With credits ranging from Secret of Mana to Xenoblade Chronicles, we had to ask the team behind Trinity Trigger about their influence and aspirations.
I had the opportunity to send questions to some of the supergroup behind Trinity Trigger, a recent localization from XSEED Games heavily inspired by Secret of Mana and others. For those of you who don’t know, some teams have bonafide figures that date back to Xenoblade Chronicles character designs, Octopath Traveler stories, and even the Secret of Mana soundtrack. Director Takumi Isobe, character designer Raita Kazama (Xenoblade Chronicles), scenario writer Yura Kubota (Octopath Traveler, Bravely Default II), composer Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana). Check out the full interview!
Nintendo World Report (NWR): How did your experiences with Xenoblade Chronicles influence your character designs for Trinity Trigger?
Raita Kazama (character design): Looking back on the time I designed the characters for Xenoblade Chronicles, I was young and lacked technical skills and perspective. As a result, I caused a lot of trouble and sometimes felt stuck. But that experience taught me the importance of facilitating good chemistry with clients. I used to be hesitant to voice my opinion during the design process, but now I can confidently articulate myself and produce stronger work as a result.
I was able to put this experience to the test with Trinity Trigger and my confidence was fully demonstrated during the character design process.Communication between client and designer is very important. After all, if my clients can’t see my point of view clearly, neither will my players.
Trinity Trigger has a completely different style and atmosphere from Xenoblade Chronicles, so I tried to match it with the design. I tried out ideas that weren’t in Xenoblade Chronicles, and incorporated elements that I wanted to improve in my previous games. I hope that players will feel the passion and love that I put into my characters.
Also, for the illustration of Trigger, while drawing illustrations based on wonderful original designs by other artists, I paid close attention to making the most of their individuality, such as facial expressions and gestures. I always get nervous when interpreting other artists’ designs (laughs).
NWR: What was the inspiration for the appearance of Trigger’s characters? Were their designs based on how they function in-game (and why or why)?
Takumi Isobe (Director): First, we determined the elements that the three triggers represented. After that, I set the body shape of each trigger (two-legged, four-legged, flying) while thinking about how the silhouette would look with the main character. Attractive trigger designs were submitted by Atsuko Nishida, Megumi Mizutani, and Tomohiro Kitakaze, and eventually became the basis for the weapon design.
NWR: Kubota-san, Octopath Traveler, and Bravely Default II are full of interesting side quests. How do you balance a compelling main story with optional content such as narratively rich side quests?
Kubota Yura (scenario): The right balance is usually decided by the director based on the game’s estimated playtime, considering the main scenario, side quests, and additional challenges. Side quests tend to be used for in-depth character exploration and auxiliary world-building that would be redundant if told in the main her story.
NWR: Which character in Trinity Trigger did you enjoy writing the most? If so, why?
Kubota: My favorite character is Lime, a Manafacturer who supports heroes. Her background is not as serious as the main character, so she was able to relax and enjoy writing (laughs). Originally, there were plans for his DLC storyline where the player would control Lyme and explore dungeons just like Cyan and his friends. I also wanted to play that scenario.
NWR: What makes the main trio of Cyan, Elise and Xantis stand out among other modern games?
Kubota: In games, the first impression of a character is determined by its appearance. That’s why I think it’s especially important to ensure that the characters’ lines, actions, and backstory don’t stray too far from the visuals. Still, we wanted to offer a different side to each protagonist for players to discover as they progress through the main her scenario and side her quests.
NWR: Kikuta has recently collaborated with many Western indie studios (Tangledeep, YIIK, Indivisible, Earthlock). What made you want to work with such diverse developers and projects?
Hiroki Kikuta (music): Throughout the 2000s, there was always a desire to work on more interesting projects while exploring new possibilities in game development. I wanted to work with sincere and passionate colleagues as much as possible, such as producing, planning, designing, directing, and composing. Luckily, the rise of overseas indie studios since 2010 has provided me with many opportunities and successes. I’m lucky to have found the passion and integrity I was looking for in an indie developer who played Secret of Mana or Trials of Mana as a kid and became a fan of Japanese games. . After 30 years of making the “Mana” series, it’s great to see that the creators feel that the games they’re making need my melodies.
NWR: How does your work on Trinity Trigger distinguish from your best-known work on the Mana series? Were there other influences you focused on to make it stand out?
Kikuta: The more soul a game developer puts into their work, the more unique the world, style, and presentation of the final result will be. As a result, both the Mana series and Trinity Trigger have their own distinct author styles and personalities. I bring value through my ability to interpret those unique stylistic elements into the music that accompanies those game worlds.
By applying the music technology cultivated in the Mana series, we breathed life into the world of Trinity Trigger. In that sense, Trinity Trigger could be said to be a direct descendant of some of his 1990s Japanese RPGs. Thirty years have passed, but I think the emotions, desires, and excitement that RPG players feel in search of adventure are still the same.
