Back in 1999, developer Sacnoth released the RPG Koudelka on PS1. Created, produced, written and directed by former Square staffer Hiroki Kikuta (who also composed the music), the game is unique in that it's set in Wales, and its dialogue is spoken entirely in English.
Kikuta—who recently reunited with Square on Visions of Mana—has been taken aback by the fact that people are still speaking about the game over 25 years later.
The reaction was triggered by a social media post by game translator Kevin C Perez, who said:
Koudelka's writing and acting is one of the best I've ever experienced as a gamer. This scene was so ahead of its time and managed to convey much more with such a low polygonal count than some current AAA. @Hiroki_Kikuta_E any chance to see you direct and write another game?
Kikuta then explains the amount of effort that went into the scene highlighted by Perez:
To motion capture this scene of Koudelka, I filmed a 10-minute one-take play of Koudelka and Edward 10 times. It was January 1999. Of course, the lines are also recorded at the same time, and the equipment for that purpose was also developed exclusively.
He also expresses shock that a YouTube video about Koudelka has amassed over 380,000 views:
Koudelka was only a moderate commercial hit in Japan but was deemed suitable for a Western release in both North America and Europe. Reviews were also somewhat mixed, but the game would lay down the foundation for Sacnoth's more successful Shadow Hearts series.