'The world is chaotic, not me' – Nier: Automata's Yoko Taro

The man behind the mask: game director Yoko Taro on writing, suffering and diet coke

Bereft of his signature mask - which he will not be photographed without - and perched awkwardly on a folding chair, video game director Yoko Taro has the air of a dishevelled monk. The famously camera shy developer behind cult hit games like Drakengard 3 and last year's Nier: Automata listens attentively as questions and answers are rapidly translated.

"To be honest, I think I am making normal games targeted towards normal people," he says. "But ultimately when I release those normal games, weird people find them to be weird games and enjoy them. Which probably means there's something wrong with me."