NC appeared at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held over five days from today (17th) to the 21st at Makuhari Messe, featuring Dynamis One's new title in development, 'Astraea Oratio.' Astraea Oratio is a title centered on 'Shin-Denki'—a genre set in modern Japanese cities from the 1990s through the early 2000s where mythology and supernatural elements secretly coexist. Set in a fictional Tokyo inhabited by mages, the game will depict multi-faceted stories centered on the 'Special District Office' responsible for administering mages, the player's avatar known as the 'Chief' who works there, and mages residing across various parts of Tokyo.
Ahead of its CBT, Astraea Oratio showcased its unique combat combining turn-based mechanics with real-time elements, a tutorial, and a visual novel-style Episode 0 of the main story through its TGS 2026 demo. What is the ultimate direction Astraea Oratio aims for? Director Jong-kyu Lim and Art Director Kim In from Dynamis One answered questions from Korean and Japanese media on site.
You revealed the Prologue Digest PV for the first time at TGS 2026. What aspect of Astraea Oratio did you want to show?
Art Director Kim In = We compressed the series of events that the Chief—the player's avatar—will experience in the world of AsOra. We wanted to visually convey the seasonal atmosphere and retro period setting in a condensed form.
This was the first time showcasing a playable demo build at TGS. What was the intention behind how you structured it?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = It was about properly showcasing the two key content pillars—combat and story—and showing how the two connect. Taking that into account, we arranged the introduction and constructed the demo build.
What are the key points of differentiation in the combat system, and what core fun do you want to deliver to players?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = It is delivering both turn-based strategy and real-time tension. Actively linking combos, reading enemy actions and reacting accordingly to minimize damage or take the upper hand, and maximizing damage through Domain Declarations—the core fun lies in predicting and planning. We focused on the thrill when those plans click into place, wanting to show the enjoyment of player-crafted combos and presentation rather than just watching fancy pre-rendered visuals. And importantly, we want to ensure all of this can be fully enjoyed on a smartphone.
What was the direction for voice acting and presentation to enhance narrative immersion?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = The main story features full Japanese voice acting, structured so that players can hear audio for all character dialogue, monologues, and vocal tracks. For the presentation, we felt that the calmer and more peaceful everyday life feels, the stronger the hidden impact becomes, so most scenes are quietly read before bursting into a climax during key highlights like Domain Declarations.
How do you intend to bring out the appeal of the world and characters within the actual game?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Within the scenario, we express this largely through three layers: standing sprites, cut-ins, and voice acting. Across overall gameplay, we rely on 3D modeling, especially in battle during crucial fights where presentations such as Domain Declarations or Artifact Releases highlight their charm. During free time, we wanted to spotlight various aspects of the characters' everyday lives set in Tokyo.
Art Director Kim In = While this demo build mostly displays a calm visual tone, for the CBT we plan to introduce visuals blended with gameplay and action, hoping players will enjoy the character movements and performances as well.
With the CBT coming up after TGS 2026, what key points should players focus on?
Director Jong-kyu Lim - As a serialized story, we view the CBT as a pilot episode. We hope players focus on the charm of the characters in AsOra's world, how smoothly and enjoyably the cycle of story, combat, and daily routine flows, and whether all of it can be enjoyed 100% on a smartphone. We want to hear honest feedback on all these aspects and build toward the live service together based on it. Please give us active feedback.
With so many appealing characters, how many characters and affiliated factions will appear at official launch?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = There will be around 30 characters, with roughly 10 groups of playable characters. However, the number of groups appearing in the scenario will be even larger.
Prior to TGS 2026, gameplay systems weren't revealed and releases were mostly visual. Is there a specific reason for this?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = For AsOra, we value the combination of story and gameplay above all else. Before asking players to engage with combat systems, we wanted to thoroughly introduce the characters and world first.
How much playable content will be in the AsOra CBT version?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We structured the Day 1 gameplay densely so players can experience the full cycle across combat, story, and administrative work, anticipating about 3 to 5 days of playtime.
Subculture games often hide the protagonist's appearance. What was the reason for revealing it this time?
Art Director Kim In = Beyond narrative significance, from an artistic standpoint, having a clear visual design for the protagonist is more advantageous when establishing an original IP and expanding it across various media before the game launches.
What are the CBT schedule and scale of participant numbers?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We will announce that officially in the near future.
Several reference titles come to mind regarding turn-based combat and Shin-Denki. Could you share games that inspired the world building and combat?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = For combat system design, our goal was to deconstruct and adapt the tension of classic fighting games. We aimed for fighting games from simpler eras, like classic Tekken or Street Fighter. Since many games use turn-based action points, we referenced those titles to build strategic depth.
