Japan's female artistic swimming team brought video games into the spotlight at the 2024 Olympics this past Tuesday by performing to the tune of Nier: Automata's OST.

The Japanese team used "A Beautiful Song" as a part of their highly energetic freeform dance routine?, and came just six poin??ts short of winning a medal.

The beautiful happening was noticed by Emi Evans, th?e singer who'd originally lent her vocals to the OST:

And the event didn't go unnoticed by Yoko Taro, the creator of the Nier series himself, who responded by??, well, making his face on Twitter.

This is not the first time that Nier: Automata makes an appearance at the Olympics. The opening ceremony of Tokyo's 2020 Olym??pics also feat??ured one of the game's fantastic songs:

You can totally see that the generation currently competing at the Olympics has games in its DNA, as evidenced by Noah Lyle, the already legendary runner destroys the competition while keeping Yu-Gi-Oh! cards under his equipment.

Gymnast Casimir Schmidt also proudly displays tattoos of Mew and T??oad on his huge arms.

This isn't even the first time a video game's OST shows up at the artistic swimming competition. The United States artistic swimming duo also made use of the brilliant "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" way back in the Athens 2004 Olympics, and ended up taking home the bronze medal.

Japan's song choice makes me very happy, because I've been preaching that Nier: Automata's soundtrack is a transcendent selection of music ever since I got to play the game, but the truth is that we're long p?ast the time when video game OSTs were just fun curiosities. There are many games nowadays whose OSTs are composed of nothing but bangers, so I must ask: whi??ch game's soundtrack would you like to see featured in the next Olympics artistic swimming competition?

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It's been seven years since the release of Nier: Automata. Now, that game's producer, director, and composer are confirmed to be working together on a new project, but producer Yosuke Saito has stopped short of saying it's a new Nier sequel.

Saito, who also served as a producer on Nier: Replicant and as executive producer on Nier: Reincarnation, shared the news in the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu (via Games Talk / Gematsu). All he was willing to say about his new project is that it also involves Yoko Taro, creator and director of the Nier series, and Keiichi Okabe, one of the Nier series' composers. Saito did cheekily hint that their project could be Nier related, saying, "It might be Nier, it might not be Nier. That’s about all I can say for now."

Saito added that he's "been talking about wanting to do something with Yoko and Okabe for some time now," and he hopes to have more to share "in the not-too-distant future." Hopefully, he means before the end of the year. Even if it's not Nier related, anything these three are working on is bound to be interesting, especi??ally if Taro is?? back in the director's chair.

That said, I'd argue there's a good chance it is a Nier 3 (Ni3r?). At the very least, a new Nier game is bound to happen someday. Nier: Automata was a huge success for publisher Square Enix, both critically and financially. Even seven years later, it's continued to push sales, with developer PlatinumGames announcing this past February it had sold 8 million copies worldwide. It clearly did well enough to spawn an updated remaster of the first Nier, a mobile spin-off, multiple concerts, and an anime adaptation. Protagonist 2B has become so popular that she's made special guest appearances in so many other games, from Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising to Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

I think it's a matter of when, not if we ever see a new Nier. Unlike Nier: Automata, though, it may not be a PlayStation exclusive at launch. Square Enix has recently said it intends to pursue a more aggressive multiplatform strategy, suggesting an end to even limited console exclusives like Nier: Automata was.

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Three episodes in, the team is postponing further releases

The NieR: Automata anime is three episodes in, but the rollout is coming to a halt. More episodes of NieR: Automata Ver1.1a have been postponed until further notice.

In a?? statement on social media from the adaptation's official account, the delay is attributed to COVID-related issues.

"Due to the impact of COVID-19 on production, we ha??ve decided to postpone the broadcast and distribution of episode 4 and all subsequent episodes," reads the statement. "Information regarding the broadcast and distribution schedule for episode 4 and beyond will be announced on the official an?ime website and official Twitter soon."

/??/twitter.com/NieRA_anime_EN/status/16168?43160000385024

No further details were given on how COVID has impacted production. As noted, there also isn't an expected date for the series' return just yet. Three episodes of NieR: Automata Ver1.1a are already available on streaming sites.

For the glory of mankind

The NieR: Automata anime adaptation looks to follow the events of 2017's fantastic game, though with a few twists of its own in store. Yoko Taro has said that the Ver1.1a is affixed specifically becau??s??e things are being changed around.

While NieR is certainly a serie?s with many mysteries and lore, it looks like fans will have to wait a while longer to see the rest of what's in store. Though no re??turn date is locked in, hopefully the COVID-related issues resolve quickly and without any impact on those making this series happen.

In the meantime, you can always take a walk down memory lane and revisit NieR: Automata. The mod that made the infamous church mystery happen might be something fun to mess around with, to keep that inner lore detective happy until more NieR anime is ready to air. Or maybe catch up on our chat with the leads behind NieR: Automata that we conducted last year, to coincide with the release of NieR: Automata on Switch.

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The new NieR adaptation is right around the corner

NieR fans won't have to wait too long into the new year for its anime adaptation to kick off. The NieR: Automata a??nime has ??locked in a premiere date for January 7, 2023 in Japan.

A few trailers have been dropping over the holidays for the upcoming anime adaptation of 2017's NieR: Automata. The first features 2B and 9S fairly prominently, as two leads we'll be following in the Ver. 1.1a anime.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGpskkA7vrw

Another new trailer today shows off some of the supporting cast, as well as the opening and ending tracks for the series. Both trailers have a January 7 premiere date set for the adaptation. We already knew it was arriving sometime in January, but it looks like the date is much sooner?? in the month than one might have expected.

Most of the adaptation is covering some familiar territory, given what we see in the trailers. There is one character, Lily, who appears in the lore but seems to be playing a larger role in the anime. It'll be interesting to see how much this Ver 1.1a diverges from the game.

Become as gods

The series looks set to air on Crunchyroll as well as other platforms, though exact distribution plans and dates aren't clear just yet. We'll have to see just what the global rollout looks like as the series go?es live.

NieR: Automata isn't the only video game adaptation kicking off in January 2023, either. HBO's The Last of Us is set to debut not too long after on January 15, 2023. And the animated Dragon Age: Absolution just recently went live on Netflix, too. It's quite the time for video game adaptations, and there's even more on the way. Hopefully they can turn out as well as shows like Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners have.

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NieR gets ready to breach and clear

The NieR series has crossed over into the worlds of PUBG, Soulcalibur, and Final Fantasy XIV. And now, NieR also joins the cameo ranks of Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege.

Ubisoft revealed today that a NieR cosmetic bundle is making its way into Rainbow Six Siege, arriving on November 21. The bundle isn't the only one on the way, either. A stinger at the end teases more to come, with 2B's boots and this tagline: "A YoRHa soldier is?? approaching... Glory to mankin??d!"

Looks like we'll learn more on November 21, when Ubisoft reveals the entirety of its next season, Operation Solar Raid. There, according to Ubisoft, we'll get more "NieR goodness" for Siege.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=D13DlspkIvE

NieR and dear to our heart

The bundle shown off today is for Maverick, an Attack operator with a blowtorch. The set looks like it includes a cosmetic skin based off the brother Nier's appearance, rather than Papa Nier. I do like t?he design of the guns, as it's reminiscent of the black-and-gol??d aesthetic of the Shades. Grimoire Weiss is included in the bundle too, seemingly as a weapon charm.

As I mentioned before, this is hardly the first NieR crossover. Both the original NieR and NieR: Automata have crossed over into other games. In some cases, like Final Fantasy XIV's raid series, they even contain some additional det?ails for ??fans.

