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Soul Sacrifice: A Sacrificial Q&A With Keiji Inafune

Sid Shuman — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:00:12 +0000

It’s been just over a week since Soul Sacrifice graced PS Vita in North America, so we tracked down celebrated creator Keiji Inafune to get his thoughts on the game’s launch — and how PS Vita players are adapting to the game’s morally murky gameplay choices.

But there’s more!

In Soul Sacrifice, you can unleash a breadth of special attacks and abilities by sacrificing various Offerings. Exclusively for the PS.Blog community, we’ve listed four vouchers below, which can be redeemed to obtain otherwise inaccessible Offerings (you can’t get them any other way).

NOTE: If you were unable to redeem the last two codes earlier, try the new ones listed below. Enjoy!

Spirits’ Storm Pinion

Bird feather provided by the Thunder spirits (Attributes: Volt)

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Spirits’ Viviblossom

Flower of Healing provided by the Spirits (Attributes: Renew)

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Spirits’ Blazestone

Ball provided by the Fire Spirits (Attributes: Heat)

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Spirits’ Frostblade

Ice blade provided by the Ice spirits (Attributes: Frost)

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IMPORTANT: Story progress to certain areas may be required before these Offerings can be used.

These universal PSN voucher codes are only valid in North America. They can be received in-game by going to “Librom” > ”Network” > ”Peddler” > “Claim Gift” AFTER the product code has been redeemed. Please note: these vouchers, once depleted, are gone forever.

PlayStation.Blog: Have you been watching how players interact with Soul Sacrifice now that it’s in the wild? Are they playing it the way you expected?

Keiji Inafune: I see users are playing the game the way I wanted them to, so I’m pleased. Users are enjoying the decision-making process of sacrificing and the consequences associated with it, which is what I intended and for that I’m grateful.

PSB: Are you hearing feedback about a particular moment or boss battle in the game?
KI: There are various things users are talking about, and many users seem to be talking about multiplayer. But I also hear users are complementing the storyline and that it unfolds in unexpected ways and that came as a surprise. They’re saying the story is in-depth and touching — that feedback is something I was hoping to hear, so I’m happy!

PSB: The game features some spectacularly grotesque monster designs — is there one you’re particularly proud of?

KI: We tried to have each monster make a big impression and I feel our designers did fantastic jobs. If I was asked what my favorite monster would be, I wouldn’t be able to pick one because I’m proud of all of them. However, I have a special place in my heart for Librom, the book character who is strongly tied to the storyline. I specifically like its personality and the design, so when I give autographs to fans I tend to draw Librom next to my autographs. I think Librom represents Soul Sacrifice very well.

PSB: Where did the idea for the Black Rites come from? Do you have a favorite?

KI: I learned that in life, you must sacrifice something big in order to gain a bigger outcome. If you want to become rich, you need to work hard; when you’re gambling, you may win big only if you bet big and risk losing a lot of money. So the idea of sacrificing and the consequence associated with it came to me first.

The biggest sacrifice, I thought, would be the limbs of your body. Or your own life or even your friends’ lives. This is how I came up with the idea of Black Rites. They are very powerful, but the cost is huge. For example, one of the Black Rites called “Gorgon” requires you to take your eyeballs out, which makes your vision very narrow afterwards. Using “Infernus” will cut your defence in half, but it’s an easy one to use because it can attack enemies without you targeting them precisely.

PSB: Mass Effect 3 and Telltale’s The Walking Dead have elevated impossible choices into a near-art form. Why do players seem to enjoy making excruciating decisions?

KI: Those types of choices heavily involve emotional aspects and the decision making process isn’t automatic. In the old days, the decision making process for players was a reflex: stepping right or left in order to avoid a bullet. That doesn’t involve your emotions. But let’s say you have two choices and either decision will cause a different character to die. Then you would have to question yourself and also consider the consequences you will live with. This has a stronger tie to your emotions.

