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[tommib]

Some games more than others are clearly a vision of a specific game designer more than just a bulk team effort. Lets vote and celebrate the games that seem to reflect their directors either in aesthetic choices, gameplay mechanics, narrative approach or overall themes.

Swen Vincke​

(Director: Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin II. Director, Game Design, Story: Divinity: Original Sin)

Hidemaro Fujibayashi​

(Director: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

Sam Lake​

(Director: Alan Wake II. Concept and writer: Control. Concept design, story and screenplay: Alan Wake)

Todd Howard​

(Director: Starfield, Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3)

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[ByWatterson]

Yoshi P is not on this list. List invalidated.

 

[DaciaJC]

Swen. I mean, just look at this chad.

 

[tommib]

Yoshi P is not on this list. List invalidated.

Not a game director in 2023.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Swen. I mean, just look at this chad.

What is this facial expression conveying? Never seen someone more comfortable in their own skin in my life

 

[Danjin44]

I’m become big fan of Masaru Yamamura, he did fantastic job with both Sekiro and Armored Core VI.

 

[RetroAV]

Lies of P's Ji Won Choi.

 

[demigod]

Phil Spencer. Only Game Director that could release the greatest hits on all 3 platforms.

 

[MagnesD3]

Miyazaki

 

[Kaachan]

Best director of all time

 

[GrayChild]

Masaru Yamamura (Armored Core 6):

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Fujibayashi also directed Minish Cap. All 4 Zelda's he's directed are amazing games. (Can't speak for the Wii version of Skyward Sword. lmao.)

 

[tomato shrub]

Masaru Yamamura (Armored Core 6):

And Sekiro iirc?

 

[Guilty_AI]

Swen for helping making belgium a relevant country again.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Master of Master.

in this year... for me Hidemaro Fujibayashi

 

[DragonNCM]

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Best director of all time

90s Squaresoft is the GOAT. Banger after banger. And yes The Gooch is the best.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Baldur's Gate 3 FTW.

 

[FeralEcho]

Lies of P's Ji Won Choi.

This! After Swen I'd give a special mention to Lies of P's director.It's the best game I've played this generation.

 

[Kurotri]

And Sekiro iirc?

Nah that was Miyazaki. Yamamura's role in Sekiro was lead designer. Don't ask me what the difference is.

 

[GymWolf]

For this year it's one between zelda and bg3.

Lol at Todd even being there

 

[WitchHunter]

Nah he fucked up elden ring.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

It's Swen and it isn't even close.

 

[12Goblins]

Dark souls 2 >>> elden ring

 

[KungFucius]

Skewed poll as I only played 2 of these so far. ToTK is my GotY so Zelda it is. I am a big fan of Larian and Alan Wake so it is very possible that both or one or none of those games are better to me than TotK. Starfield is disappointing.

 

[Roberts]

John Johanas. A relative newcomer comes out of the shadow of Mikami, a foreigner, creates a singular vision that appeals both to eastern and western sensibilities. Also, seems like a very nice guy.

 

[Hugare]

Its Swen by a long shot

Imagine directing a game of that size, with so many choices and different story paths

And if you've seen the dev videos that Larian posted throughout the years you would know that he was close to every inch of the game's development

Dude is a hero

Sam Lake deserves an honorable mention 'cause AW 2 was 100% his vision

 

[Johnny Concrete]

Nah he fucked up elden ring.

Best fuckup ever?

I can live with Baldurs Gate 3 winning GOTY if Sam Lake gets this price. Just by the sheer fact he had to direct so many elements into something so cohesive.

 

[WitchHunter]

Best fuckup ever?

Worst DS like game, thanks to the open world bs.

 

[Hudo]

What about Shiro Mouri?

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Can't take anything from Fujibayashi, but let's be frank the path was already laid out for him with TOTK.

Swen, successfully helmed the development and launch of one of most important games to come out, ever, and ingnited mainstream fervor for a franchise that typically is reserved for only its hardcore fans.

Bravo, sir, best to do it this year.

 

[ReBurn]

I only know the ones who people complain about.

 

[BbMajor7th]

Sven without any doubt - Sam Lake is a decent game director, but he can't write to save his life.

 

[ungalo]

None of these games blow me away on its direction/game design.

Didn't play BG3 yet so i'll say ToTK director. Starfield design choices often hurt the game on many levels, while Alan Wake 2 although it feels like nothing else is also weird in its pacing and lack of tension for a survival horror, feel like some sequences/moments really don't achieve their potential. I think Control was made better.

ToTK i have very mixed feelings but i'll say for the overall ambition of the mechanics and how it empowers the player, it's something you don't see often. Even though what the game asks of you most of the time is actually pretty shit.

 

[Neff]

 

[DeaconOfTheDank]

Gonna have to give it to Swen Vincke. I'm not even particularly a fan of CRPGs, but I'd be an idiot to deny what a colossal achievement BG3 is.

After that, second place goes to Hidemaro Fujibayashi. TOTK is a technical marvel and the amount of polish it has considering the complexity of all the interacting systems is unbelievable. All running smoothly on mobile hardware from 2013, too.

Finally, I've gotta give a shoutout to Masaru Yamamura. He designed my favorite combat system to date with Sekiro and he managed bring that same brilliance to table with Armored Core. The game is a hell of a lot of fun and the satisfaction of coming to grips with the combat is second to none.

 

[Johnny Concrete]

Worst DS like game, thanks to the open world bs.

Okay. Didn’t know this.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

John Johannes, Hi-Fi Rush.

 

[Vick]

Piotr Łatocha for me.

Also my current favorite game director full stop after a month of fresh awesomeness between his Resistance and Rogue City.