There’s a lot going on with Scarlet Nexus, what with the game’s two storylines, the cast of characters and the anime suitability. It can take a lot. In particular, to really understand it all, you might need to go through both Yuito and Kasane’s campaign. Not to mention the next DLC with additions link episodes and additional details. To help better understand what went wrong in the game, Siliconera spoke with Director Kenji Anabuki about it.
Jenni Lada: How was it Scarlet Nexus become a game with two main characters?
Kenji Anabuki: In the early stages of the project, the concept was a story about a teenage boy and girl supporting and complementing each other. In the process of perfecting the idea, we decided to make them both the main characters of the story. I myself participated in the development Tales of Xillia, also has the theme two main characters. So you can say that I have put my experience and lessons into the development Scarlet Nexus.
When it comes to Kasane and Yuito, what efforts have made the two different protagonists unique yet interconnected? How do you showcase this visually?
Anabuki: In terms of game system, although both use psychokinetic systems, we were able to distinguish their fighting style. Yuito fights quickly and closes in on enemies, while Kasane fights from mid-range and her attacks affect a larger area.
From a character perspective, the two have completely different stories and characteristics. However, what they have in common is that they both experience losses in the story, and even with their differences, they eventually recognize each other.
Visually, we also use the red wire and the SAS cable to represent the “connection” aspect. In terms of character design, we designed with a common theme so that all the characters, including Yuito and Kasane, have teamwork and connection.
Which of these? Scarlet Nexus first generated character? How did the main characters influence the creation of the other, if the two didn’t come together at the same time?
Anabuki: We created almost all of the characters’ personalities, backgrounds, actions, and words all at once. However, for the character 3D models, Yuito was the first character we created. This doesn’t necessarily affect the creation of other designs, but it’s our policy to have all designs have “near futuristic and fashionable look”. There are specific characters with their own themes (e.g. Ninja for Kasane and historical armor of Japanese Samurai for Yuito).
Each OSF member has their own unique abilities. How do you decide which skills to use? And how does the strength of the characters affect their design and personality in Scarlet Nexus?
Anabuki: We’ve picked out powers everyone might want to use at least once in their life so that players can easily visualize and experience them in-game. Then we assign power to each member. The character designs also consider each character’s strength type. Not only that, character personalities and game design influence how powers are designed and balanced. On the other hand, a character’s story is influenced by the powers assigned to them.
While OSF members in Scarlet Nexus having a “uniform” set, many characters still have distinct design elements. How do characters’ move sets affect their OSF outfits? For example, are there any specific examples of someone where the way their attacks would work in game changed what you can do with their appearance?
Anabuki: All of the characters’ designs, including their uniforms, are carefully designed to reflect the motifs of the powers. For example, Hanabi’s is designed with a firefighter theme, Shiden’s is a rubber suit that doesn’t conduct electricity, and Kagero’s has a vampire theme.
Both Kasane and Yuito have a fair amount of allies. You always know who will be on each person’s side? With Kasane, for example, it seems like her older sister would be quite supportive of her. Are there any characters who are almost supportive of others?
Anabuki: Basically, the characters are created as they are required for game and scenario design purposes. That’s why the two teams consist of current members. For Nagi and Naomi, they were created because they were necessary to tell the story of Yuito and Kasane.
Scarlet Nexus is unique in that both the game and the anime adaptation appear one after the other. Did the anime affect any of the character designs after it was announced? And how did the character designs in the game affect the anime?
Anabuki: As Scarlet Nexus started as a game project and as an original work by IP, anime production began after the game’s story was completed. Basically, the story for the game and the anime are the same. Features exclusive expressions and portraits of the characters, and the original “Others” from the anime for players to complete Scarlet Nexus can still fully enjoy the anime.
Scarlet Nexus available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. The anime adaptation is available through Funimation.