I doubt Rainbow Six Siege will hold any deep lore tidbits, but I can't rule it out. It's a goofy and enjoyable crossover though, and one that made me fondly reminisce on series director Yoko Taro's response in our latest interview with him.

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Some insight on NieR's legacy from some of its creative leads

NieR: Automata was recently ported to the Nintendo Switch, and by most accounts, it was an excellent transfer over.

Alongside checking the game out, we got the chance to send over a handful of questions to the leads behind NieR: Automata. Posed with the chance to ask director Yo??ko Taro, producer Yosuke Saito, and composer Keiic??hi Okabe about the 2017 game and its legacy, we inquired about a few things.

Could 2B ever cross over into more games? Why was bringing Automata to the Switch important? Does Yoko Taro love money? All of this and more lies below. (And yes, we did ask about the church, but did not receive a response.)

Yoko Taro, director

With five years since the release of NieR: Automata, what’s been the most surprising thing about its reception at launch and in the years since?

Since S??aito P. of Square Enix said he wanted to target the Japanese market this time instead of the Western market, I created a game for Japanese audiences with a beautiful blindfolded girl ??wielding a Japanese sword, so it was a surprise to me that the game was a hit in the West.

Are you interested in any more crossovers like those in Final Fantasy XIV and PUBG, and with any game or media property in particular?

I, Yoko Taro am a slave to capitalism, so I will do anything as long as I ?am paid and will do nothing if there's no? money in it.

Yosuke Saito, producer

What was the reasoning behind bringing NieR: Automata to Nintendo Switch, and what do you look forward to Switch players experiencing in it?

This came about because I wanted something to commemorate the game’s 5th anniversary, and after seeing ASTRAL CHAIN, I began to think that NieR: Automata ??could be released on the Nintendo Switch as well.

I th??ink we've managed to port this as an extremely high level reproduction, and hope you'll play it??!

Following Replicant, does the team have any interest in going further back into the NieR timeline to update or re-release any older entries? (The Drakengard games, for example)

The development of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... was extremely challenging, so if I’m going to go through that much hard work again, I'd rather it be for something n?ew (lol).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVAgd9dbYIs

Keiichi Okabe, composer

Has it been rewarding to see your music receive a significant amount of acclaim, and receive so many covers and remixes in places like Final Fantasy XIV? Do you have a favorite one in particular?

In the past, I was aware of the fact that a lot of people ??were listening to my music, but to be honest it never really sank in.

It gradually started to feel more real after hostin?g concerts and events, meeting fans in person, and seeing their reactions on social media.

I feel a sense of accomplishment ??but most of all I’m simply happy that so many people have heard the music and resonated with it. It's hard to choose a single favorite.

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Become as gods

Aniplex debuted new footage of the NieR: Automata anime adaptation over the weekend, along with a date and subtitle. NieR: Automata Ver1.1a will arrive in January 2023.

The two short teasers feature two of the main characters, androids 2B and 9S. Both showcase some memorable parts of their respective introductions. In the 2B trailer, you can see her dropping?? into the industrial area and wielding her blade.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKeR14zy9nI

And on the 9S side, it shows him in a flight suit, as well as potentially doing some hacking. I'm curious to see how that aspect, specifically,?? translates over to animation.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMG76sk7l88

During the Aniplex Online Fest held over the weekend, the company confirmed the anime will s??tart airing in January 2023.

A-1 Pictures is handling the animation side of things, while NieR composer Keiichi Okabe?b's production studio Monaca is handling th??e music.

A new version

During the showcase, NieR: Automata director Yoko Taro appeared as a disembodied Emil head to talk about the production with anime director Ryoji Masuyama. While the team has a great respect for the series, according to both directors, there will be some chan??ges.

"The anime title has the affix 'Ver 1.1a' because the title NieR: Automata was a story we cr??eated to be a game, so copying it as is wouldn't make an interesting story for an anime," said Taro. "So I brought?? up the idea of changing things around."

What exactly will change is probably part of the appeal for NieR fans. myself included. It's hard to argue against how much being an interactive story was part of the original game'??s appeal. But seeing some of t??he big scenes animated, and how the team grapples with the more elaborate parts of the story that would have involved gameplay, should be fun to see.

We'll find out in January 2023. Though if that's too far off, the NieR: Automata Switch port is set to release much sooner on October 6.

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Explore what's behind the mysterious door for yourself

After setting the NieR: Automata fandom ablaze with a mysterious door, modders have made it so you too can venture beyond. The mod behind the NieR church mystery is available to download rig??ht now.

Back in July, a strange video caught on in the NieR community. One player said they had found a weird door in the Copied City section of NieR: Automata.

What stemmed from there was a few days of feverish speculation and secret-hunting, up until the folks behind it revealed all. It was not a long-hidden secret or tease for a new Drakengard. It was, actually, a mod.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb_Xe1Y4m90

DevolasRevenge and the others behind the project confirmed it was completely ??in-game, and no editing was used. To show it off, the team confirmed it was? going to release it all.

And sure enough, over on NexusMods, you can head over and download the NieR Automata Church right now.

Uploader DevolasRevenge recommends being around level 90 and removing chips like Overclock and Shock Wave. They also recommend the use of the NieR Automata Mod Helper, or NAMH, to install it.

Both NieR and far away

So while there isn't some giant secret at the end, it's at least an exciting development for NieR modders. The code's available to dig around in, and who knows? Maybe this will lead to some really cool stuff in the future. I was alrea??dy floored by the use of the giant statues near the end of the video, and would ?love to see more like that made by the community.

Nier fans still have more to look forward to as well. The NieR: Automata anime is in production, and I've got some high hopes for that. And the Switch port of NieR: Automata is right around the corner too.

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I'll never be your Beasts of Burden

A new entry in Square Enix and Alim's Voice of Cards series is on the way. Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden is set to launch for PC, PlayStation 4, an??d? Switch on September 13, 2022.

Each entry is a role-playing game where everything is cards. Villages, overworld maps, enemies, and even dialogue windows are all portra??yed as cards in a deck.

The Beasts of Burden is the third in the series, following after The Isle Dragon Roars and The Forsaken Maiden. This is a standalone experience though, so no need to worry about mis?sing the plot.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sta3GwzCVkI

As laid out in an extensive Square Enix blog, the world has seen a millennia of hated betw?een human and monster. A? young boy and girl end up embarking on a quest for vengeance, and set out onto the surface world to unravel the world around them.

Gotta catch 'em all

Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden looks to have a unique twist for its world in the form of monster catching. The battle system still uses the Attack, Defense, and Health stats, as ?well as Gems for metering card usage each turn. But Monst?er Cards can be picked up using the protagonist's power, turning enemies into helpful assets.

You can get monsters by either a chance after battle, or purchasing them at the Pet Store. Monsters will h?ave different star rankings as well, indicating their power.

The latest in the Voice of Cards series also sees Yoko ?Taro, Keiichi Okabe, and Kimihiko Fujisaka teaming up once again. P?lus there is the games parlor to while away some time in, and a game speed setting right out of the gate.

It seems like Voice of Cards is becoming a regular series for Square Enix, bulking out its schedule over the year. I never got around to the second entry, but the first Voice of Cards was a relaxing, enjoyable RPG with a surprisingly reasonable hour count. Coming o??ff a pretty high hour-count RPG, this might be a ni??ce one to check out when it launches.

Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden will launch for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on September 13.

