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

Expert Verified By

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. 

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

The Outer Worlds 2 Previews: A Sequel Better Than Original RPG In Every Way

A plethora of The Outer Worlds 2 previews have come forward, suggesting Obisidian has crafted a masterpiece that surpasses the original.

Resident Evil 9 Features A Third-Person Mode Because RE7 Terrified The Fandom

The director of Resident Evil 9 has revealed that the game includes a third-person mode because RE7 was too scary.

Hideo Kojima Was Offered the Chance to Direct the Death Stranding Movie

A24 Films boss revealed that he approached Hideo Kojima to direct the upcoming live-action adaptation of Death Stranding, but he was denied.

Capcom Is Considering Releasing A Resident Evil 9 Requiem Demo For Public

In an interview, the RE9 game director has stated that Capcom is considering launching the Resident Evil Requiem demo to the public.

Insider Claims Gaming Consoles Won’t See Real Ray Tracing For Another 2 Decades

An insider has stated that uncompromised ray tracing is still twenty years away for mainstream gaming consoles.