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We recently had the opportunity to interview Yosuke Futami, the producer of SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada, to discuss the game’s unique approach to the extraction shooter genre, its AI companion system, and the broader SYNDUALITY universe. Drawing from his extensive experience working on renowned sci-fi titles like Sword Art Online and Synduality Noir, Futami-san shared valuable insights into the game’s development and vision.
Origins and Inspiration
Perhaps surprisingly, Futami-san revealed that the initial inspiration for SYNDUALITY came from an unexpected source: Hatsune Miku. “She was designed as a ‘vocaloid’ character who could sing in a ‘human-like’ manner, but once she gained popularity, people actually started to mimic her style. Vocaloid songs are actually designed without the need for breaths, or other human considerations – they cannot actually be sung live,” he explained.
“What this meant was, we had a machine that wanted to be human inspiring humans to want to be machines. It is this strange disconnect which inspired the key dynamic at the heart of the title,” he continued. “This is why one of the secondary themes of ‘SYNDUALITY’ is mankind’s final tragic love.”
Drawing from his experience with Sword Art Online, Futami-san emphasized the importance of creating compelling science fiction narratives. “When I worked on ‘Sword Art Online,’ I learned by working alongside the creator of the original works why it is that some sci-fi works have such power to move people deeply,” he shared. “Even when we were worried about whether the audience would accept the world we created, we swore never to take the easy option.”
Gameplay Approach and Design Philosophy
SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada takes a distinctive approach to the mecha genre with its deliberately weighted combat system. “We wanted to give the player the sensation of moving around a heavy mech, with your Magus as your co-pilot,” Futami-san explained. “We did not want to give it the kind of unfettered speed that is commonly employed in contemporary robot battle games. That would take away what we see as the key element of this title: that is, the sense of a two-person adventure.”
The game’s multiplayer aspect was inspired by the roguelike RPG “Shiren the Wanderer,” incorporating a system where players can either help or hinder others. “In this title, you are by yourself, but never alone. You are on a one-of-a-kind adventure, accompanied only by your loyal Magus,” Futami-san emphasized. “The game is not designed to require matching, or even other people in order to be played.”
The development team aimed for a specific balance in the PvPvE elements, with Futami-san noting, “For us, we wanted to make 60 to 70 percent of gameplay centered around PvE interactions, with the remaining 30 to 40 percent PvP. The implementation of the Bounty Target system is intended to introduce some PvP users as powerful NPCs.”
Regarding the Magus AI companion system, Futami-san explained, “The AI character will not suddenly be defeated for reasons unrelated to player inputs, and conversely, she will not defeat enemy characters without some intent on the player’s part. Instead, the core concept was that the AI would observe the player’s play style carefully, and would assist as a loyal friend.”
Future Plans and Accessibility
SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada is being positioned as an accessible entry point to the extraction shooter genre. “Compared to other extraction shooter titles like ‘Escape from Tarkov’, the game is not as geared to hard-core players only, and is accessible to gamers of all stripes,” Futami-san stated. “We would like this title to serve as a means of introducing casual and midcore users to the enjoyment to be had in games in this genre.”
On the topic of the SYNDUALITY franchise, he clarified, “Absolutely no knowledge of the story or franchise is required in order to enjoy the game. Both the anime and the game form distinct parts of the SYNDUALITY universe. I will say, though, that those who are familiar with both may be able to see the world depicted from a broader perspective.”
Following the Open Network Test, Futami-san shared, “We were very pleased to be able to acquire the necessary data to improve network quality in the release version of the title. A lot of the data we got, such as item acquisition balance and currency level balance, will be extremely helpful in maintaining long-term operation of the game.”
Regarding mech customization, he explained their design choice: “The key question we faced during development was whether to place the key focus of the game on the Coffin or the Magus. Naturally, we considered the option of introducing freely customizable Coffins, but we came back to the fact that the real focus of the title was on the relationship between the player and their Magus. We will, however, be adding new customizable elements to the Coffins, so I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
