Developed by Square Enix and published by Bandai Namco Taiwan, the Asian version of “THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE” took the opportunity of the Taipei Game Show to invite Chinese media to interview the producer Ichiro and director Suzui Kuoshin, and asked them to talk about this game design concept.
“THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE” is a music rhythm game based on previous “Final Fantasy”. There are many ways to play, such as the unique two-player play style, and online battles with up to four people playing together.
In addition, the official release of the three-bomb DLC is expected to include a total of 90 music DLCs of various other works such as the “NieR” series, “Chrono Trigger”, and “LIVE A LIVE”.The following is the content of this interview
Q: The number of DLC songs this time is amazing, and there are many other game cooperation songs (such as “Resurrection Cthulhu Series”). How did you choose the music?
A: A total of 502 songs will be included including the DLC, mainly selected and discussed from the original soundtrack. The standard for selecting songs is to first select the original music of “FF”, then the external music, and finally the Songs from other Square Enix titles.
Q: Will there be an online ranking mechanism for online battles?
A: There is no online ranking mechanism this time, and the scoring system is used this time, so that players can challenge this game with a more relaxed attitude.
Q: DLC has added music from other games, so will characters from these games also enter the game?
A: The characters are still based on “FF”, so there are no characters from other games, but a lot of thought has been spent on the background of the game. Please pay special attention to this when playing songs from other games.
Q: In addition to the “Final Fantasy” series of songs, “THEATRHYTHM” also includes many other works of SQUARE ENIX. Will there be a chance to include “Kingdom Hearts” in the future? And in “Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory”, a villain with the same style as “THEATRHYTHM” has been produced. Is it possible to continue to use it?
A: There is no such consideration at present. We believe that each series of games is an independent work.
Q: In previous works, each song is bound to a specific game mode? Is it the same this time? Still can choose?
A: This time, each song corresponds to a specific music level, but this time in the wilderness music level, there will be continuous battles with miscellaneous soldiers, and players can design their own team composition and collocation ability, which will have a more RPG feel .
Q: Why did you drop “Fianl Fantasy” from the title this time?
A: Although the main axis is still based on the tracks of “FF”, it is carried out with the mentality of developing the last work of this series. Therefore, the songs of other excellent works are also included, so this time the main axis is the sequel of the work “THEATRHYTHM”, so the title of the previous work “Final Fantasy” was deleted.
Q: What are the criteria for selecting tracks for “FF14”?
A: Regarding this question, because FF14 is an online game that has been in operation for a long time, there are more than a thousand songs in their songs alone. In order to meet everyone’s expectations, I picked out the 33 songs that I have seen so far.
Q: Will there be more DLC after DLC Season Pass 3?
A: At present, after the third DLC, there are no more expected DLC plans. We are very happy to be able to develop this work. We are very happy that you are willing to ask this question.
Q: The “THEATRHYTHM” series used to be dominated by touch operations. Why did you switch to key input this time? In addition, is it considered to launch on platforms corresponding to touch input (such as mobile phones, etc.) in the future?
A: The works on 3DS can indeed be controlled by touch, but the screen of the switch does not have the precise touch control like the previous pen, and also want to add more diversified charts, so this time the button control is adopted uniformly. As for porting to mobile phones, there is currently no plan. If it is to be used on mobile phones, it may take several years to recreate a new game.
Q: Will this work consider the “monthly card” and “annual card” modes in the future? Similar to the recent “Taigu no Master” and “Just Dance” charging models that allow you to play freely in the entire music library for a small monthly fee.
A: This can be regarded as a difference in commercial considerations. It is true that the approach of “Taigu no Master” is in line with the approach of the modern era, but the home console game in my mind is to be able to enjoy all the content (385 songs) after buying it, and then players Then consider whether to buy DLC or not.
Q: Why do you do it with the mood of the last one?
A: The last work was actually created with such a mood. It has been 8 years since the 3DS work, and there are “FF15”, “FF7RE”, and many expansion packs for FF14. We hope to do it again Challenge once. Instead of launching works with different gameplays, I hope to devote all my energy to this work when time is sufficient.
Q: Do you support cross-platform battles? What mechanisms will there be in online matchmaking?
A: Cross-platform battles are not possible. PS and Switch are separate battles, which is a relatively stable approach. Up to 2 to 4 people can fight at the same time, and you can open the room password, or you can choose the difficulty, choose whether there is a hindrance mechanism, and so on.
In addition, during the game matching process and after the end, you can use stereotyped texts to communicate with other players. If you continue to fight in the same room, you can get collection cards.
Q: Will there be independent music games of the same type as “Dragon Quest” or “Kingdom Heart” in the future?
A: To be honest, there is no such plan at present. If there is a particularly suitable time in the future, we may discuss the possibility of a new work.
Q: This is the first Chinese-language work in the “THEATRHYTHM” series. Where will the scope of Chinese culture be? Will even the part of the lyrics be Chinese?
A: It is true that some songs with human voices are included, but the lyrics were not included in the original, so there will be no Chinese version of the lyrics. When it comes to localization, I can share an interesting fact. Each country has a different view on the highest evaluation. Some national conditions are AAA and some are SSS. Each country has a different word for perfect pressing. I feel this way during production. quite interesting.
Q: Have you ever played against each other? Who has a higher winning rate? Which song do you two like?
Maichiro: Director Suzui is too embarrassed to say so, so I will speak. Basically, when fighting, I win more. As for my favorite song, my favorite is the refreshing feeling of playing, which is the song “Flash” from “FF13”. This song is also released in the trial version, you can come and play it.
Suzui: As for my favorite is the song “闘う者达” from “FF7”. Because the song will have a very different turning point in the middle, so I like it very much.
“THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE” is expected to be released on PS4 and Switch on February 16, and a trial version has been released on the above platforms.