NieR: Automata Developer Says Stellar Blade Is Much Better Than Theirs

NieR: Automata's director, Yoko Taro, makes a bold claim: Stellar Blade is a superior game.
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Stellar Blade Woman In Cockpit
Image: SHIFT UP Corporation

Renowned director Yoko Taro, known for the highly praised NieR: Automata, recently stated that the upcoming game Stellar Blade surpasses his own creation. Stellar Blade, developed by Shift Up, shares thematic elements with NieR: Automata, like its female lead and post-apocalyptic backdrop. Due to these resemblances, the initial trailers for Stellar Blade have drawn comparisons to Automata.

In an interview by IGN Japan, Taro spoke with Stellar Blade’s creative director, Hyung-Tae Kim. During the interview, Taro expressed his admiration for Stellar Blade, saying that Stellar Blade was an amazing game. He really did think that it was better than NieR: Automata in many ways. Taro specifically pointed out the game’s advanced graphics and appealing character design as elements that he feels exceed his own work.

“Stellar Blade is a really amazing game. I’d say that it’s much better than NieR: Automata. I have been acquainted with Mr. Kim’s works since Magna Carta: Tears of Blood. Your illustrations are of a very high quality. Magna Carta: Tears of Blood came out before Drakengard, the first game I directed. So while I’m the older one, to me, in this industry you’re my senior.”

Yoko Taro, Director, Nier: Automata

Kim and Taro both agree that while their games share similarities in appearance, they emphasize that the games are actually quite different. Stellar Blade prioritizes challenging action gameplay, unlike NieR: Automata, which is designed to be more accessible for players who are not as experienced with action games. Kim mentioned that the Soulsborne series influenced the difficulty of Stellar Blade, but the game includes different difficulty settings to cater to a wider audience of players.

The interview also covered the inspiration for both games. Kim, recognized for his previous work on Magna Carta and Blade & Soul, mentioned that classic titles such as Battle Angel Alita and Blade Runner influenced Stellar Blade. Yoko Taro, on the other hand, shared that his main inspiration for NieR: Automata came from Neon Genesis Evangelion, indicating that a significant portion of its originality is derived from that iconic series.

Despite their differences, both Stellar Blade and NieR: Automata have received a lot of attention. In a way, it feels like they’re opening a new subgenre for the industry, and they’ve got the fanbase to back it up. Things like this are only good for us all.

Jorge A. Aguilar

Jorge A. Aguilar

Jorge A. Aguilar, also known as Aggy, is the current Assigning Editor.

He started his career as an esports, influencer, and streaming writer for Sportskeeda. He then moved to GFinity Esports to cover streaming, games, guides, and news before moving to the Social team where he ended his time as the Lead of Social Content.

He also worked a writer and editor for both Pro Game Guides and Dot Esports, and as a writer for PC Invasion, Attack of the Fanboy, and Android Police. Aggy is the former Managing Editor and Operations Overseer of N4G Unlocked and a former Gaming editor for WePC.

Throughout his time in the industry, he's trained over 100 writers, written thousands of articles on multiple sites, written more reviews than he cares to count, and edited tens of thousands of articles. He has also written some games published by Tales, some books, and a comic sold to Telus International.

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