gameplay without stress.
What do you think is the biggest
challenge in developing a game
which appeals to both Japanese and
Western audiences? Do you keep
this in mind during development?
In the future, our biggest challenge
might be to achieve a direct
connection between the main RPG
elements of exploration, battles and
story.
We always keep it in our mind to
create a game where the gameplay
experience is designed to make you
feel like a movie star.
Where next for Monolith Soft?
Don’t you think it would be boring
if you already knew what you were
getting for Christmas? We always
want to prepare for new surprises in
the future!
visit FEATURE GAMES
28 DECEMBER 2015