During last year's Tokyo Game Show, we reached out tooriginal creator of the "Muv-Luv" series and also of the longstanding bishoujo game companyâgefounder, Mr. Yoshimune Kouki, at a place in Tokyo calledAt FUZZ's office, we spent an entire night discussing the past and future of the "Muv-Luv" series. Also participating in that conversation was Mr. Matsumura Kazutoshi, founder of CIRCUS, who introduced us to Mr. Yoshimune Kouki.
It was also through that conversation that we gained a comprehensive understanding of the entire"ROAD TO INTEGRATE"plan became clearer. Within this plan, serving as a foundation for technical capabilities, is what is known as "Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kali-dasa" tactical simulation game—its release will bring a revolution to the representation of Tactical Surface Fighters and battlefields in the "Muv-Luv" series. If you are interested in this aspect, you can check out our previous interview article with the two producers."Legacy Left for the Future—Interview with "Muv-Luv" Original Creator Yoshimune Kouki and Production Director Matsumura Kazutoshi".
Now, "Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kali-dasa" is finally meeting players. As part of the promotional efforts, Mr. Yoshimune Kouki and Mr. Matsumura Kazutoshi personally attended the "Fusion Game Festival" in Shenzhen. In addition to meeting their long-time Chinese fans, they answered questions from on-site media about the game's story and selling points. If you are also a fan of "Muv-Luv" series fans, some of the information here might interest you.
Yoshimune Kouki and Matsumura Kazutoshi
Q: First,,Regarding thisnew title"Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kali-dasa", YoshimuneWhat message do you wish to convey to players through this title?
Yoshimune:The "Muv-Luv" series has always explored the same theme: how to deal with the mutual pressure between people whose intentions are not malicious but suffer from poor communication. Broadly speaking, this title does not deviate from this theme.
But this time, we chose a region we had never ventured into before as the setting. The "Muv-Luv" series has always told stories set in Asia, Europe, and America, gaining many fans in these areas. However, we rarely touched upon Southeast Asian countries and regions, which are experiencing rapid economic growth and population increase.
We wanted to bring "Muv-Luv" to players in these regions—so we decided to set the story in Southeast Asia.
For new players, the large number of series entries might make it unclear where to start. Therefore, we chose a world slightly deviating from the main storyline as the setting, serving as a new entry point. This allows young players in Southeast Asia to understand Japan through elements rich in Japanese culture, such as samurai, gyarus, and robots. Through the protagonist "Minato Chisaku," we hope to convey messages about overcoming communication barriers.
Q:"Muv-Luv"series has always given people the"using sci-fi and robots asouter shell, meticulously depicting one's own choices and reasons for fighting"impression—These elements are important components of the series. Does this title also inherit this spiritual core?
Yoshimune:Yes, the basic concept hasn't changed. From the perspective of the original creator, I believe that if we're going to do it, we must infuse it with the "flavor" of "Muv-Luv."
However, what people usually refer to as the "original work," such as anime, games, novels, and manga, might differ from my understanding of the term. Iinner"Original work" refers toTo recreate the thematic elements and "flavor" that only I can express, I created a large amount of material, including plot outlines for the worldview and background stories for characters that are not depicted in the game.and so on—providing this vast amount of material to the development team, who adapt it into the game. I am also looking forward to seeing what kind of game will ultimately be presented.
Q: Looking at the broader series context, as a sequel to "Muv-Luv Integrate," this title is surely highly anticipated.—Regarding the new title"Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kali-dasa", what position do you think it holds within the series?
Yoshimune:First, this title is the first step in the "ROAD TO INTEGRATE" plan.its prototype can even be traced back to a simple idea I had with Mr. Matsumura over drinks thirty years ago, when we considered adding strategic gameplay to the game....So, when he later proposed to me, "When he proposed the concept of "Muv-Luv: Tactics," I was truly surprised: I couldn't believe you remembered something from so long ago.
