Interview: Cubed3 Talks with Yamada Riichiro

Without diving too far into the plot, what's the premise behind 'Shin Megami Tensei Liberation Dx2'?
When ATLUS joined SEGA, I immediately wanted to do something with them. At that moment, there was an in-house competition and I made a presentation about what I would like to do with the SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI universe. I got approval from the board and eventually showed my plans to ATLUS.

I've read that this game is quite successful in Japan. What do you attribute its popularity to?
I think it's thanks to a few elements: Demons are all created using high quality 3D models, and "Press-turned Battle" and other "SMT gameplay elements" were well suited for mobile devices. I think there are not many titles that you can experience on mobile that really feel like a console game.

How does this it set itself apart from other free-to-play RPGs on the mobile market?
I think that the biggest difference is "Fostering" and "deep strategy elements" compared to other F2P RPGs in Japan. I also think that creating a "SMT for mobile" made it immediately different. For example, there are not many games in which players can create a high ranked demon from scratch. Also, as you can see, not many mobile titles have such high quality graphics.

For someone with little to no experience with the series, will it be difficult for them to understand this game?
Players that never played the "SMT" series before can definitely enjoy this title. Secretly, I hope that this title will also bring in new players to discover the SMT universe and eventually want to play the console games as well.

Shin Megami Tensei games tend to have very complex and labyrinthine dungeons to explore. Can we expect to see more of the same in this entry?
There is a 3D dungeon called the Aura Gates. This feature has been well received in Japan. Here we have an auto movement function so anyone can play without any stress.

Are there any advantages to utilising demon fusion? Such as inherited skills or modified stats.
Similar to the past series, Demon Fusion can be done by combining two demons to make a high ranked demon. As for skill transfers, it's different from the Demon Fusion, but you can make two skills transfer freely.

For someone whose previous credits include 'Panzer Dragoon' and 'Let's Make a Soccer Team!', how were you able to comfortably transition to working on RPGs?
I've developed many games in many different genres, so I was confident I could achieve this new challenge. As a game designer, if you can create strategy games and RPG games, I think you should be able to manage within most of the other genres.

Do you have a favourite Shin Megami Tensei game? Or rather, which entry came to mind frequently during your work on Liberation Dx2?
"SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI 3: Nocturne". I think this is my favorite RPG so far. I've referenced many parts of "SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI 3: Nocturne" in Dx2, such as the Direction of 3D battle, press turn battle, etc.

In light of this game's imminent release in the West, do you have a special message for everyone who is about to experience it? Any words of advice or strategies you'd like to share?
Even though this is a mobile game, you can enjoy a rich game experience with a high strategic battle. Not only fans of the series, but also people who have never played SMT before should definitely try it. We'd love to hear your feedback, and you can reach our team easily through our Facebook page.

As a start, I would also advise players to pay attention to the "high quality 3D model demons", "Press-Turned Battle" and the "distinctive world view of SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI." Our team has put a lot of efforts into these elements!

Be sure to check out Cubed3's 8/10 review of Shin Megami Tensei Liberation Dx2 on iOS right here.