William Kirk at GameCloud Australia writes:
"Plants vs. Zombies composer, Laura Shigihara released the debut trailer for her upcoming adventure game, Rakuen, earlier this month, which immediately caught my attention! Laura is also well known for composing the song “Everything’s Alright,” which featured in the cult-hit indie title, To The Moon – one of my all-time favourite games.
Needless to say, I was very interested to learn more about the game, so I reached out to Laura to talk about it:"
Invenglobal: "Music has its own significance in games. It isn’t projected right at your eyes like graphics on the monitor, nor can it be visually observed like in-game systems or level design. However, it’s always there. It always tickles our ears even when we don’t realize it. It helps a player to concentrate more on the game’s world by transforming depending on what sort of mood or setting the game requires.
The person we would like to introduce today is someone who has made many gamers laugh and cry through the power of music. She composed and sang “Everything's Alright”, one of the masterpiece songs from To The Moon, and directed the soundtrack of Plants vs Zombies."
If you’re only going to play one Japanese RPG in your entire life make sure it’s Rakuen. Epic Storytelling by Laura Shigihara.
William Kirk at GameCloud writes: "Rakuen is a beautiful story about a sick boy and his Mum, who, together, travel to a fantasy world so he can make a wish. However, to do this, he’ll first have to make new friends and help those around him find closure. What makes Rakuen so special is how the game uses a childlike perspective to tackle difficult topics, as well as a fantasy world built upon metaphors for each of its character’s backstories. While I have some minor gripes about certain gameplay components, it’s nothing unexpected from a game built in RPG Maker. For the most part, Rakuen is more congruous than similar titles and really captures the 16-bit aesthetic without relying too heavily on nostalgia. The game is also brought to life with an amazing soundtrack, though it was to be expected given the creators’ prior experience with titles such as To The Moon. If you’re a fan of story-centric adventures and are in the mood to have your emotions put through the wringer, I highly recommend checking out Rakuen. If there is one thing it has an abundance of, it’s heart."
