Date: 12 Sep 2007
Posted by: vilaeth
Dengeki PS Vol.396
- How CCFF7 came to be
Kitase: "When we decided to make something for the PSP, I pictured getting a lot more users to play a game like BC. So first off I talked it over with Tabata, who had gotten good results with BC."
Tabata: "After Kitase came to me with the idea, I wanted to talk it over with Nomura, who worked with me on BC, so I asked Kitase to give me some time."
Nomura: "Then the next day we got to the idea for a story about SOLDIER with Zack as the main character, and we decided to go with that and the project started from there. At first the title was "Before Crisis Core", but some people thought that since it isn't a port having BC in the name didn't make sense, so we changed it to Crisis Core."
- So you didn't make to initials of the title CC to follow on from AC and BC.
Nomura: "No. After we decided against BCC, we thought about keeping it uniform and went with CC."
- Did you decide from the start that it would be an ARPG?
Tabata: "That was settled on from the beginning."
Kitase: "Although it was a winding road deciding on the finer points of the gameplay system, like being able to move your character during battle.
Tabata: "We were starting from scratch as far as developing for the PSP goes, so it took quite a long time to get the kind of rendering effects we wanted. At one point we even got rid of the movement controls for the character."
Nomura: "Then I showed the team another game I had tested. I said that since you can move the character like this in this game, then we should have them move around more in ours."
Tabata: "As well as that, we got a lot of advice from Nomura, like how to emerse people into the game. We did have a pretty hard time with the DMW system, people in-house didn't really understand it. It was quite a battle getting people to accept it."
- Was the reason you went to so much effort to impliment the DWM, because you had a strong attachment towards it?
Tabata: "Because it was interesting, and thought it would turn out to be something meaningful."
Kitase: "It's one of the few systems that remained from beginning of development to the end. But since there's only one playable character, we were worried as to whether the DMW would make it fun or not."
Tabata: "Having one character is precisely the reason that the basic system needs something extra. Besides lining up portraits on the DWM, when numbers line up it changes Zack's status. So say if you got "no MP cost", you can go all out with magic, or with "no AP cost" you can make use of Guard and Evade without worry. The DMW really changes the flow of battles."
Nomura: "It not the battle situation which changes, but more of a sense that it's the player's situation that changes. For starters, the greatest significance of the DMW will be revealed in the last battle."
Tabata: "The DMW was originally Nomura's idea, and his intention was for it to make the last battle more exciting."
Nomura: "In the impressions from the test players there were several who said that they understood the meaning behind the DMW, and I was happy that my intention had gotten through to them."
Kitase: "It's refreshing to see what had until then just seemed like a simple gameplay system turn out to be tied to the emotions and the drama of the story."
Tabata: "There were several test players who said that they started to cry while playing it as well. Speaking of which, after having not given his thoughts on the game at all, Kitase complemented me after seeing the sequence of scenes from the last battle to the ending (laughs). I hope people will play it all the way to the end. I think you'll definitely realize why the DMW is there."
- I've heard that you were in charge of the direction on some cutscenes, Mr. Kitase. Which parts of the story were they?
Kitase: "The turning point in the middle of the story, the parts that lead on to the second half of the game. It was an important scene in FFVII as well, and although I had suggested letting a new staff have a go at creating a new FFVII, in the end I took the reins. Since fans have such strong feelings towards FFVII, the younger staff members seem to have felt pressured by it. They were hesitant about changing the original FFVII even a little bit. I took over, as I was one of those who originally made it. Nomura does the final checks on the work, but the young staff wouldn't stand a chance. People seemed to think I'm probably the only one who could do battle with Nomura on an equal footing. Even so, I still had my ideas rejected sometimes (laughs). I said I wanted to involve Jenova in the Sephiroth vs. Zack fight scene, but I got a one word answer: No."
Nomura: "Because there wasn't any scene like that in the original!"
- It must have been hard to write the scenario. With Zack as the main character, the ending is going to be a bleak one.
