Yoko Taro is a bit of an enigmatic figure in the games industry, with the creator – famous for his enormous mask – being behind some of the most unusual games in recent memory. While Nier Automata is the game most fans will know him for now, the developer has had his hands in a ton of games. Now, he's working on another, and even he thinks it's going to be unusual.
During a recent live stream for Nier Replicant, Taro confirmed that he's working on a new game as creative director for Square Enix, which he described as being digital-only, and apparently something like an indie game. Of course, Yoko Taro didn't share any specific details on what the project will entail, but it sounds like it'll be just as strange as some of the developer's other titles.
As Taro puts it, his new game is "difficult to explain," which is pretty standard for the developer, considering the driving concepts behind Nier. What's perhaps most interesting, though, is that Taro also has no idea how to "no idea how to explain or sell" the idea, so it might be some time before the game is ready to be marketed. Plus, with Nier Replicant only just being finished, there's a good chance the next project is only just getting started.
However, Square Enix is attending E3 2021, so it's possible that fans get a teaser for whatever it is that Yoko Taro is working on. With how much trouble the developer himself is having describing the game, a teaser might not do much to shed light on the project, but new game announcements are a way to get fans buzzing regardless. Plus, strange trailers are a great way to start a conversation, and esoteric projects live and die by that kind of marketing
That's all to say that weird games are certainly nothing new. In fact, some of the biggest rumors circulating the industry have been in regards to developers known for their strange, or sometimes loaded, game design. For instance, Hideo Kojima is rumored to be in talks with Xbox to publish his next game, following the outlandish game that was Death Stranding. There's a market for high-concept titles out there, it just takes the right developers to bring them to life. Given Yoko Taro's track record, it's a safe bet that whatever game is being created is in safe hands.
What will be most interesting to see is how high weird games can climb with the next console generation. Fans have vented for years about sequels dominating the market rather than fresh IP, and weird games are a great way to counteract that. The more outlandish a concept, the less likely it is that something like it exists. There is a "too far" where a story or concept is lost on most players, but it's hard to measure where that point lies.
In the meantime, fans will just have to wait for more information. The game will likely become easier to explain as concepts are fleshed out, so it's only a matter of time until fans learn something new.