Yoko Taro is a true auteur. He produces singular, philosophical video games that leave you questioning the big questions: life, the universe, and everything in between. While he occasionally appears on the publicity circuit, he does so famously wearing a giant Emil moon mask to hide his face. So, when I discovered there was a dedicated book exploring this enigmatic creator, I knew I had to pick it up.
Emil’s face is quite a startling visage but is the guise Taro wears for interviews.
The book opens with an introduction by Taro himself, where he expresses a characteristically dry surprise at being the subject of such a work. He playfully questions the sanity of the author before rolling with it in his usual philosophical style:
"In the end, we find ourselves in the following situation: some eccentric wrote a book on games designed by another eccentric and played by people who are equally eccentric. Frankly, I worry about the future of our planet."
Preface
We are treated to a short history of games as an essential pillar of human development, referencing Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Turcev argues that games represent the world more clearly than the world represents itself because they strip away the "background noise" of reality to isolate meaning.
While most popular games focus on the visceral thrill of violence, Turcev argues that Taro stands out because his work is inherently existential. The author suggests that Taro "...perceives entertainment as a hope, a horizon, a bulwark against evil." He even goes as far as to say that by creating these games, Taro is "trying to save the world." I’m not sure I’d go quite that far, but it’s certainly a provocative thought to ponder while slashing through robots.
Chapter 1: Creation
This chapter provides essential context on the Japanese gaming industry in the early 2000s—a landscape of economic stagnation and studio mergers. It was during this period of consolidation that the idea for Drakengard was born: Ace Combat, but with dragons.
We get a brief, self-deprecating biography of Taro, who describes himself as a "dark, short otaku" who wasn't exactly part of the "in-crowd." This outsider perspective clearly fueled his writing, which often explores the dangers of tribalism. The development of Drakengard was a struggle; feature creep from management pushed a modest team to their breaking point. The result was a buggy, glitchy mess, yet it possessed a spark of something special—a mature, complex story influenced by Evangelion and Berserk.
The book then tracks the series' evolution through the 2008 economic crisis, leading to the original NieR. Taro’s inspiration for NieR was the aftermath of the September 11th attacks—the idea that killing often stems from a conviction that one is doing the right thing. This led to the game's famous multiple-ending structure, which forces players to view the conflict from the perspective of their enemies. I’ve linked a couple of videos below that explain the story and themes of the Nier games in detail (all credit goes to their awesome creator)
Chapter 2: Music – Monaca’s Angels
The soundtrack to NieR: Automata sold over 30,000 copies in its first week, catapulting composer Keiichi Okabe into the spotlight. As someone who owns the vinyl boxset (the jewel of my collection), I appreciated the focus here. Turcev notes that JRPG soundtracks are often more scrutinized because players spend dozens of hours immersed in them.
We learn about Okabe’s background in pop music and his work on Tekken, and how he teamed up with the Monaca collective to create a sound that is poppy yet baroque. A major highlight is the discussion of the "Chaos Language" used by singers Emi Evans and Nami Nakagawa. By using a made-up language, the music transmits pure emotion directly to the listener, unburdened by the specific meaning of words.
Chapter 3: Universe
Taro’s worlds are a pell-mell of medieval fantasy, sci-fi, eugenics, and otaku culture. Interestingly, the book notes that much of this was built on vibes and floating ideas rather than a rigid master plan—much like Hideaki Anno’s approach to Evangelion.
The book dedicates over 100 pages to breaking down the interconnected lore of Drakengard and NieR. Even for a fan, the Gestalt and Replicant projects can be a headache, but Turcev’s retelling clarified several points I hadn't thought about in 15 years. It was a joy to revisit characters like Kainé; her foul-mouthed, aggressive exterior remains one of the most memorable character designs in gaming history.
Chapter 4: Analysis
In the final section, Turcev peels back the trickster persona Taro adopts in public. He argues that Taro is a humanist at heart who believes games can influence the real world. His work isn't mature because of the blood or the character designs, but because he puts his characters under extreme pressure to unveil truths about the human condition.
Turcev uses the Socratic maieutic method to describe Taro’s style: breaking and converging perspectives until the player reaches an aporia—an intense dilemma where there is no easy right answer. We see this through the lens of various philosophers:
Freud: The struggle between Life and Death drives.
Gestalt Psychology: How society functions as a system that dominates the individual.
Sartre & Camus: The struggle for meaning in a deterministic world.
Final Thoughts
Nicolas Turcev has done an incredible job of synthesizing the chaos of Taro’s career into something academic yet accessible. The Strange Works of Taro Yoko is more than just a making-of book; it is an interrogation of why we play games and what they say about our soul.
Whether you are a person who has played every ending, or a newcomer who just liked the combat in Automata, this book offers a profound look at a creator who dares to use a "silly" medium to ask the most difficult questions. It reminded me that even in a world that feels like a never-ending spiral of life and death, there is beauty in the struggle—the Agaku. If you’ve ever finished a Taro game and sat in silence as the credits rolled, wondering what it all meant, this book is the companion you’ve been looking for.
LINK: Videogames As Art - Nier: Automata
LINK: The Evolving Fears of a Horror Gamer
LINK: The Power of Stories and How They Are Manipulated
LINK: The Message by Ta-Nahisi Coates - Book Review (and Some Thoughts)
LINK: The Anxious Generation: Book Review (and Some Thoughts)
LINK: Utopia for Realists- Book Review
LINK: Toxic: Women, Fame and the Noughties- Book Review (and Some Thoughts)