A few weeks before Liam Neeson‘s Frank Drebin Jr. bumbled onto movie screens, IndieWire critic David Ehrlich published an essay with the audacious title, “The Naked Gun Is the Most Important Movie of the Summer.” Beyond just the hopes that Neeson and director Akiva Scheffer could recreate bizarre energy of the Leslie Nielsen originals, the […]
The post How The 40-Year-Old Virgin Revitalized the Studio Comedy appeared first on Den of Geek.
While fighting game franchise Under Night In-Birth has been around since 2012, the series is really gathering momentum globally, particularly in North America, with its 2024 installment Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes]. Developed by French-Bread and published by Arc System Works, the sequel has been praised for its gorgeous art style, fast-paced and unique combat mechanics, and the continuation of the fantasy tales centered on a magical conflict between Voids and In-Births. Powering the epic stakes and high speed brawls is a rocking original soundtrack by the composer Raito, who has been with the fighting series since the beginning.
More than just significantly upping the technical presentation for modern platforms, Under Night In-Birth II refined and added several major gameplay changes, including improved online performance and inputs, particularly with special moves. Continuing the Hollow Night saga from previous titles, the sequel also adds many new characters, most notably the fearsome antagonist Kuon the Aeon, with more added through DLC seasons. With Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] a main stage competition game at Evo 2025, Den of Geek interviewed director Kamone Serizawa and composer Raito at the event about the game a year after its launch.
“With Under Night being around for 13 years, when it first started, it was being played in arcades. It was a unique player spirit that was there, a passion that grew out of a small arcade community. After it was released to consoles, then it became more accessible to the international community,” Serizawa observes about the fan base’s steady growth since its early days. “As the series progressed and we released new iterations, there was sort of a back-and-forth, with Japan looking globally at the hype and getting hyped themselves. It was a constant back-and-forth hype exchange. We’re really excited that we’re able to continue this exchange globally.”
At the core of Under Night In-Birth’s expansive cast is the franchise’s protagonist Hyde Kido, a high schooler who falls into the supernatural war after being attacked by a Void. For Raito, Hyde was the cipher from which he unlocked how to compose for the franchise’s soundtrack, naming him as his personal favorite character. However, the process to develop the rock operatic overtures that became synonymous with the Under Night In-Birth sound and atmosphere was not an overnight flash of inspiration.
cnx({
playerId: “106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530”,
}).render(“0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796”);
});
“In the beginning, I struggled a lot in composing the music, especially Hyde’s theme, which is very important. Delivering the theme of the entire game and atmosphere, this is a trial and error that took me over a year to accomplish. It was hard, but once it came out and reached the fans, I felt that it was accepted by the fans and they really loved it,” Raito recalls. “Now, I feel like we’re on the same page, as far as the fans, the players, and myself for what we want the music to sound like. Coming to II and being able to continue this process, I really like we’re sharing this experience and understanding this vibe that we created together.”
With the story being a particularly important part of Under Night In-Birth’s appeal, the character of Hyde was also the driving force behind developing the narrative for [Sys:Celes]. While the sequel’s primary antagonist of Kuon had been determined by the development team relatively early on, it was decided that Hyde should have a particularly personal reason to take down this evil enemy. To up the ante, as well as welcome new players to the franchise, the team created a bevy of new playable characters for the sequel, each bringing their own unique twists in narrative and gameplay to the series.
“Hyde, in the previous installments, was once defeated by Kuon. In II, we decided to put him on this path of revenge. Through this path of revenge, we see him grow as well. Having that solid storyline with Hyde was very important, not just for existing players, but also for new players, to have some development and see a good story,” Serizawa explains. “We introduced a bunch of new characters, designing them in a way that’s appealing but aren’t necessarily too complex. They may be easier to get into, but there’s still depth and appeal to the characters.”
Whether it’s Raito’s guitar-driven and sumptuous score or the unique gameplay mechanics that sets it apart from other Arc System Works games, the future of Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] is looking bright. The game’s inaugural DLC season has added its third character, Izumi, this month, while the game’s audience and supportive community continues to grow worldwide. And through all the changes and the launch of its ambitious sequel, the creative team is grateful that the franchise is able to captivate the main stage audience for its second year in a row.
“I just want to say thank you to all the players who are playing Under Night In-Birth II and enjoying it,” Serizawa declares. “From [the first] Under Night to II, there were a lot of changes that were introduced, but I’m happy to see that the old fans are still sticking around and we’ve really expanded the community as well. So I’m really happy to see them.”
Developed by French-Bread and published by Arc System Works, Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game’s latest DLC character, Izumi, will be available August 19.
The post Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] Team Reflects on the Fighting Game’s Epic Growth appeared first on Den of Geek.
Recommended Story For You :
Now Anyone Can Learn Piano or Keyboard
Before you spend a dime on tattoo removal you need to know something VERY important.
You can train your voice and become a brilliant singer!
Learn to Draw like a Master Artist
The World’s Largest Collection of Tattoo Designs Beautiful Designs
Turn up your speakers get ready for some epic guitar