In the past, we actually released a tactical game called "Distant Dawn," hoping to recreateThe war scenes in the "Muv-Luv" stories simply weren't implemented in the main games.
We ultimately concluded that combining gameplay with the unique story and worldview of "Muv-Luv" is essential for its global spread while maintaining its distinctiveness. Although this title is part of the overall plan, it is designed to be fully enjoyable even when played standalone. Players familiar with "Muv-Luv" can also find connections to other works and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing foreshadowing pay off.
Q:In"Muv-Luv"series, there has always been a so-called"origin"thoughts and themes. In"Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kali-dasa", how is this origin continued?
Yoshimune:As I mentioned earlier, "Muv-Luv" essentially depicts the "tragedy caused by poor communication"—most of the works I create share this theme.
For example, "Kimi ga Nozomu Eien" and "Muv-Luv" were originally planned as a pair of works—depicting the same theme from micro and macro perspectives. This time is similar. Through the growth and struggles of the protagonist, Minato Chisaku, we hope to provide young players with insights on "how to live in the present."
As a senior figure in Chisaku's life, I hope to convey this message through the story.
Q:Mr. Yoshimune Kouki once said in the past thatIn "Muv-Luv," the BETA are a metaphor forinternetmetaphor for specific groups of people—Do you think this metaphorical relationship has changed today?
Yoshimune:I don't think it has changed, because the essence of humanity does not change.
In my view, the modern internet is like a Pandora's box inadvertently opened by humanity. In the stories of the "Muv-Luv" series, the character who most directly bears this pain is "Shaka." She can see people's true hearts—their instinctive, unfiltered thoughts—which must be incredibly painful.
Seeing emotional outbursts based on instinctive reactions exposed on social media is itself a very painful experience. Fundamentally, nothing has changed; the internet has just made it more brutal. Since human nature hasn't changed, the same things are happening in the real world.
Q: This title includes"recruiting team members"system, what was the intention behind this design? Regarding the recruitment and training of team members,what kind of growth effects will it bring?
Yoshimune:This is a system I really like,Because it andfits the story theme of "Muv-Luv" very well.
InIn the stories of "Muv-Luv," characters often face extremely cruel choices. AndAsSRPG,Players also need to decide the fate of their team members based on their own judgment. You can treat them as mere "pieces" to be sacrificed for efficiency, or engage with them deeply and face difficult choices together. Deciding who to save and who must be sacrificed—this is the part that best embodies the style of "Muv-Luv." I have always been eager to see how these choices would be integrated into the gameplay.
In daily life, the way people communicate with each other is inherently a difficult problem. Do you treat others as tools for efficiency, or accept them as humans and endure the inefficiency? This is a very difficult issue in today's society. I think it would be great if there were a game that allowed people to think about these issues together.
Matsumura:InHow to make choices in an SRPG is a very difficult problem that requires players to think seriously. ForFor "Muv-Luv" itself, there are many simple choices, which is reassuring.
Q:When"Muv-Luv"FromThe familiarvisual novelgame transitions into aSRPG,storyin terms of narrative style and emotional expression of characters,what changes will occurwhat kind ofkind ofchanges?
Yoshimune:The main advantage of visual novels lies in their vast amount of text, which makes it easier to convey characters' emotions through words. When transitioning to an SRPG, the text volume naturally decreases. If not handled properly, the text can easily become mere explanatory notes for gameplay mechanics. Therefore, the key lies in how to "translate" the essence of "Muv-Luv"—how to adjust and reconstruct that unique atmosphere while ensuring it functions as a game. This is where I believe the most effort is required.
Q: This title adopts a format that allows for continuous updates. What was the reasoning behind this decision?
Yoshimune:This is probably the first time we've approached it in this format. Using a web-based platform allows for continuous improvements and updates, starting small and gradually expanding content—I think Mr. Matsumura's choice of this format makes perfect sense.
