Tetsuya Nomura has undeniably made a lasting impact on the gaming world—most notably as the director of the Kingdom Hearts series and the original visionary behind Final Fantasy Versus XIII (later Final Fantasy XV). His contributions to character design and gameplay systems are significant. However, it’s increasingly clear that his talents do not extend to narrative writing and storytelling. Despite his strengths in visual design and combat systems, Nomura’s involvement in the narrative direction of key Square Enix projects has resulted in convoluted plots, poor dialogue, production delays, and fractured fan reception.

 

 

The Issues with Nomura’s Writing

While gameplay in titles like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII Remake remains strong, their stories often suffer due to:

•  Repetitive, shallow dialogue

Phrases like "My friends are my power!" or "Kingdom Hearts is light!" have become punchlines, not emotional peaks. They lack the nuance and weight expected from games with such ambitious scope.

•  Vague thematic language

Nomura frequently leans on abstract ideas—light, darkness, hearts, friendship—without grounding them in meaningful character development or emotional arcs.

•  Overwritten and confusing plots

Especially in Kingdom Hearts, the narrative often doubles back on itself with alternate versions of characters, convoluted timelines, and underdeveloped motivations.

 

 

Poor Use of Disney Characters

Kingdom Hearts sells itself as a Disney crossover, yet many iconic characters feel underdeveloped and disconnected from the main plot. Their roles are often reduced to background cameos or rehashed lines from their original films. Even though Pixar has been included, Star Wars, Marvel, and Fox characters—despite being part of Disney—have been completely ignored. Why?

 

Impact on Major Square Enix Projects

Nomura’s direction hasn’t just affected Kingdom Hearts. Other major titles have also suffered:

• Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Cancelled after years of stagnation, reworked into Final Fantasy XV with major plot and tone changes.

• Final Fantasy XV

Released incomplete and needed major DLC just to make its story coherent.

• Final Fantasy VII Remake

Introduced confusing timeline shifts, ghosts, and unnecessary twists that strayed far from the emotional clarity of the original.

•  Kingdom Hearts III

Long-delayed, filled with odd pacing decisions, and lacking key crossovers that fans were expecting.

 

 

The Bigger Problem: Poor Story Structure

Across Nomura’s work, there’s a clear pattern:

• Characters from Disney and Final Fantasy barely interact in a meaningful way.
•  Dialogue is repeated and shallow.
• Stories are structured for mystery—not emotional payoff or clarity.
• Shocking reveals take precedence over thoughtful character arcs.

Even the reintroduction of Zack Fair in FFVII Remake felt more like a twist for the sake of being confusing, rather than a narrative enhancement.

 

 

If You’re Skeptical, Watch These:

To understand how these issues evolved and why fans are frustrated, these videos offer excellent breakdowns:

•  https://youtu.be/R88XGClRibU?si=e-h5Pk-G9Qq6V5xS
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NuhWz2wrBN8
•   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sLB0O0C86Z8
•  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lqWh1faBaAA
•  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dBSxQHsh0n0

More community insight:

• https://youtu.be/byxcnUO_2uI
• https://youtu.be/iaC31K03ZFU
• https://youtu.be/gkHKHrnaXro
• https://youtu.be/6LXqgX1EdVI
• https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/nzg0iv/tetsuya_nomura_needs_to_be_fired/?share_id=_MEQGFZgA0qaVwHru7GcE&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=2

 

 

Why It’s Time for Nomura to Step Down

Nomura has been a visionary artist and influential designer, but it’s time for Square Enix to move forward with new leadership in narrative direction. His continued control over storytelling has resulted in fragmented worlds, confused fans, and iconic IPs that are losing their emotional core. The future of Final Fantasy and Square Enix’s other franchises deserves:

•  Cohesive storytelling
•  Meaningful character development
• Clear emotional arcs
• Crossovers that matter

Let the next generation of writers, directors, and creative leads bring fresh vision to these beloved worlds. Nomura can still contribute in areas where he excels—art design and gameplay systems—but it’s time to let go of the pen.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

In conclusion, while Tetsuya Nomura is undeniably talented in game design and art direction, his leadership and approach to writing have hindered the potential of numerous Square Enix projects. To ensure the company’s success in the future, it may be time for him to resign and make way for new creative minds. Nomura is a talented artist and designer of course—but he should not be writing or directing large-scale titles anymore like i said earlier. Square Enix needs fresh leadership and better storytellers if they want their franchises to survive and thrive.

 

I know this opinion might upset some fans, but I’m saying it from a place of concern for the future of the company and the games we love. It’s time for Nomura to step down—or be moved to a role that focuses on art and design only. If you agree that Square Enix would be better off without Tetsuya Nomura’s involvement in directing future projects, please sign this petition. Let’s make sure that the next chapter for Square Enix is one that focuses on improving storytelling, gameplay, and fan satisfaction. Thank you for reading, and good night.