Publisher: Square Enix
Previewed on PlayStation 4
Last week I received an early Christmas present in the form of a playable NieR:Automata demo, a hack-n-slash/bullet hell hybrid game, a rare mixture in the games industry. Another rarity in the game’s industry is Square Enix working with Platinum Games to make NieR:Automata a reality. NieR:Automata is the sequel to 2010’s NieR, a cult classic and personal favorite, and as the sequel is set for release in March 2017 for North America and Europe, now was a perfect time to show people what the title is all about.
Man, it is good. The hardest knock I could give the original NieR is that the combat was uninspired and clunky; NieR:Automata addresses these issues with the Platinum Games personal touch to not just “fix” the problem, but to polish and refine until it’s a selling point. Within moments of touching the demo, you’ll move effortlessly from short range hack-n-slash attacks, to long range bullet fire, to effortless evading and dodging of both melee and bullet attacks. Every part of the demo feels personally curated and refined to make sure your experience is solid. It’s a love letter to fans, and a heartbeat invitation to newcomers to see what Platinum has in store.
One of my favorite additions new to NieR:Automata is the Skills system, which can vary from toggling on/off the HUD that lets you know your health and damage numbers, to automatically using healing items when your health drops low. This demo oozes with the feeling that you should feel free to experiment with both designed difficulty and self-imposed difficulty. I heavily encourage you to explore what this demo has to offer.
NieR:Automata releases March 7th, 2017 in North America, March 10th, 2017 for Europe, and February 23rd, 2017 in Japan.
