作者彙整: Kimberley Wallace

Difficulty means different things to different people, and I think it’s important to remember that what comes easily for one person might be an arduous task for another. People of all skill levels play games, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. One of the biggest complaints about Kingdom Hearts III has been that it’s too easy, especially for veteran players. Square Enix has responded to this feedback by working on critical mode and making sure it’s more than just a value change. The mode is set to release soon, although Square Enix still doesn’t have an exact date.

That being said, I had an opportunity to chat with co-director Tai Yasue while at GDC this week, particularly about critical mode. During our chat, we reflected on the game, discussing its finer points and where fans were disappointed. Yasue is responsible for the gameplay, while Nomura handles the story beats, so he wasn’t able to answer what’s in store for the future, like the upcoming DLC we’ve heard about, which Square Enix confirmed to me is currently in development. Trust me, I tried. Even so, Yasue had some great insight into why the team made some of the decisions it did. 

Yasue has high hopes for critical mode. He said it’s “more technical and offensive,” and would be for those who are adept at action games. This means putting a greater emphasis on timing attacks and getting ready to dodge or block in a jiffy. Many fans noticed the difficulty being dialed back for the third entry. It didn’t bother me on my initial playthrough because I was hellbent on seeing the story play out. I needed to know if Aqua would be okay; I needed to see if Roxas could even be brought back. I had a blast with the game, just hanging with Sora, Donald, and Goofy and exploring new worlds, but I can understand missing those hard-fought fights and more post-game bosses.

When asked about those missing pieces, Yasue said, “There was a lot of feedback that said the standard and beginner were pretty easy. I guess, we sort of aimed for that though. For us, we wanted it to widen our audience so that was the whole point of that, but we did get a lot of [responses] saying [fans] wanted more difficult modes, so we gave them critical mode. I sort of expected that people might think that it was too easy, but we were targeting an audience. My kids, for example, who have never played Kingdom Hearts.” 

As for criticism about the lack of post-game content, especially optional bosses, Yasue says he takes it all into consideration. “We really look at what everyone is writing. We totally understand and respect that. I can’t make any announcements just yet.” He did, however, reiterate that the light post-game content wasn’t because the team needed to cut things out, they just really wanted to focus on the new Disney worlds. Yasue said his favorite world to work on as a gameplay designer was Toy Story. “I love the concept of being small and becoming a toy and exploring a toy shop. There are all these gimmicks like hitting a canister of gas. ” 

In regards to boss fights, he said, “We felt that it was enough. When you’re playing the game, you don’t want boss fights all of the time, right? We sort of paced it when we were doing the level design. We also really focused on changing the gameplay, going in our ship and going in the robots.” He also admits implementing these features was “very difficult.” “As a gameplay designer, you don’t want to have it too hard so people give up. It was a difficult balance to strike,” he said.

Kingdom Hearts III has the flashiest combat to date, even letting you call on Disney attractions to battle foes. The bombastic action and fast keyblade transformations were deliberate. “That was a conscious decision. I think, for us, that was a big experiment as well. You don’t see a lot of games where you can do so much as quickly. Things are usually more controlled. It’s a new age, players want more stuff and we felt that our player base was changing, so we adapted to that.  But for me, it was a little bit of a risk of how that would play out.”

The lack of Final Fantasy characters also quickly came up in our conversation. “We definitely recognize and respect what everyone’s saying,” he affirmed, once again saying he can’t make any announcements. However, when asked if he was surprised that fans were disappointed by this, he said he was. “We had a lot of original characters. It’s the conclusion of the Xehanort saga and we really wanted to concentrate on the main storyline of Kingdom Hearts, such as Sora and Roxas, for the example. They’re having all these stories in other games and we wanted them to conclude.” 

When asked if the 1,000 Heartless battle was easier to do this time around, thanks to the better tech, Yasue said it wasn’t but let me in on a little secret. “We changed a bit at the end. The final moment when we put the master up, we didn’t have the train. I’ve never said this before. It came at a very late date, so that was added. I wanted it added because I wanted something new for a Kingdom Hearts III battle.  The train, you could only use it for the rock titan in the Hercules stage, and I thought it would be a nice conclusion if you could use it at the last moment.” 

