[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yasumi-Matsuno_1318.png]]

Yasumi Matsuno (born 1965) is a game designer who started out at a small company named Quest, then got bought out by Squaresoft, then left to join Creator/Level5. He has a long working history with Creator/HitoshiSakimoto for the music and Creator/AkihikoYoshida for the artwork, and is friends with translator Creator/AlexanderOSmith. He is basically responsible for the ''VideoGame/IvaliceAlliance'' as well.

He has directed the following:
[[index]]
* ''VideoGame/OgreBattle''
* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre: Let Us Cling Together'' & ''[[VideoGameRemake Wheel of Fate/Reborn]]''
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''
* ''Videogame/OgreBattle64''
* ''VideoGame/VagrantStory''
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance''
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''
* ''Guild 01: VideoGame/CrimsonShroud''
[[/index]]

He has also been involved with:
* ''VideoGame/ConquestOfTheCrystalPalace'': Planning - his influence can be seen in the news reports and the sheer number of different items
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': Scenario writer for the "Return to Ivalice" and "Save the Queen: Blades of Gunnhildr" side stories.
* ''VideoGame/MadWorld'': Story
* ''Unsung Story'': Story & game design - unfortunately as of February 2016, [[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/after-setbacks-dev-behind-final-fantasy-tactics-cr/1100-6435156/ the future of this game is looking very much in doubt]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIvM3aVmYSU it's getting worse]] as of 2017. As of 2018, he's no longer involved with the project after Little Orbit took over, but the CEO of said company did meet him once for a lunch meeting to talk about the game.

Other influences:
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
* ''Franchise/StarWars''
* TabletopGames
* UsefulNotes/ColdWar
* UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars

!!Tropes that frequently appear in his works:
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to most works in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise (and Creator/SquareSoft in general), Matsuno's works tend to have complex sociopolitical themes, a heavy atmosphere, and lots of violence. This is most seen with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', which is considered one of the darker installments in the franchise, and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', which heavily leaned into heavy sociopolitical themes compared to other mainline games.
* EncyclopediaExposita: To the point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZykVVoM_YYE the first trailer for Crimson Shroud (last fourth of the video)]] is simply a look at RPG books with well-written English
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Yiazmat of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' was named after him.
* ProductionPosse: Is nearly always seen working with Akihiko Yoshida and Hitoshi Sakimoto.
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: [[http://www.usgamer.net/articles/tgs-yasumi-matsunos-new-world This interview]] shows that he already plans to use bits from the Syrian Civil War in ''Unsung Story''.
** Well before that, ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'' was originally released in 1995, right when UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars were in full swing. ''Tactics Ogre's'' plot bears a strong similarity to the causes of the conflict, right down to having [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Fantasy Counterpart Cultures]] of Bosnians, Serbs, and Croats.
* SpaceColdWar: He used to be a political science student, and also studied Eastern European history, thus influencing many of his storylines.
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