Yoko Taro Games have a reputation for being eccentric in the gaming industry, as they feature dark stories, philosophical themes, and narrative choices that stray far from the norm. The author himself claims, however, that he never considered his work to be the product of deliberate exaggeration. An important example is NieR: AutomataTarot said the game’s high level of creative freedom allowed him to develop the game he wanted.
complete freedom
The director said that unlike NieR: Replicant, where Square Enix made some choices relevant to its target audience, NieR: Automata didn’t impose a precise target on him: “In NieR: Automata, I wasn’t told who to target. I just did what I wanted to do and tried to make it happen.” Hidden from Square Enix as much as possible”.
The first “NieR” was published in 2010 and was the result of different choices, with two different protagonists depending on the version. In the West, only adult characters are used, while in Japan, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions feature Yonah’s father and brother respectively. The option didn’t improve sales, and as Taro explained in the past, “It didn’t lead to very good sales, so we gave up.”
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With the release of Nier: Automata in 2017, Taro had more freedom and the game finally got A success far beyond expectationsSelling over 10 million copies, it went from a relatively niche title to a cult hit of the PS4 era, conquering a wider audience than those traditionally associated with Taro games.
However, the director explains this reception in a strange way. “Honestly, I think the games I make are for the average person,” he said. “But ultimately, when I release these normal games, people think they’re weird games and like them, which is weird. It probably means there’s something wrong with me.”
This is not the first time that Taro has laughed at himself, it is already part of his character, just like the famous self-deprecation Emil’s mask The clothes he wears during public appearances. The developer also explained that he serves as director not out of any specific career ambitions, but above all because of his tendency to express his opinions openly. Taro himself jokingly describes himself as a “twisted” and “unbearable person to work with,” traits that, at least according to his explanation, were part of the creative process that led to his games.
