Yoko Taro, the enigmatic director and writer behind theNierfranchise, apparently believes the success ofNier Automatawas a “fluke,” and has told Square Enix not to expect the same success for the recently releasedNier Replicant.Though the comments seem to be somewhat of a joke given thepositive reviews forReplicantthus far, there may be some truth to his words.
Nier,and its prequel franchiseDrakengard, were niche titles when they first released, and while loved by fans, the series didn’t find mainstream success until the release ofNier Automatain 2017. While being part of the same franchise and canon,Nier AutomataandNier Replicanthave few similarities and are only thinly connected narratively.
FEATURED:NieR Replicant Review Roundup
These comments come from a Square Enix blog post that features messages from Taro andNier Replicant’s producer Yosuke Saito, which were originally sent out to game reviewers. In his statement, Taro says he has been skeptical of Square Enix’s enthusiasm forNier Replicant’s success; he writes, “Automataselling was a fluke, and all my other stuff has hardly sold anything worthy of note.” It is true thatNier Automatasales really exceeded expectationsand it was both a critical and commercial success, making it by far is the most successful project Taro has developed.
It is clear from this that Taro doesn’t believe his games are popular despite a dedicated fanbaseexcited for Taro’s next project. The director and producer has his own way of seeing the world, which can be seen in his explanation ofNier Replicant’s full title. Taro said the reasoning behind a lot of decisions is that he wants to make games he thinks are cool. Yet despite his self-deprecating jokes, Taro is one of the industry’s most interesting creators, and his work is gaining more attention with each new project.
Taro does raise an interesting point when talking about game reviewers not being able to fully understand the game in the little time they have to play it. For example,Nier Automatahad many endings, which required completing the story multiple times with different characters to fully explore and understand the game. Most reviewers do not have the luxury of fully exploring a game likeNier’s story before they have to produce an article, which can affect the game’s success. With the popularity ofNier Automata’s storytelling, many people will likely be more open to the complexity ofNier Replicant’s story, and Taro himself may be surprised at its success.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:What ‘Become as Gods’ Means in the Nier: Automata Special Edition
