Video games publisher, Square Enix has released their fan favorite action-role-playing game NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition for Nintendo Switch.

The critically acclaimed NieR: Automata, directed by YOKO TARO and developed by PlatinumGames Inc. in partnership with Square Enix.

With the entry of NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition, a Nintendo Switch port developed by Virtuos, the beloved game is now playable anytime and anywhere. The game delivers a masterful mix of action and RPG gameplay through a gripping, thought-provoking storyline. Players battle as androids 2B, 9S and A2 in order to reclaim the world from the machine lifeforms and uncover long-forgotten truths about humanity.

NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition features the award-winning base game and the content from the 3C3C1D119440927 DLC, which includes three challenging colosseums and additional costumes.

The 6C2P4A118680823 DLC is also available to download for free and is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

It features six new costumes, four new accessories that can change appearances of your playable characters and two pod skins based on characters from the popular mobile title NieR Re[in]carnation. Additionally, the physical edition of the game features artwork by Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida on the front cover and includes a unique reversible box art featuring A2, designed by Concept Artist Koda Kazuma.

With 6.5 million units of NieR: Automata shipped worldwide since its initial release in 2017, players can experience the post-apocalyptic epic for the first time on Nintendo Switch.

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SQUARE ENIX announced that the beloved role-playing game NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition is finally coming to Nintendo Switch.

With 6.5 million units of NieR:Automata shipped worldwide since its initial release in 2017, players can soon experience the post-apocalyptic action RPG on the Nintendo Switch when it launches on October 6, 2022.

The physical edition features a symbolic artwork by Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida on the front cover and will include new reversible box art featuring A2, designed by Concept Artist Koda Kazuma.

The critically acclaimed NieR:Automata, directed by YOKO TARO and developed by PlatinumGames Inc. in partnership with SQUARE ENIX, delivers a masterful mix of action and RPG gameplay through a gripping, thought-provoking storyline.

Players battle as androids 2B, 9S and A2 in order to reclaim the world from the machine lifeforms and uncover long-forgotten truths about humanity. NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition features the award-winning base game and the DLC, which includes three challenging colosseums and additional costumes. Players can also download the free DLC when the game arrives to the Nintendo Switch.

This Nintendo Switch exclusive DLC features six new costumes and four new accessories that can change appearances of your playable characters. It also includes two pod skins based on characters from the popular mobile title NieR Re[in]carnation.

NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition will be available for Nintendo Switch on October 6, 2022.

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Square Enix’s mobile game STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS begins its highly anticipated NieR:Automata collaboration event.

Fan-favourite character 2B, who was previously available in-game for a limited time, is back along with her cohorts 9S and A2. In addition to each character receiving a custom STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS 3D model, each has also received a new 2D illustration, which is viewable in-game.

Until the 27th of November 2018, players can add the iconic androids 2B, 9S, and A2 to their roster through a limited-time character banner. 2B, a 5-star Ace Attacker, excels in short-range combat, while 9S, a 5-star Ace Sharpshooter, can use his heightened speed and agility to evade enemy attacks. A2, a 5-star Ace Defender, is also capable of dishing out great damage during her RUSH mode, and can recover her and her party’s AP when evading an enemy. A2’s Great Swords and 9S’ One-Handed Sword (Type-3 Sword) are available for the first time in-game with their addition.

Players can also challenge the Tomb of Remembrance during this period to obtain special NieR series gear, including the Virtuous Contract one-handed sword and Emil Mask accessory. By logging in daily all players can earn generous rewards, including a 5-star Weapon Ticket, a 5-star Character Ticket, a 5-star Ace Character Ticket, and more, on top of normal login bonuses. The chance of a character enhancement being a ‘Great Success’ is also greatly increased during this collaboration period.

Additionally, new players can take advantage of the ‘Welcome Aboard Campaign’ simply by creating an account by 07:00 GMT / 18:00 AEDT on the 27th of November 2018. These new players will be treated to 2,000 Gems, a 5-star Ace Character Ticket, three 5-star Character Tickets, a 5-star Weapon Ticket, and more, enabling them to jump right into the action alongside more experienced players.

STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS is now available worldwide on the Apple App Store and Google Play for mobile devices.

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When Nier: Automata was released last year on the PS4, I really liked it. And now its on Xbox One (X), I like it even better. At the time I noted that Nier: Automata “energetically defies genres and categorisation”, and that remains true today. What you get on Microsoft’s console is the same fantastical game, complete with all its mysteries and fantastical action sequences.

Nier: Automata follows combat android 2B and her companion 9S as they battle machine lifeforms to protect the remnants of humanity, who are stranded on the moon. While that sounds trite and the beginning of any anime ever, Nier: Automata quickly reveals itself as a thoughtful exposition on the very meaning of humanity, consciousness and life itself. It subverts all expectations, and, as I said last year, “takes delight in twisting and warping itself in unexpected and welcome ways.”