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And no, it's not Drakengard 4

The great mystery of a secret church in one Nier: Automata player's copy of the game is over. And, as it turns out, it's not some grand marketing scheme for a new Nier or a long-hidden secret. It ??is a mod. But the end result is pretty impressive none?theless.

To backtrack for those who missed it the first time around, a player by the name of "sadfutago" was conspicuously seeking help in advancing through a church they found in Nier: Automata. The thing is,?? this p??articular part of the Copied City had never been seen before, and no one was able to replicate it.

As a potential new discovery in a well-loved series like Nier, it obviously caused a stir. Cue several days of fevered speculation, memes, and new users flooding into the Nier modding Discord.

For days, modder?s scraped the game's files, trying to figure out what was going on. Onlookers questioned whether this was all a stunt. Yoko Taro told fans to ask his publisher. And lat??e at night, a ping went out: after sharing bizarre new screenshots, sadfutago was going live on Twitch for the "finale." It was all coming to a head.

A church in the wild

I was? both in the Twitch chat of this channel, and in the modding Discord, at the time this all went down. Messages were spamming all the way down through both chats, as users eagerly anticipated the answer to the burning question: is this marketing, mod, or something else?

Well, ultimat?ely, the answer is mod. Even so, the ramifications of that are pretty exciting.

After showing a video of 9S returning to the church, opening the chest, fighting an enemy, and answering the bird's questions. Then 9S heads into an underground area with massive figures looming overhead. And then back outside, 9S fights massive robots, before the curtain is pulled back. You can find an archive of the stream here, but essentially, it was all revealed to be a mod; create??d by three modders, and showcased completely in-game.

The church, and the various images and videos, were the creation of three Nier: Automata modders. DevolasRevenge designed the ??map, Woeful_Wolf developed the tools necessary? in Blender, and RaiderB created the scripting tools.

Sadfutago's posts over the past few days were a way of jokingly teasing out this modding breakthrough. As the mod team told Kotaku, it's been quite a whirlwind of a week.

The upside is that these tools are going to eventually be released to the public, and could open up some really cool doors in Nier: Automata modding. Creators in the space seem excited to work with the tools. And if they can create something as cool as this, then maybe ?that's the real win.

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Even Yoko Taro has responded to the quest

There's been quite a commotion in the Nier fandom the last few days. Following several video posts from one player, other Nier: Automata pla??yers are now on the hunt for a s?ecret church area.

The discovery lit up this week, but actually started a while ago. Reddit user u/sadfutago posted to the Nier subreddit two months ago, asking how to "open the church" in Nier: Automata. And in follow-up posts, sadfutago asked more, providing more details and images. And then, what really blew up, was the video of it.

This might seem banal, but the thing is, this church is not a known area. No one playing Nier: Automata knew what sadfutago was talking about. This door just seemed to appear for this player, during the A2 section of th??e game, and led to quite a startling locale.

As user u/xxk_ shares on the Nier subreddit, the modding community has been looking into this for a while. But the most recent post, combined with word of mouth on social media, brought ?on a ?swarm of attention.

The community currently has a few points to go on, as sadfutago says they are playing a 1.0 copy of Nier: Automata, on a PlayStation 4 that has been disconnected?? from the internet since st??arting the game.

The hunt for Nier church

As xxk outlines, modders have not discovered any evidence this exists. There hasn't been a successful attempt to replicate it, as of this writing, and assets like these also don't exist. The church pews and first door i?n the Copied City, for example, are not found elsewhere. And existing geometry at the location doesn't indicate it would support a door.

That said, if this is a mod, Nier modders say this would be the first time a??nyone has managed to do something like this. They say it would be a "relatively IMMENSE undertaking for a single individual" to accomplish.

In essence, we have a band of players and fans feverishly hunting for a scene that may or?? may not actually exist. And adding onto the pile, new footage was released today, showing a cutscene (albeit with recycled voice-over) and some easy speculation fodder.

//twitter.com/manfightdragon/status/15518828671347??75296

Nier-ly all secrets

So yes, this has essentially consumed the Nier fandom. The Nier modding Discord has seen an influx of new users looking for the latest updates. Modders are attempting various means of recreation and experimentation while also trying to get more info from the elusive original poster. And speculation runs ra?mpant as?? to what the church could mean, what these assets could be, or how this is all happening in the first place.

Today, even the Nier development team started commenting on it. Producer Yosuke Saito tweeted about it, saying "Eternal mystery..." And director Yoko Taro quote-tweeted a video of the secti?on, referring to his Twitter profile.

//twitter.com/yokotaro/status/1552004563225706496

His Twitter profile, by the way, says "I can't answer about any products. Please ask publisher." (We have reached out to Square Enix to ask ?about the secret church door.)

This has spurred on theories of this being an elaborate marketing scheme or ARG, possibly around Nier: Automata's Switch debut this coming fall.

At this point, just about anything's possible. It could be an elaborate hoax, or some incredibly obscure development relic, or some viral marketing scheme. I'm not ready to count out anything, ??especially with a developer like Yoko Taro. The wheels are far enough off the tracks that a fake-out in the?? community Discord spun up a heated chat spam, ending in a Rick Roll. At this point, the sheer fervor is just as entertaining as the possibility of new discoveries.

Either way, it's a great reminder that Nier: Automata is an extremely good game. So good, in fact, that players can still be whipped i?nto a frenzy over a secret church door years after its r??elease.

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The young girl is from NieR Reincarnation

Over on Twitter, the NieR Reincarnation account shared a spectacular piece of NieR 12th anniversary art to celebrate over a decade of the series. To be clear, we have Nier from the original (sorta, haha, man, unpacking this would be a spoiler-ridden article), Fio (The Girl of Light) from NieR Reincarnation, and 2B from Automata.

//twitter.com/NieR_Rein?/status/1517156202454548482

NieR has had a fascinating history, starting in 2010 as a spinoff for one of Drakengard's endings. This wild turn would help define much of designer Yoko Taro's career: who started working on innocent games like Namco's Alpine Racer 2, only to become one of the biggest gaming industry mind-screwers alongside of Hideo Kojima. From there NieR grew as a cult hit, and seven years later his stock would absolutely explode as NieR: Automata made him a global superstar.

Four years later he'd co-direct NieR Reincarnation, a mobile take on the game that is now illustrious enough to be included in this NieR 12th anniversary art piece: including the entire background (which is The Cage, the setting for Reincarnation). I hope we get another project like Automata eventually, with a firm ??action gameplay foundation i??n tandem with Yoko Taro's unique ideology.

The post This NieR 12th anniversa??ry art celebrates the series, minus Pap??a Nier appeared first on Destructoid.

It's in the heart of the cards

The Voice of Cards is back, and a lot faster than what you might have expected. Square Enix has announced Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden, a new en??try in the card-base??d RPG series, is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam.

Its last entry, The Isle Dragon Roars, only launched back in October 2021. It seems like developer Alim is turning around a new one fast though, as The Forsaken Maiden will launch on Feb. 17, 2022. A new trailer shows off what's to come in the world of Voice of Cards with this one:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1tdy1aBA1U

If you missed the first game, Voice of Cards is an RPG told in cards. Everything in it is made of cards, from the overworld and characters to its menus and dialogue choices. It goes for a very tabletop appeal, as The Isle Dragon Roars has?? a narrator who orates the story to you as you flip over cards and venture acro?ss the land.

