Raidou Remastered Director Believes Raidou Coming Back “Is Not Out of Reach”
A classic reborn.
Shin Megami Tensei is one of the most storied RPG franchises in history, with quite literally dozens of spinoffs across the last three decades, including the likes of the beloved Persona games. In that glut of games, it’s inevitable that some things will be lost in the shuffle — and there may not be a single SMT game more overlooked than Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless Army.
Despite the ridiculously long name, Raidou stands apart from the rest of the series because of its historical-drama fueled story that takes place in Taisho-era Japan, as well as a unique action combat system. But equally, the actual character of Raidou is a crucial part of what made the game different as well, as a more “defined” silent protagonist.
Nearly two decades after the original PS2 release, Raidou remains one of the most thematically and mechanically different games in all of SMT — and Raidou Remastered finally gives both the game and the character a chance to really shine.
“Raidou, while silent, is a uniquely characterized protagonist within the SMT franchise. He operates as a seasoned professional with combat training right from the start of the game,” director Kazayuki Yamai tells Inverse, “Notably, Raidou is the only character thus far within the franchise to serve as the protagonist across multiple titles. He serves as a role model, demonstrating that a protagonist with personality can indeed succeed within the SMT franchise.”
Ahead of the release of Raidou Remastered, Inverse talked to Yamai about bringing back the classic game, Raidou’s unique place in the overall franchise, and what the future might hold for the spinoff.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
In your opinion, what makes a good protagonist for the Shin Megami Tensei series? How do the protagonists of this series differ from other RPG franchises?
Yamai: In my opinion, the protagonists of the SMT series are ordinary, unnamed young people who haven’t undergone any combat training. One of the appeals of SMT is how such an average individual transforms into a key figure, influencing the outcome of a war among gods. While not always the case, protagonists in other RPG series generally have names and are often given defined personalities and backstories. These characters also tend to speak, allowing players to enjoy "playing the role of the protagonist."
In contrast, I believe the SMT series offers a different experience by having a silent protagonist, where players can project themselves into the game and immerse themselves in the unfolding events.
How do you think Raidou, as a character, influenced the rest of the SMT series? The original game launched right around the same time as Persona 3, and both featured silent protagonists with a lot of personality. Was that a coincidence?
Yamai: Raidou, while silent, is a uniquely characterized protagonist within the SMT franchise. He operates as a seasoned professional with combat training right from the start of the game. Notably, Raidou is the only character thus far within the franchise to serve as the protagonist across multiple titles. He serves as a role model, demonstrating that a protagonist with personality can indeed succeed within the SMT franchise.
The silent nature of both Raidou and Persona's protagonists is not coincidental; it stems from their origins as spin-offs of the SMT franchise. As mentioned earlier, SMT typically does not attribute distinct personalities to its protagonists, influencing both Raidou and Persona. However, as both Raidou and Persona have since been recognized by users as independent IPs, the circumstances have evolved from those earlier days.
Raidou is loosely connected to other games in the “Devil Summoner” sub-series, including the first game simply named Devil Summoner and Soul Hackers.
Because of Raidou’s historical setting, did that influence the character in any way? Were there any real-life figures or organizations you looked to for inspiration for his visual design?
Yamai: Firstly, the historical setting that the Kuzunoha clan has been around for over 1,300 years contributes to Raidou's stoic character, reminiscent of samurai who once served their domains. He suppresses personal feelings and approaches the task of commanding and summoning demons as his purpose.
Additionally, the culture of Japan's Taisho era has undeniably influenced Raidou's character design. Visually, elements of the student uniforms from that period have been incorporated. The Japanese often hold unique sentiments of elegance and aesthetic appreciation toward the fusion of Japanese and Western designs characteristic of the Taisho era.
When you started the Raidou Remastered project, how did you look at updating Raidou? Did you want the protagonist to remain the same, or did you think about altering the design or how he acts as a silent protagonist?
Yamai: The portrayal of the protagonist remained unchanged. As mentioned earlier, I believed it was essential to preserve the stoic hero persona from the original version, one who hides his emotions and approaches commanding and exterminating demons as his duty.
Failing to do so would risk disappointing the fans who wished for his return, as I believe they do not want a changed Raidou, at least for this installment.
Alongside this, I added details. For example, we included a pose where Raidou holds tubes when summoning demons and added a whispering voice saying, "come forth."
Additionally, when a demon ally returns to its tube, he tells them, “well done". These details were added and adjusted to help players feel closer to Raidou as a real, existing young man.
Raidou is one of the only Shin Megami Tensei games that’s not turn-based, instead letting you summon demons in action-RPG combat.
In the Raidou games, it feels like the protagonist develops more of a relationship with demons than in other SMT games. Was that an intentional choice? Do you think that’s important to both Raidou as a character and the identity of these games?
Yamai: Yes, it was intentional. RAIDOU Remastered is a spin-off from the Devil Summoner series, which traditionally depicted the character of demons with greater depth than the SMT series. For example, in the predecessor to RAIDOU, "Soul Hackers," there was a richly developed "Devil Conversation" feature used during battles to recruit demons as allies. The conversations there were varied and of high quality. Additionally, the VICE system allowed demon allies to become more obedient during battles as their loyalty grew. These game systems made the Devil Summoner series feel deeply connected to the demons.
Therefore, in the original RAIDOU game, we designed the systems to foster even deeper relationships with demons. Specifically, on the field, your ally demon would constantly accompany you during movement, showcasing their abilities such as reading NPCs' minds and display their skills outside of combat. Most notably, we shifted the combat style from command-based to an action style, enabling direct observation of the ally demons’ movements and a palpable sense of their presence.
Raidou also starred in a sequel on PS2 called Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon — considered by many to be one of the best games in the entire franchise.
What role do you think silent protagonists can still play in modern RPGs? Looking back at Raidou now, how do you think games like it can inform new experiences with silent protagonists?
Yamai: I believe a silent protagonist can appear refreshing to users, especially since speaking protagonists have become the norm with games gaining cinematic entertainment qualities. A silent protagonist doesn’t utter dialogue that might feel disconnected from the player's perspective, allowing for stronger emotional engagement and creating a more interactive gaming experience.
With a silent protagonist, players can choose a game based purely on the character's appearance without having to worry about resonating with the protagonist's personality or stance.
Do you think there’s potential for Raidou to come back? If so, do you think Raidou, the character, would need to be changed or updated in any way? Would he still be silent?
Yamai: With everyone’s support, I believe Raidou's return is not out of reach. The current Raidou is the "Fourteenth" and he is silent. Unless confronted with a significant event that challenges this, his character is unlikely to change from being silent.
Whether the Raidous from other generations is silent or not would likely depend on their individual character traits. In any case, their characterization will depend on future story developments.
