NieR: Automata - Platinum's Take on all the Weirdness of NieR and Drakengard

[atirador]

First gameplay is here and is glorious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIkdsvuY-HA

Looks like a brilliant mix of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry

PS: I really liked Drakengard 3

E3 2016 trailer and videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq3_phBQA_Y&ab_channel=SquareEnixNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V13gdh-WhM&ab_channel=SquareEnixNA

[Kurokun]

NieR: Automata story, protagonist detailed - Gematsu

Story

The distant future.

Aliens suddenly invaded. And they dispatched weapons known as “Machine Life-Forms.” Before their overwhelming power, humanity fled to the moon.

In order to recapture Earth, mankind organized a resistance of combat-type android soldiers. Then to break the deadlock, mankind introduced the “Yorha” unit, new types of advanced android soldiers.

In the barren stretches of a land where humans do not exist, the Machine Life-Forms and Androids battle. This war is the key that opens the door to an unknown truth…

Yorha 2B

A combat android dispatched as a member of the infantry. Although she has the appearance of a woman, her actual gender is unknown. She mainly uses short-range sword attacks, with long-range “pod” attacks for support. Because she always wears goggles, little of her face is shown. What really lies beneath them?

Androids

Combat androids created by humanity after fleeing to the moon by the invasion of aliens. The “Yorha” android units have no names, but are rather referred to by their identification numbers. They are prohibited to feel emotion, but each model has their differences. Yorha 2B, for example, appears calm and composed.

Machine Life-Forms

The autonomous machine life-forms that invaded earth. They’re called this because they have the ability to repair and restore themselves, or possibly create new machines. No one knows how powerful they are. However, they are powerful enough to have caused mankind to flee Earth.

NieR: Automata first gameplay trailer, screenshots - Gematsu

The followup to 2010’s NieR is developed by Platinum Games and runs at 60 frames per second. Here are details on the game’s story and main character:

Story

Invaders from another world attack without warning, unleashing their secret weapon: the machines. In the face of this insurmountable threat, the human race is driven from the earth and takes refuge on the moon.

The humans develop an army of android soldiers to fight back against the mechanical horde, but succeed only in slowing its advance. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad.

In the forsaken wasteland below, the war between the machines and the androids rages on. A war that is soon to unveil the long-forgotten truth of this world…

The world that you see in NieR: Automata is one where androids and mechanized weapons clash in ferocious combat in a barren and deserted wasteland. It’s set after the original game but the story is written in a way which means you don’t have to have played the first one.

The world/universe is still linked between the two NieR games though so if you have played the original, you will no doubt recognize some of the locations and characters who may or may not be returning. The locations in particular will look different as they’re now more like ruins after the alien invasion but there will also be areas where you get the sense of a very advanced civilization.

YoRHa No. 2, Model B, “2B”
(designed by Akihiko Yoshida from CyDesignation)

2B is an all-purpose battle android, deployed as a member of the automated infantry squad, YoRHa. She is equipped with a sword for close quarters combat, and can attack from range using the “Pod” support system. Her eyes are obscured beneath her standard-issue military visor, which she rarely removes.

She’s not actually female, or maybe it’s more accurate to say she’s not actually human. Her name or serial number is 2B and she’s an android. In the world of NieR, there are strict rules meaning this kind of android is not allowed to have emotions. However, each different model has its own quirks and characteristics and 2B has a comparatively cold and level headed personality.

At the end of the E3 announcement trailer there were three words that popped up — “doll,” “human,” and “machine” so there were hints from the start…

[Kurokun]

action gifs

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/4tFr6Lu.gif

http://i.imgur.com/uXuqY8c.gif

http://i.imgur.com/OiXdgYz.gif

[Rabbit2k7]

isnt P* just doing the combat?

[angelpalm]

I hope this NEVER gets ported to the Wiiu

[atirador]

isnt P* just doing the combat?

I’ve been reading about it and it seems that P* is indeed developing the whole game, not just the action/combat parts

NieR: Automata first gameplay trailer, screenshots - Gematsu

[Gasaraki]

isnt P* just doing the combat?

No, P* is developing the game as a whole, but Yoko Taro is the director. It’s just like the previous games, but instead of working B-tier developers like Cavia, he’s working with PURE PLATINUM developers.

[Jocelot]

I’ll admit I was NEVER interested in Nier before but this one by the god Platinum has me very excited. I’ll be picking it up day 1 for sure. Hopefully it’s light enough on story where I won’t feel too lost jumping in.

[Rabbit2k7]

NieR 1 is pretty heavy on story. Its an action RPG.

[Darkstalker]

Yup, story was really strong in the original Nier. Yoko Taro has a really distinct style/weirdness to the plot, setting and characters, best seen in Nier, Drakengard and Drakengard 3. It’s why him working with P* is such a dream team - he’ll be single handedly holding up the story/vision of the game.

If you want the basic idea, Nier is the story of a dude who is trying to cure his daughter of the Black Scrawl - a fantasy incurable disease.
Then everything goes wrong. Ev. Ry. Thing.

[Shinkuu_Tatsumaki]

Don’t forget these games have amazing soundtracks too, even if the lyrics are a made up language.

[SWBeta]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUBvYYsM-lo

#Kreygasm

[Moonchilde]

Platinum working on it is good especially since Cavia is no longer around. To be fair, Cavia did a great job on NIER. Can’t say the same for whoever made D3, that game was atrocious.

[Joshkaz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xZbJDZZo4

I just came like fiddy times.

[Windalfr]

When Automata was first announced, it felt way too good to be true. The original Nier is in my top 10 favorite games of all time, and with it selling poorly on top of Cavia going under… a sequel was the LAST thing anyone could ever expect.

Nier was a nice, but weird gem of last generation that holds, imo, the most memorable OST of last generation. Combat was pretty shallow and the game looked really bad from a technical standpoint, but now it’s being developed by my favorite studio Platinum Games (the KINGS of action games) with Akahiko Yoshida being involved (who also was involved on some of my other favorite games of all time) … this still feels like a dream, lol. Definitely gonna be my most anticipated game in a long time.

[atirador]

Drakengard 3 has such an amazing soundtrack too!

Here’s the trailer and also the opening for the game, both in english and japanese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DphzJNaE1Yo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb8xlAbwczE

[DrellyFish]

I’ve had the first Nier for a while never popped it in yet. 0.0

[Moonchilde]

Drakengard 3 has such an amazing soundtrack too!

That and the story are pretty much the only good things about the game… somehow their second game for last gen looked and played worse than the game they made prior to it. Outside the Assassin’s Creed series, I don’t think I’ve played any game with such a shitty framerate and awful camera.

[echelonNYK]

Sony is killing it with all these exclusives.

[po_pimpus]

Sony is killing it with all these exclusives.

Seriously though, very excited to see what Platinum brings to the table alongside the great universe and music Drakengard/NieR is known for.