Behind the Scenes with Villion:Code Game Designer Ilya Kuvshinov
Where did you start when developing characters for Villion:Code? Did you start with a particular character and work outward, or do you plan the group out as a whole?
Ilya Kuvshinov: Yes, the first sketch I ever did for the game was of the group of protagonists lined up together—to grasp the dynamics of their personalities, heights, costume differences and similarities, faces, haircuts, postures, and overall vibes.
Were there any characters that took longer to develop than others? Or did they end up taking a similar amount of time? Could you explain why certain characters took longer than others or why all the characters took the same amount of time?
KUVSHINOV: Yes, interestingly, some of the characters were basically approved on the spot and remained as they were on the very first sketch, with minor changes and improvements (such as three of the male protagonists). However, some of the characters were redone from scratch a couple of times (like Chloe, whose personality and backstory also changed in the process of finalizing the script). Anastasia went through the greatest number of iterations—we needed her to stand out, so with each revision she gradually became less symmetrical (which I am a big fan of) in both her haircut (diagonal bangs) and in her costume (differences in sleeve length and accessory arrangement).
Presumably, the developers had certain archetypes in mind when planning out Villion:Code's narrative, gameplay, and plot points. How much collaboration was there with the developers when creating the main cast? What input did you have?
KUVSHINOV: My job was to create the characters who live in the story and drive it forward, characters with whom the players will interact and spend hours together. So my responsibility was to grasp the ideas and concepts of this world, story, and gameplay, and reflect them in the characters' designs and appearances. I didn't really have any serious input into anything other than writing one sidequest and the visuals.
Which portions of the cast were you involved with creating for Villion:Code? Was it the main cast only, or did you also do design work for the supporting cast, GEMs, and so on?
KUVSHINOV: I worked on the concepts and illustrations for all the characters—protagonists, antagonists, and NPCs—alongside supervising 3D models. I also provided rough concepts for monsters! Other than working on the characters, I also designed the school logo, cutscene illustrations, promotional artwork, cover illustrations, UI portraits, and more.
You have worked on numerous projects, from anime series to films to music videos. Does your character design process change depending on the medium, or do you maintain a consistent approach across all your projects?
KUVSHINOV: Yes, character design processes for different mediums branch off at a certain point. To give a simple example, 2D anime characters are drawn by hand thousands of times, so their costumes and hair should be less detailed. For 3D (games and/or anime), there are fewer limitations on outfit textures and hair detail, but you need to consider properties uniquely related to polygonal 3D—such as clipping (e.g., long hair, puffy sleeves) or transparent surfaces. For Villion: Code, we also needed some of the characters to move in Live 2D (which was my first experience with it) on top of having them as in-game 3D models, so that was new for me—learned a lot!
Are there any unique challenges or opportunities that come with designing video game characters as opposed to anime series, film, etc.?
KUVSHINOV: In the game, players can freely move the camera around and look at the character from nearly every angle and distance they want, and some characters move around on their own—so I always kept that in mind while designing them. In terms of color and silhouette, characters should be recognizable from any angle and distance, especially with tube-based gameplay where characters could be placed on completely different planes.
How did you come to be involved in working on Villion:Code?
KUVSHINOV: Kouji Okada-sensei asked me to be involved, and as a big fan of his work, it was a big honor!!
The game is set in a near-future setting, and it's clear there is a mixture of advanced technology, but also modern-day fashion and concepts. How did you try to capture the futuristic elements without making it seem too far away from the present?
KUVSHINOV: I was researching a lot about how science has influenced fashion throughout history—the materials, shapes, cost, and even the colors of the clothes were closely dependent on technological advances. I also researched the ways some outfits traditionally stay the same in certain ways, like why serafuku uniforms are shaped how they are or why doctors' coats are all the same color; it was a lot of fun! The game's story takes place in a sort of school town, so I researched many things related to school and sports uniforms, as well as many different types of uniforms around the world and throughout history, and imagined how they might look in the near future in a very big, multicultural school environment.
The characters in Villion:Code also appear to have a wide array of strange weaponry and techniques. Were you involved in coming up with those elements as well? Or did the developers send you a list of what they wanted the abilities to look and feel like?
KUVSHINOV: Weapons and abilities were done without my involvement or supervision, so I haven't seen all of them myself yet. I'm looking forward to trying them out when the game's out! (laughing)
Were there any characters that surprised you as they developed, perhaps ending up in an unexpected place versus where you initially conceptualized them?
KUVSHINOV: Ah yes, there are some characters (nearly most of them, to be honest) whose backstories and development touched me deeply. No spoilers, but those are... moving.
Fashion is obviously a huge part of your work. Can you share any insights into how you approached the outfits for the cast of Villion:Code?
KUVSHINOV: So, back to the school uniform talk! We needed the cast to wear the same school uniform (so, the same clothes basically), while including unique distinctions between the characters at the same time—which is not actually as challenging as it sounds if you know the characters' personalities, backstories, and unique traits.
The outfits are the same, but how the characters are wearing them can differ drastically: things like rolled-up sleeves, unbuttoned shirts, wearing a parka or sweater, wearing a tie (and is it tied or not?) or a bow tie, wearing their collar up or down—those all say something about the character. For example, Chloe wears her collar way, way up, nearly covering half of her face, hinting at her unconscious desire to hide herself from the outside world.
Your work is very striking, and it has a distinct quality. On a personal level, what do you consider to be the key motifs of your work? Are there elements that you think signify a piece as clearly being yours?
KUVSHINOV: Thank you so much! On a personal level, I am always trying to say more while showing less (like with Chloe's collar), but I guess the distinct elements would be the characters' eyes' pupil designs.
Art and the creative process are ever-evolving for the creator. Have you noticed a change in your practice as you've worked on Villion:Code, or have you refined an existing aspect of your work that was already there?
KUVSHINOV: For Villion:Code, because I needed to paint many, many characters in the same style consistently (color saturation, the depth of shadows, line art thickness, and more), and then prepare the data for Live2D, I created a painting guideline for myself specifically for this project. It included the palettes, exact brushes for specific tasks, step-by-step pipelines for effects, and guides for layer blending modes and opacity. That helped speed up the process a lot!
It can be difficult to play favorites, but is there a particular character design or idea that you are proud of in Villion:Code?
KUVSHINOV: I love how different the ear devices (Helixes) look! Each one is unique to a specific character and tells you a little about its wearer as a person when you think about what color and shape the character chose for the device.
What would you say to your existing fans about the game that you hope they can experience?
KUVSHINOV: I am so, so lucky to be part of such a big and important entertainment production. It's a team effort, and my role in it is not very big, but what I've seen from the other aspects—the story, the gameplay, the music, the voices, and more—has made me feel like I am a part of something truly unique and deep. I hope you can try it and decide for yourself!
discuss this in the forum |
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.