I’ve been in the game industry for a long time and gaming in general seems to be headed towards emotion. I think we’re in the era of incorporating feelings and emotions in video games and it’s about how to design these. Soul Sacrifice, for example, asks you who to sacrifice be it yourself or your friends. You could make a decision not to sacrifice anything and let it be, too. You can’t make these decisions without being emotionally involved. I think future games need to incorporate emotional elements.

PSB: You’ve had a long history in game development – where do you see games going next?

KI: If I was asked what trend would come next in gaming, I wouldn’t be able to put a finger on it to be honest. But I believe console games will evolve dramatically. I think social aspects will be incorporated in its best way with console games. When I say “social”, I don’t mean the social element in social games these days. I think the true social aspects, not just connecting via online will be implemented to console games in the best way ever. The cycle of console games up till now was to buy a game and play it for several hours and then buy a new game. I think the cycle will change and something other than this cycle will become the next trend. A new console such as PS4 needs to incorporate this aspect well to maximize its potential.

Note from the Soul Sacrifice team: Soul Sacrifice players: Thank you for supporting the game! While most are enjoying the game without issue, we’ve had a few people get in touch with us regarding issues redeeming the game’s Online Pass and/or accessing bonus launch content. We apologize for any frustration caused!

In order to get to the bottom of these issues as quickly as possible, we’ve created a detailed walkthrough (with screens) on the official PlayStation community forums to help address what some folks are encountering.

The Sounds of Soul Sacrifice: Get the Soundtrack on PSN Today

Kumi Yuasa — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:02:40 +0000

Hi, everyone! We hope you are all enjoying Soul Sacrifice!

We’ve been talking about the music of Soul Sacrifice for quite a while. Many of you have asked if the soundtrack will be available for purchase. Good news: the Soul Sacrifice Original Soundtrack will be available exclusively on the PlayStation 3 PSN Store today! The album boasts 32 masterfully composed and orchestrated tracks, and will be available for $9.99.

Fantasy becomes reality in the soundtrack to Soul Sacrifice! World-renowned composers Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama bring this legendary score to life with 32 riveting musical compositions. Recorded at the state of the art Skywalker Sound, this soundtrack also features a myriad of world class instrumentalists comprised of a 94-piece orchestra and 25-voice choir, making history as one of the largest recording sessions ever for a video game. Check out the full-length behind the scenes video at the top of this post to see how the music of Soul Sacrifice came together.

Comments from Inafune-san:
“The music was created by the two accomplished composers who are capable of putting together wonderful pieces, so I was very hands off; I barely made any requests. However, it was important that they understood what we were trying to accomplish, so we provided as many details about the artwork, storyline, images, and concept so that they could put together something amazing and fit the game. I have no complaints about what they created. The end product is just amazing, and I feel like I have never come across anything so amazing in the past. I am very grateful for their work.”

Soul Sacrifice Today, Bonus Content for Early PSN Purchases

Keiji Inafune — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:13 +0000

Soul Sacrifice is finally available in America today. I hope most of you will get the game and start playing as soon as possible.

For fans who would like to purchase the game via PlayStation Network, we’re pleased to finally confirm that — for a limited time — North American PSN purchasers will also receive the exclusive pre-order offerings that we’ve been promoting for physical reservations of the game:

Two Unique Costumes with which players can customize their character
Three Magic Items to aid players in battle:

Spirits’ Flamepike: Shards of the spear provided by Fire spirits. (Attribites: heat) Enables five combo attacks.
Spirits’ Blightstone: Explosive stone provided by the spirits. (Attributes: venom)
Spirits’ Fulgurwood: Root provided by the Thunder spirits. (Attributes: volt) It tracks enemies on the ground and attacks with thunder spell.

The Japanese voice-over pack. Get it for no added cost during the promotion!

My team has put a lot of spirit and passionate work into this great title, and I’m very proud of it. Once you play the game, you’ll be able to tell that I’ve sacrificed a lot to create this game. Please try and see what it’s like to sacrifice you, your friends and everything to enjoy this game to the fullest. The game has a lot to it, and the more you play the more you’ll see. Please go explore and find all the Offerings and use the magics to fight through. I’m confident Soul Sacrifice will draw you in instantly and I hope you share your experience and the joy of playing this game with as many people as possible.

