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Is Hidetaka Miyazaki the best game director of all time?

As this moment he is one of the best but not of all time. If you look at a list of the best games of all time, its basically just a list of Nintendo directors.
 
He’s the best at directing Souls or Soulslike games just like Kojima is the best at directing Metal Gear games.

But, he did invent a genre.

Honestly, while I appreciate the gameplay mechanics and such, what’s most impressive to me and possibly GOAT tier is the art team, both in level graphics/design and boss graphics/design, they are top notch. And, they’ve kept it up through so many games and are still impressive.
 
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Kokoloko85

Member
Let me know when he has made a game that isn't Souls-like. He is very good at his niche, but it is just a niche, ultimately. The only game he's made outside that genre was Deracine, which, admittedly, was absolutely amazing. Beyond that though...?

For me, he made the best sword combat system ever in Sekiro. Innovative. I cant think of another Japanese or Western developer who has made a better sword combat.
He done in 1 try. DMC, Beyonette, Ninja Gaiden and countless others couldn't come up with a more sword clashing satisfying combat, than Sekiro had.

The latest Armoured Core was pretty damn good too

How many directors go out of there genre and do amazing
 

gerth666

Member
For me he is easily top three.
My top three in no particular order.
Hidetaka Miyazaki
Hideo kojima
Shinji Mikami
These three beauties directed some of my favourite games ever.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
For me, he made the best sword combat system ever in Sekiro. Innovative. I cant think of another Japanese or Western developer who has made a better sword combat.
He done in 1 try. DMC, Beyonette, Ninja Gaiden and countless others couldn't come up with a more sword clashing satisfying combat, than Sekiro had.

The latest Armoured Core was pretty damn good too

How many directors go out of there genre and do amazing
Actually the credit goes to Masaru Yamamura, he was combat designer behind Sekiro and then he directed Armored Core VI.
 

gerth666

Member
I enjoyed anything more then I did BOTW

It felt like a Ubisoft wannabe type games instead of a actual Zelda game aka bring back normal dungeons you lazy fucks lol
I'm glad I'm not the only one to think this.
I'd go as far to say it's the worst Zelda game ever.
 

Regginator

Member
I haven't played Armored Core 6, but I'd love for Miyazaki to delve into new genres before I'd consider him among the all-time greats. But as for directors still active, I'd say he currently has the best streak by far. The things he does, he obviously does very well. But I can understand that if you don't really like the Souls-formula, then the rest of his games aren't going to entice you either.
 

sendit

Member
I haven't played Armored Core 6, but I'd love for Miyazaki to delve into new genres before I'd consider him among the all-time greats. But as for directors still active, I'd say he currently has the best streak by far. The things he does, he obviously does very well. But I can understand that if you don't really like the Souls-formula, then the rest of his games aren't going to entice you either.
Don't, it made me quit gaming for a month.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
It's Myamoto. I am not even a Nintendo fan but this mother fucker is the main reason you play half of the games you play today.
Then Kojima.
Then Myazaki.

You can then add some western designers like Warren Specter, Todd Howard, Cory Barlog, Ken Levine, Amy Henning and Druckman.
 
I was thinking about this earlier. At this point Miyazaki is the GOAT game director right? His track record since 2009 has been relentless in terms of putting out GOAT banger after GOAT banger. Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring… like what other game director has the same batting average? He has no bad games, and his ideas have literally invented a genre while also normalizing the idea of difficulty in video games again. It’s not unreasonable to say Miyazaki is the single best game director of all time, right?

Considering there's like 2 or 3 good games on that list, it's pretty easy.

I mean Miyazaki has the same game engine with a different skin with each game since 2009. How is that the best director ever? Sekiro changes a bit and Elden Ring is open world but it's basically the same gameplay as the first 3. All those Miyazaki games could've been released on PS3 with worse graphics. There's no evolution whatsoever. Plus, they are terribly optimized.

But this is my opinion. Always thought these IPs terribly overrated.

At least Kojima did something different with each game release.
 
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TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
The Ubisoft of game Directors.
 
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Dafegamer

Member
He is a great Game Director, but I would hardly say he's the best of all time. I'd say Shigeru Miyamoto, his influence on the overall gaming industry is felt even to this day. There wouldn't be Soulslike, if not for Zelda laying the basics on NES.
 