Tabata: "It's not a bleak ending. Of course, Zack's fate has with its share of tragedy. But even so there's a lot of meaning to Zack's life, and his will is succeeded and kicks off FFVII. That's the kind of future you can feel in the end of CC."
Nomura: "It ends with hope for the future. I think you will see what we were aiming for when you watch the ending."
Tabata: "We've made the ending in such a way that everyone who watches it will want to play FFVII."
- This is going to raise people's expectations for a remake of FFVII, isn't?
Tabata: "With the game I've tried to sent a message to Nomura and Kitase: Please remake the game (laughs)"
Kitase: "Hmm, I don't know (laughs). If you're that insistent, why don't you make it? (laughs)"
- Finally, do you have any scenes you're particular fond of?
Kitase: "I guess it has to be the scenes I was in charge of. Zack and Sephiroth's battle scene. Though I don't know which I liked better, the one Nomura rejected or the one used in the game (laughs)"
Nomura: "It's already been featured in the trailers, but for me it's the scene where Zack is angry and says, "a SOLDIER should fight!" Also, I like Zack's little reactions. In the scene where [they] burst out laughing in Nibelhem, I could really feel the good rapport the voice actors have with each other."
Tabata: "Genesis' debut scene, which we'd thought up a lot of idea for during production. Originally we had in mind to focus on portraying the characters to give them presences, and through trail and error the directing staff captured the feel of the game, of these characters and their movements, and static camera angles and so on, that we were striving for in CC with the Genesis debut scene. And while it's not a very original thing to say, the ending is a must-see."
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Gamaga October issue
Interview extracts
- Zack was chosen as the main character as a representative of a BC era SOLDIER. Sephiroth is already the strongest in the world so there's no room for growth, and we couldn't possibly see ourselves making a game over type situation where he loses (Nomura)
- Nojima also had strong feelings from the start about what kind of character Zack is, and as a result of him combining those feelings with Nomura's image of Zack to construct his character, they've given him depth (Tabata)
- Tseng is an important character too. However, Lazard appears more often (Nomura)
- The DMW started out by wondering if we could successfully implement the element of luck and the enjoyment of something like pachinko into a game (Tabata)
- The DMW didn't go down well at all with the staff at the company initially (Nomura)
- Right up to the very end we've been meticulous in making the game, so please try to get all the way to the ending. There were a lot rejected ideas for the sequence from the climax to the ending before completing it (Nomura)
- In the end it went through 20 retakes. When it was completed it came out in such a way as to make me glad that we made it (Tabata)
- (About the demand for a remake)
"You're quite positive about this, aren't you?" (Tabata)
"I am! But we're don't have the staff..." (Nomura)
- Originally they were only going to produce 10000 limited edition PSP sets, but they pushed for it and upped the number to 77777. Make-to-order would bring the master up period forward drastically, and the development wouldn't be ready in time. At present they haven't been able to find an effective countermeasure against resale, so for the manufacturer too this is their limit. Nomura tried to reserve one at S-E's e-STORE, but couldn't get one. Tabata preordered his at a convenience store. "I'm going to be queuing up to buy one on release day!" (Nomura)
- While on missions or travelling around, you can get messages to Zack's mobile phone from various people, from friends to just company newsletters. Aerith doesn't own a mobile phone, so you don't get messages from her
- There are some extremely difficult missions, so it's recommended you load your clear data from the end of the game and try them on a second cycle
- Angeal: "Listen Zack, if you want to make it to 1st..."
This is a DMW flashback scene.
- An item called "Soma" which restores AP has been added
- Evade is a forward rolling action. You become momentarily invincible and avoid attacks.
- Cissnei is described as being born in Wutai (since she's an orphan, perhaps her past will be revealed??)
- The one the ground next to Tifa ("This man protected me... ") is Cloud
- The Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal fight scene. Something happens here and sets off an incident.
- There's magic materia, ability materia, and support materia.
- Fire magic is a projectile, Thunder has a short range but pierces, and Blizzard is slow to cast but does high damage. There's also Barrier, Gravide/Demi, etc.
