Soul Sacrifice is one of the more intriguing PlayStation Vita titles on the horizon, what with its hardcore RPG elements and focus on sacrificing mobility to augment your powers. Gaming legend Keiji Inafune recently sat down with the official PlayStation Blog to answer a few questions about his highly-anticipated debut project following a publicized split from Capcom.
Inafune’s view on moral complexity in video games is especially interesting, and he had plenty to share when asked whether he feels a deeper emotional meaning is missing from games. ". . . the creators of the best games today have realized that they need to do something more than becoming more realistic, more sensational . . . They’re thinking about creating something new by including that emotional aspect."
In giving players a rare glimpse at the backstories behind monsters they’ll fight in Soul Sacrifice, such as the Griffon, Inafune hopes to imbue some of that moral ambiguity onto players. "One of the things I want to illustrate is a feeling of guilt," he said. "I want you to make sacrifices, but I also want you to think about saving. Perhaps you’re fighting a powerful enemy but you learn that he has a sick daughter that he has to save back home by earning money in battle . . . Can you make these extreme choices given the situation?"
Of course, Inafune knows games, and he isn’t just wrapped up in the artsy-fartsy nature of game development. Fun is the most important factor, and he believes that online co-op is where it’s at. "Multiplayer mode is definitely a big part of Soul Sacrifice. It’s not just about four people getting together and fighting one monster, though," he elaborated. "Every party you come up with will have a different strategy, different ways to attack and fight . . . I think that real-time online multiplayer is the most fun and exciting [PS Vita approach]."
Inafune had more to say on Soul Sacrifice, providing vague hints about the lore of the world and how he feels the theme of the game applies to his professional career. Check out the full interview by our friends at PlayStation Blog, and stay tuned to PSU.com for all things Soul Sacrifice.