Nobody Wants To Play As An Ugly Protagonist, Says Legendary Game Creator

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Character Designs Should Be Cool And Inviting!

Story Highlight
  • Legendary Square Enix developer says gamers don’t want to play as an ugly protagonist. 
  • He designs his characters in a way that makes them look cool and have a distinct personality. 
  • Going too eccentric with the character designs can be bad, too, so caution is a must. 

Ever since the inception of DEI companies like Sweet Baby Inc., we’ve seen some weird character designs. However, Square Enix is one of the companies that has stayed away from this and has had their unique and cool-looking character designs

Why it matters: The forced inclusivity in video games has sometimes forced characters to look downright ugly. This doesn’t sit well with the audience. 

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy franchise has some of the best character designs courtesy of Tetsuya Nomura.

Young Jump interviewed legendary Square Enix game developer Tetsuya Nomura about his unique character designs and the thought process that goes towards developing them, particularly the recent Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Nomura explained that when he was in school, a classmate was playing a game and complaining about an ugly protagonist. This had a lasting impression on him, so he now focuses on making his characters cool and attractive.

my friend said, “Why does he have to be ugly in the game world?” and that really made an impression on me (laughs)

-Tetsuya Nomura 

However, he certainly practices caution with the design as well. If it is too ambitious or adventurous, it wouldn’t fit the gist of the game and would feel extremely out of place. The design should always be inviting and welcoming for the player. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Cool character designs are pleasing for gamers.

The approach is very clear if you look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Nomura says this was the first time he created all the characters and their personalities. So, yes, they are a bit eccentric, but each has their unique personality

Final Fantasy games have had a unique character identity for a very long time. We’ve seen the identity spread throughout their games ever since the 90s. 

Games like Stellar Blade and Bayonetta also saw a surge in popularity mainly because of their main characters. Unfortunately, in the name of inclusivity, most companies are messing up character designs. 

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