Reynatis Interview: Creative Producer TAKUMI, Scenario Writer Kazushige Nojima, and Composer Yoko Shimomura Talk Game, Coffee, and More

Background: A Western Release Date for a FuRyu Action RPG

NIS America will release FuRyu's action RPG Reynatis for Switch, Steam, PS5, and PS4 in the West on September 27. Before the launch, TouchArcade spoke with Creative Producer TAKUMI, Scenario Writer Kazushige Nojima, and Composer Yoko Shimomura about the game, its inspirations, the collaborations, how the project came into being, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, coffee, a potential Xbox release, and more. The interview was split into parts: TAKUMI took part in a video call translated by Alan from NIS America, and the transcript was then edited for brevity. Nojima and Shimomura were interviewed by email, with their portion appearing toward the end.

Development Path: From FuRyu's Main Idea to a Fan-Facing Action RPG

TAKUMI described himself as a director and producer at FuRyu who works on new games and brand new projects. For Reynatis, he said he came up with the main idea, produced the game, directed it, and handled nearly everything from beginning to end. He added that FuRyu titles have moved through many Western publishers and platforms, including 3DS, PS Vita, PS4, PS5, PC, and mostly Switch in recent years.

The interviewer noted that many FuRyu games feel about 75% really good in story, music, and memorable moments, while some parts can fall short technically or in gameplay. TouchArcade named Lost Dimension, The Caligula Effect 2, Crymachina, and The Alliance Alive as reference points, and said Reynatis appeared to have more buzz than any previous FuRyu game. TAKUMI said he was happy and took the attention positively, while noting that the reaction seemed larger outside Japan than inside Japan. He said checking Twitter showed many comments on trailers and information posts came from people outside Japan, suggesting an international fan base that is large, or will be large.

Japan Launch and Early Player Response: July 25 and Story Anticipation

Spoiler Warning: The following summary refers only to how players reacted to story progression, not to specific plot events.

Reynatis launched in Japan on July 25, and FuRyu held a streamed play session that drew comments on Twitter. TAKUMI said players in Japan, especially fans of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts and the work of Tetsuya Nomura, latched onto the game and appreciated its direction. He said they noticed how the story progressed, recognized plot choices as expected, and became excited about what might come next. He also said FuRyu's distinctive gameplay areas and unique design choices were recognized by long-time players. Overall, he reported positive user reaction on both the story-fan side and the FuRyu-enthusiast side.

Updates and Western Build: September 1 Patch, May DLC

TAKUMI acknowledged that a game cannot be recreated on a fundamental level, but said smaller issues can be polished. He listed boss balancing, the amount of time enemies appear, quality-of-life features, bugs, and technical flaws as areas for future updates. He said an update was scheduled for September 1 in Japan, and that some issues would be addressed with or shortly before that update. He also said technical fixes would continue over the coming months because the last DLC is scheduled to release in May. For Western players, he said the September 27 version would be a refined and brushed-up version compared with what had come out in Japan.

Collaboration Method: Direct Messages, X, Twitter, and LINE

TAKUMI said the team was approached directly rather than through companies or formal corporate channels. He had worked with Yoko Shimomura previously on other FuRyu titles, but still reached out to her through X/Twitter. For Naora-san, the game's illustrator, he sent a PM on X/Twitter; for Kaburagi-san, who also did illustrations, he spoke with him on X. Kazushige Nojima communicated largely through LINE, and much of the project communication continued through private messages rather than formal business emails. TAKUMI described the process as rougher and less formal than typical company business, saying he would simply reach out as needed with questions such as what should be done about the music. The interviewer also noted that NIS America translated a two-part Famitsu interview with Takumi-san, Yoko Shimomura, and Kazushige Nojima.

Creative Pedigree: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy Versus XIII

TAKUMI said he had been playing Kingdom Hearts since he was a kid and that the series shaped his personality and values. He connected Shimomura's music strongly to Kingdom Hearts, and Nojima's scenario work to titles such as Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X. He said he wanted to make a game with Nojima's scenario and Shimomura's music. Regarding Shimomura, he said most people think of Kingdom Hearts, a really special game that influenced him and that he wanted to work with specifically. Regarding Nojima, he said he was a big fan of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X, and wanted to work with him because he liked his work.

Regarding Final Fantasy Versus XIII, TAKUMI called the topic sensitive and said he could speak only within a limited window. He explained that as a fan of Nomura-san's work, the original Versus XIII trailer made him wonder what the game would have been like, and he wanted to create a fan's own take on that possibility. He said he had spoken with Nomura-san and that the trailer was an inspiration, not a source to copy. Reynatis, he said, is wholly his own creation, dyed in his own color, and built from what he wanted to express as a creator. He added that the game is aimed at the group of fans who loved those earlier works.

Current Stage: The Western Launch Window

By the September 27 Western release, Reynatis enters Switch, Steam, PS5, and PS4 with a post-Japan patch cycle, a May DLC endpoint, and a development story centered on FuRyu's creative leadership and collaborations with Kazushige Nojima and Yoko Shimomura. The timeline shows a July 25 Japanese launch, a September 1 update, a September 27 Western launch, and continued support through the last DLC in May.