Developer Alim also has some pretty hefty creative backing. The creative minds behind the world of Voice of Cards are Nier and Drakengard collaborators Yoko Taro, Keiichi Okabe, and Kimihiko Fujisaka. The art and music bring their style to mind, and do so again with Forsaken Maiden.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was an interesting RPG. I reviewed it for the site last October, and while it didn't do as much with the card concept as I would've liked, it was also quick, cozy, and fairly solid. It's a bit more classic RPG than Slay the Spire or Hearthstone. ??But the idea of a quick comfort-food RPG is still pretty appealing.

The Forsaken Maiden also arrives in a pretty packed February though, so we'll see how this one goes. The speed at which Alim and Square Enix has turned around a new one makes me wonder if this will become a recurring series of g??ames with new stories and ideas. We'll find out what's in the cards on Feb. 17.

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We got to send questions over to the creative leads behind Square Enix's card-based RPG

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars launched last month as one of two fairly interesting and innovative role-playing games from Square Enix. Developed by Alim, the creative leads behind it are familia?r to those who enjoy modern RPGs.

Nier and Drakengard lead Yoko Taro was joined by producer Yosuke Saito, character designer Kimihiko Fujisaka, and composer Keiichi Okabe to lay out the creative foundation for Voice of Cards. The result was a unique? RPG that utilized cards in almost-tangible ways for everything, from menus ??and characters to the overworld map.

In the process of playing the game for our review, I had the chance to send over some interview questions for the team about the creation of Voice of Cards and the ins??pirations behind it. Check out the full Q&A below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T975SPBIL6s

What was the inspiration behind the "everything is made of cards" style of Voice of Cards, and did it open up any interesting avenues of game design to explore?

Yoko Taro, Creative Director: 

My friend, Kimihiko? Fujisaka, who was enjoying his tropical life in Hawaii, suddenly said, “I have no more work!�and I couldn’t just leave him. So, I figured “Perhaps if I went with a game that involves illustrated cards, that would be easy for Mr. Fujisaka to create; and if we took advantage of a lucrative category, like a social game, then maybe Square Enix will accept my propo?sal…�and submitted my pitch.

That was the beginning of it. Then, Square Enix Producer Yosuke Saito said, “Games as a Service titles are tiring!�So, we turned it into a console game�and here we are. As for the?? game design, the younger staff at Alim worked hard on it, while I slept.

Kimihiko Fujisaka, Character Designer:

Based on Mr. Yoko’s idea, and “the general rule of thumb to depict everything as if we can recreate it all on an ac??tual tabletop,�my overall art direction fell very much in line with that stipulation. As a result, I feel I was able to create artwork that was full of wonder—something that seems almost familiar, but never-before-seen.

Just like back in the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, there definitely were elements of intrigue created because of the limitations we had; and with high-end production environments, which have relat??ively decreased the number of limitations, I thought it was a stimulating experience to deliberately put restriction?s on myself when coming up with ideas. I feel that this gave me some new insight into how I can create new ideas when working on game production.

Are you fans of tabletop gaming, and if so, do you have any standout games or experiences?

Yoko Taro:

"I did play Tabletop RPGs back in high school, but I only played a little bit. At that time, I was surprised by the level of freedom they offered, and at the same time, at how poor my ability to communicate was. It felt like humanity was not ready for the challenge of TTRPGs yet…�?At least, that’s how I responded to another media in regards to my tabletop game experience, as I was informed by a wonderful SQUARE ENIX Marketing Team member.

Yosuke Saito, Executive Producer:

I’ve loved them since I was a student, so it’s like a dream come true for me. Dungeons & Dragons, The Call of Cthulhu, Sword World, Roads to Lord, Traveler, so on and so forth�I playe??d the heck out of them.?? After all, it was so much fun to imagine and create these various scenes and scenarios by ourselves.

Kimihiko Fujisaka:

While this might not be a Tabletop RPG, p??er se, I loved making text RPGs as a hobby when I was in elementary school. They were so much fun to make, but I never really actually played them. And, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone play them, either.

This creative team has collaborated on a number of games over the years, so what has made Voice of Cards unique among those collaborations for you? Did you try to make it stand out and feel unique from past collaborations, and how so?

Yoko Taro:

This is not an action game, which I was more accustomed to creating, but instead a turn-based RPG; a??nd so, I was somewhat hesitant. As I did some research, I was able to reconfirm just how superior turn-based RPG of the past (such as Dragon Quest) were.

Kimihiko Fujisaka:

First, the fact that it’s not an action game is very uniqu?e. As for the artwork, I aimed for a wet and bright look, whic??h is unusual for me.

Yosuke Saito:

This might? be obvious at first glance, but, most of the components tha??t make up this game are cards; perhaps that’s the element that has the most originality?

What was the inspiration behind the design of the characters, and were there any specific themes or concepts you wanted to capture with their look? Was it an interesting challenge, to design these characters as cards rather than fully 3D people?

Kimihiko Fujisaka:

I went into ??this with the mindset of trying to come up with our ve??ry own Dragon Quest I, and made a conscious effort to keep the designs very orthodox and in-line with class??ic fantasy. There are many games that recreate cards in a digital medium, espec??ially if you include social games, so that made me strive all the more for a look that felt like analog cards.

I experimented with various compositions and adding/removing of background illustrations, and in the end, I was able to re?create the look of gold foil. That significantly pushed the lo??ok closer to what I wanted.

It was fun to figure out how to depict an in-game character with a singl??e illustration, but it was also a challenge because I couldn’t give them more breadth, including movem?ent, and it’s made me want to design 3D characters again.

How did you develop the idea of card stories and their flip sides, and did that open up any interesting narrative opportunities? Do you have a particular favorite card?

Yuuki Matsuo, Scenario Writer:

Adding a short story to characters and monsters was something I wanted to incorporate in place of Weapon Stories,?? which have become a familiar element with any works by Mr. Yoko Taro.

I would love for everyone to enjoy the wonderful artworks of Mr. Fujisaka, a??nd I hope these stories would serve as a starting point to ??get a deeper understanding of this world, such as the unknown facts about how the monsters live, or the duality of the characters, etc.

As for my favorite card�well, I love them all.

Maasa Mimura, Director:

F?rom the development team as well–there were comments about wanting something akin to Weapon Stories, if this is a title Yoko Taro was to be involved in. When we racked our brains about how t??o best depict this in our title, we arrived at the thought of having text on the front and back, which we felt was very appropriate, given these are all cards.

I love the ones that describe how much of a threat th?ese enemies are, and so my favorite is the Slime.

On the music, how did you approach the soundtrack for this game, as one that's on a tabletop scale rather than the much larger scale of games like NieR?

Keiichi Okabe, Music Director:

Throughout the NieR series, there were many action-packed sequences, and so the music was very intense at times; however, with this game, the gameplay moves at a much calmer pace, and so many of the tracks are calm in tone as well. Compared to a large-scale g?ame, there are fewer songs overall, plus you’d have to listen to some of the songs for extended periods of time, so I ??was very cognizant about players not getting tired of hearing the same song and not to make the melody stand out too much.

What themes did you try to convey in the music of Voice of Cards, and what were some of the ways in which you did so?

Keiichi Okabe:

Fr?om looking at Mr. Fujisaka’s illustrations and receiving Mr. Yoko’s requests, I got a very Celtic vibe from them; and so, I wanted to express that through the music, in order for the people playing the game to be further immersed in that world.

Generally speaking, I was mindful about Irish and Celtic music, using as many acoustic instrument sounds as my foundation, plus I incorporated our unique musical sensibilities to create the atmosphere for Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is currently available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation consoles.

