Luminous Avenger iX is set in the new future where humans who do not have supernatural powers are being hunted down and murdered by the Institute for the Promotion of Human Evolution, ‘Sumeragi’. Among the people, there is a legend of the ‘Luminous Avenger iX’, who is accompanied by Lola, the Muse of Hope, who fights for everyone. You play as Copen, the Luminous Avenger iX, in this new franchise that is yet still connected to the Gunvolt mythology.
At E3 2019, I interviewed Matt Papa, producer/localization director and Takuya Aizu, president and CEO of INTI CREATES. We talked about developing Luminous Avenger iX for the Switch, what is new to the franchise with this entry, and more.
You can check out Luminous Avenger iX at their official website. You can also check out my hands-on impressions of the game from E3 2019 here.
Luminous Avenger iX is set to be released on September 26, 2019 for the Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC (Steam).
This interview has been edited for content and clarity.
Operation Rainfall: My name is Quentin H. with Operation Rainfall, and you are?
Matt Papa: I am Matt Papa, producer and localization director at INTI CREATES.
Takuya Aizu: I am Takuya Aizu, president and CEO of INTI CREATES.
OR: Luminous Avenger iX– what is new about this one compared to prior entries in the franchise?
TA: So as for new stuff compared to playing as Copen in Gunvolt 2, Copen has his standard moveset and how he operates is not all that different from Gunvolt 2. What’s new in this one is a whole new set of bosses for Copen to fight against, and that he has a whole new set of EX Weapons- which is a whole new set of weapons for him to use and a whole new set of stages that he can progress through.
“I think the big takeaway from Luminous Avenger iX is that it is in-and-of-itself a new series. It has a connection to the original Gunvolt series, [but] you can play Luminous Avenger iX without having played the original Gunvolt games.”
OR: Gunvolt 2 was released worldwide across 2016 on the 3DS. What was it like developing this franchise for a completely different Nintendo platform?
TA: So I think one of the biggest differences, for us, is that we have been making 2-D action games on Nintendo handhelds for quite awhile now. But one of the things about the 3DS that can be challenging is the resolution and the CPU is quite low.
So one of the best things about the Switch by comparison is how it has a HD resolution and we were able to implement a lot [of] higher quality and higher powered graphics [and] to have our games run at sixty frames-per-second instead of the thirty that they were on the 3DS.
OR: What new [EX weapons] are available?
TA: So unfortunately, I can’t talk much about the EX Weapons yet. I haven’t introduced any of the boss characters yet. As we introduce the boss characters, we will talk more about the EX Weapons that come along with them.
I am sorry that I can’t go into them right now! We will get into them as we draw closer to release.
OR: About how long of gameplay are you looking for with [Luminous Avenger iX]?
TA: So if you’re really good, like our in-house staff is, they are clearing the game in about three hours if they cancel all of the conversations and all the demo scenes and any of the extra stuff that [the player] is not controlling.
But if you are good and watching all the cutscenes and all the conversations, then maybe four to five hours. If you’re really good.
OR: This isn’t the first entry in the franchise. What have you learned from prior entries in the franchise that influenced [Luminous Avenger iX]?
MP: So I think one of the big differences developing Luminous Avenger iX compared to something like Gunvolt 1, is that when we made Gunvolt 1 we had no idea what the reception would be [or] how well it would sell. After developing Gunvolt 1 and 2, we have been fortunate enough to have the series do well and we have developed a passionate fan base. So we get all these super supportive messages and how much people are looking forward to the next in the Gunvolt series. It really gives you a lot energy, gives you a lot of motivation. And it allows you to develop a new title with that ‘Yeah!’. You’re a lot more sure of what’s going on this time.
OR: When do you expect Luminous Avenger iX to release?
MP: Luminous Avenger iX will release September 26, 2019 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
OR: Will it be PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced?
TA: There are no special things that it can only do on PlayStation 4. There’s no PlayStation 4 Pro settings or anything like that.
OR: To someone who may not have heard of Luminous Avenger iX until E3, and is now thinking about picking it up, what do you have to say to them?
TA: I think the big takeaway from Luminous Avenger iX is that it is in-and-of-itself a new series. It has a connection to the original Gunvolt series, [but] you can play Luminous Avenger iX without having played the original Gunvolt games. So you can really think of it as a new series.
Especially our PlayStation 4 players who’ve never had a Gunvolt game before, this is a perfect way to dive in: ‘Oh, I haven’t played 1 and 2, I don’t know what’s going on’- that’s not the case here. So they can have the perfect chance to dive into the Gunvolt series here. And then go back to Steam or the Switch, if they have one, and try the other ones.
OR: Thank you.
Are you excited for Luminous Avenger iX? What do you think of being able to play this entry without having to have played either of the original Gunvolt titles?
Let us know in the comments below!
