Today we're proud to present a Q&A with Level-5's president, Akihiro Hino. Involved at essentially every level of the company's operation, every Level-5 game is essentially a personal Akihiro Hino project. Once again, we're proud to present this Q&A as day two of our week of Rogue Galaxy coverage, as well as more exclusive art and screens, more Q&As, and our exclusive review to come!


GameSpy: Rogue Galaxy is essentially a space opera, mixing old-fashioned ships and swords with a hyper-tech setting. What made that the best choice for Level-5's "signature style?
Akihiro Hino: Conventional sci-fi games frequently resort to the overuse of metallic or silver colors for their environment, giving a sterile, muted feel. As a title developed by Level-5, we weren't satisfied with those kinds of visuals. That's why we put a touch of antiquity and fantastical elements into the game, making it feel more unique.
GameSpy: Is there a sense of expectation, as many people see Rogue Galaxy as being one of the last PS2 RPGs?
Akihiro Hino: We're really looking forward to everyone playing this game as we've put our hearts into Rogue to pull every ounce of power out of the PS2 to make a satisfying RPG.
GameSpy: Other RPGs have gone the route of streamlining choices, of keeping the player on a dramatic path instead of getting mixed up in item creation or mini-games. Level-5 hasn't - why?
Akihiro Hino: Personally, I think that video games should be like an amusement park, and not like a movie. What I mean is, instead of just watching the same results happen no matter who plays it, isn't it more interesting to be able to choose your favorite ride or attraction?
GameSpy: Between all the crafting choices, weapon options, the insectron tournament, hunts, and the main quest itself, what was left that didn't make it into the game?
Akihiro Hino: Fortunately, for the US version, we were able to incorporate all the elements that we had originally planned. We actually contemplated putting in a fishing game, but we've done that in previous titles already so we decided not to put it into Rogue Galaxy.
GameSpy: Of the characters available, it's easy to look at Jaster Rogue and see Luke Skywalker, especially with their similar backgrounds. How much of that is deliberate? Where did Jaster Rogue come from?
Akihiro Hino: RG was inspired by various sci-fi—a parody of sorts, if you will. This game is meant to be a blockbuster sci-fi game, so we designed Jaster to be a standard sci-fi hero that everyone can relate with.
GameSpy: Other than Jaster, many of the characters seem to fill a roll that's very distinct for the planet (or spaceship) they're from. Lilika, Jupis, Deego, and Kisala in particular are all heavily influenced by the flavor of their world of origin. Did the planets or the characters come first during design?
Akihiro Hino: We first designed the characters, and then designed a world around them.