“I’m extremely disappointed. We didn’t make it in time for Smash Bros.” – Yoko Taro Talks NieR: Automata On Switch

Started returning to the scene in 2017, NieR: Automata was a breakthrough moment for Yoko Taro. Although the director was famous for Drakengard series – including the original NieR on PS3 and Xbox 360 – and his unusual interviewsAutomata is the game that really put him and his team on the mainstream map.

Five years later, the game comes to Switch as NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition, a completely striking port of a true modern classic. But why now and not, one, two, three years ago? Why is 2022 the time for Switch owners to get into Automata, and what did the Virtuos dream team have to do to bring Square Enix and PlatinumGames action RPGs to Switch?

We spoke with Taro, along with producer Yosuke Saito, composer Keiichi Okabe and Virtuos’ Shi Qiang to celebrate the success of NieR: Automata, lamenting the lack of 2B in the series. Super Smash Bros.and find out what makes this game so popular. Turns out even the team didn’t really know…

Nintendo Life: It’s been more than five years since NieR: Automata was first released. Why do you think the game has been such a big hit over the years?

YOKO Taro, director and scriptwriter: People may not believe this, but the real reason why NieR: Automata is such a huge success is… absolutely chance!!

Yosuke Saito, producer: It could be Mr. YOKO’s fascinating mysterious world, Yoshida Akihiko’s charismatic 2B and 9S characters, Mr. Okabe’s eccentric tunes or the sensation of sublime action gameplay from the craftsmen at Platinum Games.

the real reason why NieR: Automata is such a huge hit is… absolutely by chance!!

But I think the biggest reason is probably the way Automata combines all these different elements together to create the level.

Keiichi Okabe, composer: I think that’s probably the way Mr. YOKO imagined things and PlatinumGames’ ability to bring those things to life and balance them together very well.

Then maybe that’s my musical strength. (laugh)

Taro-san, you asked Saito-san for a Switch port of NieR: Automata during E3 2018. How do you feel now that it’s finally working four years later?

YOKO: I am extremely disappointed that we didn’t make it to Smash Bros…

This marks the launch of the series on the Nintendo console, what motivated you to finally make the switch to Switch?

Saito: This came from wanting to do something for the 5th anniversary and from seeing Astral Chain and thinking we could bring Automata to the Nintendo Switch too. I think we’ve managed to port the game with a pretty impressive level of fidelity, so I’d love to see people play it!

Virtuos has a pretty strong track record with Switch ports, how do you see they worked with them to bring the game to consoles?

feels like there’s no place in the game industry for me to live anymore

Saito: I think they are a great company, and they have taken on many different difficult challenges on our behalf, so I would love to work with them again if we get the chance!

With Automata’s fast-paced action RPG combat, was it a challenge to keep all the different visual elements on screen for the Switch port?

Shi Qiang, Studio Technical Director from Virtuos: Indeed, it is quite complicated in some places. That is why we have been very thorough in our preparation.

The team started by quickly locating all the hotspots and then developed an omnidirectional feature tracking tool for optimization. For engine and code, we have overall optimization on CPU, GPU and shaders. We also do a full optimization of the art, including all models, lighting, special effects, stamps and assets.

Once the general optimization is complete, we proceed to test the function placement on complex scenes. For example, in the boss fight scenes, we’ve further optimized the level of detail of the boss models, textures, and lighting, including a large-scale rebuild of the VFX to match the possibilities. Switch’s technical capabilities.

After bringing Voice of Cards to Switch, did the success of that series influence your decision to bring the game to consoles?

Saito: Personally, I would be more than happy to see it the other way around, with Switch players playing Automata and experiencing the YOKO Taro world through it, then continuing to play Voice of Cards!

Did the success of NieR: Automata change the way you approach game development?

YOKO: We already have more qualified staff in this regard, so I don’t have to do more. I mean, there’s no place in the game industry for me to live anymore.

If there’s a convenient reason why “you should play Automata on Switch because XXX” could you tell that to the Square Enix marketing team?

For those new to Automata, why should they choose the Switch version of the game?

YOKO: If there’s a convenient reason why “you should play Automata on Switch because XXX” could you tell that to the Square Enix marketing team? I think they’ll be happy to know that. They might even buy you a beer. No, really…

Saito: I will answer this as a gamer, rather than as a producer. Featuring the incredibly engaging characters and worlds that YOKO Taro created, the beautiful music by Okabe Keiichi and the transcendent character design by Yoshida Akihiko, as well as it was made by PlatinumGames, one of the developers. The world’s top action game, is there really any reason NOT to play the game?

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Thanks to Yoko Taro, Yosuke Sait, Keiichi Okabe, and Shi Quiang for taking the time to chat with us about NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition. You can pick up the game now on Switch.