DIRECTOR HIKARU NAKANO ON MAKING STORY OF SEASONS THE MOST WHOLESOME GAME OF THE YEAR

We sat down with longtime Story of Seasons director Hikaru Nakano to talk about cows, cutscenes, and crafting the ultimate chill game.

- Joe Findlay

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE LATEST INSTALLMENT

Story of Seasons is back with an all-new game, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, that takes you through Zephyr Town, where you're building a new life with your own farm. The town's bazaar was once famous but has since declined, and now the townsfolk need your help to restore it to its former glory.

I had a chance to sit down with Hikaru Nakano, who brings a great perspective to the series as both the manager of the Story of Seasons franchise and the director of several previous entries. I spoke with him about the latest updates in the game and the care that goes into a simulation title—one that is fun, immersive and customizable to the player's desired experience.

Thank you for taking the time to sit with me. So, first question: What are you most excited to share with returning gamers about Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar?

There are many things, but one I'd like to focus on is the location, as well as the animals and the communication with them. We put a lot of effort into that. In the original game, of course, you had your cows, chickens and all those kinds of animals—but in this game, the farm setting has been vastly improved. You can now see your animals out playing in the pasture and enjoy the cuteness of that, getting a nice feeling just from observing it.

We've put a lot of care into the actions that the animals take, as well as their animations and their reactions, all in an effort for the player to feel closer to their animals that they are raising on their farm. So, for example, the animals may play with each other and have interactions that you can observe there. They also react to you in different ways when you interact with them as well.