Final Weapon had the opportunity to interview Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening producer and creative director Florian Dhesse about the game’s development, challenges and insight into adapting the anime into a game, and gameplay balance. The Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening producer also discussed his hopes for a sequel.
Get the full interview below:
Could you introduce yourself and your role during the development of Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening?
Florian Dhesse: I’m Florian Dhesse, the Producer and Creative Director on Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening. As Producer, I coordinated the team’s efforts and oversaw communication and planning with our publisher, Microids. As Creative Director, I defined the vision for the game — shaping the mechanics, the atmosphere, and the overall player experience.
What was the development team’s initial reaction to adapting the Space Adventure Cobra anime into a game? What were the team’s expectations?
Dhesse: The team was a mix of long-time fans, like myself, and younger members who discovered Cobra through this project. For the fans, it was a dream come true to
work with such iconic characters. For those discovering it for the first time, the
excitement came from creating a fast-paced action-platformer — and in the process, they also became fans of the series. From the beginning, we wanted to craft a game that truly captured Cobra’s personality, his charisma, and of course, his incredible abilities.
Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening covers the first 12 episodes of the anime. Was this planned for the story from the start? Did the team consider any other arcs from the Space Adventure Cobra series?
Dhesse: Microids had the rights to adapt the TV series, which has 31 episodes. The “Ultimate Weapon” arc (episodes 3 to 12) was the obvious choice — not only is it the most famous, but it’s also the richest in terms of characters and locations. We also included the first two episodes to explain Cobra’s new face and his return, which allowed us to connect the story to the gameplay progression. That’s why players start with a weakened Cobra and gradually unlock his gadgets and abilities.
We would have loved to include the “Rugball” arc, but it would have required a very different gameplay style. If we ever get the chance to make a sequel, we’d love to continue the fight against the Pirate Guild and its powerful leader.
The game is an action platformer with three difficulty levels and two-player co-op. How did you determine the right gameplay balance between these difficulty levels and co-op?
Dhesse: Co-op is available in a dedicated multiplayer level, which was a lot of fun to design because it mixes platforming, shooting, and puzzles. As for difficulty, we based the balance on the different playstyles within our team. Personally, I prefer an easier mode — as I don’t have as much time for trial and error, I want to enjoy and finish the adventure. On the other hand, some of our designers are hardcore players who love spending hours mastering the toughest challenges. We wanted to make sure Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening could appeal to both ends of the spectrum.
A demo of Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening was previously available during Steam Next Fest in June. Was there any player feedback from the demo that helped the team before launch? Were any adjustments made?
Dhesse: The demo was very well received by both players and the press, which was hugely encouraging for the team. We did take the opportunity to fine-tune a few aspects, especially the difficulty balance, to make sure the experience felt fair and enjoyable for everyone.
Did you face any challenges while developing Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening?
Dhesse: One of the biggest challenges was Cobra’s character design. His silhouette and outfit are so iconic that we didn’t want to alter them. However, his costume is very minimal compared to modern video game heroes, who often have weapons or accessories that enrich their animations. Our challenge was to stay faithful to his legendary look while still giving the animators the tools to make him move and fight in a dynamic, exciting way.
Will Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening receive any major post-launch updates and/or additional content?
Dhesse: At this time, we don’t have additional content planned.
Has the team considered preparing a Nintendo Switch 2 version or performance update for Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening?
Dhesse: The game already runs on Switch 2 and naturally benefits from the improved
performance compared to the first model.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Dhesse: We truly hope this game helps new players discover Cobra and fall in love with the series. The manga is a masterpiece that deserves far more recognition worldwide, and we’re proud to play a role in introducing it to a new generation. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved with The Awakening, and we sincerely hope we’ll get the opportunity to continue Cobra’s adventures in a future sequel.
Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Final Weapon reviewed Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening, noting that the game “excels at adapting the anime, all the cutscenes are beautiful and the music is superb too.”
A new Space Adventure Cobra animated series is in the works as well.
