Straight from the Source: Shuto Mikami (RUINSMAGUS)

VR fantasy action! RUINSMAGUS creator Shuto Mikami tells us a bit about the game and how it came to be.

Note: This interview was originally recorded by Brando in Japanese on September 16, 2022 at Tokyo Game Show. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity. Full disclosure: Source Gaming founder PushDustIn currently works at Character Bank and helped arrange this interview.

——We’re here at Tokyo Game Show 2022 with Shuto Mikami, the founder of VR game studio Character Bank.

Mikami: Hi, I’m Mikami from Character Bank. We recently released our fantasy action game, RUINSMAGUS.

——Could you talk about what the core of this game is?

Mikami: It’s an action RPG, so the core gameplay is battling your way through dungeons, but we positioned the story as the main driving force, and as you meet various characters and help them out and go on quests you eventually unravel the mysteries of this world.

——How would you explain the gameplay to someone that’s not familiar with it? Are there any other games you can compare it with?

Mikami: It’s not a VR game, but some players have actually compared it to Mega Man. Mega Man gets several different powers he can use, and in RUINSMAGUS you have several different magic spells you can use. Also, there’s a fast dash move you can do which is similar to Mega Man’s dash. We didn’t consciously make it like that, but players have told us that’s what it feels like.

——Character Bank specializes in VR games. I’m curious, what made you want to do VR?

Mikami: When the first Oculus (now Meta) Quest came out, I had tried some VR stuff before that, but when I tried the Quest I had this strange, intuitive feeling like, “This is it!” (Laughs)
I thought, “This is going to be big”, and so from there I started to work on VR games exclusively.

——The first Quest didn’t require a beefy PC or tons of cables to hook up — it was standalone, and had a price more affordable to general consumers. Was that part of the appeal?

Mikami: Right, it may not have been so much about the Quest itself, but I felt that standalone VR would become a big thing.

——How did you arrive at RUINSMAGUS? How did you decide that this was the game you were going to make?

Mikami: So RUINSMAGUS is actually the third game we’ve released, but it was the first time we decided to make a full-fledged single-player adventure. When thinking about what kind of experience that would be, we realized there weren’t many games in the fantasy setting, like a medieval Europe “isekai” world, so we decided to make a world like that which you can really dive into and enjoy. With VR it’s so immersive, it really feels like you were transported to that world.

——Do you have any message for people who might own a Switch or other console, but don’t have a VR headset? What’s it like to be in the world of this game?

Mikami: Well, of course it’d be great if they’re able to get a headset and try it out, but if I had to explain it… The art style is inspired by Breath of the Wild and Studio Ghibli, and when you put on the headset and look around it’s like you’re really there in another world. That experience is one of the unique appeals of VR, this feeling of going to one of those places and interact with characters which you’ve only seen on a 2D screen before. I hope more people can try that out.
We’re actually working on additional updates for the game, where you can go inside stores and houses in the game’s town, and see the daily lives of the characters, which does a lot to bring the world to life.

——Was that in response to player feedback you’ve received since releasing the game?

Mikami: Yes, players have said things like “I want to see more of this world”, so we’re adding more ways to catch a glimpse of life in the world of RUINSMAGUS. Those updates will probably come out near the end of this year.

——Any closing words?

Mikami: We’ve created the fantasy world that we’ve always wanted to, and we’re putting everything we dreamed of doing into it. For example, holding up a shield with your left hand while doing a magical attack with your right hand, that feeling of actually being in battle, and being a hero who saves the world. In VR you experience it all directly, so it feels like a true “role-playing” experience. We’d be thrilled if more people are able to enjoy that!

——Thank you very much!