The post Cards and RPGs: a Q&A with the creative leads behind Voice of Cards appeared first on Destructoid.

52-card RPG

It's really neat to see something committed to a concept like Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is. It's a role-playing game that is built on cards, not just in aesthetic or mechanics, but in everything. Everything in Voice of Cards is cards: dialogue choices, menus, shops, even the map itself. It's a story being told as though it's been dealt out from a massive de??ck, one art-laden card after the other.

What makes Voice of Cards so fascinating also ends up being its stumbling block at times though. Where in some places its limitations and constraints create inc?redible moments, other times, it detracts from the journey at hand. It's a good adventure, and feels like it's the foundation fo?r what could be more.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVk3vWIMrsw

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars (PC, PS4 [reviewed via PS5], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: October 28, 2021
MSRP: $29.99

The setup of Voice of Cards is that you're playing the main character, who you get to name and is usually addressed to "y??ou." He's joined by Mar, a kindly monster companion, and soon after Melanie, a vengeful witch, on a quest to hunt a reawakened dragon. The ??queen has offered a bounty to whoever brings back its head, and your trio chases after it, hot on the heels of another trio of heroes who hail from the Ivory Order.

It's really enjoyable how you end up playing the underdog to the traditional heroes, and the dialogue options let you really lean into being the bounty-hunting would-be hero with a heart of gold, contrasted with the Ivory Order's stoic paragons of justice. The game master eggs you on a bit, too; throughout the narrative, an unseen narrator guides you through all the action. He lays out? the cards, narrates all the dialog?ue (including each characters'), and drops little asides when you land critical blows or take a big hit.

The "everything-is-cards" approach is really appealing from the start. It's a unique look for Voice of Cards, bolstered further by the excellent character art. The creative team behind Voice of Cards is stellar, and it shows, from the individual designs of characters like Melanie and Bruno to the monsters you run into throughout your journey??.

And it would be easy to think that, with all the cards, this is a deck building game. It is absolutely a traditional RPG; every member of your party has four slots for skills that you can use in battle, either freely or by spending gems that you generate every turn. The gems and cards, as well as surprisingly pretty animations of cards flipping around and performing mid-air acrobatics, do lend it a tabletop feel. But this is closer to Final Fantasy than Slay the Spire.

The combat is good, though it stagnated a bit as time went on. Initially, there's a lot to unpack, as you're recruiti??ng new party members and learning the elemental weaknesses and situational boons you can utilize to rout the enemy. In some of the later areas and dungeons though, I felt myself falling into a straightforward, infallible routine against every encounter. 

It was only very, very late-game battles that felt like they pushed me to adjust my system and adapt on the fly. Party members also felt like they had?? very distinct, set roles with only a little room to flex and assist in other ways beyond their defined means. Characters will have a few abilities that can act as healing options, but the limited number of skills I could equip meant I often found myself sticking to a core trio that I could really negotiate down into a clean, efficient monste?r-slaying machine.

A little bit of tedium in battles would've been fine, if not for the movement on the map. Hopping your marker along card-by-card can start to wear on you over long sessions, and the ra?ndom encounters are fairly frequent. The ability to "jump," or warp to any card you've already turned over, is a huge benefit here. But even then, I was sometimes using that jump just to cut corners through dungeons faster.

Voice of Cards' story has its own peaks and valleys, too. The art and music carry much of the early game, as it s?tarts out as a straightforward hero's journey. Little side??-stories play out in towns, and as the party grows to encompass five different characters, it does start to feel like the start of a good traveling band of adventurers.

But it's not long after that group comes together that the story starts to wrap, and ultimately, the length of Voice of Cards ends up feeling like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I loved it for being a short, sweet RPG compared to the titanic size of others. I saw credits roll around 10 to 11 hours in, and spent another hour or so cleaning up a few lingering side quests and secrets. Not every twist was earth-shattering, but Voice of Cards pulls a few rugs?? out from underneath the player, and certain individual moments later in the story really shone through and washed over any tedium.

At the same time, it felt like I barely got to know these characters by the time some of their big, emotional climaxes happen. And hampering that still is the game master, as every character has very expressive art but the same voice. It's like playing a one-on-one tabletop role-playing game, player and GM, and as good as the game master's voice actor is, I would've loved th??ese characters to get their own voices.

I don't mean to harp on too much, because there's more I enjoyed in Voice of Cards than what I didn't. There's really som??ething to be said for a good, solid RPG you can finish in a weekend, and Voice of Card??s is exactly that. You can see the pretty full breadth of its story in a single go if you'd like, and there's a branching ending that felt like it rewarded my studiousness in exploring the map as much as I could.

It's good, but it falls short on its own trappings too often to feel great. Where th?e cards flourish in some areas, they feel hampering or underutilized in others. I would love to see this explored further, to really see the devs and Square Enix do more within this kind of space. One late-game encounter used the cards both visually and functionally in a way that really took me aback, but it also made me wonder why it took until the story's end to pull a trick like that.

If you're looking for an enjoyable RPG with some novel ideas and strong presentation behind it, Voice of Cards can easily eat up a weekend or two. It's sweet and doesn't overstay its welcome, even when I wished it would. While those factors aren't enough for it to match up against the best-in-class competitors, there are many worse ways to spend a cozy fall evening than curled up with Voice of Cards.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars appeared first on Destructoid.

Does cutting the deck count as splitting the party?

Square Enix and developer Alim put out a demo yesterday for Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, their upcom??ing card-themed RPG. With Yoko Taro as Creative Director on the project and a number of pr?evious collaborators involved, it definitely seemed worth a go; and after finishing the demo, I think you should try it too.

There are a lot of virtual card games around at the moment. Deckbuilders became very popular, very fast thanks to titans like Slay the Spire. The draw of going on runs with these formats is obvious, and some have found ways to weave in a greater narrative, but I was curious if Voice of Cards was going to fall into the same mold as a Monster Train.

The answer is ??that it's surprisingly less o?f that than I expected, and feels much more akin to a tabletop role-playing game than anything else.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T975SPBIL6s

The Voice of Cards demo puts you in control of a fellowship of adventurers, working under the Ivory Order, on a quest from the Queen. A great treasure has been stolen from the castle, and you need to uncover the culprit and return the stolen boun?ty.

The fellowship is a straightforward RPG party: Wynifred serves as healer and light magic caster, Heddwyn uses elemental magic, and Berwyn is a warrior who likes to smack things with an axe. It's a different trio than the ones introduced in yesterday's trailer, but it seems like the demo is a prologue of sorts, so it might just be setting the? story for those adventu?rers.

As the fellowship sets out on their quest, you move a marker across a sea of cards, flippin?g them over as you go and uncovering what's next. Most of time, it's just more terrain, but sometimes they can result in random encounters, like a fight against monsters or some treasure. It can feel a little unwieldy at first to ??navigate the map, as the cards don't always line up in cardinal directions. But once you're thinking along its line—and using the handy 'jump' to move to any face-up card—it's easy enough to move around.

What's really amazing is how everything, from castles and towns to the overworld, is made with cards. Plazas and bridges are formed and flipped, and just about everything in Voice of Cards comes back to the paper objects in some way. The look never really wore on? me either.

It helps that the general art direction is very, very good. There are some amazing character designs, and even minor characters (one is literally just named "Man") have their own art and backstory to unlock. Each card in the game has i??ts own tale, both a front-facing and backside story to tell that you can unlock by clearing certain requirements; the back-of-the-card stories are blocked in the demo, but it was still entertaining to fight enemies and talk to townsfolk to accrue them anyways.