To close out our talk we both discussed our favorite moment and it was the same: the ending sequence where you get reunited with certain characters and take on numerous boss battles. “All the characters coming together, it was actually emotional for me, too. Birth By Sleep that was one of my first Kingdom Hearts games I made. It was very sad at the end when we made [that] game because everyone gets separated (Terra, Aqua, and Ventus) and then all these years later I get to make the end for that. That moment is very special [when they meet again]. You sort of relate that with your life as well. I think that’s how a lot of fans feel as well, they relate that to their lives. I didn’t write the story, Nomura did, but to experience that as a player – that was very special to me.”

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Note: Entries written by Elise Favis and Kimberley Wallace

Today is International Women’s Day, and to celebrate we’re bringing you a special edition of RPG Grind Time. Fellow editor Elise Favis and I sat down and had a great conversation about our favorite ladies throughout the genre. Whether it was a woman who took matters into her own hands or one that provided the support necessary to get through the greatest of obstacles, we wanted to honor these wonderful ladies and their amazing qualities. Here’s a list we put together of female RPG characters that made a strong impact on us.

Alys Brangwin (Phantasy Star IV)

Phantasy Star is one of the earlier RPG series with great female representation. After all, the first entry starred Alis Landale, who paved the way for many leading ladies who didn’t need saving and had their own motivations. Alys Brangwin may not be the main protagonist of Phantasy Star IV, but she’s one of the better-developed characters in the series and stands out for how she helped turn Chaz Ashley into the hero he needed to be. A skilled monster hunter, Alys saves Chaz and acts as a mentor, helping transform him from naive thief to morally just young man. Her impact on his life as not only a friend but also a parental figure only makes Phantasy IV’s hard-hitting moments that much more impactful.

Aya Brea (Parasite Eve)

Aya Brea is another early Japanese RPG character who was a breath of fresh air for female heroines. The NYPD rookie shows what kind of woman she is in her first big scene – the iconic opera. As people begin to burst into flames before her eyes, she doesn’t run from the situation, instead she pushes her date aside and charges in head-first following the mysterious figure responsible. Throughout her journey, Aya must stand up for herself as she’s thrown into complete pandemonium, sometimes defying her superiors in the name of doing what’s right. She has moments of uncertainty, but that’s part of what makes her character so much more relatable. 

Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)

Horizon Zero Dawn provided us a powerful heroine in Aloy, who is a refreshing look at what it means to have confidence. She’s a young woman who knows her capabilities and speaks out even – or maybe especially – when people doubt her. This is even more inspiring when you take into account that she’s lived her life as an outcast, treated as if she’s nothing, and yet she still sees her value and believes in her ability to do great things. Her resourcefulness and curiosity are strong qualities, but what makes her stand even taller is how she doesn’t let her difficult past define her. Okay, and she also battles gigantic robotic dinosaurs…

Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)

Aqua is hands-down one of the best and most selfless characters in the Kingdom Hearts series. Her story about going above and beyond to protect her friends is not only noble but comes with great sacrifice, locking her away in the Realm of Darkness. Watching her deal with the impact of being trapped in such a dark place, you have to commend the woman for her belief in her friends and that her actions were for the greater good. She tried her best to protect everyone and not succumb to the darkness – not many could succeed for as long as Aqua did. Let’s not forget she can wield a keyblade with the best of them. Capable and kind, Aqua more than commands respect, she’s also inspiring as hell.

Mitsuru Kirijo (Persona 3)

Sometimes being true to yourself is one of the bravest things you can do. On the outside, Mitsuru exudes perfection: she’s the leader of the S.E.E.S., student council president, member of the fencing team, and later becomes valedictorian. However, as we know appearances are often deceiving, and Mitsuru has a lot on her shoulders. This comes through profoundly when her father dies and she’s expected to take over the family company and partake in an arranged marriage to preserve it. It’s a tall order, asking her to give up all her aspirations for her family name, which she even admits she feels shackled by. It’s when Mitsuru breaks through those said shackles and rejects a life that has already been decided for her that she becomes the woman she’s truly meant to be. In the end, she lives life on her own terms, which is easier said than done.