My own life story has been the inspiration of this game. I was put in a lot of situations where I had to make tough decisions. I learned that things don’t go well just because you want to be famous or rich or a better person. You have to constantly think what you’re willing to give up or sacrifice to make things happen. In the past, in order to make interesting games, I had to give up on my sleep, or time with my family. I had to make these tough choices to create interesting games. I also had to give up my status and position when leaving my previous job in order to run my own company. But sometimes, you have to give up something in order to start something, and I thought bringing this to the game would bring realness to the game and create something that players have never been able to experience.

Games are evolving to more and better reflect our emotions. Before, things seemed to be just digital and two dimensional. It was mostly only about whether you were strong or weak, whether could fight at a higher level or not. I believe it will go beyond that, using emotions and instinct, things that are less about a gamer’s ability. I think this will become more important going forward, and I am proud that Soul Sacrifice is among those games to further explore a profound emotional aspect and moral dilemma in-game.

Soul Sacrifice: Demo Out Today, Saves Transfer to Full Game

Kumi Yuasa — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:00:13 +0000

I hope you’re ready for Soul Sacrifice — the demo will be available this afternoon on PSN!

Your first reaction to the demo might be, “Holy moly, this is a LOT of demo!” …And you’d be right! The entire first chapter of the full game is included, all of which is playable with up to three other friends via online or ad-hoc multiplayer. Inafune-san made it a special point for the demo to be quite substantial, as you can read in his comments below:

“The number one reason for the Soul Sacrifice demo to have a lot of content was to show the users the full attraction of Soul Sacrifice. We knew that cutting out a small section of the game and saying, ‘Isn’t this part fun?’ would not show the users the full potential of the game. We figured that it wouldn’t make sense if the users could not have the ‘I want to play more’ feeling.

“So, we decided we want to provide, ‘at the very least,’ this amount of the game for the users. That is why, if you compare it to a standard demo, this became such a substantial piece. But we are confident that this will not become something negative where the users will feel like, ‘We played enough.’ After we released the demo version in Japan we received many voices, saying ‘[I] want to play more’ and ‘I want to get more hooked on this game.’ That is why we believe making this demo with this amount of volume and detail was a success.”

Soul Sacrifice is a long adventure, with dozens of hours of gameplay. The demo is not only a great way to sample the full experience, but also to let you get a head start on that adventure before the game releases. To that end — this part is important, pay attention! — the save data will carry over to the full game! Not only that, if you do carry over demo save data to the full game, you will receive an exclusive bonus item: “Spirits’ Heart”! It summons a powerful stone golem that will fight for you!

Trying the demo and carrying over your save data is the ONLY way to get “Spirits’ Heart,” so why not give it a shot if you’re already interested in the game?

The Soul Sacrifice demo offers a single player mode AND a multi-player mode. Multi-player can be played via both ad-hoc and online, but please be aware that multi-player and all online features for the demo will be terminated and will no longer be available on April 30th, 2013. After this date, you will still be able to play the demo offline and ad-hoc. Of course, that’s not a problem, since you’ll all be picking up the full game when it launches on April 30th, right? *wink*

Don’t forget to pre-order! Not only do you get three exclusive Magic Offerings and two exclusive costumes, but you’ll also get the Japanese voice-over audio pack for free!

Soul Sacrifice: Demo April 16th, Keiji Inafune Interview

Kumi Yuasa — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:00:16 +0000

Soul Sacrifice launches exclusively for PlayStation Vita on April 30th… that’s just weeks away! Many of you have been asking about the demo coming to North America and we’re finally able to address your questions. First, though, watch our new interview with legendary designer Keiji Inafune below.

The demo for Soul Sacrifice is coming to PlayStation Store on April 16th — thanks for waiting so patiently! The demo begins in despair, with you in the role of a captive imprisoned by a ruthless mage and awaiting sacrifice. The looming promise of certain death is interrupted by the appearance of a mysterious book. The tome, inexplicably able to think and speak, introduces itself as Librom.

