Atlus USA gears up for an epic RPG adventure on the DS called Deep Labyrinth
By Michael Lafferty

“… the key ingredient is the level of immersion, and the gameplay is very immersive.”

A boy and his dog – always the beginning of a touching adventure … well, unless you are exploring the world of Deep Labyrinth, a Nintendo DS title from Atlus USA. If that is the case you can expect the boy and his aforementioned dog to be up against it with monsters, spells, swords, dungeons and all the accoutrements of an action game.

Welcome to the world of Deep Labyrinth, a role-playing title for the DS that is the first on the platform to use real-time first-person combat. The scenario is designed by Masato Katou (of Chrono Trigger and FFXI fame) with the musical score by Yasunori Mitsuda (Xenosaga!).

The game promises an epic adventure, so naturally that sparked the imaginations of those at GameZone. We asked questions and Zach Meston, PR manager of Atlus USA, was kind enough to supply answers about Deep Labyrinth.

Question: The game first debuted on the mobile phone. What has changed in terms of storyline, characters or general scope of the game to make it a robust DS experience?

Zach: The biggest change to the DS version of Deep Labyrinth is the addition of a second scenario that’s more light-hearted/kid-friendly, and which takes more advantage of the DS hardware (in particular, a few situations involving the microphone). While the gameplay is the same in both scenarios, the storylines and characters are completely different.

Q: What do you consider the key ingredients of an RPG vehicle and how does Deep Labyrinth fit into that definition?

Zach: Deep Labyrinth is a first-person RPG, so the key ingredient is the level of immersion, and the gameplay is very immersive. Everything except character movement is controlled with the Touch Screen, and there’s not much wrestling with inventory, so you spend the good majority of the game exploring and fighting instead of staring at menu screens.

Q: How do you integrate the use of the touchscreen and dual screens of the DS?

Zach: The dual screens are used as you’d expect; Top Screen for a map of the current level, and Touch Screen for a 3D first-person view. There’s a column of icons along the right side of the Touch Screen that allows you to select an action: sword-swinging, spell-casting, shielding, or item-using. Everything is done in real-time.

Q: What role does the dog have?

Zach: Ace (who’s only a part of the new DS scenario) prompts you to explore certain areas. He’ll also find a couple of special items if you feed him his favorite treat. And his ultimate fate determines whether you receive the good ending or the bad ending.

Q: Explain the combat system this game employs?

Zach: As mentioned above, the real-time interface allows you to switch at any point between sword, spells, and shield. If you’re using the sword, the direction in which you slide the stylus determines the direction in which you swing the sword. If you’re casting spells, you draw magical “runes” you’ve learned to trigger the related magic. And if you’re using the shield, you hold the stylus on the shield icon to hold the shield in front of you.

Q: Does the game follow the stock RPG leveling formula or are you treading new territory?

Zach: The leveling is pretty standard RPG stuff, with the only uncommon aspect being that your weapons level up along with your character. Also, you can sometimes gain the use of spells simply by reaching certain experience levels, as opposed to having to learn them within the game.

Q: When it comes to the game’s visual and audio presentations, what will fans of the mobile platform immediately notice is different and what aspects will DS gamers (who have not seen the mobile version) find enjoyable?

Zach: The graphics and sound, which were impressive in the cell-phone version, are even more impressive on the DS. It’s a fast, smooth 3D engine. And the outstanding music benefits from the DS’s snazzy speakers.

Q: How many levels does the game have, what is the estimated amount of hours of gameplay and is multiplayer available?

Zach: Each of the two scenarios has 50+ dungeon levels, and it takes 15-20 hours to get through each scenario if you’re rushing to finish instead of playing for anal-retentive completion, so Deep Labyrinth is big-time value for money. No multiplayer, alas.

Q: What are your favorite aspects of the game?

Zach: Yasunori Mitsuda’s gorgeous musical score. (Wish we could’ve done a soundtrack CD!) The super-simple interface. The fact that the levels are human-designed, not randomly generated. The fact that I got to edit the dialogue. (My first editing gig since my three-year stint at Working Designs.) And the fact that it’s perfectly structured for short gameplay sessions, which are great for gamers like me who are trying (and failing) to get a life.

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