Square Enix recently interviewed the team behind Octopath Traveler II. The four interlocutors were director Keisuke Miyauchi, composer Yasunori Nishiki, character designer Naoki Ikushima and screenwriter Kakunoshin Futsuzawa. Each team member was given the opportunity to showcase their passions and perspectives at different points in the interview.
When asked what game the whole world should play, Ikushima and Futsuzawa chose Octopath Traveler II, while the game’s director chose a completely different game. Miyauchi’s response was as follows:
“Shadow of the Colossus. I feel the design is perfect in every aspect, not too little and not too much – the gameplay, the world and environment, the sound… everything.”
Miyauchi also mentioned that he is proud of the first Octopath Traveler and very happy to be played by so many.
Nishiki, the composer of both Octopath Traveler games, also shared his source of pride:
“What I’m most proud of in and of itself is that I’m now in a position to create new music for games. I think that, from time to time, everyone is drawn to the idea of becoming someone who creates something that influenced their life when they were younger. However, not everyone can make it happen – not everyone ends up in their dream job. The world can be cruel. And so, I’m really proud that I succeeded in spite of that and I’m lucky enough to be in such a position myself!”
On a less serious note, when asked about the first Square Enix game he played, Ikushima answered Dragon Quest III and shared a fun story from his childhood:
“I was a child, so I didn’t pay enough attention to what the king was saying, so for a while I didn’t realize that other characters might join your party! In the end, I went on my own search. I still remember the shock when my friend at school told me (laughs)!”
Ironically, Ikushima is now the character designer for the upcoming HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III, closer to his characters than ever before.
Finally, when the team was asked about what they’d like players to take away from their game, screenwriter Futsuzawa ended with some poetic words and a wish for happy travels:
“Games will always have an end. But if the characters I wrote still live on in your heart, then this is not the end of them. Happy traveling!”
Readers can read the full interview here.
