Nier Automata's writer and director Yoko Taro didn't really know where to start when making the now iconic game, so he just aimed to create something even more confusing than his past work that even he'd "have trouble grasping." No wonder it's full of 26 endings and even more twisty turns.
Speaking to Archipel in a video breaking down his creative process, the enigmatic game dev explained that he wants to change his "starting point each time" with new projects. "Drakengard depicts a dark and violent story, whereas Nier Replicant is themed around sorrow," he explained.
In the case of Nier Automata, he also wanted "something different to write" but wasn't quite sure what that meant. "At the time, there wasn't really something set in stone that I wanted to do. I had already built a story that raises emotion with Replicant." Taro's solution? To "create something more confusing with Automata."
"At the very beginning, the story's frame started with Simone's character. It's this big female robot that sings on stage. In Replicant, you always fight enemies understanding the reason why you do so. This time around, it's impossible to feel empathy. She devotes herself to a man as she dresses with corpses. I added this trait that players can't relate to. Automata's story progresses while holding some of these situations that are difficult to understand. I aimed for a story I'd have trouble grasping myself," Taro said.
Knowingly creating a semi-confusing story isn't the only unusual method Taro has up his sleeve. The game dev also recently said he begins writing by "showing quick progress" to his producer, "then I gradually get slower and slower" - a sneaky tactic to avoid the consequences of procrastination, perhaps.