Combat even plays out in a very RPG fashion, with each side making moves in a turn-based fashion. Here, I wish there had been some clear indicator of turn order, as I often felt I was guessing at whether it wa?s safe to attack or if I should heal up instead.

But the moves themselves pop, with fireballs raining down or cards leaping off the table to swiftly strike one another. Voice of Cards is all-in on the card theming, even laying card games on top of card?? games and, as its own side game, letting you play c?ards against other characters.

After finishing the quest, which leaves off on an ominous note that's meant to foreshadow the plot of the main game, I was pleasantly surprised by Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars. I think, in the deluge of card games and especially deckbuilders we've had over the years, I was expecting some sort of roguelike similar to Slay the Spire or Monster Train. Sure, you definitely pick up new cards and equipment over time, and in the trailer, we can see the party recruiting more members to the cause. Even some post-battle treasures give yo??u a "pick one of three" option.

That all would have been fine, especially with the stellar art and music backing it. But my most pleasant surprise has been how much Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars feels like an RPG, one you would sit down at a table for, featuring monsters, parties, and quests. It might have deckbuilding elements, but it's falling more on the Dungeons & Dragons side. There are still games exploring the potential of tabletop ideas expanding into a digital space, and from what developer Alim has shown with Voice of Cards so far, it's one to watch.

The post Voice of C?ards, the Yoko Taro-di??rected card game, is more RPG than I expected appeared first on Destructoid.

Digital tabletop, from the creator of Nier

The minds behind Nier and other projects revealed a release date for their forthcoming tabletop RPG. Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is coming to Nintendo Swit??ch, PS4, and PC via Steam on Oct. 28, 2021.

Shrouded in mystery, Voice of Cards plays out on a tabletop format, in a world built with cards. It follows a trio of heroes, venturing through a realm of swords, magic, and monsters, to eventually accomplish their "ambitions." It was shown off today during the Nintendo Direct, and it looks pretty interesting, especia?l??ly considering who's attached to the project.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AonH1tPFuS4

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is being developed by Alim, and has Nier's Yoko Taro at helm as Creative Director. Alongside him are several collaborators: Keiichi Okabe as Music Director, Kimihiko Fujisaka as Character Designer, and Yosuke Saito is also on the project.

Both from the gameplay it's showing and the folks behind it, Voice of Cards h??as a lot going for it. I'm always down to try out a digital tabletop RPG, and the art and music look great. And with Yoko Taro and company at the helm guiding this project, it could be really intrigui??ng—and also heartbreakingly sad, which I'm definitely game for.

A demo is expected to go up later today, and the full game is not far off either. Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars will arrive on Oct. 28, 2021.

The post Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars will launch on Octob??e??r 28 appeared first on Destructoid.

The mobile Nier is on its way over

More Nier is on its way to the west. Pre-registrations opened today for U.S. Android and iOS users to check out Nier Reincarnation, the mobile entry in the Nier series.

Stylized as NieR Re[in]carnation, it's a "command-action RPG" from Square Enix and Applibot. You can find the Google Play Store and App Store links here.

"It is a place called The Cage," the story description reads. "A girl awakens on a cold stone floor. She finds herself in an infinitely vast place filled with buildings that touch the very sky. Guided by a mysterious creature who calls herself Mam??a, she begins to explore her new surroundings.

"To reclaim what she has lost&mda??sh;and atone for her sins—she sets off on a journey through this? place of unknown creation."

It definitely has some Nier style, though it looks like you also collect a party of various characters for combat. And yes, it looks to have gacha mechanics, through currencies and summons. Nier Reincarnation has been available in Japan for a little while now and already accumulated a pretty good amount of downloads, so hopef?ully that's a sign of good things to come when it arrives here.

Square Enix notes that a Closed Beta Test for Android devices will be "held soon," and the project is still directed by Yoko Taro and produced by Yosuke Saito. It seems like, similar to Fire Emblem Heroes, my love for a franchise ??might outweigh my usual warines??s of mobile games.

The post Nier Reincarnation pre-registration??s are open on Android and iOS appeared first on Destructoid.

Project remains under wraps for now

While Yoko Taro continues to furrow his brow over his new mystery project, the NieR creator has at least revealed one small update?? in the fo?rm of the unnamed game's composer, Keiichi Okabe.

Almost a "no introduction necessary" situation, Okabe is an industry veteran who has written fantastic scores for titles such as NieR: Automata, Ridge Racer, Taiko no Tatsujin and the Tekken series. While Taro's project is expected to be a small-scale, digital-only title, having pedigree such as Okabe on board suggests that we're still looking at somet??hing pretty spe?cial.

Taro's project has been described by the man himself as being "off-beat" and "nostalgic yet new". Taro also noted that although others have told him the game is sure to be a best-seller, he is unsure of how to get it into the players' hands. One thing is for certain, Taro is doing a great job at being baffling and obtuse, as one would expect from the Drakengard writer. We're just going t?o have to be patient and wait until the new game is finally unveiled.

In the meantime, fans can check out the recently released NieR Replicant. The updated action-RPG — which includes tweaked combat?, re-recorded voice-overs, updated visuals, and a small selection of brand new content — is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

New Yoko Taro title composed by Keichii Okabe [Gematsu / Games Talk]

The post Yoko Taro’s mystery game, whatever it is, will be scored by NieR: Automata’s Keiichi Okabe appeared first on Destructoid.

You've messed with the wrong sibling, goat

The world of Nier Replicant is full of dangerous mysteries. In its opening moments, you fight swathes of malevolent creatures de??termined to st?rike you down.

Yet none of t??hem draws my ire as much as those damn goats.

I'm still working my way through the opening hours of the original Nier's remake/"version update;" for more on the rest of the game, check out Chris' writeup on Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., the very long version of a game I'm just going to call Nier Replicant from here on out.

Throughout the beginning of protagonist Nier's tale, I've had to fight escalating monstrosities: both fearsome beasts and malfunctioning machinery, as well as dozens upon dozens of Shades of varying size and strength. I was certain one Shade in particula??r was going to be my white whale; it shows up a few hours into the game, hanging out in one of the major throughways between towns, and it has a habit of one-shotting you with its surprisingly powerful hits. Yet once I recruited th??e help of Kainé, it was simply a matter of keeping my distance and firing off magical lances until it fell.

There is one adversary that seems to constantly get the upper-hand on me, though. Alongside the obvious aggressors in Nier Replicant??'s overworld, there is also wildlife. Usually they're just fodder, a simple resource that needs to be s??lashed or blasted with magic and subsequently harvested, so I can bring the ingredients back to town for a side quest.

Goats do not mess around, though. Some animals will attack if you get too close, but nothing hits quite like a surprise kick from a goat. And if you get anywhere within the vicinity of these goat's rear legs, they will laser-target your skull and bring two devastati??n?g hooves to bear on your poor, hapless self.

The other night, I was powering through some side quests, stockpiling cash for a new weapon I wanted to buy from the shop. At several points I had to make the trip from my home to the desert kingdom of Facade. While the desert holds its own dangers, the road that takes you there has one chokepoint that seems tailor-made to funnel player??s into the crosshairs of an angry goat.

And Nier's goats don't just kick you and call it a day. While you're still trying to stand up after having your day ruined by a farm animal, said goat is already squaring up for a headbutt. These goats are? really looking to teach Nier a lesson, it seems.