Raquel Applegate (Wild Arms 4)

Wild Arms 4 is far from the best RPG, but it has one of the most underrated female characters. As one of your most powerful party members, often acting as your “tank,” Raquel Applegate isn’t afraid to speak her mind, but she also has an extremely touching story. Raquel has been searching for something “still beautiful” in this world, and it’s when you find out why that makes it all the more admirable. Due to illness, Raquel has limited time left, but she doesn’t live in fear; instead, she lives her life to the fullest. Wise beyond her years, she offers a perspective that’s rarely explored in video games and she does it all while kicking major butt on the battlefield. 

Ciri (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)

Geralt always felt like a father figure to Ciri, who he trained to become a Witcher and, on some level parented, at Kaer Morhen. Although she isn’t the protagonist, much of The Witcher 3’s story revolves around finding her. It may sound like a damsel in distress trope, but Ciri is never described as helpless. She’s a highly-skilled warrior with magical abilities, and an heiress to several thrones. She’s swift and fluid in combat, and her personality shines in the quieter moments, like a playful snow fight between her and Geralt. During the final mission, we see the culmination of her skills as she attempts to put a stop to the sinister White Frost.

Kassandra (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey)

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey stars two playable characters, Alexios and Kassandra. Although the siblings say the same lines, there’s a delightful aura to Kassandra, who says humorous retorts with a twinkle in her eye. She’s sassy, intelligent, and brings more personality to her character in comparison to her brother’s more stilted dialogue delivery. Although the series featured a couple of female leads before, like Liberation’s Aveline de Grandpré and Evie Frie (alongside Jacob), they’ve never had the full spotlight. Liberation isn’t part of the core franchise, and Evie is only playable for half the story during segments crafted specifically for her. Kassandra is, by far, the better choice to play in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and we’re crossing our fingers that Ubisoft is eventually going have a woman fully lead a major Assassin’s Creed entry soon. 

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)

Similar to the differences between Kassandra and Alexios in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, many feel strongly about what gender they pick for Commander Shepard. While some argue that Maleshep is the better choice, many fell in love with Femshep for her memorable role. Femshep is undoubtedly one of the most empowering women in games, and this is partly because you can shape her into the character you love through your decisions, giving her a mean edge or a more compassionate side. Despite sometimes feeling like an avatar for the player, Femshep also stands tall on her own with Jennifer Hale’s strong voice acting, her ambitious goal to save the universe, and her unwavering loyalty to the rest of the Normandy crew.

Liara (Mass Effect)

When Liara first joins the Normandy crew in the first Mass Effect, she’s socially awkward and shy, despite her wealth of knowledge about the Protheans and admiration for Commander Shepard. Having spent half her life dedicated to studying Prothean technology, she’s an integral researcher on the team and is also incredibly powerful with her biotic powers in combat. The most memorable part of Liara’s character is how she shifts and evolves through the trilogy from a sheepish researcher to an at times ruthless warrior. Particularly in Mass Effect 2, she shows a darker side fueled by hate as she tracks down the Shadow Broker. This subplot continues in one of Mass Effect 2’s DLC, Lair of the Shadow Broker, where your relationship and friendship is put to the test. Liara has a strong will that sometimes puts her in precarious situations, but at the end of the day, she’s one of the Normandy’s most compassionate squad members who only wants what’s best for Shepard and company.

Cassandra (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

Cassandra Pentaghast first appears in Dragon Age II, seemingly as an antagonist, as she interrogates Varric in scenes that take place years after the events of the game. We get to know her on a much deeper level in Inquisition, where she joins as a party member. As a Seeker, she’s a devout spiritual follower, but her faith takes many hits, especially when a dear friend dies and when the Chantry is near collapse. While she first comes across stern and cold, as the story unfolds you see how caring and sensitive she can be. This is especially notable in her rivalry with Varric, who she secretly admires as a huge fan of his romance book series (she’s very embarrassed about it, and it’s adorable). As her approval of you rises, you can romance Cassandra to see her vulnerability that she hides behind her strong Seeker armor so well.