- Ability materia include Steal, Blast Sword, Spin Attack, etc. You use MP to execute abilities
- Support materia include HP Up and MP Up, and you get the effects just by equipping them. There's also materia that affect the DMW and make it easier to call a particular summon, etc.
- In between missions you can move freely around the Shinra Complex and Midgar
- You may be able to understand the meaning of the wings as you play through the game
- Cloud talks about his dreams of joining SOLDIER with Zack
- The 'baka ringo/stupid apple' is an important item. The logo on Hollander's T-shirt also relates to it.
- During the story there are scenes where the interactions between members of SOLDIER deepens
- Zack's swinwear design comes from his name (based on the sun?)
- Cissnei joined the Turks at age 16 (the youngest ever)
- Lazard also worries about his subordinates and may sometimes appears on the battle field?
- DMW flashback scenes sometimes cut out half way through, and if that happens [the ability] doesn't level up. When you see all of the flashback scene the ability levels up
- Sephiroth's "take down the enemy with one fell swoop" flashback is a scene from when they were training together
- Cissnei's "Zack, about the furlough, actually I..." flashback plays after the events in Costa del Sol
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Dengeki Maou, October issue
Nomura Interview
ZACK
- Was Zack's change of hair style during the game something you'd planned from the start?
Nomura: "During production some of the staff seem have been under the impression that his hair would stay the same as it was when he was a 2nd Class when he made it to 1st, so they might have been surprised at the change."
- Zack's SOLDIER outfit seems different too.
Nomura: "In the original FFVII SOLDIER 2nd Class had red uniforms. But I couldn't really imagine Zack in red, so got them to be let me make that detail different from the original."
- I can't really imagine Zack in a red uniform either...
Nomura: "So I changed the colours of Zack's 1st and 2nd uniforms. The 2nd uniform is more blue, while the 1st uniform is black. Cloud wore a bluish uniform in FFVII, but originally it was going to be black. At the time due to circumstance it was changed to a deep blue, so now we've made the 1st uniform black like they were originally intended to be, and used the original game's design for 2nd Class."
- How did you decide on Ken'ichi Suzumura to provide the voice of Zack?
Nomura: "Since the story shows Zack for a long period of time, there's a wide scope for growth. When thinking about which aspect of Zack out of that scope to pick up on, I wanted to bring out the 'yang'. We decided to go with Mr. Suzumura to project Zack's cheerfulness. "
- And what were your thoughts when he got down to playing the part?
Nomura: "He played the role in AC as well, so based on the knowledge of what kind of character he'll be when he's in 1st Class, we had him play the boyish 2nd Class Zack. I feel that Mr. Suzumura's voice fits Zack's innocent, childlike image."
- Zack does seem like a leading man.
Nomura: "With FFVII Cloud was created out of the concept on a character who wasn't like a 'leading man', but on the other end of the scale with Zack we were going for for a character who is."
SEPHIROTH
- Sephiroth seem to have been redesigned for CC compared with his original FFVII design. Are there any points that you took special care over?
Nomura: "It's basically the same design, but compared to the original his hair is longer and there's more belts, that's pretty much it. I tried not to stray too far from the impression from the original game, while making minor adjustments like that. So I don't think the changes will feel out of place."
- Sephiroth certainly doesn't seem too different from how he looked in FFVII.
Nomura: "The CC version of Sephiroth is based on AC's design. We decided to use the AC one since it's more expressive than the original's, but basically there's no major differences between the original and AC's designs.
- So CC uses AC as a basis.
Nomura: "The biggest difference as far as his appearance goes is the number of buckles on the belts for his coat. In the original game there was one, but in AC there was a lot."
- In 1st Class they can wear whatever they like, then?
Nomura: "When you're promoted to 1st, you're free to choose your outfit. Sephiroth and Genesis wear unique outfits, and Angeal is a serious man so he wears the standard issue uniform. Their outfits reflect their individual personalities."
- How did Tomoyuki Morikawa get the role of Sephiroth?
