During the recent Taipei Game Show 2024, our team was honored to receive an invitation from Bandai Namco Entertainment to interview Misaki Kai, the producer of Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash, along with media representatives from across Asia.
The following transcript is translated from Chinese and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
1. During game development, does the team frequently communicate with the animation team or the original author, Gege Akutami?
The development team regularly meets with both the animation team and the original author on a weekly basis. However, the content produced is primarily influenced by the current state of the anime.
2. Why was 2v2 chosen as the core gameplay instead of the typical 1v1?
Despite numerous 1v1 scenes in the original work, there are also many large-scale battles and scenes depicting character growth. Therefore, we think that presenting the game in a 2v2 format allows for a more comprehensive experience of the essence of the game.
3. In terms of the game's storyline, does it roughly align with a specific part of the anime or manga, and will there be any original plotlines or characters introduced?
The story in Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash falls within the narrative of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 up to the first season of the anime. Some original story content will be also added between different arcs to provide additional context for players to better understand the events. However, there won't be the introduction of original characters.
4. It was mentioned previously that Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash does not support cross-platform play and local co-op. Will these functionalities be added in the future?
The team currently has no plans to support these features in the future. Therefore, if you want to play with friends, it can only be done through online modes.
5. In the past, Bandai Namco has released quite a few anime-adapted fighting games, and there are also quite a few featuring the 2v2 gameplay. What sets Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash apart from other similar games in this genre?
In typical fighting games, any character attack causes damage. However, in Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash, attacks are divided into those that can and cannot inflict damage. During the game, players must employ various types of attacks against the opponent in order to accumulate cursed energy to ultimately deal damage.
Furthermore, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash pays detailed attention to character portrayal, resulting in noticeable differences when using different characters.
6. Besides the 2v2 gameplay, are there any other modes in the game?
Apart from the 2v2 battles, players can actually set up their own rooms in the custom mode, inviting friends to join and play together. For example, you can set it up as 1v1 battles, 2v1, battles against cursed spirits, and more. However, aside from the custom mode, the majority of the content revolves around 2v2 battles.
7. How will overwhelmingly powerful characters like Gojo Satoru and Sukuna be presented in the game to ensure balance?
These characters are indeed very powerful, making their design in the game quite challenging. However, considering the actual gameplay of accumulating curse energy before characters can grow and unleash powerful attacks, characters like Gojo Satoru and Sukuna will have a slower increase in curse energy levels compared to other characters. If they are not successfully suppressed from the beginning and manage to increase their curse energy levels smoothly, they will become as formidable as they were in the original work and start dominating the battlefield.
8. Since the game primarily focuses on 2v2 gameplay, will there be combination techniques between characters? If yes, what are the conditions for activating them?
There is a mechanism called "Combined Cursed Techniques", which presents different effects based on character combinations. Specific character combinations will even feature unique animations.
9. Will players have access to all the currently revealed characters at the beginning, or must they unlock them through story mode or DLC?
All 16 characters that have been revealed so far will be available right from the start, but this is limited to the versus mode. In the story mode, specific characters must still be used.
Regarding DLC, the inclusion of the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death Arc has been confirmed. For information about the addition of new characters, please stay tuned for further updates.
10. Are there any recommended character combinations for beginners?
I highly recommend using Itadori, as he is the main character of Jujutsu Kaisen and is relatively easy to pick up in terms of controls. As for combinations, I suggest pairing him with Kugisaki or Jogo, characters that excel at long-range attacks.
Producer's message:
Thank you very much for joining us here and showing interest in our game. We've poured our hearts into every character, carefully shaping each one. We hope players can deeply experience the unique charm of each character or immerse themselves fully in their favorite ones. We look forward to every player finding their enjoyment in this game.
