THE MAKING OF The Legend of Heroes
Trails in the Sky
THE LEGEND OF HEROES IS ONE OF FALCOM’S OLDEST FRANCHISES IN THE JAPANESE COMPANY’S 40-YEAR HISTORY. TOSHIHIRO KONDO, FAN TURNED DEVELOPER AND THE STUDIO’S FUTURE PRESIDENT TELLS US HOW HE LAID THE TRAILS FOR A NEW EXPANSIVE RPG SAGA
WORDS BY ALAN WEN
IN THE KNOW
» PUBLISHER: FALCOM (JPN), XSEED GAMES (USA), GHOSTLIGHT (EUROPE)
» DEVELOPER: FALCOM
» RELEASED: 2004
» PLATFORM: PC, PSP
» GENRE: RPG
If
there’s one thing many beloved Japanese RPG series have in common, it’s that regardless of the number at the end, you can largely expect each instalment to be a brand-new adventure with new characters and settings, even if some things like terminology for magic, currency, or enemy types carry over.
Falcom was therefore ahead of the curve with its The Legend Of Heroes series (beginning as part of the company’s Dragon Slayer series) where, from the third entry, it released three games that were actually part of the same world and collectively known as the Gagharv Trilogy. It was the first of these games, The Legend Of Heroes III: Shiroki Majo (confusingly re-titled in its North American release as The Legend Of Heroes II: Prophecy Of The Moonlight Witch) that first caught the attention of Toshihiro Kondo. “The rich, detailed story, captivating characters and warm, inviting world setting got me thinking about just how amazing the care and planning that went into the game was,” he says. It was also the beginning of his admiration for Falcom, which for him was simply “the company who made Shiroki Majo”. It was his fondness for Prophecy Of The Moonlight Witch that led to Kondo creating a fan website dedicated to the game during his time as a university student, which became his entry point to joining his dream company, initially to maintain the company’s servers before getting the opportunity to try his hand at scenario writing, adding, “In Falcom, even if someone might not have particular experience with something, if they seem capable, they are given a chance to prove themselves.” Having also gained experience with managing entire project schedules and even giving direct suggestions to the development team, Kondo acquired the expertise needed to take the helm himself when Falcom decided to develop a new Legend Of Heroes title. When that moment came, the Gagharv Trilogy would be a constant comparison to measure by.