Nomura: "We held auditions for the role of Sephiroth, but what we were looking for in Sephiroth's voice was strength. We wanted the voice as well to convey that this is a man who has abilities and charisma far beyond that of an average person. And not only strength, but it also has terror and sensuality in his voice. But we weren't looking for someone who could bring out that sensuality through acting, but rather someone who's voice itself has that lustre to it. It's a rather excessive demand, but Mr. Morikawa fits it to a T. So after hearing Mr. Morikawa's voice, we decided on him straight away. Even in CC, he's perfect in the role of Sephiroth when he was still a hero."
CLOUD
- Cloud appears in CC wearing a regular grunt's uniform, but did you redesign this as well?
Nomura: "Cloud hasn't been redesigned for CC. I did the deigns for Shinra's regular army uniforms back for the original FFVII, so rather I used that original design as it was. So that original design for the regular soldiers has been reproduced without change in CC."
- Some of the designs used in FFVII were slightly stylised, so did you have to touch up the design?
Nomura: "Shinra troops appeared as enemies, so they were designs as monsters [enemy characters]. So the designs I did back then used proper proportions. I had drawn them down to the little details, so I was able to use it as is."
- What about the design of Cloud himself?
Nomura: "In the flashback scenes at the beginning of AC the old Cloud appears for just a moment, so we used that as a base. In AC the spike in Cloud's hair faces backwards, but in FFVII it was facing forward. Since CC takes place in the past, his spike should be facing firmly forward."
- So is it like, the direction of the spike reflect Cloud's state of mind?
Nomura: "I didn't think that deeply into it (laughs). It was simply that when was I making AC Cloud, having the spike facing backward looked cool. But when we were adding the flashback scene, it really had to be the old Cloud, so the spike had to be forward."
- Since this is Cloud during his boyhood days, did you try to make the impression of the voice match that?
Nomura: "Of course we got Takahiko Sakurai, who played the role in AC, to provide the voice, but he really is talented. While playing it different to AC Cloud, he's still definitely Cloud. Mr. Sakurai played the original FFVII and understands the subject matter, so he had no trouble with the role. At the end of CC there's a bit of a surprise, so any Cloud fans might want to look forward to that."
AERITH
- Aerith's CC outfit is similar to her BC one, isn't it.
Nomura: "Aerith has appeared before in BC and Kingdom Hearts, but each time I stress over her outfit. Each time I consider the possibility of having trousers or a mini-skirt, but I just can't see it (laughs)
- It certainly is hard to imagine.
Nomura: "But I wasn't big on following the same pattern every time, so this time I designed it using white as a foundation."
- Colour-wise, the pink from FFVII left a big impression, didn't it?
Nomura: "With Aerith, 'flowers' has been her image throughout the series. BC was the same. But this time I wanted to take a little risk at something different, and used white and blue to bring to mind the sky and clouds. Although she still has flowers on the designs of her shoes."
- How about Maaya Sakamoto, who provides her voice?
Nomura: "As far Aerith's voice goes, I've got nothing to say. Being speechless says it all, she really is that good. When we were recording AC, every time Ms. Sakamoto said a line the scenario writer Kazushige Nojima would make a noise about it and carry on about 'how great' she was (laughs). CC was no exception, Ms. Sakamoto truly is amazing."
- Aerith's elocution is rather unique, and looks tricky to play.
Nomura: "Ms. Sakamoto play that for us well. Sometimes we give her some difficult demands, but she just replies with an "alright, I'll give it a shot" and pulls it off. She adds the subtle changes of emotion with such skill, and she puts in the pauses perfectly as well."
- Will you be protraying the relationship between Zack and Aerith in detail in CC?
Nomura: "They do have a lot of conversations together. Whenever something comes up Zack heads straight to the church, as if maybe he's looking to be healed (laughs). It's a brutal story, but Zack and Aerith's conversations are somewhat heart-warming, and offer a bit of respite. I hope people will look forward to watching their scenes together."
OTHERS
- There are also a lot of characters showing up for the first time in CC but first off what kind of image did you have in mind when designing Angeal, who is like an older brother to Zack?
