Exclusive Q+A With Eiyuden Chronicle: 100 Heroes Developers (Suikoden)

UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign is live, here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes

Suikoden and Suikoden II are my favorite JRPGs of all-time. I can honestly say that there aren’t any other video games out there that I share such an emotional attachment to. As a huge fan of those two games, and the rest of the series, as a whole, I have been waiting for the news of a remaster, remake, or a spiritual successor for the better part of two decades. Well, seemingly out of nowhere, my hopes have been answered and Eiyuden Chronicle: 100 Heroes by Rabbit and Bear Studios has been announced.

Featuring the incredible talents of veteran designers, developers, artists, composers, writers and beyond, who have worked on Suikoden games and so many other classic JRPGs, Rabbit and Bear boasts an incredible array of talent that makes them a supergroup ready to tackle such an ambitious project.

• For the story, they have: Yoshitaka Murayama (Suikoden, Suikoden II, The Alliance Alive)
• Behind the character design are: Junko Kawano (Suikoden, Suikoden IV, Arca Last)
• Expect system design and direction by Osamu Komuta (Suikoden Tierkreis, Suikoden Tactics, Arca Last)
• Gorgeous art direction and Production from Junichi Murakami (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, OZ)
• And most excitedly, we’re being gifted by music from composers: Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms series), Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of series), and more.

I reached out to Rabbit and Bear Studios and they allowed me to steal some of their precious time with a short Q+A which they so graciously answered.

Rene Rosa – What kind of lore is being referenced for inspiration for the story?

Rabbit and Bear– There are a wide variety of different groups of people, and they all rely on the mysterious power brought about through the rune-lenses.

Rune-lenses are full of power, but in the end, how they are used differs from group to group. The empire produces manually manufactured rune-lenses changing the course of history and ultimately being the spark that begins a great war.

RR – The first two Suikoden games, especially, have such memorable soundtracks. While none of us expect to hear the same music as the Suikoden series, will there be similar themes in the music?

R&B – We plan to have some of the best composers ever on the project. They have been painstakingly chosen due to their organic fit for the world of Eiyuden Chronicle. We know that sound design and music are crucial for creating the right atmosphere in a JRPG so we are making sure these are the right composers for the job.

RR – Speaking of which, some of the most memorable variances in the music came from the minigames. Are they coming back as well?

R&B – Of course! You’ll have to wait for the Kickstarter to see what additional elements we plan for the game but if we can get our way from a budgetary perspective, we plan to add a lot of great content.

RR – It still amazes me that over 20 years later, no one else has really tried to capture the magic of the Suikoden series, until now. Outside of the graphical improvements, what are the things you are most excited about doing with this type of game now, in 2020, that you could not have done back then?

R&B – For me, it would be the guild system. A living breathing world where even the characters you aren’t controlling have their own life/tasks/missions. So your active party may cross paths with your guild party fixing up the fortress town or harvesting materials/etc.

Hopefully down the road, I will have more opportunities to poke their brains and find out more about this incredible looking game as it comes. Until then, be sure to check back with us for the KickStarter link and do your best to help get it to that fully funded status, quickly!