Celes (Final Fantasy VI)

With a devastating backstory, such as being genetically tested on as a child and later imprisoned by the Empire she fought for, Celes is one of Final Fantasy VI’s most memorable party members who emerges from trauma. Her loyalty is often questioned by others and she is considered a traitor back home, but she pushes through these difficulties with an admirable amount of strength. She is also front and center in one of the game’s most iconic scenes, where she takes the place of the lead actress on stage at an opera house while beautiful music renditions are played in the background. 

Vivienne (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

“Does it seem strange that every single person at this party has tried to bribe us?” Blackwall asks during a costume party ball, shortly after meeting the spymaster Briala.

“It’s the Game, my dear,” Vivienne says. “Everyone plays it here.”

Vivienne is a master manipulator when it comes to politics, and a highly influential part of the Inquisition due to her connections and magical prowess. In fact, she’s the youngest mage to join the Circle in all of its history. She can be difficult to like at first, sometimes appearing cold and patronizing, but she plays an important role. If you bring her along to a grand ball where an assassin hides in plain sight, she brings fascinating insight, and in combat, she’s a force to be reckoned with when using her incredibly powerful magical abilities.

Aya (Assassin’s Creed: Origins)

Bayek may be the playable protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Origins, but we would argue that his wife, Aya, is even more compelling. Despite showing up in many lustful scenes between herself and Bayek, she’s far from portrayed as his trophy or dependent on him. Instead of staying by Bayek’s side, she departs to start the Order of Assassins, often acting as a moral compass when it comes to who deserves to die and who doesn’t. As strong as the marriage first seems between the two, it goes through its ups and downs as Aya struggles with whether her loyalty is with Egypt or with her husband. The story does a great job of showing just how independent and determined of a character she is, despite first seeming like simply a love interest for Bayek.

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The latest Nintendo Direct gave us our first big look at Fire Emblem: Three Houses for Switch. To say I’ve been anticipating this game is an understatement. I love that the series is getting back on a home console, which we haven’t seen since 2007’s Radiant Dawn for Wii. The Direct brought more questions than answers on what type of game Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be, but nonetheless, made me just as excited for it.

Fire Emblem is an amazing series; I grew up playing the strategy/RPG, and Awakening no doubt brought new life into it. While Fates didn’t quite reach the same high bar, it still had some interesting ideas like MyCastle. Three Houses is an opportunity for Intelligent Systems to raise the bar and take the series into new territory. I felt now would be a good time to assess what has been shown off and also talk about our hopes for the game, so I enlisted fellow Fire Emblem fan Javy Gwaltney to discuss more about the latest entry and our early impressions.

Kim: Okay, Javy, we finally saw some gameplay and got more information on Fire Emblem: Three Houses. We’ve had a few days to process it now. What did you think in general?

Javy: I think what they’re doing is the right move here. I loved Fates, but there’s no doubt that it answered all the special things that Awakening had with more of the same rather than a new take. Three Houses, on the other hand, looks very inspired. I love the idea that you’re essentially playing a professor at Fire Emblem’s version of Hogwarts, and that your role as a teacher isn’t just in name only. You actually teach students and they become more proficient in battle (and hopefully develop memorable friendships) based on your choices. In that way, you’ve still got that balance of character-focused storytelling and snappy strategy battles. It’s very promising, and the visual enhancements afforded by the jump from 3DS to Switch are a pretty big boost. What about your take, Kim?

Kim: I love the idea of taking the role of a teacher, training and sharing your wisdom with students. I’m a sucker for school settings in RPGs, such as Persona and Trails of Cold Steel. It just adds a nice structure for progression, and the social possibilities also have me intrigued. I know the biggest thing on people’s mind when the Direct released was: What is Intelligent Systems going to do as far as romance? Will there be any? I’ve been thinking a lot about how that would work since you’re a teacher, and yeah, dating students would be weird and creepy. I’d rather the teacher help foster relationships between the students, pairing up ones that would complement each other’s personalities and their skills on the battlefield (bring back the pairing system, please!). I don’t even think it needs to be romantic (and if it is, for the love of god, just have it be between students then). This is a unique opportunity for Intelligent Systems to do something interesting and rewarding with your role as a teacher. The romance mechanic didn’t really become a staple of the series until it blew up with Awakening, so they could take it out entirely. Orrrr … they could provide options for your character with your colleagues. Anyway, I think the social elements have been successful for the series, so I don’t think abandon it entirely, but it is probably one of the biggest unknowns and questions people have about the game. I’m curious, how do you feel the school stuff will affect the narrative and gameplay?

