Astral Chain’s Legion-Centric Combat Was (Maybe) “Greatly Influenced” By Pokemon, Says Director

Combat is an area that PlatinumGames’ titles have always excelled in, and the upcoming Astral Chain is looking like it’s very much going to continue that trend. But it’s not just looking typically fast-paced and stylish– no, the combat also has a unique element to it that sees players controlling two entities – the player character and their Legion – at the same time, for what’s been dubbed by the studio as “synergetic action.”

Interestingly enough, according to the game’s director, Takahisa Taura, that central combat mechanic – which sees players summoning and controlling a variety of Legion in combat – is something that “might” have been “greatly influenced” by Pokemon, which, as Taura says, is a series he loves. Check out the tweet from Nintendo of America’s official account below for Taura’s full quote. It’s an interesting comparison to draw- I’m just glad there aren’t over 800 Legion types in Astral Chain though.

Astral Chain launches at the end of this month, on August 30th, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It’s not going to be a very hefty game- you’ll need about 10 GB of free storage space to install it. For a quick primer on the game’s combat, setting, and more, check through here.

[Mr. Taura’s Case Files 03]
"In #ASTRALCHAIN, the player summons & fights alongside a Legion. I really love Pokémon, so maybe the idea of calling on another character to fight alongside was greatly influenced by my childhood gaming experiences of growing up alongside my Pokémon." pic.twitter.com/yK5jpRO5mw

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 12, 2019