In fact, during the development of "Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kalidasa"process, we alsoThroughfeedback via Discord and other channelsfeedback from players, undergoing various system iterations and updates. Of course, this applies overseas as well; we hope to continue listening to everyone's opinions and steadily develop the game.
Q: Will this titleexistmultiple endings,or different route developments based on character survivalSetting?
Matsumura:The game will be divided into Story Mode and what we call Free Play Mode,BecauseGiven the inherent mechanics of SRPGs, if a character dies, the game ends—if that's what you're asking, then yes, it could be considered to have "multiple endings.".
But as anAs an SRPG, it differs from visual novels in that it won't haveBranches like 'so-and-so character route.' During gameplay, there will be interactions with various characters and story developments, but unlike visual novels, there won't be a large number of branches and endings.
To be more precise,In SRPGs, player actions directly affect the outcome of battles—for example, potentially leading to a game over—in this sense, there are indeed "branches." But if you're asking whether there are large-scale character route branches like in visual novels, the answer is no. Because the genre is different.
It needs to beWhat we want to emphasize is that this game is first and foremost anSRPG; it is not a visual novel and won't feature the structure of numerous character routes.
Q:As we know, the TSFs used to combatBETA-combat TSFs have always been one of the greatest charms of the previous "Muv-Luv" series. In TSF design, the series has always placed great importance on depicting the appearances of TSFs from different countries and cultural backgrounds. So, regarding "Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kalidasa,"TSF designaspect,are some noteworthyfansaspects forregional?
Yoshimune:Just as you said, Tactical Surface Fighters (TSFs) have always been one of the highlights of the "Muv-Luv" series. The fact that different regions are equipped with different gear is itself a source of enjoyment—from which countries have which units, you can infer the historical background.
As part of the series, we will naturally incorporate region-specific designs for Tactical Surface Fighters (TSFs) based on different countries. This is something we hope players will look forward to. The most challenging aspect this time was finding the optimal balance between the historical consistency of the "Muv-Luv" universe and gameplay fun—you need to consider the era's background in the story while ensuring its plausibility within the game. If we were to highlight the TSFThe biggest highlight in terms of design, I would say, is the inclusion of...the appearance of the "Lunar Tactical Surface Fighter" for the "Lunar Operations." Please continue to look forward to how the game will portray this special TSF model..
Q:You just mentioned that this title will includeStory Mode and Free Modetwo play modes, so what are the differences between these two modesin TSF'susage,What are the differences?
Matsumura:The TSFs available in Story Mode are limited. However, in Free Mode, as mentioned earlier, you can ignore era settings and freely use various TSFs in battle.
If you feel anxious due to limited choices in Story Mode, you can jump straight into Free Mode and wreak havoc with units like the "YF-23" or "Raptor." Free Mode ignores worldview settings, allowing players to freely explore various possibilities.
Q:Considering thatThe stories in "Muv-Luv" have always been very brutal, sothis titleWill the game difficulty also be designed according to this narrative tone?
Matsumura:Indeed, if we consider the worldview or story style, we should arguably set the difficulty higher. However, taking into account the gaming habits of mainstream players today, we have included difficulty adjustment features to meet the needs of different player groups.—If you find it too difficult or want to focus on experiencing the story, you can choose Easy Mode.
Q: For series fans,"Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kalidasa"and future"Muv-Luv"series'overall direction?
Matsumura:As mentioned earlier,"Muv-Luv: Tactics - Nightmare of Kalidasa"is the foundation of "ROAD TO INTEGRATE," but the charm of "Muv-Luv" isn't limited to a single work; every title in the series connects with others. We believe players who have experienced past "Muv-Luv" titles will gain a richer experience from this one, and we hope everyone enjoys the connections between the different works.
On the other hand, for players unfamiliar with the series, we also hope to use thisthe SRPGnew format to introduce the "Muv-Luv" series to more people. Thank you for your support.