Author and game director Kotaro Uchikoshi is a well -known figure among fans of mystery games. He is responsible for Zero escape and AI: Somnium files Series, as well as Infinity Series, which recently saw a remaster and official English release of their first two games, Never 7: the end of infinity and Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, Developed by Mages and published by Spike Chunsoft, Inc. His creative process for developing his games involves getting inspiration from mystery and science fiction novels, films and television series as well as his own real experiences, creating claustrophobic environments to increase the tension and design deeply thoughtful characters that all contribute to overall history.
Kotaro Uchikoshi is inspired by many novels, movies and more
Kotaro Uchikoshi's games effectively mixes mystery, science fiction, horror and thriller genres – with some, for example Never 7, Even with a little romance. Uchikoshi himself is a big fan of these genres and has a long list of books, movies and TV series that has inspired him. He likes both Japanese works, for example Decagon House Murders, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, and the novels from Jiro Akagawa and Western stories that Saw, Se7en, Apes Planet, and Star Trek.
Although he is probably best known for his work in the mystery genre, especially Zero escape Series, Uchikoshi does not limit itself to mysteries. “Every book I've read and every movie I've seen has become part of me,” Uchikoshi said. “In fact, it may be more difficult to name a work that has not affected me in any way.” He also mentioned that he would love to write games in other genres inspired by stories he liked and listed several projects he would like to work with:
“A record-of-life story like K-on!, A horror story as one of Stephen King, a drama that comes aged as The Breakfast Club, a love story like Bridget Jones's Diary, an action-packed thriller as Die Hard, an adventure epista as Laputa: Castle In The The The Thea in the The Sky.
He focuses on both character and attitude to create an effective mystery
Kotaro Uchikoshi's games are known for compelling characters, for example AI's Caname date or Zero escape's Akane Kurashiki, who often holds Dark Secrets players, discovers by deeper deeper into the game. Uchikoshi described his process of creating characters as such: “A decisive characteristic of my games is that every character has significant significance and a deep story. It is like a house of cards – if even a single card is missing, collapses the entire structure.”
Another element that separates Uchikoshi's games is their unique settings. 999: nine hours, nine people, nine doors See the title nine characters captured in what seems to be a sinking ship, while the sequel The last reward of virtue kicks up a notch with a sealed scientific facility. His love for bizarre and claustrophobic settings can be seen in Ever 17, which takes place in Lemu, a theme park underwater in danger of floods and kills everyone inside.
Uchikoshi bases its settings on a mixture of fiction and real life. At Ever 17Lemu, he was inspired by a story that a friend told him to visit Disneyland on a rainy night. “Just before the closing time, when there is no one else around … The only sounds were the thumping rain and her silent breathing. It felt so calm, so mysterious, so dreamlike.”
In the end, a Kotaro Uchikoshi game combines an eye-catching environment, memorable characters, sharp, cutting dialogue and unexpected turns to create a story that effectively mixes genres and keeps players on the toes from the very first word. From the early works of Never 7 and Ever 17 to The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, His upcoming collaboration with colleague Mystery Game Luminary Kazutaka Kodaka, Uchikoshi's mysteries are really One-of-A-Kind.