The main benefit of this port now, besides opening up the game to a wider audience than the PS4 and the PC, is in its increased performance and game resolution on the Xbox One X. In terms of performance the Xbox One X generally runs better than the base Xbox One and PS4 consoles, and at a much higher resolution to boot. The game still struggles to lock to 60 frames per second in all circumstances, but this is a game that is strangely demanding on all hardware, even PC, so perhaps it was too much to ask that Xbox One X would be the solution here.

The boost in resolution was immediately obvious, and on a 4K TV even the strangely lo-fi aesthetic of the game looked good. There are still some extremely obviously low resolution assets, and level of detail pop-in can be atrocious at times, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the port and are issues that exist on the PC and PS4 versions as well.

The Become as Gods Edition also comes with the obtusely named “3C3C1D119440927” DLC included, though for those who have fully completed the game (you’ll know what I mean) you won’t be able to access it without starting another playthrough, and for those who don’t complete the game enough – dozens of hours or so into the game – you won’t be high enough level to attempt it. Unless you are dedicated to getting player outfits that you won’t be able to wear for very long, this DLC will only be for the completionists. It’s not a traditional addition to the game, and it’s just as crackpot as the rest of the game.

In the end nothing in Nier: Automata: Become as Gods Edition is exactly new, but I’m glad that owners of Microsoft’s console can enjoy what was one of the best games of 2017, and one of the instant cult classics of this console generation.

It looks better and runs better on Xbox One X, even than on a high-end PC (though that’s mainly due to the poor PC port and a lack of updates) so in my opinion, it is the best version of the game to date. The fantastic soundtrack, excellent combat by masters Platinum games and the weird and wacky story by Yoko Taro stand up as a must play. Playing it through again, I couldn’t help but become entranced with the game.

With time it’s become one of my favourite games on the PS4, and I can’t wait for you to play it here, complete, on the Xbox One as well.

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YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE FINISHED THE GAME, reads a key section of the NieR: Automata reviewer’s guide (yes, in capitals), and it succinctly sums up the entire game. You may think you know what NieR: Automata is, but it takes delight in twisting and warping itself in unexpected and welcome ways. Where innovation in gaming often simply means a new weapon or slightly redesigned HUD, NieR: Automata embraces the weird and wonderful and it, surprisingly, works far more often than you would initially think. It energetically defies genres and categorisation.

Developed by Platinum Games and creative guru Yoko Taro, NieR: Automata is technically a follow-up to 2010’s Nier, but there are almost no direct links between the two. Instead, Automata more closely aligns itself to Platinum Games’ other titles like Bayonetta 2 and the underrated Transformers: Devastation. And this is no phone-home title like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, this is a game into which Platinum have clearly placed a huge amount of energy and soul. It goes well beyond the basic mechanics and structures of its previous titles, with twists, turns and surprises not only in the narrative but also in gameplay that take this game well beyond a hack and slash brawler.

And that’ because Nier: Automata  isn’t afraid to shift things up. One moment you’ll be controlling the android protagonist 2B in a fully 3D world, then the next minute – within the same Level – be moved to a 2.5D platformer before being shoved into a top-down shoot-em-up. That’s without mentioning the surprisingly deep RPG mechanics – upgrades to your stats, weapons and pods which houses your ranged attacks. It keeps you on your toes, and it made me curious approaching every major fight. What new or bizarre twist would I face?

NieR: Automata is a game that is designed to be replayed. Your “playthrough” isn’t actually complete at the end of the credits. The game opens up after multiple “finishes” and seeing the credits is more like finishing a chapter in any other game. As anyone who has replayed a game before can tell you, it’s often only after a few goes through do the mechanics, lore and environment come together in a way that can be sometimes revelatory. Trying games on different difficulty levels, for example The Last of Us, can vastly alter how you approach individual scenarios and the game as a whole. Automata explicitly not only recognises this, but rewards it. There are even a number of joke endings that take the seriousness and weight of the game and self-reverentially throw it all out the window.

A strange, but deliberate omission is the lack of auto save and most check-pointing, which the game warns you about repeatedly. While there are lots of save points anyway and the PS4’s suspend function can cover over this somewhat, make sure to let anybody else who uses your console know lest you lose any progress [speaking from experience!].

It seems all the creative energy went into the gameplay, not the graphics – at times Nier looks like an upscaled PS2 game, but it does attempt to run at 60FPS. This is good trade-off for this sort of game, although I had noticeable lag, frame-time spikes and frame drops in the game. Nevertheless, I have a feeling that Automata is pushing the system to the limits, judging by how many decibels the fans were kicking out on my PS4.

One of the more intriguing systems in the entire game is an innovative online death system. You encounter other downed androids, real players, in the environment and can pray for them and refill health but also reap them for parts. Alternatively, you can have them fight alongside you for a while. However this is risk/reward as they may turn against you.