Nomura: "The original request for Angeal called for a more sensitive, delicate type. A man with attractive features, who resembled Cloud. But the Angeal I envisioned was slightly different from that, and ultimately he ended up the rugged man he is today. That's nearer to the image I had when I read the plot. Zack is like an older brother to Cloud, and for the 'older brother' to Zack, to use the Records of Three Kingdoms as an example, I pictured a stoic warrior type like Guan Yu. FFVII didn't have any SOLDIER characters like that, so I thought it might make for a good character.
- What's the story behind Genesis, who appeared in DC, also appearing in CC?
Nomura: "Tabata, who was also the director of BC, apparently wanted CC to bring the Compilation together, so was considering putting a character from a later point chronologically. So we decided to have Genesis from DC also appear in CC. The mysteries about Genesis left by DC will be cleared up in CC."
- What about the voices for Angeal and Genesis?
Nomuta: "This is Angeal's first appearance so I was fretting about who to get to play him, but among the list of applicants was Kazuhiko Inoue's name. He had played Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid in KH. For that role he used a 'handsome youth' type voice, but I wanted him to play a cool, refined character some day. Even though Angeal looks old he's only 25, and I thought that Mr. Inoue's voice, masculine but sensitive, would be perfect.
Genesis is played by Gackt. He tried a lot of different ideas for how he thought he should do things, and was meticulous with how he handle the role. What left the biggest mark about Gackt was how he related everything to music. I was really impressed at how his frame of mind is based in music even when doing his voice work, like how he'd say things such as, "should I raise the pitch a little bit more?"
- On the point of connecting the Compilation titles, Cissnei from BC appears in addition to Genesis. Have you given her a new design?
Nomura: "Cissnei hasn't had a new design. I used her design straight from BC. But this is the first time she's being voiced, so that has been newly recorded."
- Who provides Cissnei's voice?
Nomura: "Cissnei is played by Asumi Nakata. Ms. Nakata has been coming to auditions since the production of KH, and I was struck by her distinctive voice. Until now we haven't had a character her voice would suit, so we haven't had the opportunity to use her. Cissnei doesn't appear that often in this game, but I thought that with Ms. Nakata's voice she could leave her mark even in such a short time and hired her for the role".
- The Turks such as Tseng also appear, but what kind of role will they have?
Nomura: "The members of Turks are of course going to show up in CC. In FFVII the Turks were portrayed kind of like minor villains, but they acted based on their own will and philosophy. However, as long as they're with the Shinra Company, they'll carry out the orders given to them. That aspect of them was covered in BC as well, but it's not that they do evil things because that's what they want to do."
- So in a sense, they're just like ordinary employees in a company?
Nomura: "It's true that in FFVII they did some evil things, but as far as their humanity goes you can't just say that they're evil people. That was shown in BC, and it's emphasised even more in CC. I think you'll be able to grasp the relationship and differences between the Turks who carry out the covert assignments, and Shinra who controls them. The Turks as an organization aren't as tightly controlled as the military, so they still have some humanity left. We're aiming to go into the conflict that arises from that. I think once you understand how they view Zack, it'll change how people look at the Turks."
- I heard that you not only handled the character designs but were also involved with many facets of CC?
Nomura: "Yeah. I was approached by Kitase and Tabata with the idea of making a FFVII title on the PSP, so I thought about it for a day and suggested doing a story about SOLDIER, with Zack as the lead. That was where the project started from."
- I also heard that the original idea for the DMW was yours too?
Nomura: "With the DMW, it's not the tactical situation that changes but the player's situation that continuously changes, so there's a feeling of tension. And when the character portraits are about to line up sometimes a cutscene will play. I thought that the players might enjoy this sense of anticipation that the DMW could be about to line up something, and being able to see scenes you can't see during the main story. But the biggest reason for the DMW being there lies in the final battle. When I thought of this idea, I didn't think there was more compelling use of it than this. Even from the in-house impressions of the game, I was happy to hear people say that they understood the meaning of the DMW."
- Will the parts that FFVII didn't really go into deeply be shown in CC in more detail?
Nomura: "I think there might be parts where people's interpretations differ, but in regards to these parts I think CC will be the creator's answers to them."
