It was the one sequel that was left on the sidelines during Sony’s E3 showcase, but make no mistake, there’s a crackle of excitement swirling around Gravity Rush 2, the physics-defying sequel in the works at Sony Japan Studio.
Heralding the return of clumsy amnesiac Kat, story details remain thin on the ground for the time being, but unlike its forebear, Gravity Rush 2 is being built from the ground up with PlayStation 4 in mind, allowing the team at Japan Studio to broaden its proverbial canvas.
That’s according to Creative Director Keiichiro Toyama, who took to PlayStation Blog to reveal new screenshots for the upcoming sequel. Here, Toyama-san touches base on location scouting, alternate gravity styles, and why PS4 has afforded the team with the necessary resources to craft a world that is bigger and better.
“We wanted to do everything bigger and better – more volume and space. We did a lot of location research in places like Mexico and all across Asia, so there’s a lot of real world inspiration on how the city looks. The map is two-and-a-half to three times bigger than the first game, so increasing that scale in every respect was something we fought for – along with more options in combat with her Lunar and Jupiter gravity styles, while also keeping the accessibility that made Gravity Rush so easy to get into.”
When it comes to the creative influences that had a bearing on the development of Gravity Rush 2, Keiichiro Toyama points to both Kamen Rider and Sailer Moon.
“I really like Kamen Rider. So you’ll see even more elements of that in the game. You can also see the Sailor Moon influences, especially when the characters in the game are doing their finishing moves and dynamic poses.”
Gravity Rush 2 is pegged for release on PlayStation 4 but there’s still no word on a due date. For more on Japan Studio’s mind-bending sequel, check out our hands-on preview from straight from the show floor of E3.