Librom also claims to hold a special power, allowing those who read it to experience what’s written within. But it’s best that we spoil no more than that! Be sure to try out the Soul Sacrifice demo on April 16th, and check back here when you do — we’ll have more information about the game to share!

Oh, and don’t forget to pre-order! Not only will you get three exclusive Magic Offerings and two exclusive costumes, you’ll also get the Japanese voice-over audio pack for free!

Inside Skywalker Sound: Soul Sacrifice’s Battle Theme

Kumi Yuasa — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:02:59 +0000

Back in December, we released a sneak-peek of the Skywalker Sound soundtrack recording video for Soul Sacrifice. As mentioned, the game’s soundtrack is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama, two of the most recognized composers in the industry. Today. I’m excited to share a video introducing one of the scores Mitsuda-san composed:

Mitsuda-san was kind enough to provide us the following accompanying message:

“This was the very first battle music I composed, and I focused on making sure it fit the fighting theme of Soul Sacrifice. The battle style in this game is different from traditional RPGs and action games where the battles are not instantaneous, but rather extensive and you fight for a longer period of time. Within those battles, you will face all sorts of situations where you can have the upper hand, or be at a disadvantage. So, in order to match these dramatic sequences, I concentrated on adding many different elements to each piece in order to create an exciting musical composition. Soul Sacrifice is the type of game that will challenge you in all aspects. With that in mind, I challenged myself during the composition of the musical scores as well. I believe this game is something that people overseas, not only in Japan, will also enjoy. I hope everybody around the world will enjoy playing this game.”

Soul Sacrifice Out April 30th: Box Art, Pre-order Extras Revealed

Aram Jabbari — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:02:17 +0000

Since it was announced for North America, and as new assets and details are rolled out to eager fans worldwide, excitement for Soul Sacrifice has only increased. No other title for PlayStation Vita combines the same frantic real-time combat, thrilling sense of scale, smartly interwoven cooperative multiplayer, or meaningful character customization… Not to mention the contributions of legends of gaming like designer Keiji Inafune or composer Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama.

For weeks, fans have asked for more info about the game’s North American release, wanting a final date and box art, and details about possible pre-order extras. Finally, those questions can be answered!

Soul Sacrifice for PS Vita launches in stores and via PlayStation Network on April 30th, 2013. As for the box art, it is essentially the same as that which Japanese fans will proudly display on their shelves (or pedestals, if you’re a pedestal kind of person):

Fans who pre-order Soul Sacrifice will receive an exclusive pack of in-game content — it will not be sold anywhere else!

Two (2) Unique Costumes with which players can customize their character
Three (3) Magic Items to aid players in battle:

Spirits’ Flamepike – Shards of the spear provided by Fire spirits, unleashing a five hit combo attack with heat effects
Spirits’ Blightstone – Explosive stones with poison effects provided by the spirits
Spirits’ Fulgurwood – Root provided by the Thunder spirits. Tracks enemies on the ground and attacks with thunder spell

There’s more! Do you prefer to play with Japanese audio tracks whenever possible? You might want to pre-order…

Reserve Soul Sacrifice and, in addition to the in-game costume & item bundle, you’ll also receive the Japanese voice-over pack for free. This pack will be sold separately, but the only way to get it right at launch for no added cost is to pre-order!

Thrilled to finally be able to reveal a release date to his North American fans, Project Lead Keiji Inafune had this to say:

I’m excited that we are finally able to announce the release date of Soul Sacrifice. I have put all my passion and soul into the game’s concept and my talented team has made an incredible effort to create the best game it could ever be. I’m confident that we’ve created an extremely engaging game that you will enjoy playing.

The game has become nothing like any other game with an original and deep world settings which could only be possible in a dark fantasy environment. I’m looking forward to you being able to experience the unique adventure of real heroism in Soul Sacrifice. Immerse yourself in the world of Soul Sacrifice and have fun playing it!

Keiji Inafune, Conceptor and CEO – comcept, Inc.

There’s plenty left to share and reveal for Soul Sacrifice… Keep coming back to PS.Blog for more updates!

