Published by Compile Heart,\u00a0Villion:Code<\/strong>\u00a0is just around the corner, set to launch in Japan on June 25 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4 (digital-only). \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Villion:Code<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a school-themed JRPG set in an academy city dedicated to training individuals to save the Earth from impending extinction. The story begins when the city is suddenly sealed off from the outside world. Trapped in isolation, the students must confront strange anomalies engulfing the city and fight off people who have transformed into monstrous creatures. Amidst these dire circumstances, each character is forced to face the \u201ckarma\u201d they carry.\u00a0Gameplay revolves around action-based combat, peculiar tube-shaped dungeons, and \u201cGenome Editing\u201d among other\u00a0mechanics.\u00a0<\/p>\n Villion:Code\u00a0is designed and produced by Kouji Okada, known as the co-creator of the Megami Tensei and Persona series. The scenario is penned by Tadashi Satomi, another\u00a0Atlus\u00a0veteran and longtime collaborator of Okada, while the soundtrack is composed by Tsukasa Masuko, also of Shin Megami Tensei fame. The character design is\u00a0helmed\u00a0by illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov, known for his involvement in Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n AUTOMATON recently\u00a0interviewed\u00a0Okada and\u00a0Kuvshinov to find out more about how\u00a0they\u00a0created the characters and visual identity of\u00a0Villion:Code.\u00a0While this part of the interview focuses more closely on\u00a0Kuvshinov,\u00a0you can\u00a0check out\u00a0part one\u00a0of this interview<\/a>\u00a0for our detailed talk with Okada.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the\u00a0major defining\u00a0characteristics of the\u00a0Villion:Code\u00a0cast,\u00a0which\u00a0reflects\u00a0Kuvshinov\u2019s\u00a0personal artistic preference,\u00a0is a consistent use of dual-colored rim lighting\u00a0across both character\u00a0portraits\u00a0and 3D models. Characters are typically lit with cyan on one side and magenta on the other. While this\u00a0stylistic choice\u00a0is meant to\u00a0add visual interest\u00a0too,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0there\u00a0only\u00a0for\u00a0aesthetics. According to Kuvshinov,\u00a0the contrast\u00a0of colors\u00a0reflects a\u00a0thematic duality\u00a0inherent to humans,\u00a0representing\u00a0the \u201cnatural side vs the side controlled by science\u201d\u00a0and \u201cdestruction vs creation.\u201d Additionally, since every character shares this visual trait regardless of\u00a0gender or background,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0way of suggesting a common \u201cDNA\u201d\u00a0shared by all\u00a0humans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kuvshinov\u00a0also\u00a0made deliberate\u00a0deviations from this\u00a0rule.\u00a0For instance,\u00a0the character\u00a0Phantom Lady has\u00a0a much\u00a0less pronounced rim lighting,\u00a0which\u00a0is supposed to subtly raise doubts and\u00a0make\u00a0you question\u00a0whether\u00a0or not\u00a0she is human at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eyes\u00a0are another part of\u00a0Villion:Code\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0going to want to pay attention to. This is another aspect\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0was particular about,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0what\u00a0gives each character individuality beyond other\u00a0physical\u00a0characteristics like hair color\u00a0or\u00a0face shape.\u00a0Rather than\u00a0plain\u00a0black pupils, each character\u2019s eyes\u00a0reveal colors\u00a0and patterns\u00a0unique only to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n While some of the details\u00a0in\u00a0Villion:Code\u2019s\u00a0designs might be small and inconspicuous,\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0says each decision is there to convey\u00a0clues and information about the characters.\u00a0\u201cWhen looking at a design, you might just think\u00a0\u2018That\u2019s a picture of a character,\u2019\u00a0but in reality,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0unconsciously\u00a0picking up on\u00a0even the smallest design details.\u00a0You\u00a0might form an impression such as, \u2018This character\u2019s face is hidden by their hair, so perhaps they\u2019re a bit shy and want to hide themselves.\u2019 People tend to form a vague idea of what someone is like based on their first impression, don\u2019t they?