- What scenes in the game would you recommend that people should watch out for?
Nomura: "The scene where an angry Zack says 'I'm a SOLDIER, I should fight.' Also I like Zack's little reactions."
- With Zack as the lead, won't the story have a sad ending?
Nomura: "I think there's hope in the ending. Maybe people will understand what we were trying to do when they watch the final scenes."
Kitase Interview
- What's the story on CC's development?
Kitase: "It started when a project to make something for the PSP was brought up. I thought it would be nice to let more users have the chance to play BC, which at the time was only available for mobile phones on the DoCoMo network, so I had a chat with Tabata who had made BC. So I personally was thinking of making a game that would be an extension of BC. But before I knew it, it had turned into a completely different game (laughs)"
- Did you have to figure anything out by trial and error during development?
Kitase: "The scenario, and world and character building didn't change from the day one, but the team seemed to have a rough time with the development. The DMW in particular, which I was also apprehensive about actually. I wasn't sure if the DMW would make the game fun while only having one playable character during battle. But after playing an early build my mind was put at ease. I got really into it and enjoyed it. With the DMW Zack's status continuously changes, and the player's actions will also change in accordance with that. This makes it an entertaining system with a good sense of variety."
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Dengeki PSP Vol.397
- Where do you usually use your PSP?
Kitase: "I've got kids, so it's when I'm dropping off or picking up my kids from their after school lessons. I play it in the car while I wait for them. You can access the internet with the PSP, so if I'm in an area with a wireless LAN I often use it for other things besides games like surfing the web. I usually don't carry things around, so when I'm walking around I keep it in my pocket. It's a useful item for a father to have (laughs)"
Tabata: "I've got it going full out at work for test playing CC."
Nomura: "I play against other people online a lot, so at work it's either Monster Hunter Portable 2 or SOCOM. As for carrying it around, I have a black PSP, but I usually put have it in the snakeskin case that game with the Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops boxset. I've got the camo PSP that was in the box set safely displayed at home (laughs)"
- What appeals to you about the PSP?
Kitase: "I guess how clear the LCD screen is? When you're using the internet you can see the letters nice and clear, so that's useful. And when going abroad, using LocationFree to watch TV shows you've recorded at home is a handy feature.
Tabata: "That it's a portable console that has a lot of value to create for. You can see the results of your dedication, so it's enjoyable being able to develop something while maintaining a balance between a casual sense of play and subtle forms of artistic expression matching what is possible on a home console. It's a console that I'd like to make another game for, using a different approach."
Nomura: "I think the biggest draw is how it basically has the specs of a home console but you can carry it around with you. No one ever dreamed when the PS2 was released that there would be a handheld like this. So I think being able to play high spec games anywhere is a big attraction."
- What points sets it apart from other game systems?
Kitase: "That in addition to games, you can use in a lot of ways, like the LocationFree or 1seg compatibility with the new model. In one machine you can have a UMD, videos on the Memory Stick, and net access in area with wireless LAN, you can pass the time with a single device. It's that point that makes it different from other portable systems."
Tabata: "That it has the good points of both home consoles and portable consoles."
Nomura: "It's the multifunctional aspect of it too. The only thing it needs now is release a keyboard. Then if they bring out Word and Excel you can do your work on it, and it'll be perfect (laughs)"
- You've given Zack a surname, which is also related to weather. Do you have any attachment to that theme?
Nomura: "It wasn't anyone's attachment in particular, we just found ourselves continuing on with that theme. Cloud and Squall were my ideas, but after that it wasn't so I didn't mind if we didn't carry on with it. With FFXIII as well Toriyama said he wanted to have something related to weather, and so we named the main character Lightning."
Kitase: "Just like with Biggs and Wedge, even if you say that it doesn't matter people around you will still pay mind to it."
Nomura: "But when we were deciding on Zack's name, since it had gone on it this long we decided to make it weather related as well, and picked 'Fair (weather)'."
Kitase: "We'd already settled on the logo, so we picked a name with an image of a 'blue sky' based on that. We had three potential names lined up."
