Assassin's Creed, House Of The Dragon Star Abubakar Salim Says Kingdom Hearts Influences "Everything I Do"

Abubakar Salim is on a roll. Following his BAFTA-nominated performance of Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins, he has starred in two critically acclaimed HBO series--House of the Dragon and Raised by Wolves--voiced characters in World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, and Stray Gods, and has even shipped his own game at his own studio, Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

Recently, Salim joined GameSpot for an episode of Star Players, during which he shared his history with video games and which ones hold a special place in his heart. Turns out, one game in particular has massively shaped not only his work, but his life as a whole: Kingdom Hearts.

According to Salim, Kingdom Hearts' "earnestness" and focus on sincere friendship has been a powerful force in his life. He told host Lucy James that the game has influenced not only his work, but "everything [he does.]"

"Honestly this had such an impact on me," Salim said. "It's so influential. It's so emotional... Darkness comes and takes them away and he just wants his friends back. It was really really magical and it will always stay with me. I think it will always influence any the work I do--everything I do. There's just an earnestness to it. An honestly to it. An authenticity."

He also opened up about his love of World of Warcraft, creating his own game studio, how he finds time to game as a new parent, and how his favorite game of all time, Golden Sun, desperately needs the remake treatment--and for the record, we agree.

Salim is the latest star to join GameSpot for its newest show, Star Players. The biweekly program offers a "deep dive into the personal gaming journey of celebrities, musicians, television and movie stars," and has featured Jackass' Steve-O, Lord of the Rings' Dominic Monaghan, Archer's Aisha Tyler, and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner Monét X Change.