About a year ago, in September 2023, the anime-style action role-playing game Breakers: Unlock The World was announced and immediately presented at the Tokyo Game Show in the form of a demo. In August 2024, it became known that NCSOFT had invested in the project and received the rights to publish it. However, the latest version has made major changes compared to what was shown a year ago, and this especially concerns the combat system.
Journalists from the portal 4gamer.com managed to talk with three key figures of the project at Tokyo Game Show 2024: Lee Dongyo, head of VIC GAME STUDIOS and director of the Japanese branch, Lee Dongjun, the main producer of the game, and Han Seokjun, responsible for the artistic part, including the world, the plot and character design. You can find a translation of the interview into Russian below.
Breakers: Unlock The World was presented exactly a year ago and was shown at Tokyo Game Show and G-Star, but after that there was almost no news. What changes have occurred during this time?
Li Dongjun: The biggest change is the introduction of multiplayer. We’ve added co-op battles so players can fight together.
In an interview last year you said that you were considering a co-op mode, and now it has taken concrete form. Did you do this based on feedback from TGS and G-Star?
Li Dongjun: No, the decision was made solely by the developers based on what players might be interested in.
What did you pay attention to when creating the co-op mode?
Li Dongjun: The main thing in multiplayer is the distribution of roles during boss battles. Who will deal damage to which part of the boss, who will do the healing – such moments make the game interesting. We tried to think through the system in a way that would be exciting. You can also create weapons from materials obtained from bosses. And, of course, we want players to enjoy such elements even in single player mode.
What is the difference between gameplay in single and multiplayer modes?
Li Dongjun: The difficulty of these modes varies. For example, the same boss may appear different depending on the mode. In single player you can switch between characters, but in multiplayer you will have to focus on one hero and his role. In a single-player game, the player will control three characters at once.
So, is it better to get comfortable with multiplayer first and then move on to single player?
Li Dongjun: No, the story mode is completely single player, so it’s better to first understand the features of the bosses and characters alone. In multiplayer, bosses become stronger, you need to coordinate with other players, and team attack is also available, with everyone doing their part.
Multiplayer looks like it’s going to be intense. In August 2024, NCSOFT announced its participation in the project. Did this somehow influence the development?
Lee Dongyo: The development itself has not changed. We had offers from other publishers, but it was important for us to maintain control over the development process. NCSOFT supports us in other aspects not related to the development itself.
We can say that thanks to this collaboration you have the opportunity to completely focus on development. In the TGS 2024 trailer, there is a scene where Kite is holding a new sword, unlike the one before. Is this due to changes in his character?
Li Dongjun: This scene reflects an important point in our original concept. In the action genre, players create different types of weapons from mined materials to fight enemies. This is exactly what we wanted to convey in the trailer.
Clearly, this is a reflection of the genre. I noticed that Zion no longer has a hat. What is the reason for this change?
Han Seokjoon: This change has to do with Sion’s character and his role in the story. He is one of the key characters in the game, and we decided to make his appearance more consistent with his personality traits. At the same time, the character of Sion itself has not changed – he is still the same energetic and self-confident hero. We just thought the hat softened his look.
A part of the plot was also revealed where the Breakers strive for the Divine Library, the place where all knowledge is collected. I was intrigued by the angel and demon-like characters that appeared in the trailer. Can you tell us a little more about them?
Han Seokjoon: Although the main storyline in Breakers: Unlock The World is quite simple and positive, as the story progresses, players will begin to discover the hidden secrets of the world. These two characters play an important role in this aspect of the plot.
When I first saw Breakers: Unlock The World, I was drawn to the simplicity of the story and characters. The main character, Kite, is a typical bright, charismatic, but slightly comical character, reminiscent of classic anime. However, games often value unusualness and originality. Why did you decide to take a more traditional approach?
Han Seokjun: We realize that games with non-standard stories and characters are popular now, especially in projects from Chinese developers. However, we believe that the classic, easy-to-understand style is better suited for Breakers: Unlock The World. We decided to start with this, and only then, with the release of updates, add unique elements and new characters.
Now I would like to talk about the launch of the game. It happens that even large projects are closed within a year or less after release. What do you think is the difference between the success and failure of these games?
Lee Dongyo: Our studio has already released several projects, including Black Clover Mobile, and I believe that how closely the team follows the plan is key. It often happens that if sales after release do not meet expectations, developers begin to release updates less frequently, which negatively affects the game.
It’s definitely difficult.
Lee Dong-gyo: Yes, but if the game has enough content at launch to make players confident in its future, it will be able to retain its audience. Even if initial sales are not very high, the ability to improve the situation through subsequent updates gives the project additional sustainability.
And finally, tell us what you expect in the near future.
Li Dongjun: We are trying to create a game that stands out from the crowd of action games by offering players a unique experience. We continue to work to meet expectations.
Han Seokjun: Our goal is to create a world and characters that will remain in the memory of players for a long time. We are working tirelessly on this.
Lee Dongyo: Development is going well and we are preparing for testing. We’re excited to see how the game is received in Japan, and we’re looking forward to receiving feedback to make Breakers: Unlock The World even better.