Drakengard and NieR creator Yoko Taro has given his stamp of approval for the upcoming action game Stellar Blade by SHIFT UP Corporation.

In a joint interview by IGN, NieR: Automata director Yoko Taro joins Stellar Blade creative director Hyung-Tae Kim as they talk about combat, art design, and more in games they made.

One of the most notable highlights in the interview is how much Taro and Kim praise each other as game creators.

“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,” Taro said to Kim and IGN.

“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.”

“In Japan, you’re well known by gamers as a legendary developer! When Blade & Soul came out, I remember being amazed by its 3D graphics. I think you directed the game’s art. Not just the illustrations, but also the 3D models were very well done. I was surprised by the quality of Korean games when I saw it.”

Later in the interview, Taro elaborated that he was “amazed” by the graphics and art direction of Stellar Blade, “the graphics are completely next-gen quality and the character design’s direction is amazing.”

“The cool male characters and cute female characters unique to Mr. Kim’s style are really appealing. Shops in RPGs often have a close-up shot of the shopkeeper, which I don’t like because I think it feels unnatural. Stellar Blade has a shot like that too, but the shopkeeper was so cute that I didn’t mind! Her cuteness felt more important than any design choices.”

Hearing about the mention of the shopkeeper, Kim interjected and admitted, “Actually, this has been a problem for us. Many users say that the girl at that shop is cuter than the main character… I guess we need to make her the main character in our next game.”

Taro responded, “It’s just a matter of taste. Stellar Blade’s protagonist EVE is really appealing too.”

“Your art style really appeals to a Japanese audience,” he added. “Stellar Blade’s graphics, setting, and characters are really a style I think Japanese gamers love. If you were to show someone that has no prior knowledge NieR: Automata and Stellar Blade, I think almost all of them would pick Stellar Blade. A white-haired character like 2B is not as conventional.”

Kim replied, taken back by the fact that he has been praised for his work by one of his main creative influences, “I guess I would get in trouble if I agreed with that statement. Seriously though, for me, NieR: Automata is like an inviolable holy grace. The visuals and story are so special that it is simply not possible to imitate. Stellar Blade is Shift Up’s first console title. Please see us as a cute new kid on the block.”

“From her white hair to her eye patch and her black clothes with white stitches, everything about her is appealing to me. At the time, her character design was quite different from what was trending, but she still became beloved by many players. Now, both her looks and personally have created a new stream. She has become a brand of her own, which is a real achievement,” Kim further explained his thoughts about NieR: Automata’s 2B.

In the later part of the interview, Taro also said that Stellar Blade made him “quite jealous.”

Talking to Kim, Taro said, “It’s a game with a great concept and amazing graphics. The product shows how you and your studio’s staff were working on it very hard together. As someone who works together with development studios as an outsider, it’s not possible to share my vision and ideas for details at the same level as you can. I really envy that.”

The rest of the interview delves into various other topics about both NieR and Stellar Blade as well as both developers’ experiences as game designers.

Stellar Blade is scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024, for the PlayStation 5. A demo for the game is now available on the PlayStation Store.