Nier: Automata Director Has High Praise for Stellar Blade

16.04.2024 - 17:04 / gamerant.com / Yoko Taro / Luke Dammann / Kim Hyung

Ahead of Stellar Blade's official release, Nier: Automata director Yoko Taro is sharing his thoughts, deeming it «better» than his own game. Taro recently sat down to discuss Stellar Blade with the game's director, Kim Hyung-tae, revealing why he enjoys the game so much.

Stellar Blade is an upcoming, highly anticipated action-adventure game developed by Shift Up, with Sony Interactive Entertainment publishing the game. Shift Up's newest action-packed title tasks players with engaging in encounters carefully and strategically, with Stellar Blade confirmed to feature a variety of challenging enemies.

In a new interview with IGN Japan,Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung TaeandNier: Automata directorYoko Tarodiscussed their respective games, with Taro praising Kim. Despite Taro being older, he considers Kim his senior and highly respects him, especially his work on Stellar Blade. Players were able to get a taste of Stellar Blade back in March with a demo version of the game. An official Twitter account pleaded with players to «go easy» on the build, with some fans racking up over 50 hours of gameplay in Stellar Blade's demo.

Nier: Automata released in 2016 to widespread critical acclaim, both for its writing and its gameplay. However, the director of Nier: Automata is much more impressed by Stellar Blade than his own creation. In regards to Stellar Blade, Taro said, “Stellar Blade is such an amazing game, I think it’s much better than Nier: Automata.”

When asked why Taro thinks Stellar Blade is better than Nier: Automata, Taro explained that he feels the game's graphics are incredible and “have reached a completely new generation of quality.” The two directors went back and forth, with Kim stating he feels Nier: Automata is the better game. "Stellar Blade can’t compete," said Kim. He explained that he considers Taro a much better writer than himself. “I consider myself a visualist, not a storyteller. I’ve been creating visuals all my life, so I can’t quite match Yoko Taro when it comes to storytelling. I try to make up for this with gameplay.” A sequel to Nier: Automata has been teased, with Nier series producer Yosuke Saito stating the franchise would continue as long as Taro is living. While Stellar Blade has yet to be officially released, both it and Nier: Automata have garnered an impressive fan base. Stellar Blade releases exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024.

Stellar Blade is an action-RPG developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game follows protagonist Eve as she attempts to save a devastated Earth from invaders called Naytiba.