Since the conclusion of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, the last mainline of the Danganronpa game franchise, fans have been craving a follow-up entry. Six years later, instead of a sequel to the acclaimed franchise, Kazutaka Kodaka answered the call by creating something completely new here–Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE.
You may have noticed the visual and gameplay similarity shared by the two series, but Kodaka makes sure that Rain Code stands on its own as a next-generation, dynamic visual novel with full 3D graphics and brand-new mechanics that you can only experience here. And as we chatted with Mr. Kodaka after the Spike Chunsoft panel at Anime Expo 2023, we learned more about his intention in making a whole new IP and what makes Rain Code stick out.
In this action-adventure mystery game, players take the shoes of the detective-in-training, Yuma, whose ultimate purpose in Kanai Ward is to crusade through the streets and solve the mysteries that are plaguing the city. To this extent, Rain Code is a departure from Danganronpa’s 2.5D style, with a 3D world that you can interact with and explore via a third-person perspective.
“In most visual novel games, reading text is still the prime way for players to proceed through the story. To break this conventional practice, we tried to create a 3D environment for players to look into the characters’ perspective and discover things on their own,” Kodaka told QooApp in the interview. “As a creator, I have never done such a huge 3D project like Rain Code before, so it’s a good opportunity to take up the challenges. 2D and 3D styles have different merits and I’d love to keep my options open.”
Because of this attitude of embracing challenges, Kodaka and his team in Tookyo Games and Spike Chunsoft spent six years developing Rain Code. And they particularly took time in rendering the characters and settings in fully-fledged 3D graphics. “We didn’t expect it (the development) to take so long. As there were a lot of details that we want to put in the game, it just took six years in the end,” Kodaka manifested. “But after playing the beta version of the game, I’m glad that we choose 3D here.”
If you’ve played the game and are amazed by the intricate details of the ever-drizzling city of Kanai Ward, you won’t get surprised by the efforts required to visualize Kodaka’s concept. The bright neon lights of Kanai Ward and the drizzle of incessant rain color the world of Rain Code in neon cyberpunk aesthetics. The rain-drenched streets, dimly lit alleys, and meticulously designed crime scenes are a testament to the developers’ attention to detail. But it seems that creating all of these in 3D is not the only challenge that Kodaka faced here.
“When you create a completely new IP like Rain Code, you have to consider how to make it stand out from other games. So that it could catch users’ attention immediately when they have no prior knowledge about this entry at all,” Kodaka expressed.
“Since it is not one of the high-profile AAA games with a huge advertising budget, you have to create something unique to define itself at the very beginning. And to distinguish itself from other games, Rain Code infused action elements into the mystery-solving genre, allowing players to investigate the crime scene and go through mysteries in a dungeon-liking setting.”
When it comes to the plot of Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, it has a rather Kodaka-style prelude following Yuma Kokohead, a young amnesiac boy who wakes up in a train station storage room with no recollection of who he is and how he got there. And to make things worse, he was haunted by a death god, named Shinigami, whom he signed a binding contract with before losing his memories.
As we talked about the queer relationship between the two, Kodaka mentioned that he hoped players to focus on the personal growth of Yuma and his relationship with Shinigami as they dig deep into the secret of Amaterasu Corporation, the company that grasps control of Kanai Ward.
“In contrast to the timid but righteous Yuma, who was unwillingly involved in various enigmatic murders, the chatty yet playful Shinigami urges Yuma to go on the investigation. Her unpredictable actions also prompt Yuma to question the humanity and morality raised in each case. Their differences make them a conflicting duo that somehow fits each other like a jigsaw puzzle.”
While the question of why Yuma makes a pact with Shinigami that ultimately leads to his amnesia is the largest cliffhanger of the story of Rain Code, Kodaka also indicated that the Master Detectives, whose Forensic Forte was shared with Yuma during his investigation, also play a significant role in surging the growth of Yuma.
“Originally we created the Master Detectives so that players can solve cases in all kinds of different methods. But instead of having players switch between playable characters for their abilities, it’s better for them to stay in the perspective of Yuma and grow together as a detective,” he added.
Range from transforming into a ghost, time-leaping to the moments where the murder occurs, to sensing all living beings within a specific radius, the Forensic Forte of the Master Detectives was tailored for players to enjoy the investigation in both classic and novel ways. In fact, the unique personalities of the Master Detectives were developed after their Forensic Forte had been decided.
“After deciding what Forensic Forte we want to put in the story, we make sure that the character has an interesting personality that fits the power. And after Komatsuzaki-san created the character design based on the backstory, we drafted the lines to test-run their existence. After all, it was the character lines that bring them alive,” Kodaka explained. “When we feel that the character has a thorough setting that makes him/ her the protagonist of a whole new title, it’s all done.”
With the help of the Master Detectives, Yuma collects enough evidence for Shinigami to open the Mystery Labyrinth, a series of psychedelic dungeons recreated to mirror crime scenes. Kodaka described this new system as a “Disney attraction” with a fun and vibrant environment that separates it from the ruthless setting of the Class Trial system in the Danganronpa series.
“When considering how the mystery-solving process should go in Rain Code, we wanted to create something specific for this IP. Of course, there are fans who adore the game system of Danganronpa, the Mystery Labyrinth in Rain Code is designed to cope with the taste of a wider audience by housing a variety of engaging mini-games and puzzles.”
When speaking of how the crime cases of Rain Code were created, Kodaka explained that he usually sketched the overall plot outlining how he wanted the crime to happen and then pass it to his co-worker, Takekuni Kitayama, who also worked with him in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. And with the help of Kitayama, the crime cases in Rain Code were endowed with their unique murder tricks.
“Kitayama is a very informative mysterious novelist and I know that I could count on him in developing murder tricks that are tailored to all kinds of situations. Usually, the process ends here. But for Rain Code, he would also create the first draft for me to fill in details and we have to go back and forth several times to make sure that it is impeccable as one,” he said.
As previously mentioned, it is clear that Kodaka is trying to make something different in Rain Code, while retaining the essence of an authentic mystery game. Regardless of whether you are a fan of Danganronpa or are simply a lover of classic crime-solving stories, you can expect a well-plotted story with Kodaka’s unexpected twists and turns.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is now available worldwide on Nintendo Switch.
