The developer of Danganronpa discusses Persona, raincoats, and RAIN CODE.

It's fascinating how some niche products manage to become successful. Visual novels are often thought of as a small subgenre among the vast array of videogames available. A few, nevertheless, are larger than you may anticipate.

Danganronpa is one such game, with a large cast of characters and gameplay elements that elevate it beyond a simple visual novel. It has a sizable and devoted following. Kazutaka Kodaka, the game's author and inventor, advanced the genre. And he wants to do it once more now. At GDC 2023, we had a conversation with the guy himself on everything related to the new game, including its name, influences, potential sequels, and anime.

Kodaka departed Spike Chunsoft in 2017 with the release of Danganronpa V3. Now, he and other Danganronpa veterans are in charge of Tookyo Games. With Master Detective Archives: Rain Coat, the team is expanding even farther after World's End Club debuted at Apple Arcade and was met with a mostly good reception.

That's not the name, oh wait. After the first phase, Kodaka explains, "I thought of the name RAIN CODE and thought it would be changing throughout development." "RAIN CODE came to mind as a combination of a raincoat and a code. After then, the name simply became RAIN CODE. That was a simple error for me to make at the time.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is an adventure game, but it also has its own peculiar gloom and mystery, as anybody who has followed Kodaka's career will know. Kodaka says, "I'm inspired by Tim Burton's atmosphere and feelings from his own works." Subsequently, he makes the enigmatic comment that "there will be some betrayal."

It's OK if all of this seems like old hat. RAIN CODE seems a touch less intense than the video game Danganronpa, which is based on hope and despair and has high school students killing each other to win a game that a spooky teddy bear compels them to play.

According to Kodaka, "Danganronpa is good, but there will only be niche fans for it because it's a visual novel and you only read text." "I wanted to make a game that even fans of visual novels who don't usually play them could enjoy." I intended to build RAIN CODE as an introduction to new mysteries, much as Danganronpa is to mystery video games.

Still, fresh obstacles accompany every new game. RAIN CODE, in contrast to Danganronpa, is fully 3D. "I wanted [Detroit] Become Human and Life is Strange to be played by more people. I wanted players that like other kinds of games than visual novels. But its breadth hasn't decreased because of this additional development challenge: "Making it in 3D doesn't mean the scenarios are shorter." It's very intelligent and audacious.

The whole game's location, Kanai Ward, is portrayed in three dimensions. You are free to investigate it, visiting crime sites, holding interviews, and looking for clues. Then there are Mystery Labyrinths, which are otherworldly places that encapsulate the secrets of the actual world. That sounds a lot like Persona to me. Kodaka even made the statement.

Kodaka chuckles, "I was making a joke when I said [the Mystery Labyrinth] was similar to the palaces in Persona 5." Perhaps if I mention Persona, more people will purchase it. There may have been some influence from the Persona games since I really like them. Kodaka and Yoko Taro can't do it alone, which is why I want additional game developers to pull practical jokes.

That being said, RAIN CODE isn't quite like Persona or Danganronpa. But there must be some overlap with the latter, right? Perhaps there will be a Danganronpa cameo. Not at all. It could include spoilers, so I can't really talk about it too much. Well, it suggests that there could be something to look for, but what exactly? We'll simply have to put on our detective caps to find out, I suppose.

Of course, taking on a new project might be intimidating when you've produced a hit series like Danganronpa. Does Kodaka believe that a new franchise is developing here? What career path does he want to take? Yes, a lot.

"I'd like to create a game, maybe a new one, and a sequel to RAIN CODE and Danganronpa too," he chuckles. "I hope it gains enough traction to warrant an anime. Since the plot of RAIN CODE goes quickly, I'm curious whether the anime can surpass the games.

The game is still really original and hasn't been toned down for a worldwide release, so the desire for it to be well-liked hasn't stopped the creators from being innovative. "I honestly never gave selling to clients abroad much thought. I intended to preserve the Japanese elements. I believe it may be the reason why my works are intriguing to admirers throughout the world.

I concur; Kodaka creates distinctive games with distinctive voices. That explains why they are so unique. However, I'm really curious about what comes next. In addition to creating a brand-new game, Kodaka intends to continue developing Danganronpa and a follow-up to RAIN CODE. Something must be in the works, right?

"I'm pondering a lot, but I'm not sure. Well, I suppose all we can do is wait and see.

See what we think of Kodaka's most recent enigmatic masterwork by reading our Master Detective Archives: Rain Code review. Or, visit our guide to every Danganronpa game to find out more about its spiritual predecessor.Ruby Spiers-Unwin conducted the interview, and Ben Johnson wrote the feature.