Takumi, Creative Director of REYNATIS, sat down for an interview and talked us through squeezing the magic of Shibuya into this upcoming action RPG.
Shibuya is iconic, even for those of us that have managed to get there. It’s n intersection of Tokyo where all walks of life pass each other and fats dance pass each other for a fleeting moment. It’s fitting, therefore, that upcoming action RPG REYNATIS would focus its tale on this city square. Initially announced in February 2024 and coming to PC, PlayStation platforms, and Nintendo Switch later this month, REYNATIS is an intriguing take on magic in the modern world. Mixing metaphor with actual wizardry, it plunges players into the bustle of a modern cityscape, where witches and wizards mingle beneath the buzz neon lights. It follows a young wanderer as he arrive in Tokyo with a quest to become the most powerful wizard of all time and set a path free of conformity. Pulled between magic that controls and rebels against the wider will of society, it’s full of social commentary as well as flashy combat. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the recent demo trailer, then take a look at what got me so excited to talk about this iconic location and what it means for REYNATIS, with Takumi.
Gamespace: It’s clear that one of the main themes of REYNATIS is about social normality and individualism. Were there elements of your own experiences that you draw on for these ideas?
Takumi: Yes, it’s my life exactly. The ostentatious clothing, the strange hair colors… There’s a tendency for those who think differently from others to be smacked down. Just as the expression “peer pressure” exists, when you do something differently from other people, it can be taken negatively. I think there are many people who find it hard to live under those constraints, including myself. For those people, I want to say, “Don’t worry about [what others think]. Let’s show our individuality off!” and that’s why I made this game.
Gamespace: The setting of Shibuya is quite interesting. Why choose this location in particular?
Takumi: Because Shibuya is a place interwoven with real magic. (laughs) I’d love for everyone to visit it, but there are many people and shops that you wouldn’t normally encounter in your everyday life. It truly feels like another world extrapolated from the real world–of course, I mean that in a good way!
Gamespace: I’m interested to hear how you managed to shrink Shibuya onto the Nintendo Switch compared to mor powerful platforms like PC and PlayStation?
Takumi: It was incredibly difficult! (laughs).
Particularly, the amount of data that needs to be loaded for the Scramble Crossing /109 building area is extremely large, so that was really tough.
At the beginning, there was an idea to make those areas separate. However, that feeling of running from the Shibuya Scramble Crossing to the front of 109 building is very important, so I felt we had to find a way to get this done. In the end, I was able to have them combine those areas. (But thanks to that, things became even more difficult later (laughs).)For the forest areas, since we can reuse assets like trees or grass, we were able to develop it without much issue, but for the town segments–especially those segments that actually exist–we needed to make original data for the shape of the buildings and signs, so we filled up the memory to the brim. I don’t think it would be possible to make areas beyond what we have.
Gamespace: Are there any favorite locations or that in the game world that players should look out for?
Takumi: Naturally, the area in front of the 109 building is iconic, and that makes it really feel like Shibuya, so I like that. To reference lesser-known areas, I would say Dogenzaka and other small alleys, since they are replicated very faithfully and each have their own atmosphere.
There is also building called dogenzaka-dori and a place called Sakura Stage, along with a few others that didn’t actually exist when we were making the game [that we were able to get in].
We were trying to depict Shibuya in “”real time,”” as it were, so please explore every nook and cranny!
I don’t think any other game has gone to this level of detail using real shop names and signage to replicate Shibuya.
Gamespace: Exploration in Shibuya seems to be necessary to pick up graffiti, and because there’s so much to see. How do you encourage that same exploration through other areas of the world?
Takumi: First of all, just walking around the real Shibuya itself is fun!
There are enemies wandering around, and battles can occur anywhere.
We’ve made it so you’ll explore Shibuya with a feeling of suspense [about what lies in wait around each corner]!
Gamespace: The world beyond the Fog also seems to tie into the two sides of freedom and order that the game explores. Was that deliberate?
Takumi: Yes, Shibuya is a suppressed world, and the world beyond the fog is free, where wizards can go about in their liberated states.
Gamespace: Combat is not what I expected to see. What was the idea behind combat and the Suppression system?
Takumi: In this game, the Hoodie System is used both in exploration and combat. It’s usage in combat in particular creates something unlike any game that has come before.
I personally think it would be super cool to put on a deep hood and walk the back alleys of Shibuya. (laughs)
That’s super chūni, though. (laughs).I thought about how to include something like that as a game system, and that’s how these systems came about.
[If you’re not much of an otaku, you can find out more about the term chūni/chūnibyō in the following translated interview: https://nisamerica.com/reynatis/special/famitsu-interview-part-1]
Gamespace: We can play as different characters on different sides of society. How does this influence the story?
Takumi: REYNATIS features dual protagonists — Marin and Sari.
Marin has lived surppressing his individuality (magic) and has come to Shibuya seeking liberation.
On the other hand, Sari lives TO suppress individuality (magic), but is able to use her magic freely in order to protect the peace in Shibuya.
You can look forward to seeing how the paths of these two people in very different positions weave together and intertwine.
Gamespace: How did the REYNATIS x The World Ends With You collaboration happen?
Takumi: Like many of you, I was simply a fan of Tetsuya Nomura’s. When making a game that has Shibuya as its setting, TWEWY crept back into my mind.
So, even though I figured it wouldn’t pan out, I thought, “”I really want to do a collaboration…”” and that was the start of it all.
I did my best to get some people connect us, and from there I was able to present my idea to Mr. Nomura himself. The rest is history.
Gamespace: Does this open up REYNATIS for more collaborations in the future?
Takumi: That’s an interesting question. (laughs) I’m guessing you’re asking in the sense that if were to further develop [the world of] REYNATIS further? It was my strong desire that lead to us being able to do this specific collaboration with Square Enix. That strong desire hasn’t changed, so even if [we were able to continue this world], I can state definitively that I have no intention of collaborating with anyone aside from Square Enix.
Having said that, I do have an idea for *something* in mind.
For me, Reynatis is an intriguing title that has plenty to say about the culture that inspired it. It’s a reflection of a society and city that has many faces. Between the neon glow of bustling nightlife and among shadowy sidestreets, Shibuya is somewhere people tend to go to seek a little freedom. Whether that’s just by slipping into a bar for an evening, putting on loud clothing, or running away from home. It’s a location where you can get lost in the crowd, for good and bad, and Takumi’s work seems to have a lot to say about staying true to yourself in among the crushing weight of expectation that still hangs over the population of this daily scramble. You can check out more about REYNATIS on the official website now.
