There are a lot of people out there that think video game development is the “greatest job out there” because you “get to make fun games and play around all day”. But as recent times have enforced, it can be anything but fun. Especially when you’re under constant pressure to not just finish the game on time, but live up to expectations. There are reasons why certain game development places have been dubbed “the worst place to work” in countries like America. Plus, there is pressure on game directors like Takahisa Taura of Platinum Games to try and make new titles like Astral Chain hit their mark.
Astral Chain was a bold anime-style video game that Platinum released back in 2019. Many were unsure how the game would be, and that included Taura, who noted to Famitsu that he had a lot of stress about the game and how it would be received, to the extent that he went to Hideki Kamiya for help.
Did you have any fear or worry that you wouldn’t get another chance on something if [Astral Chain] didn’t sell well?
Taura: Yes, a little. For example, during development when something didn’t turn out to my absolute liking, I really started to panic. Kamiya really gave me his shoulder to lean on when that happened, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt a sense of distress like that before.
When was that?
Taura: That was when we were trying to nail down the action mechanics. Kamiya gathered all the things we had tried and tossed out or forgot about, and piece by piece it turned into something really great.
Thankfully for Taura, Astral Chain not only was well-received by critics, it sold over a million units on the Nintendo Switch and many hope that it will get a sequel. But it was clearly a tough time for him as he tried to make it a success.
