RAIDOU Remastered Interview – Director Yamai Kazuyuki on Reviving a Classic Detective RPG for Modern Audiences

We recently had the opportunity to interview Director and Producer Yamai Kazuyuki about bringing Raidou Kuzunoha to modern platforms with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army. The name Raidou Kuzunoha might not be as widely known as other Atlus protagonists, but this trench coat-wearing demon summoner has earned a devoted following since his debut.

Now, with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, Atlus is giving both longtime fans and newcomers a chance to experience this unique blend of detective work and supernatural action. What started as a simple remaster evolved into something much more ambitious, incorporating improvements from the sequel and pushing the visual presentation to new heights while staying true to what made the original special.

More Than Just a Visual Upgrade

The most noticeable change fans will spot is right in the title itself. The emphasis on “RAIDOU” in all capitals signals that this isn’t your typical remaster. According to Yamai, there were two key reasons behind this decision.

“This game doesn’t just stop at remastering the game’s graphics in HD—it also incorporates the mechanics of the second RAIDOU game, King Abaddon, alongside numerous small and large-scale enhancements from a new generation of developers,” Yamai explains. “In that sense, it’s a game that goes beyond a simple HD remaster.”

The director was also concerned about simply releasing an upgraded version without acknowledging the work that went into it. “I felt that if we released it without changing the title, it’d be like wiping the original version from history—and that didn’t sit right with me.”

But perhaps more importantly, the title change reflects Atlus’s growing confidence in Raidou as a character. “I wanted to put Raidou’s name at the forefront of the title,” Yamai notes. “When reading messages from fans on social media, I noticed how widely recognized his first name is, even outside of Japan.”

Building the Raidou Brand

This recognition represents a significant shift for the character. Originally conceived as a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei and Devil Summoner series, Raidou has gradually carved out his own identity. “Establishing the Raidou Kuzunoha brand has always been on our minds,” Yamai admits, though he’s realistic about the challenges involved.

The original game bore clear traces of its spin-off origins throughout its design. However, as Raidou gained recognition over the years, the team’s approach to the remaster changed. “Our approach was to highlight Raidou’s unique elements, as opposed to those of Shin Megami Tensei or Devil Summoner, in the game’s content,” the director explains. “We strived to make Raidou’s best aspects shine even more brightly than they did in the original game.”

Balancing Old and New

One of the biggest challenges in any remaster is striking the right balance between honoring the original and meeting modern expectations. Atlus’s design team took on this responsibility, working to enhance Kazuma Kaneko’s original character designs while making them appeal to today’s audiences.

“While paying the utmost respect to Kazuma Kaneko’s original stylish character designs, the team strived to bring out Raidou’s charm and make it even more appealing to a modern audience,” says Yamai. “The original game’s art is cool, of course, but I’m deeply thankful to our design team for creating something that’s also impressive.”

The team’s visual philosophy was clear: honor the original while pushing it forward. “Our stance towards visual enhancements was to honor the original game,” Yamai explains. “We focused on improving the game’s resolution and adjusting it for the technological enhancements on modern platforms like added shaders.”

Addressing Fan Concerns and Living Up to Memories

The original Soulless Army received mixed reactions from players. While the character models, setting, and story earned praise, many felt the gameplay needed work. This feedback directly influenced the remaster’s development.

“The original Soulless Army earned praise for its character models, setting, and story, but fans felt that the gameplay was lacking,” Yamai acknowledges. “When the second Raidou game, King Abaddon, came out, fans clamored for the ability to play Soulless Army with King Abaddon’s gameplay. We set out to do just that for RAIDOU Remastered.”

The team approached this challenge with an “everything on the table” mentality. “We thoroughly improved other features and made changes—nothing was off limits,” the director notes. However, they drew the line at the elements that worked well originally. “Out of respect, we made no major changes to the original character models, setting, or story.”

Yamai and his team faced a unique challenge: competing with players’ fond memories of the original game. “In the minds of fans, the original game looks better than it actually does because of their fond memories of it,” he observes. This insight shaped their entire approach to the remaster.

“While working on the overhauls, I constantly aimed not only to avoid straying from their expectations, but to surpass them,” Yamai explains. This ambitious goal meant very little content was cut from the original, though the team did explore some ideas that ultimately didn’t make it. “I explored whether the characters could be rendered in toon shading, similar to what’s used in the Persona series. In the end, I decided not to go with it.”

Timeless Themes in a Modern World

Despite being set in Japan’s Taisho era, the game’s themes remain surprisingly relevant today. Yamai draws parallels between the rapid technological advancement depicted in the game and our current digital age.

“Just like in the Taisho era, our present world continues to advance at a dizzying pace—from the development of electric cars and robots to the adoption of AI and remote work,” he reflects. “In the game, there are some characters who can’t keep up with the times and feel dispirited. Nowadays, there are probably people like that out there too.”

The director hopes these characters can offer comfort to modern players. “I hope that those characters from the game can lift players’ spirits, as players both sympathize with them and learn from their mistakes.”

What’s Next for Raidou?

The big question on fans’ minds is whether this remaster could lead to more Raidou content. While Yamai can’t make official announcements, he’s clearly enthusiastic about the possibilities.

“Obviously, none of us want to stop at Soulless Army!” he says. “It’s difficult for me to give an official statement on this, but if RAIDOU Remastered is well-received and our development schedule allows it, a remaster of King Abaddon or a new RAIDOU game could happen.”

Currently, a King Abaddon remaster isn’t officially in development, but it’s not off the table either. “The idea is still floating around in my head,” Yamai admits with a laugh. He encourages fans to share their thoughts on social media if they want to see more Raidou content, noting that fan feedback “might encourage us to make a follow-up happen.”

A Unique Experience Awaits

For players in Southeast Asia and around the world, Yamai has a clear message about what makes RAIDOU Remastered special. “RAIDOU Remastered is an experience that stands out among ATLUS’s RPGs,” he emphasizes. “It is structured as a detective story, where your demon partners’ unique abilities are the key to solving the case. There’s nothing quite like it in either the Persona or SMT series.”

The game also offers a different kind of challenge compared to other RPGs. “It’s also an action RPG. Should you choose any difficulty above the lowest difficulty setting, you may find that, unlike other RPGs, leveling up isn’t enough to take down some bosses,” Yamai warns. “I hope that you have fun taking down some of the game’s most powerful enemies, whether you choose to hone your real-time combat skills or follow a walkthrough.”

With RAIDOU Remastered, Atlus is betting that there’s still an audience for this unique blend of detective work, demon summoning, and stylish action. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering Raidou for the first time, this remaster promises to deliver an experience unlike anything else in the company’s catalog.

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