A common misconception in the gaming space is that those who make video games “don’t have time” to play video games. We know that’s a lie due to the numerous developers who talk about the games they’ve played. Masahiro Sakurai is an excellent example of that. When it comes to Final Fantasy VII Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi, he also admits to certain video games and franchises that he has either played or hasn’t played, and which ones have been the most “influential” on him. For that last category, he singled out the beloved Nintendo title Breath of the Wild.
This all started in an interview with Nintendo Life, where Hamaguchi was asked about the Monolith Soft series Xenoblade Chronicles, and whether he had played it, due to his connection to past titles from the developer:
“I remember I was involved with the Xeno games we made in the past with Square Enix, but unfortunately, I haven’t played the more recent ones from Nintendo, so I’m sorry about that.”
Obviously, he SHOULD play them, because they’re magnificent titles, and you can play all of them on the Nintendo Switch 2. However, the Final Fantasy VII Remake head soon pivoted to admit a game he had played and seriously loved:
“But if you talk about other Nintendo games that have influenced me and I’ve taken a lot from – and you might think this is a bit of a cop out – then it’ll be Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s such an inspirational game, and I’ve learned so much from that. Looking at how its affected the Remake series, moving from Remake to Rebirth and that switch to more open-world gameplay, Breath of the Wild was hugely influential there.”
Good to know Nintendo influenced many things beyond what you’d expect.
Source: Nintendo Life
