During a livestream hosted by the Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation, Square Enix Producer Yosuke Saito and PlatinumGames Producer Eijiro Nishimura showcased the how NieR: Automata will support PS4

The producer also confirmed that the game would be PS4 Pro optimized, and confirmed than an Xbox One release was on the cards depending on how NieR: Automata sales fair from the game's launch early next year. From our time with the game, the action sequences look to have heavily improved, and Platinum Games will be banking on an enveloping storyline and smoother combat keeping fans hooked. While we have some concerns about large bland locations and a lack of cannon fodder enemy variety, it's clear that NieR: Automata looks like a marked improved on the original, and action RPG fans should consider the title when it eventually releases across the gl

There is a really popular show for instance, Game of Thrones, well Drakengard was dealing with all themes presented in GoT long before it was popular. This game has it all, incest, child abuse, sadism and other heavy themes. It also has dragons, which are dealt with in a more realistic way than GoT. Fans of fantasy know Dragons are almost god-like beings, hell, in Dark Souls they’re immortal…. getting back on topic though. This series is known for pushing boundaries’. Drakengard was the first of its kind, a game doing something different that few games, especially beat ‘em ups were approaching. The storytelling in Drakengard was astounding. Drakengard, convey's a sense of permanence of choice that games can still struggle with today. Not that every game must have a rigid backbone to it, that wouldn’t make video games fun. It’s understanding the way the story is being told though that allows for the praise this game series deserves. Long story short, Drakengard tells a story in its own way, also knowing how to end a game. The same can be said for Nier. Even both game’s sequel game’s manage to keep things interesting while remaining in the realm of the weird.

All that said, Nier: Automata is looking to be as equally impressive as its parent games. This series shines and maybe releasing earlier in the year will garner the attention Nier: Automata deserves. This is no JRPG newcomer; these games have been there the whole time and stand up to the best of them.

As a series, it has managed to keep up with the times in good stride ( even if it got weirder along the way ). Nier and its predecessor Drakengard were both superb reflections of their time. Nier: Automata is already looking to address certain themes all too familiar for the times right now. Again, making a giant leap into the future, possibly to speak on what technology means for the world. How it shapes and effects our lives. It will be interesting to see where Automata goes because it will be the first game without human protagonist. Heroine 2B looks female, but like her counterpart S9 (looks male), they are both fully functioning machines. Not a single human thing about them, aside from looks (they both look dope). It will also be a game without blood, as far as what has been shown. Surprising as this series oozes blood; even the shades in Nier spouted fountains of gore. Yet even this design choice of focusing more on explosions than gore is important. Giving pause to thought, maybe Nier: Automata is saying something about our world in a clever way that is built into its world.

Soon we'll be able to play the demo of the game ourselves. It will be released for PS4 on December 22nd , while the game will release in North America on March 7th, 2017, while Europe will get it on March 1

The game will release in Japan for PS4 on February 23rd, in North America on March 7th, and in Europe on March 10th, 2017. A PC version is also scheduled to come next year, but no release window has been announced for that one.

As producer Yosuke Saito explains, Nierautomatafans.com the first step in the production of the sequel was all about making amends for the missteps of the first title. As it turns out, the harsh reaction from critics about the original game's lacklustre action sequences is exactly what led Saito to team up with Platinum Games this time around, a studio which had previously worked on Bayonetta and Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance . As we played a short period of the game in the boots of the android 2B, the studio's action experience was immediately apparent: combat felt very fluid, and it was easy to hack and slash with 2B's sword as she jumped and dashed across a battlefield of tin-can looking robotic enem

On the other hand, Square Enix mentioned better lighting and shadows definition for PS4 Pro, but from what we can see in the comparison screenshots above, and playing the demo, those improvements might not yet be implemented in the demo. That's quite understandable, considering that we're still about two months from release.

Nier: Automata is a game fans of the series have been eagerly awaiting and even has a demo available. So what makes Nier so important and what does it have to offer gamers? Well, for one, the series is known for its dark tone (sorry Yoko) and almost horror-like storytelling with settings to match. The narrative of Nier and its parent game Drakengard have overly-depressing and somber narratives. Nothing good really happens in these games and it would be a safe bet that Nier: Automata will follow suit. The storytelling in these games is about as adult as they come (make sure kids aren’t around when playing). For anyone who hasn’t played the original Drakengard, go play it: it comes highly recommend. It wasn’t mind blowing by any means, but what it was doing for gaming was something drastically different.