The team who made for the new JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Rabbit & Bear Studios, has shared some personal insights into the key moments of the game’s development journey. Studio Head and Illustrator Junko Kawano, Producer and Art Director Junichi Murakami, and Director Osamu Komuta spoke openly about their experiences working on this highly anticipated title.
According to an interview with Xbox Wire, one of the most important events for the developers was the game’s highly successful Kickstarter campaign. The team felt excited when they reached their goal but also realized they had a big responsibility as more and more support poured in. There are other moments, so we’ll get back to the Kickstarter one later in this article.
Perhaps the most notable part of the development process was the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team had to work with many people they never met in person, which was a new and challenging situation. Despite these difficulties, Murakami considers working under lockdown a particularly memorable part of the project.
Kawano, Murakami, and Komuta discussed the game’s distinctiveness as their memorable moments. They highlighted the game’s focus on constructing a lively town and its extensive array of characters. Handling the interplay between storytelling, gameplay, and the numerous personalities of more than 100 characters posed a difficulty, but the team feels confident in successfully resolving this challenge.
The best answer, which I will display below, is the kickstarter. Kickstarter is a Western tool, not a Japanese one, so the team didn’t expect to be funded as quickly as they were. To say the least, they were happy to see the outcome.
Xbox Wire Interview
- “Murakami: There are many such episodes. But the most memorable one was when Murayama and I launched the Kickstarter project.
- Komuta: After we launched the Kickstarter, we reached our goal in an instant. We all went a little crazy at that moment.
- Murakami: If it were a lottery ticket or something, I would simply be happy, but in the case of crowdfunding, the more it goes up, the more I got worried.
- Kawano: Yes, you feel the sense of responsibility building up (laughs).
- Komuta: I couldn’t believe our dream would gather so much support.
- Murakami: I got the feeling that the expectations were being taken on board in a new way.
- Komuta: I felt like I was taking on something great.
- Kawano: While I felt grateful, it also came with a feeling of heavy commitments being placed on my shoulders.
- Murakami: I had the feeling that there was no way I could escape from this (laughs).
- Komuta: I had a lot of mixed feelings running through me, but above all, I was happy. Even now, I can’t forget what Murayama said at that moment. He said something along the lines of, “I can’t stop my hands from shaking”.
- Kawano: It was like that from the beginning, and it was a special kind of game production right up to the end.”
I’ve seen games that let you have more extensive NPCs working with you, like Mount & Blade. However, giving each character an extensive personality while also putting them in a battle zone is intense. I may be wrong, but I’ve never seen this done. Whenever you get a lot of NPCs on your side, they’re nameless and can be killed off with no feeling. This would change things.
The development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes shows the studio’s dedication and careful attention to detail. The game is a beloved spiritual successor, created in honor of its late creator, Yoshitaka Murayama. This glimpse into the development process illustrates the challenges and triumphs of bringing the game into existence.
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