We're back for more HARD EDGE - WAR ZONE news!
Today we interviewed the game's director and lead programmer, Yusuke Mizuno for some insight on the game's development from his point of view.
1. What made you decide to make a revival game of HARD EDGE?
Mizuno:
The starting point for this project was simply my own love of card games. I wanted to create a game that combined card game mechanics with a 3D game.
While I have a great deal of respect for the games that inspired me, there are still very few card games that take place in a fully 3D environment. I felt there was plenty of room to create something new within that genre.
As I considered what kind of setting would best suit the concept, one of the titles that came to mind was HARD EDGE, originally released for the PlayStation. The original game featured tactical combat that emphasized close-quarters fighting rather than traditional shooter gameplay. It also had a cast of distinctive characters, which I felt would work well with a system where each character has their own unique cards and fighting style.
This project was never conceived as a revival of Hard Edge from the outset. The idea of combining 3D gameplay with card game mechanics came first, and Hard Edge's characters and world turned out to be an excellent fit for bringing that new style of gameplay to life. That's how this project began.
(Example of close combat in the first HARD EDGE)
2. Do you have a favorite episode from development?
Mizuno:
One of the most memorable discoveries during development was how well the combination of card game mechanics and roguelike progression worked together—far better than I had originally expected.
Card games have systems such as the “hand,” which represents the choices available to you at any given moment, and the “deck,” which you build and strengthen throughout the game. By adding roguelike progression, where players acquire new cards as they advance through stages, modify their deck composition, and adapt their strategy based on the situation, these different elements came together in a very natural way.
The short-term decisions of choosing how to act with the cards currently in your hand, the long-term decisions of considering what kind of deck you want to build, and the choices involved in deciding how to progress through each stage all became interconnected. When we actually played the game during the prototype phase, it delivered a level of satisfaction and depth that exceeded our expectations.
Rather than simply combining popular gameplay elements, my favorite discovery during development was how naturally the existing systems of card games and the growth and decision-making mechanics of roguelikes complemented each other.
3. Are there any design choices or implementations that players may not immediately notice, but that you feel particularly proud of or put a lot of effort into?
Mizuno:
One of the areas we put the most effort into was designing each character’s personality
directly into their deck.
Each character has their own unique deck, along with character-specific cards. This means that characters are not simply different in terms of stats or appearance—the way players use their hand and approach battles changes depending on which character they choose.
Taking into account each character’s personality, traits, and role in the original game, we carefully considered what kinds of cards would allow them to fight in a way that felt true to who they are. We then reflected those ideas in the performance of individual cards and the overall deck composition.
This is something we wanted players to naturally feel through gameplay, but creating distinct strategies while maintaining each character’s identity required a great deal of fine-tuning. Being able to enjoy different approaches and strategies on the same stage simply by changing characters is one of the aspects we were especially committed to.
(A look at Burns' default deck.)
4. Could you share one strategic aspect of the game that players may not notice right away?
Mizuno:
One aspect that players may overlook is the importance of choosing cards while thinking not only about the current turn, but also about what they want to do on the following turn.
This game is not the type where players simply chain cards together to create their own combos without interruption. With a limited hand and limited resources, it is important to consider not only what actions are available now, but also what you want to accomplish on your next turn when deciding which cards to use.
For example, if you want to engage an enemy and launch an attack on the following turn, you need to save the cards and resources you will need for that moment, or make sure you have the necessary resources available. Taking the maximum number of actions possible in the current turn is not always the best choice.
Additionally, in this game, the position of each unit has an even greater impact on the battle than in a typical card game. Players need to consider their distance and spacing from enemies, as well as not only how to attack, but also where to move and where to end their turn.
At the start of a battle, there is always a certain distance between players and their opponents, meaning that simply going first or second does not necessarily provide a decisive advantage. How players prepare before making contact with the enemy becomes an important part of the strategy. Thinking about your hand, resources, future turns, and positioning together is what creates the unique strategic depth of this game.
（Counting tiles quickly might be a good skill to have, too.）
5. Finally, do you have a message for our players?
Mizuno:
The characters and world of Hard Edge are elements that we have treated as extremely important throughout the development of this title.
For those familiar with the original game, we wanted them to experience a sense of nostalgia while also enjoying it as a new type of gameplay experience. At the same time, we have carefully built both the game system and the world itself so that players discovering Hard Edge for the first time can naturally immerse themselves in its universe without needing any prior knowledge.
Of course, we hope players enjoy this title as a card game and roguelike experience, but we would be especially happy if it inspires them to become interested in the characters and want to learn more about the world of Hard Edge.
We hope that this game can serve as an opportunity for players to continue loving the characters and world of Hard Edge for many years to come.
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Hear, hear! No notes from me.
Thank you, yes you, the you who read this till the end!
More news coming later this week.
See you then👋