Art Director Kim In =For visual elements, we referenced creative media that come to mind when hearing keywords like Shin-Denki and magic. We drew heavy inspiration from TYPE-MOON works and light novels from the early 2000s.
Recently, Korean subculture games have been focusing on nostalgia for the 90s and early 2000s. AsOra is one of the key titles in this movement. What made you focus on nostalgia?
Art Director Kim In = Looking at subculture trends over the past decade, I feel genres like Isekai and post-apocalypse reached a point of saturation. Wondering what would feel fresh and satisfy players' appetite, I thought, "What if we look back to the past?" I believe this trend is emerging in other works beyond ours for similar reasons.
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Developers naturally want to share the joy of their own childhoods with others, so I think generational influence plays a part as well.
The dev team is Korean, so is there a specific reason for choosing Tokyo, Japan as the setting?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Tokyo is an essential setting when adopting the Shin-Denki genre. Just as Westerns evoke the American wilderness, certain regions naturally represent specific genres. Since we are embracing the Shin-Denki genre, we chose Tokyo as our stage.
How are you designing the core monetization (BM)?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We would appreciate it if you could look forward to details on the monetization model in the future as well.
Besides Korea and Japan, which target markets are you aiming to conquer?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Our target market spans all regions and cultural spheres that enjoyed this genre and its works during the 90s and early 2000s. We plan to present it to fans of this style across Korea, Japan, North America, and Europe.
There is an ongoing legal dispute with Nexon Games. Has this affected AsOra's development process? Also, how are you verifying and developing the game's technological originality and ideas?
Director Jong-kyu Lim =- We ask for your understanding that we cannot discuss legal matters here. Since AsOra is a title being developed entirely from scratch from the beginning, this issue is not having any particular impact on the development process.
Will a PC version be available in the CBT, and what is its development progress? If released on PC, is there a possibility of integration with the PURPLE platform?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Since AsOra positions itself as a smartphone game, PC support will not be offered through the CBT. We are considering a PC build in the long term, and an internal build already exists, but because it is a game created for smartphones, we believe presenting it on smartphones first is best, so we are insisting on smartphones for the first impression.
The wands of each character differ in shape. Did you establish their identities through wands? If wands are their core identity, they are props and relatively small, which might make highlighting them difficult. How do you plan to address this?
Art Director Kim In = Since magic is the central theme, it is true that we chose wands as a common element for characters. You can think of magic wands from Harry Potter or 90s magical girl series. In other words, it is an element that imparts genre character. To emphasize the wands, we set them up to be showcased as key poses in sequence animations like Domain Declarations.
Will there be a sequential rollout starting with Japan, or a simultaneous global launch?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Because we place great importance on the live-service feel of a serialized work, we are planning a simultaneous global launch.
The game shows magical girl genre traits; isn't it an unwritten rule for new characters or existing outside characters to join a team mid-story? Can we expect developments like that?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We view those aspects as plot twists that add narrative appeal as the story unfolds. Please look forward to post-launch story developments.
What are the developers' personal top picks?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Each developer has a different favorite character, but personally, I like Moa best.
Art Director Kim In = I am most attached to Aerin because I worked on Aerin when first establishing the art direction.
What are the target minimum and recommended smartphone specs?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We are planning to support devices released up to 5 to 6 years ago.
Fans who enjoyed the 2000s Shin-Denki genre are used to larger screens, so smartphone screens might feel unfamiliar. Why insist on smartphones regardless?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = Rather than simply recreating classic Shin-Denki, you can think of it as a modern reinterpretation tailored to smartphones.
Was AI utilized during the development process? If so, how was it used?
Art Director Kim In = We do not use AI in the art department.
A final word for players waiting for AsOra?
Director Jong-kyu Lim = We are thrilled to showcase AsOra for the first time at Tokyo Game Show. Through this demo, we hope players get a taste of what AsOra's world and characters look like and how story and combat connect.
In the upcoming CBT, we hope you experience firsthand whether AsOra's world and characters feel appealing, whether the loop between story, combat, and daily commute routines is enjoyable, and whether all of this delivers on smartphones.
Starting with today's first demo, we hope you watch 'Astraea Oratio' grow like a serialized story through the narrative that unfolds in the future.
Art Director Kim In = AsOra is a title we are preparing for long-term live service. The anticipation for the next story chapter, the festive atmosphere when new content releases, and the joy of sharing that with others are the biggest strengths of live-service games. Starting with TGS 2026 today, we are preparing so players can experience this even more deeply in the CBT. We will do our best to make it a beloved title for a long time, so please look forward to it.
