Indonesia-based game development company Semispot Studio recently launched their Kickstarter for Legrand Legacy in mid-November. Joining us today is executive producer and lead game designer, Henry William Winata to talk about their PC game that pays homage to the classic JRPGs.
Before we start, let’s take a look at their cinematic trailer.
How was Semispot Studio started?
Semisoft Studio was started by myself to legally own this first IP that we have, Legrand Legacy. So it really was started for a legal reason but eventually grew into a full-fledged game development studio.
What inspired the creation of Legrand Legacy?
I have been playing games since young. And I especially like RPGs (role-playing games). So I developed a certain taste and knowledge of RPGs over the years. One day, a close friend of mine pushed me to develop games. So I was introduced to AJ (my current producer on this project) and we went on to create the team that we know of today.
How long has it been in development before you decided to launch the Kickstarter campaign?
Two full years! We wanted to show the world that we’re capable of doing this! Hence we wanted to have a decent demo first before we launch our Kickstarter campaign.
Legrand Legacy is a homage to the classic JRPG. What JRPG is your favorite?
Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Legend of Dragoon, Xenogears, Chrono Trigger
Do you feel the JRPG market had changed since then? If so, what differences do you feel has altered the classic JRPG gaming experience that you want to portray in Legrand Legacy?
Yes, a lot has changed. There has to be some certain aspect of “action” and “real time” combined with the classic turn-based. And there has to be less grinding and mundane side quests.
What was the vision of Legrand Legacy when you first started creating this game and how has that changed?
My vision is quite the ambitious one. I wanted the tactical war to be quite expansive and headquarters system to have quite a number of features. Due to budget, timeline and manpower constraints, Legrand Legacy’s tactical war and headquarters system have a little bit less features than originally planned.
How many people are working at Semispot? Are they all working on Legrand Legacy?
Twenty-seven currently and yes, everyone’s on Legrand Legacy.
What is the story of Legrand Legacy?
In a chaotic world torn apart by civil war, and threatened by an otherworldly invasion, six unlikely heroes have come together. Finn, a reluctant leader, soon discovers that the true peril to their universe lies within themselves.
What features are there?
- 2.5D integration (3D models and assets with stylized hand-drawn 2D backgrounds)
- Fully rendered 3D in-game cinematic
- Live 2D (visual novel style conversation with detailed expression of characters’ emotions)
- Epic original soundtracks
- Save almost anywhere (no more holding your pee before getting to a save area)
The pre-alpha prologue is certainly a good length showing quite a bit. (Here is our first look.)
https://youtu.be/DSRgsFc5mzQ
Was the prologue the stepping stone to introduce players to the world they will embark on and what to expect in the full game?
Yes! We think its a good enough introduction to our game. Even then, we still have a number of features we have yet to introduce to players yet!
Are you targeting any specific audience in particular?
Any lovers of JRPG. Age can range from 13 to 90. Male, Female, Apache Helicopter (9gag reference…) are welcome to play!
Finally, we always love to ask about indie developers and their views on the market. Do you feel there is a larger audience for indie games than there has been previously?
There is always potential for indies to come into the market. But coming into the gaming market as an indie feels like living life on hard mode. There are definitely more people aware of the existence of indie games, that’s for sure. But to get people to buy your games is still a huge challenge.
We thank Henry for taking the time to talk about Legrand Legacy and wish him and Semispot Studio the best of luck in achieving their Kickstarter goal. Legrand Legacy is currently still in their Kickstarter untill December 16th. You can go there to try out their pre-alpha prologue and continue on where we left off above. You will find more information on the project on their Kickstarter page HERE.