Shopping Guide
Red Ash: Born From the Voice of the Fans
TOM: What inspired you to make RED ASH a 3D action role-playing game?
Inafune: I have worked on a variety of games in the past. Side-scroller action games, 3D action games, and third-person shooters. There were also samurai games and games crawling with zombies. All sorts of games, really. Regardless of the type of game, what stayed the same was the tremendous support that I received from the fans. Many fans asked me to make something that they particularly liked after Mighty No. 9, and the most common request was for a 3D action game.
The question about what my favorite game is often comes up in interviews, and I always say that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the most fantastic game ever. Mr. Miyamoto’s creation has yet to be surpassed, and The Legend of Zelda has been proven to be capable of passing through borders to impress and entertain men and women of all ages and all backgrounds. I actually don’t play many RPGs, but The Legend of Zelda is special. It can capture the hearts of even those who don’t like the RPG genre, and that’s what makes it so hard to beat. Surpassing Mr. Miyamoto will always be my goal. I have made action RPGs before, but I feel like there is more that I can and want to do with them. So, I have decided to use RED ASH as my chance to master the genre of action RPG.
TOM: What else did you want to do with your action RPGs?
Inafune: To bring out all the charm of the characters. Back then, my games were made for the PlayStation, which meant that there were limits on graphics and expressions. Characters without charm and significant characteristics simply cannot bring the story to life in role-playing games, and I felt that the game lacked charm. This time, however, I am able to work with quality as high as that of the PlayStation 4, and have much fewer limits on how I will let my characters express themselves. What makes everything even better is the fact that I was able to meet art director Kazushi Ito and ask him to work on the art of the RED ASH video game. With his art and abilities, I’m sure that fans will be even more attracted to the characters of the game. Of course, this project is not just about the game, as we are making an anime at the same time. It’s great to have the chance to work with STUDIO4℃. I can’t imagine a better situation for a project like this!
TOM: Is there a special reason why the main character Beck has the same name as the character from Mighty No. 9?
Inafune: I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the games are part of a parallel world, but we certainly do have fun with establishing consistency and connections between everything that we produce at Comcept. It’s kind of like how Toshiro Mifune makes his appearance with a different name in all of Akira Kurosawa’s films. We do the exact opposite, since all the characters are completely different, but their names stay the same. Mighty No. 9 allowed the legacy of Beck and Call to continue on. Maybe you will even find a character called Tyger in the game that follows RED ASH.
TOM: This means that it is a set-up that allows fans to enjoy your creations even more, right?
Inafune: Yes. It’s very important for fans to have the opportunity to connect their experiences from previous releases to newer ones.
TOM: About the moving castle that serves as the stage for the game, can you tell me about your thoughts behind this unique concept?
Inafune: The concept pays respect to the Japanese anime culture and industry, really. I think that when anime fans enjoy our games, they experience not only the video game itself but also the creators’ feelings towards Japanese anime as well. I try my very best to include as many special features and details that make fans smile, and while there are plenty of different sources for inspiration that can be drawn from when creating content, this time I focused on including themes and motifs from Japanese anime. I would like fans to embrace the thoughts and emotions that I have put into each and every character, and also take pleasure in trying to find which anime I drew inspiration from. You know how movie directors tell you which films or works they referenced or borrowed from for each scene in movie commentaries? I wanted to do something just like that in a video game.
RED ASH Official Page:http://redashgame.com/
Kickstarter Page (Game)：https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-the-indelible-legend
Kickstarter Page (Anime)：https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-magicicada-by-studio4c
comcept Official Page: http://comcept.co.jp/en/
STUDIO4℃ Official Page:http://www.studio4c.co.jp/english/
STUDIO4℃ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studio4c
STUDIO4℃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/STUDIO4C
STUDIO4℃ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/portstudio4c