The Music of Soul Sacrifice: Recorded at Skywalker Sound

Aram Jabbari — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 14:01:58 +0000

If asked, most of us can recall a favorite scene or two from a movie, a shot or sequence that lingered with us long after the lights came on and we left the theater. We retain the visual, but often it isn’t until we see that same scene muted that we discover that the music, the aural accompaniment, was a far greater part of our experience than we realized.

Just as in cinema, music is a huge part of what makes many gaming memories so rich. It’s a significant ingredient in creating a sense of grandeur and making something feel epic.

Soul Sacrifice, the next title from legendary developer Keiji Inafune, has such aspirations.

It may be a handheld action title, but there is nothing portable or small about the game’s scope or presentation. Case in point: the game’s soundtrack is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Wataru Hokoyama, two of the most recognized composers in the industry. Moreover, their soaring, charged score was recorded using full orchestras and choruses on the Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, CA, a world-renowned studio with some of the best acoustic technology and audio engineers in the world.

Soul Sacrifice’s satisfying action and adventure may conveniently fit in the palms of your hands, but expect its sights and sounds to feel much bigger!

Watch the music of Soul Sacrifice come to life in this special abridged cut of our “Behind the Scenes” video at the top of this post. There’s much more news to come regarding the music of Soul Sacrifice, not to mention the game itself, so please stay tuned!

Happy Holidays from Keiji Inafune and the Soul Sacrifice Team

Keiji Inafune — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:00:48 +0000

Happy Holidays to everyone in North America! This is Keiji Inafune. Soul Sacrifice is finally near completion, and we are proud to say with confidence that this game is worth recommending to everyone. It’s been awhile since I’ve created a game that made me feel this enthusiastic. We put a lot of passionate unremitting work into this masterpiece and we are super excited about it.

As promised, the game includes a mind-blowing world and a magnificent story, which will instantly draw you in and I hope people will just indulge themselves on Soul Sacrifice.

Through this game, I hope that everyone will experience the heart and essence of true Japanese game development once again.

As Team Inafune, we would like to proudly present Soul Sacrifice for all of the true gamers in the world to enjoy.

PS Vita’s Soul Sacrifice: Leviathan and Ghost Mode Revealed

Keiji Inafune — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:00:41 +0000

In my last post, I explained that monsters in the world of PS Vita’s Soul Sacrifice are what have become of humans who succumbed to darkness, using magic according to their desire. Today, I’m pleased to reveal a new monster, “Leviathan,” and to share its backstory.

Meet Leviathan

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there were two twin princes. The older twin excelled at everything, and the younger one failed at just as much. The two were so different that it was a wonder that the same blood flowed through their veins. It was like pairing up a giant and a dwarf. The younger brother grew up with a severe inferiority complex and developed an extremely dark personality. He started to enjoy collecting ferocious animals, one in particular being a crocodile from another kingdom. He put the crocodile in a cage, where he tormented it. It was the only time he could ever feel strong.

Years went by, and it was finally time for the heir to take the throne. Of course, the chosen heir was none other than the eldest of the twin brothers. Jealous, the younger prince stormed off to his room. He sat there, staring at his crocodile. “If only I could get the crocodile to kill my brother…” he thought. Just then a strange voice resonated in the room and the prince could feel his body drown in magic…

Live on in Ghost Mode

In addition to revealing this fearsome new monster, I’m excited to share a key new element to the game’s multiplayer experience: Ghost Mode. The co-op multiplayer mode of Soul Sacrifice is not just about playing offense or defense. You will use yourself and allies as a catalyst for magic, and truly battle together.

At times, you’ll use magic to stop time so your allies can attack. Other times, you can choose to help aid your dying friends with your healing power. There are many choices available to you, and your victory depends on your decisions. And it doesn’t end if you fall during a co-op battle. With Ghost Mode, you will become a “ghost” and continue to aid your allies. Players that have become ghosts are able to openly observe the statuses of the enemies and ally members. You can strengthen your team mates or make the enemies vulnerable by touching them on the screen. So even after you die, you can keep aiding your party and continue the co-op battle until the end with your friends.