Javy: I hear you on the romance stuff. I kind of hope they abandon it entirely? Fire Emblem is great, was great beyond long before the visual novel romance focus that Awakening introduced, so to see them make that gamble and really focus on platonic relationships centered around caretaking a new generation would be equally as interesting to me. And to answer your question, I think the school setup is loaded with potential. As you mentioned, the castle in Fates was an interesting addition, but I never really took the time to explore it, y’know? I’d visit my characters, do the legwork to get them stat boosts, but it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang around, especially at the expense of not barreling through the story. However, a magical school of nobles that you can explore between battles is a great idea, and think of all the drama the student body could get up to that you’d have to mediate. Teaching rivals to respect one another instead of going at each other’s throats the entire time? Cracking down on bullying? There’s a lot they could do here, and I’m hoping they lean more into the Persona side of things with characters who have engrossing multi-act storylines and arcs. Both Awakening and Fates had a lot of characters, but few of them actually had stories to pursue beyond helping them overcome a mild phobia or character flaw. I want to really get to know this cast, especially if permadeath is making a return. Though Nintendo hasn’t said permadeath is coming back for sure, the Direct had a line about students dying due to choices you make on the battlefield, so it’s probably gonna be here. The idea of your students dying is heart-wrenching but could prove to be effective emotional moments. Are you worried about the overarching story at all?

Kim: Okay, I was just about to say, if this game has permadeath it brings it to a whole new level. When it’s your students, who you’ve tried to prepare and lead … just I’m going to be a wreck. The narrative could go either way, I’ve always found the gameplay the bigger lure, but having three different leaders, all with different backgrounds seems brimming with potential. Things will get political and personal. I just hope the whole part of you, as the teacher, seeing visions of a “mysterious girl” doesn’t turn too generic. This has been done repeatedly in RPGs and games, but if they can do something interesting with it, I’m okay. I really think if the narrative centers on bringing together three different kingdoms and leaders for the greater good, it could be very satisfying, especially if as a teacher, you’re the one making that happen. 

I agree with you though, that characters haven’t stuck out as much as they could, and I think the focus on the three leaders is a good opportunity to tackle bigger issues and add more personality. One thing I’m really interested in is how much do the storylines diverge depending on what house you choose to align with. I’d love to see it impact the story in different ways, giving you the incentive to replay from the other perspectives. I mean, the fact that you, as their teacher, will eventually side with one, that’s gotta be such a dramatic choice and have consequences on the overall plot. What do you think?

Javy: It’s a really smart design decision. I mean, not to harp too much on the Harry Potter thing, but they’re literally handing the player The Sorting Hat from that world, letting them make the choice, and then be responsible for that house. I imagine that all the houses will eventually be warring with one another over some noble’s screw up or conspiracy and that’s all very tropey (as you mentioned above), but Fire Emblem’s never been innovative for its plot. Instead, I think it’s the special things that happen when your actions on the battlefield intersect with the characters you’ve come to know during the more quiet moments. To lose someone you’ve spent hours getting to know in Awakening, someone who’s married another party member and had kids, is devastating because it really does feel like it’s your fault. The flip side of that is that their successes are also because of you, so I’m hoping we really get to see that unfold in Three Houses. Will the lessons you teach divide students? Turn friends into enemies because you play favorites? There’s so much they could do here, and I really hope they turn up the drama with these choices – even to the point of being overdramatic – if it leads to exciting consequences. Give me the dramatics over realistic any day with these sorts of games. I feel like I’m really optimistic about Three Houses. Do you have any concerns for the game?