Nomura: "We were almost going to go with a different name that Kitase was pushing for, but there were too many objections to it so we went with Fair (laughs). But there are some sunflowers on the swimming trunks Zack wears at Costa del Sol, those are remnants of it."
- In the beach scene there's a good atmosphere between Zack and Cissnei, but what's kind of relationship did they have?
Nomura: "There was a scene in FFVII where Aerith says something about Zack having other girlfriends."
Tabata: "It's meant to allude to that. Besides that, she's also one of the people who gave Zack support along the way. Some of those feelings are depicted in the DMW memory scenes."
- I've heard that you were in charge of directing some of the cutscenes, Mr Kitase. Which part of the story was that?
Kitase: "The turning point in the middle of the story. At first I suggested that the young staff member use their own sensibilities and try creating a new FFVII, but in the end it fell to me to take command. And I'm not even young. FFVII is a title that fans feel very strongly about, so I think the young staff felt pressured by it. They were anxious about changing the original FFVII even a little."
- Which part specifically?
Kitase: "Zack and Sephiroth's fight scene. It's a moment that wasn't really covered in FFVII. It's an important scene for finding out what happened to Zack and Cloud. At first I tried to involve Jenova into the battle, but that idea got rejected by Nomura (laughs)"
Nomura: "But there wasn't any scene like that in FFVII, was there? (laughs)"
Kitase: "Everyone's so strict about these things (laughs)"
Nomura: "But there are some scenes where interpretations differ depending on how you look at it. For these parts, we've added our interpretation. In the later stages of CC there's a scene where Cloud speaks to Zack, I think there's people who will be curious about this scene."
Tabata: "Like, what happened to his memory of that moment. But I think that will be the creators' answer, that as a story this is how we interpretated it. At the root of CC is the feelings the entire staff towards FFVII, so I think it will feel like after CC's time has passed, you come to FFVII. Of course we've made it so that even if you don't know about FFVII you can still enjoy it, but I think when you see the ending people will want to play FFVII."
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Famitsu vol. 972
Interview with Nomura and Tabata
- Is Zack's change of hair style when he moves up to 1st Class a sign of a change in his mental state as well?
Nomura: Yes. Something happens which greatly changes his mind-set, and he kind of grows up a bit.
- You've also reveals some scenes with Zack and Aerith. But to people who know what the future holds for them, they must be quite sad to watch.
Nomura: There are a lot of scenes that explore what kind of relationship they had. If you take note of Zack's changing hair style
I think you'll have realized this, but Zack meets Aerith when he's still 2nd Class, so it's safe to say he spent a long time with her.
- Tseng, who is in charge of monitoring Aerith, has a couple of scenes in FFVII which hinted that he felt something for her...
Nomura: Tseng watches Aerith due to his duty to monitor her, but perhaps seeing the way she lived her life changed how he felt.
- Modeoheim is a place name which wasn't mentioned in FFVII. Are there going to be new locations in the game?
Nomura: There aren't a lot, but there will be some.
- Hojo was practically the root of all evil in FFVII, but will he have an important role in Crisis Core as well?
Nomura: There is a chain of events in the game in which Hojo will be involved with in one way or another. But not as someone directly
involved; more as someone who knows something about it. Though I think everyone probably knows that he's not exactly the cooperative type (laughs).
- If I may ask about the battle system, when you get the Reach screen Zack can level up, but what conditions do you need to fulfil to get this?
Tabata: On the Reach screen [when the reels enlarge and fill the whole screen] when you line up 3 7s Zack's level increases. Materia also levels up if you line up different number. Materia growth changes too, depending on how the numbers line up.
- Angeal's limit (Hard Rush) also has a level. How do Limit Breaks level up?
Tabata: Limit Breaks level up when you get a special scene during the Reach mode. Normally the level is determined by the sum or combination of the three numbers.
- It looks like, in addition to materia growth, you can power them up through synthesis. That should make collecting materia more fun.
Tabata: You can tell what materia will be produces before you synthesise them, so I hope people will try out a lot of different
combinations to find out which make powerful materia.
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