Suffic??e it to say, by my third time getting wall-splatted by these jerks during sprints between towns, I just started blasting them with magic. They have very low health, but they always return. I know they will. And when I least expect it, when I'm just lazily flitting between hub areas for a few ingredients, that's when their hooves will strike.

All that said though, I'm really digging Nier Replicant. Be sure to read the message its creators put out ahead of launch, and if you do pick it up, be extra cautious of the goats. They might just seem like another resource, but they will absolutel?y ruin your day.

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Square Enix publishes the best title names

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. I think about that title a lot.

I??t may not even be the wei?rdest game name. But it stuck in my mind as one of the quintessential "Square Enix" titles in recent memory.

The thing is, NieR actually earns the right to be weird. So I'll type out NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... just this once! Because th?e game deserves that respect.

NieR Replicant (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: Toylogic
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: April 23, 2021
MSRP: $59.99

NieR Replicant (also released as NieR Gestalt, or "NieR") probably should have had that very same respect back when it was originally released in 2010, but a degree of clunk and technical issues scared a lot of people away. Well, the time has come. (For more info on how NieR was confusingly released, check out our preview: it's time to get on with Replicant).

Toylogic is no Platinum Games, to be sure. But they were able to rise to the occasion and lift the original framework of NieR out of the mud and into the modern era. Replicant suffered from design limitations of the time, as the (now-defunct) Cavia couldn't really deliver an action system that would sate folks looking for that type of experience. The original NieR was more of a story-oriented affair, but now? ??you don't have to settle for either: you can have both.

The visuals deserve a multi-generational shoutout. The world of NieR is gorgeous, and the enhanced draw distance and modern upgrades really do it so many favors. Much like the sprawling vistas of Demon's Souls, I found myself just admiring the scenery often in the re-release of Replicant. It's magical in a way, especially since the world is just big enough to not feel crampe??d but intimate enough to warrant emotional resonance, especially with the? literal homecomings throughout.

It's a strange, strange world. You pretty much never know what you're going to come across next, whether it's a scary Aerie valley, a junkyard full of discarded knickknacks, or something a bit more...modern. The journey of NieR is half the fun, as you trek across the landscape and uncover just what happened to it. Without giving away anything, the context of just about every zone ??matters, ??which compounds the game's emotional core I keep jabbering about.

So enough waxing poetic, what is NieR actually about? At its core, it focuses on a young protagonist who is trying to save his sister from a mysterious deadly disease. As time goes on he'll meet new people, discover clues about how the world came to be in the state it's in, and why it's populated by antagonisti?c shadows. To get there, you'll anime run, dash, dodge, swordfight, and shoot red neon bullets out of a floating? grimoire.

To say much more would be wandering into spoiler territory. Sure Replicant is technically an older game, but if you haven't experienced the Yoko Taro, mind-blown aspect of it yet, you're better left in the dark until you can see it for yourself. It's very much the predecessor of Automata's "you ?need to beat it multiple? times to see the truth" concept, and there are a few surprises in this re-release to boot that actually can be spoiled for older fans.

It's a lot easier to get to that point because of the many mechanical enhancements. Combat is much smoother, and thus the deep equipment and nuanced loadout system is more imm??ediately rewarding. In add??ition to the action basics and mapping spells (like a sustained rapid-fire magic bullet or a "charge and sling" lance power), you can also reconfigure symbols to alter your playstyle.

As you kill more enemies you'll traditionally level up, but you'll also grab keywords that you can use to say, move a little faster, or do a little more damage. Calling NieR strange is kind of ?underselling it on multiple levels. It's deep, but it also isn't afraid to mix things up constantly. That includes swift shifts to 2D and top-down perspectives, forcing players to make heads or tails of the new view both in and out of combat. Throw in some puzzles and some platforming and you have a Yoko Taro special.

That said, not everything is fully updated. NieR does have a lot of "fetch" quest design, and while it's mostly relegated to the side mission ?variety, it does occasionally bleed over into the critical campaign path. With that in mind, sidequests are sometimes a few of the most fulfilling moments of the game, and there are some real gems in there. From a technical perspective, while I didn't find any major bugs, I did occasionally come across smaller animation issues. Emphasis on small: the vast majority of my time with it has gone swimmingly.

There aren't many games like NieR Replicant, and I'm not just talking about in the modern era, but since 2010 as a whole. Whatever power that be helped Yok??o Taro become world-famous, to the point w?here he can keep making these weird masterpieces, in any format: thank you.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… appeared first on Destructoid.

Some nice words, and then something about a van?

The remaster-remake-relaunch of the first Nier game is due out to??morrow, and creative di??rector Yoko Taro has some words to share about it.

Ahead of the launch, Square Enix has shared some messages from both Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito, originally sent to reviewers who were covering the game. And, much like you'd hope from Yoko Taro, the message is not your bog-standard marketin??g release.

Yoko Taro calls Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... a "version upgrade," rather than a remake or remaster. Drawing comparisons to Square Enix's own work on Final Fantasy VII Remake, the creator says it would be "terribly inconvenient" to be compared to such a massive game, and so he went with "version upgrade." (Consequently, Yoko Taro says the big string of numbers is something he just "stuck on ran??domly," so don't worry too much about it.)

You can read the letter in full below:

Hello there everyone, YOKO TAR??O, Creative Director of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... here.

This game is a “version upgrade&r??dquo; of a title released 10 years ago under the name of “NIER”. That’s right, it’s not a remake or a remaster, it’s a “version upgrade”.

In the beginning I only intended for it to be a remaster you know. With some improved resolut?ions and that… But once I started saying that I would like to tweak the models a bit, or that I wanted to fix up the backgrounds etc., we were soon looking at a lot of fixes and improvements.

I mean, Square Enix recently did that remake of FINAL FANTASY VI?I right? I saw that ??and I thought it would be terribly inconvenient to be compared to such a massive blockbuster, so that was when I decided to call Replicant ver.1.22… a “version upgrade”.

Incidental?ly, the big string of numbers on the end of the title was just something I stuck on ran??domly, so I wouldn’t think too hard about it if I was you.

And another thing. In recent years, when I have been around Square Enix, they always give off this palpable aura of enthusiasm as if to say “Look! NieR:Automata (the prev??ious thing I made) did well, so NieR Replicant will also sell now”. I would like to take this opportunity to tell Square Enix to take a good hard look at reality. Only the names are similar and the content of the two games is completely different, so it’s not really going to sell all that well now, is it lads?

I mean, come on, I made it! Automata selling was a fluke, and all my other stuff has hardly sold anything worthy of note. If ??you really do go ahead and manufacture all these discs and then store them in a big pile in a warehouse somewhere, the only thing we can do with that will be to have a good game of frisbee. Although, I mean… that does sound like fun and all…

Right now, at this very moment, some guy from the Square Enix marketing team is looming behind me and his glare is saying “YOKO you bastard, just promote the game properly for a change!”, ??but meh, not much that can be done about that now is there? Let’s all just give?? up and call it a day. I mean, you really don’t understand anything in this game until you play it through multiple times right? And the reviewers will find it pretty hard to do that in the limited time they have…

So, more impor??tantly than that, let’s all just go home early and be nice to our parents, Mm, yes, that would have a much more positive impact on the world I think.

Producer Yosuke Saito also commented on calling it a "version upgrade," though he says regardless of what Yoko says, he personally doesn't believe it does "justice to the level of quality that the team has achived." ??Here's his full ??message:

Hello every??one. It’s “long time no see” for some of you, and I guess “nice to?? meet you” for others. My name is Yosuke Saito, and I am the producer of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

Thanks to al?l you fans out there, NieR:Automata became a massive hit, and this game was developed under great pressure from that past success.

