{"id":73343,"date":"2026-10-05T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=73343"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:47:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:47:21","slug":"liminal-space-third-person-shooter-anomalith-draws-inspiration-from-resident-evil-and-escape-from-tarkov-while-embracing-an-anime-girl-retro-japanese-worldview-we-talk-to-the-producer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/liminal-space-third-person-shooter-anomalith-draws-inspiration-from-resident-evil-and-escape-from-tarkov-while-embracing-an-anime-girl-retro-japanese-worldview-we-talk-to-the-producer\/","title":{"rendered":"Liminal space third-person shooter ANOMALITH draws inspiration from Resident Evil and Escape from Tarkov while embracing an anime girl retro Japanese worldview. We talk to the producer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ANOMALITH,<\/strong> developed and published by FuRyu, is a survival third-person shooting game set in a fictional Japan where the Showa era (1926-1989) never ended. With a retro worldview and anime-styled character designs, ANOMALITH is shaping up to be quite the unique TPS, and has been seeing quite the unprecedented popularity outside of Japan thanks to its concept<\/a>. On the other hand, there have also been some players expressing concerns about the quality of the gameplay<\/a>, considering this is the first time FuRyu is making a third-person shooter. Recently, it was announced that the Steam demo period would be extended, and it seems like the development team has been actively working on refining the game based on player feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this year\u2019s Tokyo Game Show, we had the opportunity to sit down and interview ANOMALITH producer Gai Kidokoro to learn more about why FuRyu decided to take on its first ever TPS, how he\u2019s been taking player feedback so far, and his personal tastes in anime girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\uff0dCould you please introduce yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gai Kidokoro (hereafter, Kidokoro):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My name is Gai Kidokoro, and I am the producer of ANOMALITH at Furyu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dAnomalith is FuRyu\u2019s first time developing a shooting game. What gave you the idea to tackle the TPS genre?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason we decided to take on the TPS genre was simply that the director, myself, and other members of the development team, were by chance all fans of games in which you run around with a gun. And honestly, if you don\u2019t make the kind of game you\u2019d enjoy playing yourself, you inevitably end up running into roadblocks in the final stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a fan of third-person shooters, but I\u2019m not really the kind of guy who plays games like turn-based command battle RPGs. If anything, I actively prefer action games. With that in mind, I wanted to create a new game in the genre I love. That is how ANOMALITH came to be. Rather than the company telling me to make it, I\u2019m creating the game driven by my own passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dWhat were the challenges of making a TPS? Could you share a specific story about the difficulties you faced during development and how you managed to overcome them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most difficult thing about developing a TPS was balance. I think there are many fans of third-person shooters who are used to Call of Duty and Escape from Tarkov, but if we simply carried over those elements as-in, ANOMALITH would end up becoming a hardcore game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having characters, a story, music, and enjoying the worldview is the biggest premise of all FuRyu games. If we made ANOMALITH super difficult simply because it\u2019s a TPS, we wouldn\u2019t be able to give players the essential elements they\u2019d expect from a FuRyu game. I was afraid we\u2019d end up getting our priorities backwards. Developing the game, we paid close attention to strike a kind of balance that would ensure ANOMALITH is fun as a TPS but also lets players enjoy its world and narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dDeveloping ANOMALITH, were there any games you used as a benchmark for the gameplay?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We referenced the Resident Evil series, as its core systems are the closest to ANOMALITH\u2019s. Additionally, for the gameplay cycle \u2013 in which you gather supplies and return to your base \u2013 we referenced Escape from Tarkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\uff0dMany shooters tend to lean into realistic graphics, but why was it so important for you to stick to an anime art style?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This won\u2019t sound very inspiring, but I think it would be a bit tough for a new FuRyu game to compete in the Japanese market with realistic graphics. Even with all the various constraints, a game about cute anime girls fighting is something I felt would be easier to sell and is in line with the market\u2019s demands. Also, if we\u2019re going to put characters into a game, my personal opinion is that it would be much better if they were cute girls, which is also what influenced our decision (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, I personally think muscular characters like Resident Evil\u2019s Leon and Chris are also badass. But in order to convey the sense of terror and transience of life depicted in the world of ANOMALITH, I thought delicate anime girls would work much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dSpeaking of which, what kind of girls do you like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re asking me, I tend to like the strong, \u201cbig sister\u201d characters. I\u2019m not the kind of person to be drawn to someone simply because of their looks. I\u2019m more likely to fall for someone because I\u2019m captivated by their way of life. It really hits home for me whenever there\u2019s a character that doesn\u2019t beat herself up over things as soon as she runs into hardships. I love those types of characters a bit too much \u2013 so much that I had to control myself to make sure I don\u2019t put too many of them in ANOMALITH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the characters in ANOMALITH are all good people, if you change the way you look at them, they can also come across as villains. There are many characters with dry personalities who don\u2019t hesitate to make cruel decisions at times. But that\u2019s exactly what I like about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dThe scenario was written by Romeo Tanaka. Could you tell us about how you got him on board, and if there were any specific directions you gave him for the scenario?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to commission Romeo Tanaka to write the scenario, but I didn\u2019t have his contact information back then. I had to ask someone from our company to help me get in touch with him. Then, I explained the project to him. I wanted to create a video game set in a world inspired by things like the Backrooms and SCPs, so I asked him to flesh out the worldbuilding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dWhat made you want to work with Tanaka Romeo in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I just love his screenplays. When FuRyu commissions a writer, the biggest reason for choosing a specific person is usually that the producer or director are their fans, and I think that\u2019s something that will never change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uff0dANOMALITH features a blend of liminal spaces and Showa-era retro aesthetics. Why did you decide to use liminal spaces as an inspiration for its world?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidokoro:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons, but I personally love liminal spaces that are like eerie, sterile office areas. I was also afraid that the world of ANOMALITH might get overshadowed if we tried making it into a typical horror-styled setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than competing head-to-head with major horror titles like Resident Evil, we tried taking a slightly different approach. That\u2019s why we gave it a worldview that blends liminal spaces with Japanese Showa-era retro aesthetics. I think the two go really well together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u65e5\u672c\u307d\u3044backrooms\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059 pic.twitter.com\/2KDP6NnLS7<\/a><\/p>— \u30a2\u30ce\u30de\u30ea\u30b9\uff0fANOMALITH – Official (@AnomalyZCO) September 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>