Square Enix Developer On Teenagers & Protagonists
When Square Enix talks about its formula for creating RPGs, designers should stop and listen. Its the company behind Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger after all, so if it decides to speak about how it makes games, then you know it’s going to be interesting. The Last Remnant developer Yusuke Naora spoke about Square Enix’s formula when it comes to choosing lead characters. Here’s what he had to say:
“The format of the RPG lends itself well to having a teenage protagonist. Usually you’re playing for many hours, taking a character on a journey from a relatively weak state to one of power and maturity, a gameplay journey that mirrors that of a teenager moving into adulthood. That’s certainly one of the reasons it works well having young protagonists.”
This means that you should stop wondering why you don’t see any old men and women, or even 20-something protagonists on Squeenix’s games. The parallels between adolescence and leveling characters do make sense, but the drawback there is that the plots of J-RPGs are becoming predictable. Get a teenager filled with angst, level him a bit, give him the big reveal (whatever that is plot-wise), then have him save the world. Add in a leading lady and you’ve got a potential winner right there.
Short URL: http://virtualreality.ca/uju
