Hiroyuki Sakamoto is a producer at Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio working on the Yakuza series, including 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
I was impressed to see that an overseas studio understood the unique history of Japan and made a game out of it. It would be difficult even for a Japanese studio to achieve this level of quality. The game’s control scheme is superb, and I could appreciate the stable quality of Sucker Punch Productions for myself.
Despite the news that went around concerning the bugs at launch, I was inspired by the overwhelming characters and density of the world, especially how the character lines are so well-written. Sci-Fi stories like Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell are worlds that every creator would like to create at least once. I would like to express my respect to the development team’s enthusiasm, who challenged themselves to create an appealing Sci-Fi world by making no compromises, while paying attention to even the smallest details.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
This game is for everyone regardless of nationality or age, and the characters and assets are so carefully built. Players will literally be the residents there, and do what they want and live how they like. Normally, as a developer, you seek out that fun experience that can be summed up and conveyed to players in a single word during a game’s planning stages, but New Horizons takes the absolute opposite approach; it successfully conveys its attraction or appeals that cannot be conveyed in a single word.
1. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
I haven’t seen a game packed so full of so many fun minigames before. I also like how you can connect and play any of these games online with others. I can’t find any flaws with a game that can be picked up and enjoyed so easily. It reminded me how game development is not just about a profound story or stunning graphics. This is what playing games should really be like.