You have 30 different potential endings, but one true ending. How have you designed the game to potentially guide players who want to eventually reach that true ending?Syohei:

In order to guide players to the true ending, I think it’s important to tell the game’s fascinating story in fragments to pique the player’s interest in what will happen next. The entire game, then, is designed around making that happen. After each route’s ending, players can be rewarded with more plot being deciphered or hints toward unlocking another ending route. Currently, we’re planning on implementing a flowchart that lets the player see what routes they’ve taken and identify the branching points.

Are there any unique ways in which Kanata Lab’s musical background has impacted 34EVERLAST‘s development?

Syohei: Music occupies an extremely crucial position among all the elements that make up a game, but I feel like it tends to take a backseat in action games. As someone who’d worked primarily in music composition, I really wanted to do something about that.

With 34EVERLAST, we start with a concept that puts music front and center—a music video that you control—and implement level design and direction that works hand-in-hand with the soundtrack.

Composer Levereve and vocalist Emi Evans, who sang songs from NieR Replicant and NieR:Automata, are creating the main song for the game, 3VERL4ST. Levereve is also doing the rest of the music for 34EVERLAST. As a musician, how has it been collaborating with others on the music for your game?

Syohei: I’ve been friendly with Levereve’s representative, JP, since my musical-composition days—we even produced an album together. At first, I’d planned on producing all of 34EVERLAST’s songs myself, but game development ate up my time. Instead, I asked my most respected and trusted colleague, Levereve, to take the reins.

The songs Levereve composes consistently surpass my expectations. I’m very happy with their work. I’m also truly grateful to Emi Evans for her outstanding vocals. Everyone at SCARLET MOON has been so accommodating. I’d really like to work with them again.

Some tracks are still unreleased. I’m incredibly excited to have other artists put such a beautiful shine on this world I’ve created.

Source: Unreal Engine Blog