Kim: My concerns are very minimal, as you said Fates didn’t do enough new. I’m hoping Three Houses uses the new setup to its advantage and can bring some interesting new things to the narrative and combat. I love the core strategy-based gameplay, but I’d love to have a few extra things to make it feel new and exciting, making every battle feel different. I really want bigger battles and the stakes raised. Go all out, because this is the first time we’ve had an opportunity for a home console-sized Fire Emblem in over a decade. I’m also hoping we have even more control over building our party members and that there’s some extra cool classes and skills thrown in to keep things interesting. Right now, it’s weird, the only concern I really have is there’s all this potential, but that Intelligent Systems doesn’t take advantage of it as well as it could. Of course, I feel like all my experience playing these games, I should be confident because I’ve never been severely let down. How about you? 

Javy: I think the biggest minefield is the romance stuff. I’m really hoping they don’t do it. I’m also curious to see what changes are coming to combat with the battalions. I’m mostly of the “It ain’t broke so don’t fix it” school of thought when it comes to Fire Emblem’s strategy gameplay, but if the new mechanics added are actually enticing and well thought out, I’m on board with them. But yeah, overall, I’m super excited for Three Houses. I think that concept is amazing and hopefully, Intelligent Systems realizes its potential.

Kim: Agreed. It’s a new freaking Fire Emblem game, and it’s coming out at the end of July … and on Switch. It’s a great time to be alive. 😉

Fire Emblem: Three Houses launches on July 26. For more information, check out our Everything We Know About Fire Emblem: Three Houses feature.

Why are you excited for Fire Emblem? Let us know in the comments below.

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Watching Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth get its official announcement this past week has been interesting. I’ve seen so many different reactions, both positive and negative. The whole situation got me thinking about the importance of handhelds, like the 3DS, for the niche RPG market and how the lower development costs allow studios to still take chances like these. When games launch late in a console’s lifecycle, it’s always risky, as the userbase has mostly moved on from the system, but the diehard fans will come back for their favorite series. Personally, I don’t mind taking out my system and having one last joyride with it, especially if that’s the only way I’ll ever be able to experience a game.

I think back to my disappointment when many games during the end of the PSP’s lifecycle didn’t come our way, such as Valkyria Chronicles III and the Suikoden side story Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki, and how glad I would have been to play them in English. Atlus isn’t leaving fans high and dry with Persona Q2, and although the lack of an English dub is sure to bother some, it’s really not that bad when faced with the alternative of it never reaching our shores. 

Just in case you’re not in the know, Persona Q is a crossover with Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey series, allowing you to map out dungeons, solve their puzzles to get to the next floor, and take on the challenge of simply staying alive through resource management and party building. When the first game, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, launched in 2014, I was surprised at how well it captured the best of both series. You had the maddening challenge of Etrian Odyssey alongside the fun character moments and hip, themed dungeons of the Persona series. The newest entry adds the Persona 5 cast to the fold, and they unite with Persona 3 and 4 characters to battle in movie-themed dungeons across various film genres. For instance, there’s an homage to Jurassic Park with dinosaurs running amok in one. 

It’s fitting that Persona Q2 is one of the last games to grace the 3DS. In many ways, Etrian Odyssey’s map drawing was a sterling example of the creative ways you could use the system with the stylus. The 3DS also helped give these niche Japanese RPGs a place to live on while we transitioned to a new era of consoles, with bigger expectations and more financial risks. Now after the success of Persona 5, this localization seems like Atlus giving back to the fans who can’t bear to miss an entry that involves the beloved characters.

If Persona Q2 is even better than its predecessor, the 3DS is going out on a high note. Only time will tell what will be the future of handheld systems. The Switch offers a happy medium, making me wonder if Nintendo could even tantalize with another handheld, let alone if it even needs one. We’re seeing more and more RPGs make their way to its console, especially with its burgeoning indie scene. As for Sony, based on the PSP and Vita’s struggles, I’m interested to see if it hangs up the towel and focuses exclusively on home consoles. We could be at a turning point in how we play games on the go. 

All I know is I’m looking forward to June 4 when I’ll be dusting off my 3DS one last time for a Persona-filled sendoff.

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