Phoenix Game Productions LLC | SEGA | Tango Gameworks and Bethesda Softworks
Japan Games Week 2023
March 13-17, 2023
In celebration of Fortnite's MEGA Chapter 4 - Season 2 launch, we wanted to highlight some awesome Unreal Engine-powered games coming out of Japan. For Japan Games Week 2023, expect a plethora of coverage on some incredibly diverse Japanese-developed titles including Hi-Fi Rush, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and much more!
Monday, March 13
Image courtesy of SEGA
How Unreal Engine helped Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio reinvent Like a Dragon: Ishin! for modern consoles
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio revisits one of its older Yakuza spin-offs with Like a Dragon: Ishin! The developer turns to Unreal Engine to remaster a title that never saw a Western release until now.
Crafting the neon lights and crushingly loud music of Tokyo Underground Killer
Unreal Engine’s Editor Utility Widget shaped the Epic MegaGrant recipient’s key manga look and feel.
Image courtesy of Phoenix Game Productions LLC
Image courtesy of Implausible Industries
In case you missed it… Research and Destroy
RESEARCH and DESTROY used spreadsheets and a love of cartoons to deliver a uniquely funny take on strategy.
In case you missed it… Shin Megami Tensei V
The venerable JRPG studio talks about how it developed one of the most highly anticipated sequels for Nintendo Switch.
Footage courtesy of SEGA of America, Inc. or its affiliates. ©SEGA. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, March 14
Why Ukiyo is a casual game about escaping a Japanese virtual reality
Ukiyo’s Epic MegaGrant introduced devs to Japan’s indie game scene.
©Seaknot Studios, FREAKY DESIGN / SHUEISHA, SHUEISHA GAMES
Image courtesy of Katana Lab
Why Kanata Lab transitioned from musician to first-time game developer for 34EVERLAST
Syohei Ogami of Kanata Lab spent years as a successful musician, only to see a musical project turn into 34EVERLAST, a high-speed action game where you save parallel realities.
In case you missed it… Bloodstained
Famed Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi talks about creating a modern Igavania title, which has become one of the most beloved crowdfunded games yet.
Image courtesy of ArtPlay, Inc.
Wednesday, March 15
ONE PIECE ODYSSEY turns the popular manga into a rousing RPG adventure as a celebration of its 25th anniversary
For the 25th anniversary of the ONE PIECE manga and anime series, Bandai Namco Entertainment and ILCA explain how they crafted ONE PIECE ODYSSEY, an immense RPG adventure that honors the series’ history.
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
In case you missed it… Soulcalibur VI
With revamped, modern graphics and a fighting system that is as deep as it is accessible, it's no surprise that the recently released SOULCALIBUR VI has garnered rave reviews.
In case you missed it… Bandai Namco
The team at BNE breaks down its use of UE across major franchises including TEKKEN, SOULCALIBUR, and ACE COMBAT.
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
In case you missed it… Tales of Arise
We speak to Bandai Namco’s development team about their five-year journey creating the seventeenth installment of award-winning JRPG series, Tales of Arise, using Unreal Engine.
Thursday, March 16
Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks
Hi-Fi RUSH was inspired by Shaun of the Dead and Futurama
Developer Tango Gameworks talks about how Blueprints, UE’s Animation Editor, and the Editor Utility Widget allowed the studio to create the unique rhythmic action gameplay.
In case you missed it… Ghostwire Tokyo
How Tango Gameworks’ rediscovery of Tokyo’s charming mix of old and new powered its latest game.
Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks
Inside Unreal | What it was like Prototyping Hi-Fi RUSH
This week in celebration of Unreal Engine’s Japan Games Week 2023 we’ll have on one of the developers of the incredible Hi-Fi RUSH! We’ll dive into the story of how the game was prototyped, what challenges were faced along the way (namely due to it being their first time using the engine!) and the sage advice learned from the process.
In case you missed it… -Guilty Gear -Strive-
Veteran fighting game developer Arc System Works details how it creates and balances its diverse cast of characters while carving out the series’ new visual identity.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
In case you missed it… Dragon Ball FighterZ
Bandai Namco Entertainment's Mark Religioso gets us up to speed on the newly-announced action RPG set within the Dragon Ball Z universe.
Friday, March 17
Image courtesy of Acquire and SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
In case you missed it… Octopath Traveler
We visited developer Acquire in Japan to get to the root of the game’s core concepts and find out how they succeeded in modernizing the art direction of classic JRPGs.
In case you missed it… Dragon Quest XI
We caught up with Dragon Quest XI Director Takeshi Uchikawa to explore the development of the biggest and most beautiful game in the long-running, esteemed JRPG series.
In case you missed it… Kingdom Hearts III
We speak to SQUARE ENIX about the role source code access and Blueprints played in bringing iconic Disney and Pixar worlds to life in the celebrated KINGDOM HEARTS III.
In case you missed it… Final Fantasy VII REMAKE Intergrade
Square Enix developers share how they took advantage of PlayStation 5’s extra performance power to bolster FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE’s lighting, framerate, VFX, load times, and more.
Image courtesy of SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
Download Unreal Engine 5 today!
If you’re an existing Unreal Engine user, you can download Unreal Engine 5 from the Epic Games launcher. If you're looking to dive in for the first time, click the link below to get started. Either way, we hope you enjoy all the new features and upgrades, and as always, we encourage your feedback!