Director Yasuhiro Kindera and producer Yuhito Suzuki of Square Enix's new JRPG series "Wanderer 0" recently accepted an exclusive interview and provided an in-depth analysis of how this prequel work, scheduled to be released on December 5, will push the series' iconic "high degree of freedom" concept to a new level through an innovative town construction system.This work carries a century-old history of the series and provides more than 100 hours of experience. While retaining the classic narrative and strategic combat, it further expands the boundaries of players' independent decision-making.
Producer Yuhito Suzuki pointed out that the name "Traveler" defines the core experience of the series: "The essence of travel means freedom, but it also requires walking on two feet. We have always been committed to creating a simple story that allows players to personally understand the protagonist's emotions and resonate." This pursuit of a sense of journey is directly reflected in the game design. The stealing mechanism in the first generation of works is an example - players can either steal items or complete the entire game through pure purchase. The diverse gameplay options are the charm of the series.
The biggest innovation of "Walker 0" is the introduction of a deep town construction system.Yuhito Suzuki explained: "We have particularly strengthened the concept of 'home'. Players can freely plan the layout of their hometown, arrange for their favorite characters to move in, and show the relationship between the characters through cohabitation settings. For example, having two flower-loving characters live next to each other, surrounded by floral landscapes - these details allow players to project their personal emotions more deeply into the game world."
Director Yasuhiro Kidera added on the continuation and evolution of the NPC system: "Different from traditional RPGs, each NPC in the "Wanderer" series has an independent background and exclusive props. This time we focus on connecting the field instructions with town construction: characters scattered around the world can be invited to settle in, and the needs of town development are closely intertwined with the adventure process, thus building an organic connection between the personal territory and the vast world."
It is worth noting that despite the richness and diversity of the town building system, the development team still adheres to the principle of freedom - careful planners will be richly rewarded, but players who have no intention of investing here will not be punished."Walker 0" will be launched simultaneously on all platforms including PC (Steam/Windows), PS5/PS4, Switch/Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on December 5th.