Buggy Loop

Gold Member
Kojima is so fucking overrated, didn't think I would see his name pop up so many times here

He's a hack version of M. Night Shyamalan with game story twists, they're so bad. He's a bad writer. His ideas behind visuals and action are good, he has an eye for "cinema", but the nonsense he shows on screen is almost memes before memes existed, it's convoluted crap. Its fanfic level at best and he's kind of making the video game industry look like a joke when we bring him on stage to say he's a genius. He wouldn't even write the tier B network TV shows.

I mean yea..



Don't get me wrong, MGS3 is one of my favorite experience from PS2 days, but that's not even close to put him in the top 5 list of best directors.

Platinum games took the franchise and made something better than Hideo ever did with Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, there I said it.
 
He's certainly up there among the greats. His track record since Demon's Souls speaks for itself.

Shinji Mikami and Yoshiaki Koizumi are probably my top two.

EDIT: Miyamoto is obviously a legend but I see him more as "Most Important" game director as opposed to "Best".
 
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near

Gold Member
I mean Miyazaki has the same game engine with a different skin with each game since 2009. How is that the best director ever? Sekiro changes a bit and Elden Ring is open world but it's basically the same gameplay as the first 3. All those Miyazaki games could've been released on PS3 with worse graphics. There's no evolution whatsoever. Plus, they are terribly optimized.

But this is my opinion. Always thought these IPs terribly overrated.

At least Kojima did something different with each game release.
Miyazaki’s games aren’t renowned for their graphical fidelity or even gameplay, having said that there has definitely been an evolution from Demon’s Soul’s to Elden Ring on a purely mechanical level. Miyazaki’s games are loved for their environmental storytelling, mystery, challenge and level design. It’s everything else that a lot of games take for granted that Miyazaki hones into. The fact that he’s game design philosophy birthed an entire sub-genre should indicate just how much of an influence he has had on not just the industry, but the entire medium. When someone makes that sort of an impact, of course they deserve to be in the conversation. He’s personally not my choice for greatest game director of all time, but I 100% acknowledge he is a legend.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
I mean Miyazaki has the same game engine with a different skin with each game since 2009. How is that the best director ever? Sekiro changes a bit and Elden Ring is open world but it's basically the same gameplay as the first 3. All those Miyazaki games could've been released on PS3 with worse graphics. There's no evolution whatsoever. Plus, they are terribly optimized.

But this is my opinion. Always thought these IPs terribly overrated.

At least Kojima did something different with each game release.
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Not really. His hits are pretty much the same game with a different coat of paint. Shigeru Miyamoto and Yu Suzuki are both way higher on the list based on impact and influence and a more varied library.
 

Terenty

Member
Some of the people here showing disrespect to Kojima are completely fucking clueless.

He made Snatcher which is a classic.
He made MGS 1,2,3 which are classics.
He made MGS 5, which is, though flawed, still a fucking masterpiece compared to shit being peddled nowadays.
He made PT, which is already a classic and has been aped by countless games since.
He made Death Stranding, which might not be a classic, but still is so vastly different to everything on the market that deserves respect.

Get your facts straight. The man is a legend.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
I’ve been digesting the thread a little before I made a post on who is the GOAT.

I think there’s two answers. On a personal level, and on an objective industry influence/impact level.

The objective goat is Miyamoto because he birthed franchises and genres that exist to this day, and still the peak of the industry when they release.

As for my personal goat I still have to give it to Kojima. Nothing since psycho mantis has been that big of a unique wow factor in a game. MGS2 is my favorite of his games and was a quantum leap from his previous works, and still stands by today’s standards in how damn good it is. No rose tinted glasses needed. MGS3 has the best story. MGS4 has the best final boss of any game going toe to toe with Ocelot. Square the fuck up old man. MGS5 has the most options in character control of any game, and even call of duty this year is taking that into their games.

Then we have death stranding, which to me is a fantastic game with another unique gameplay twist.

The man excels at what he does and tries to outdo his past works every time with more than just polish and new paint.
 

EDMIX

Writes a lot, says very little
I'm glad I'm not the only one to think this.
I'd go as far to say it's the worst Zelda game ever.
Agreed.

I love the IP, but I love the IP for the things you do in it, once you are no longer going from dungeon to dungeon with REAL unique bosses, I'm done
 
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