Masahiro Sakurai is the visionary behind the Super Smash Bros. franchise and is also the creator of the Kirby series. Sakurai has had a long, lengthy career as both a video game developer and director. His most recent title, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, will soon release the final DLC fighter, but a release date has not been set as of yet. Needless to say, Sakurai has certainly been around the block when it comes to video games.
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Something that a lot of people likely don’t know is that Sakurai also writes a weekly column for Famitsu, a popular Japanese gaming magazine that features video game reviews based on a combined 0-10 score from four different reviewers. Sakurai uses these weekly columns as a way of connecting with his fans and as a means of discussing certain aspects of his work and personal life. In his most recent column, Sakurai discussed a game called 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, an RPG published by Atlus and will be releasing internationally sometime in 2020.
Sakurai urged anyone reading, especially those who write game scenarios for a living, to play this game, not just watch gameplay footage or a playthrough on YouTube. He placed a large amount of emphasis on experiencing the game on a personal level and also praised the visual presentation and narrative. Given his positive response to Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, it seems Sakurai appreciates these kinds of atmospheric qualities in the games he plays on his own.
It’s fascinating hearing a seasoned professional, especially one that’s as renowned as Masahiro Sakurai, praise a game that he has no involvement with. Not to mention the fact that the game in question is one that places a great deal of emphasis on its narrative. An interesting contrast when compared to the gameplay-centric, technical complexity that Super Smash Bros. is known for.
It would be interesting to see Sakurai lead a new gaming project that revolved around a more story-driven experience, like a JRPG for example. Then again, Super Smash Bros. does have an intricate, underlying lore that plays out via story modes like The Subspace Emissary and World of Light. Not to mention the multitude of fan theories regarding Smash Bros., one of which actually turned out to be canonically true. Nevertheless, it was nice to hear Sakurai’s take on something non-Smash Bros. related.
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Source: Dualshockers.com