The combat is typically excellent Platinum Games fighting. Light and strong attacks, combos and movements are all here and feel great. Like in Bayonetta, dodging at the last second gives you the opportunity to get some free hits in. You can switch weapons and even loadouts on the fly and when done mid combo can create some very stylish moves. If you have played any Platinum Games in the last few years, you know what you’re getting, and you’re likely excited about that.

With a number of allies and enemies on the screen, it can become very difficult to identify your target and see their telegraphs. With dodging such an important part of the combat flow, not being able to see when an enemy is attacking you can be fairly annoying. This is not a problem in fights with larger enemies but some human-sized fights were quite confusing.

A few slightly missed elements mar what is otherwise an excellent experience. The lack of auto-saves seem unnecessarily punitive, and out of step with modern game design. The map is difficult to follow, and it can be hard to know at times where you need to go next (hint: try walking out into the main world, it usually triggers a conversation). The level of detail on some of the artwork is disappointing for a 2017 title, especially given the sumptuousness of some of Platinum’s other titles. But in the end this is a game about combat, and it does that extremely well.

It’s hard to say what is individually so great about NieR: Automata. Its world-building perhaps? Well yes. Its combat? With Platinum Games at the helm, obviously? Its soundtrack? Yes, it’s amazing. Its story? Melancholic and reflective, it’s one of the best in the developer’s stable. But in my view its nearly everything else that makes the game so special. It’s a restless game, always hungry to try something new and never let you get bored. In a game that attempts so much its almost surprising that it really does pull it off. If you’ve become a bit bored with games of late, excellent as they’ve been, NieR: Automata was made for you. To me, the game represents not only a great play experience, but a challenge to other games to step up and give us something as fresh, complex and unexpected as what this game presents. While none of its parts individually is that innovative, as a package, and the very specific way that it is wrapped makes this an experience not to be missed.

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I recently visited the headquarters of Bandai Namco to see what is in store for us from this busy publisher.Where to start? Well I first got some time with some of the more creepy and intense games on offer.

Little Nightmares is an indie game from Tarsier Studios and while simple in nature offers some intense and heart pounding gaming. This platform puzzle game has you playing as a tiny, skinny and barefoot child… or at least that’s what I think it is. Either way the character definitely gives off creepy vibes with its little yellow raincoat and mysteriously obscured face hidden in shadow.

The game has you climb, grab and move things to solve puzzles. The environment portrays and captures the idea instilled by the title rather well. I felt it fun to play and was keen to see and experience more of this intriguing title. The puzzles are engaging and require a bit of exploration of the areas provided. The backdrops that you explore are wonderfully eerie and dark with a touch of cute to make it all the more unnerving.

The next weird yet spooky game I got my hands on was Get Even. This first-person game also keeps things simple but once again does a fantastic job of using simplicity to its advantage. You have two items at your disposal; a gun and phone with a few applications. You find yourself thrown into the story with little to no explanation at all as to what is actually going on, now don’t be too confused as the character your playing has just as little idea what is going on as you do. It is your job to discover and reveal what exactly it is that you are involved in.

As you play through the game you slowly begin to uncover clues to both who you are and what’s going on. Confined to somewhat abandoned buildings with broken pieces of information to guide you it really provides a well created level of intrigue.

The game also has a slight puzzle aspect to it in that the phone provides a few ways to view the environment from a black light that highlights a bloody trail, a map, and even a special scan mode that helps you find evidence.

Get Even seems generally linear in nature yet there enough environmental aspects to get distracted with. The setting seems willing to provide a bit more explanation to the situation you find yourself in, but only if you are willing to look. The notes and cluesthat you find are enough to give you just a bit more insight but thankfully not so much that it just becomes a tedious and skippable exercise. I found that these little extras really added to my emersion of the game that I was quite interested in the next tad bit of information.

I’m glad to say I loved every minute of Get Event hat I played and am quite excited to get my hands on the whole game come release on May the 26th 2017.

I did get small go at Tekken 7. It was quite pretty and easy to pick up even if you are bit rusty. I played througha quick set of games with a quite amusing new character named Lucky Chloe who could be described as a cutsie anime cat girl with some kick arse moves. I’m sure the rest of the new characters have their own personalities to bring to the game and I’d certainly be glad to verse them as Lucky Chloe.

Lastly, I got some decent time with their new game Nier: Automata. This Japanese Role Playing Game is a seemingly ambitious title with a lot of ideas on display and even more yet to be uncovered. The universe is somewhere between post-apocalyptic and steampunk with small other sci-fi elements thrown in. The overall tone seems quite sombre in nature with the implication of the situation being already in dire circumstances.

The combat carries a hack and slash vibe but does have a bit more depth to it. The slight complexity however does take some warming up to. I found, once used to it, it was enjoyable and I was soon destroying enemies in a practical fashion.

I can say I am curious to see where exactly this title is heading and what other ideas Nier: Automata incorporates to hopefully bring us an engaging and enjoyable JRPG.

Overall it was an exciting hands on preview session with the team from BandaiNamco and to see what they have coming out real soon for us gamers.

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