■ Stylish and Exhilarating Battles with Simple Controls
NieR: Automata is set in the distant future, when the human race fled to the moon, before the overwhelming strength of the machines dispatched by otherworldly invaders. Players will throw themselves into battle as YoRHa No. 2 Model B, part of a newly organized android unit meant to reclaim earth.
■ Weapons
One-Handed Sword
An easy to use weapon balanced in attack power, speed, and range. Combos are easy to connect with an abundance of technique variations. The weapon exhibits its effectiveness regardless of the battle situation.
Two-Handed Sword
A two-handed sword both heavy and big. It has tremendous power and long reach, but since its attack speed is slow and it’s easy to leave an opening, it’s important to use with caution.
Melee Weapons
Although their attack range is small, melee weapons are fast and allow for numerous attacks. Since it’s easy to continuously attack with them, their power is unmatched in one-on-one combat.
■ Basics of Battle
In NieR: Automata, battles play out seamlessly on the open world field. The Square button is your speedy attack and the Triangle button is your heavy attack. Depending on the buttons you input, the character will unleash attacks one after the other. It’s a simple and exhilarating battle system.
You can set your favorite pair of weapons, be it the one-handed sword and two-handed sword, melee weapon and one-handed sword, etc. to the speed attack and heavy attack buttons. You can have up to two weapon sets, and switch between sets instantly using the d-pad even in the middle of an attack. For example, if you’re in the middle of an attack using the one-handed sword and two-handed sword set, you can switch to the melee weapon and one-handed sword set while seamlessly continuing your attack.
■ Evasion
You can evade with the R2 button. You can evade at any time during battle, and by using the analog stick with the R2 button, you can do an evasion dash. These arc-like dodges are one of the features of this game, and can be seen in the previously released trailers. Additionally, if you successfully evade the moment an enemy attack hits, your body will change into a particle state and be invincible for a fixed time. You can connect exclusive techniques if you attack during this time.
■ Pods You Can Upgrade
You can use your Pod support system with the R1 button to gun down enemies from a distance. It will automatically line up its shots with the enemy, but you can also lock onto targets with the L2 button. However, the bullets will disperse to some extent in such a situation. By spending money and using materials, you can upgrade your Pod at the maintenance shops found all throughout the game. In addition to raising its basic abilities like attack power, you can also increase its attack variations.
■ An Auto Mode for People Bad at Action Games
NieR: Automata is an action game, but there is an “Auto Mode” for users who are bad at action games. By activating this mode, the character will attack and evade automatically. The player will win the battle as long as they move the character around. Auto Mode is restricted to the easy difficulty setting. You can also set the extent to which it is used, such as only for close-range or long-range attacks, or only for evasions.
NieR: Automata will launch for PlayStation 4 in Japan on February 23. It is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC in early 2017 in North America and Europe.