\u00a0Of course,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not right to judge people by their appearance. For example, you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0know the entire contents of a book just by looking at the cover, but the\u00a0cover\u2019s\u00a0role is to convey an impression\u00a0of what\u00a0the book is about.\u00a0When it comes to\u00a0character design, I consider\u00a0my job done\u00a0if the character\u2019s personality is\u00a0evident\u00a0from their appearance.\u00a0For instance, with Anastasia, you might think, \u2018This person\u00a0must be\u00a0a cosplayer who streams and probably has lots of followers,\u2019 or with\u00a0Sushiro, \u2018This person looks strong, somewhat clever, and like someone you can rely on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This\u00a0same intent is\u00a0reflected\u00a0in\u00a0details\u00a0like the\u00a0ear-pieces, called\u00a0Manas Helix, worn by each character\u00a0in\u00a0Villion:Code.\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0designed these to be\u00a0customized based on personality,\u00a0drawing from the way\u00a0people personalize their phones\u00a0in real life.\u00a0Even\u00a0hair\u00a0highlights\u00a0are\u00a0varied\u00a0between\u00a0soft, rounded shapes to sharper or droplet-like forms\u00a0to differentiate characters\u2019 temperaments\u00a0at a glance.\u00a0<\/p>\n When it comes to designing\u00a0Villion:Code\u2019s\u00a0monsters, the process took a lot of\u00a0trial-and-error.\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0says his early prototypes were rejected\u00a0on the grounds of\u00a0being too cute\u00a0(and the one he showed\u00a0us\u00a0in person\u00a0was quite round and endearing too), which helped him realize that,\u00a0being creatures destined to be killed in-game, the monsters had to\u00a0look the part. He then\u00a0proceeded\u00a0to go\u00a0too far in the opposite direction (he showed us a gory monster design with limb-like appendages growing out of an open skull)\u00a0and got told \u201cPlease stop, this is horrifying.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The final approach\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0ultimately\u00a0went for\u00a0centers on a hybrid concept: creatures formed\u00a0through\u00a0a fusion of human and animal DNA. Some\u00a0retain\u00a0recognizable human features, while others lose them entirely as mutation progresses.\u00a0<\/p>\n This ties directly into\u00a0Villion:Code\u2019s\u00a0theme of \u201chuman karma,\u201d according to producer Okada. \u201cIf I had to put it into words,\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0say this work does\u00a0contain\u00a0Buddhist elements. While\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not setting out to discuss religion per se,\u00a0I feel that such a perspective\u00a0best encapsulates the concept of human karma. When we speak\u00a0of karma,\u00a0I think it\u00a0ultimately boils\u00a0down to \u2018worldly\u00a0desires,\u2019\u00a0or, to put it more precisely, \u2018various forms of desire. That said, I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0believe\u00a0desire is\u00a0necessarily bad, and\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think humanity would have progressed this far without desire. But if it goes too far, things can take a strange turn. In the story of\u00a0Villion:Code, too,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a narrative where the darker side of such desires\u00a0emerges, leading humans to turn into monsters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking back on his experience working on\u00a0Villion:Code\u00a0and experiencing it as a game,\u00a0Kuvshinov\u00a0comments, \u201cI believe it\u2019s a work that can be enjoyed simply as entertainment, but that\u00a0it\u00a0also has the potential to change lives, even if just a little. Once\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0finished playing, I think it\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0just make you\u00a0reflect on\u00a0various\u00a0things, but\u00a0might also give you hope. I believe that even after the game ends,\u00a0Villion:Code\u00a0will help you learn to enjoy your own life outside the game. I think it\u00a0will make you\u00a0cherish everyday life, your heart, and the very existence of others. Please look forward to seeing what kind of story unfolds.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This was part\u00a0two\u00a0of a two-part interview.\u00a0In part\u00a0one<\/a>, we\u00a0talked to Koji\u00a0Okada\u00a0about\u00a0the fundamental ideas behind\u00a0Villion:Code\u2019s\u00a0game design.\u00a0<\/p>\nDesigning a character is like designing a book cover<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nGene-mutated monsters and \u201chuman karma\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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