We are cal??ling it a “version upgrade”, but regardless of what Mr. YOKO says, I personally believe that moniker doesn’t do justice to th?e level of quality that the team has achieved!

Having said that, NieR:Automata’s big success was honestly somewhat of a miracle, so I don&r??squo;t think we will be selling quite that much… However, if we don’t shift a certain amount then Mr. YOKO and myself will be forced to travel the world, selling the game out the back of a van. Ah, and Mr. Okabe will have to come along too!

So now you know this, pleas??e keep on? supporting the NieR series.

Please, anything but the van…

Nier Replicant is out tomorrow for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. You can check out our r??eview of the "version upgrade," which went live this morning, here. As Chris notes, there aren't too many games like those in the Nier series. I'm personally still happy to keep supporting whatever this creative team ??gets up to, and keep on keeping them out of the van.

The post Nier Replicant’s creators share a special message about the ‘version upgrade’ ahead of its launch appeared first on Destructoid.

As opposed to all those 'normal' games he directs

With NieR Replicant me??re days from release, it seems series director Yoko Taro has already begun shifting focus toward a brand new mystery project, currently in development at Square Enix.

Speaking in an official NieR Replicant live stream yesterday, the eclectic game designer revealed that he was already hard at work on a "somewhat unusual game" - a project he described as "off-beat" as well being both "nostalgic and new." ??Perhaps most bizarrely of all, Taro teased that he has no idea how to get people to play the new title, despite being told by his team that the game is a guaranteed best-seller... Ok.

The confusing non-explanation is pretty much business as usual for the 50-year-old industry veteran, who is known for his eccentric personality, oddball sense of humor, and creative mind. Despite the lack of clear information presented by Taro, it appears that said project is definitely planned for public release as a digital-only title, with more information coming in the very near future... or should that be the very NieR future?

NieR Replicant launches April 23 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. The updated rele??ase features a rearranged soundtrack, re-recorded voice-overs, updated visuals, tweaked combat, and short order of extra content, making it the definitive edi?tion of the 2010 action-RPG.

Yoko Taro working on new title with Square Enix [Gematsu / Games Talk]

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The director says they're recording 'all character voices' in English

I don't fully know what to expect from NieR Reincarnation, and I'm fine keeping it that way – but I have wondered about the current state of the western release. In a letter shared on Twitter, I got my answer: the iOS and Andro?id game is s?till coming to North America and Europe, it's just been quiet lately.

A letter from Director Daichi Matsukawa regarding the development status of the English version of NieR Re[in]carnation.#NieR #NieRReincarnation #NieRReinEN pic.twitter.com/lfkz0eEKNM

— NieR Reï¼»inï¼½carnation EN (@NieRReinEN) February 9, 2021

In the message, game director Daichi Matsukawa apologized for a "lack of updates" about NieR Reincarnation. When the time is right, there will be news on the preregistration ??and launch timing.

He noted that the team is "currently in ?the process of localizing the English version and recording all character voices in English," and that they're planning to address bugs from the ??Japanese launch.

In terms of a potential timeline, Japan is getting NieR Reincarnation on February 18, so I hope you weren't counting on a simultaneous launch (or planning to dig into this mobile game anytime soon). I'm expecting to play through all of NieR Replicant beforehand given that it's still on target for A?pril 23.

I've avoided gacha for most of my life, but when NieR music is in the picture, I can't turn away.

The post NieR R??eincarnation will have a Western release date once the localization is further along appeared first on Destructoid.

The mystery is complete

One final secret has been uncovered in NieR: Automata, right on the eve of the title's fourth anniversary. This past weekend, a player uncovered a secret code activated right towards the start of the cybernetic adventure, that allows 2B and friends to skip to the game's conclusion, whilst also unlocking all of NieR: Automata's bonus modes.

The final secret - previously teased by director Yoko Taro in an issue of Famitsu - was discovered by mod-fan Lance McDonald, who shared the discovery via Twitter. The video sees 2B dicking about in between some oil drums, before the screen fades to black and gives players the option to skip directly to the last of NieR: Automata's multiple endings, removing the need for all that joy and e?ffort.

McDonald states that they found the code via "hundreds of hours of reverse engineering," noting that they are currently in the process of making a video explaining how the cheat is activated. Yoko Taro himself has also confirmed that this cheat is indeed the fabled "final secret," bringing to a close the Pandora's Box of mysterious quirks that makes NieR: Automata so enduring.

Square Enix's dystopian spin-off recently celebrated hitting a mile??stone of some five ??million shipments and digital sales.

I found a cheat code in NieR Automata that allows you to skip to the last ending immediately after killing the first boss and unlock the bonus modes. I'll do a full video soon. It's not a glitch, it's an actual cheat code hard-coded into the engine. @yokotaro pic.twitter.com/FtuNPovq6F

— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) January 3, 2021

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Yoko Taro gets the word out

NieR: Automata is pretty great. Great enough to still be relevant three and a half years after it came out? Absolutely. Great enough to be relevant...forever? Yes. Emphatically, yes. I hope Yoko Taro keeps making games for all time.

Naturally, I'll take any excuse to talk about Automata, especially given that NieR is about to go back in style soon with a new mobile game and a kinda-sorta-remake-kinda-not r??e-rel?ease of the original. The last we heard it was being called a "version up." You can keep that lingo in the vault along with transfarring, buddy!

Anyway, old Yoko Taro took to Twitter this week to update us on NieR: Automata, or rather, its streaming guidelines. As most folks know, certain publishers sometimes put heavy restrictions on what can be shown in certain games, even years down the line. Some of it is an ill-fated, PR-nightmare of an effort to restrict people from streami??ng in general; some of it is because of story spoilers.

Well, these guidelines are now updated, in English, for all to see,? Taro says. It's pretty standard stuff, including the regular legal notices, and the ways in which you can use content from the game (Twitter and other microblogging platforms, sha??ring in-game audio and sharing gameplay videos). 

Here are a few restrictions:

"In order not to spoil players’ enjoyment of NieR:Automata, you must mark all content that includes details of? major plot developments with a clear spoiler warning."

"Do not add music or voice data (other than those from NieR:Automata) to the Materials. However, you may place ?your own speaking voice over the Materials."

"The audio tracks and music data from NieR:Automata may be used only in videos that use those Materials as they originally appeared in the game (i.e., you can capture a video from the game that includes music, but you cannot separate the music from a gameplay video). Posting?? only audio tracks and/or music data as standalone content, and/or posting video content with the sole intention of permitting listening to the game’s music, is not permitted."

"Do not reproduce shared content other than as expressly contemplated by these Terms. For exam?ple, you must not collect and distribute Materials via other media—e.g., in book form—even if you do not stand to gain financially from doing so."

If you're having trouble viewing the page above, just head to the basic Nier: Automata landing site, click through the age gate, ??and scr??oll to the bottom of the page. You'll see "streaming guidelines" right near the trademark notices.

Streaming Guidelines [Square Enix via Yoko Taro] Thanks Jeff!

The post Square Enix updates NieR: Automata streaming guidelines three and ?a half years after release appeared first on Destructoid.

Yoshinari Fujimoto, Shogo Maeda and Yoko Taro speak

Yoko Taro is extremely busy these days.

While he was once known as "The Drakengard Guy" ages ago, he's now extremely in demand, overseeing multiple NieR universe titles and ev??en collaborating with Square Enix on a constant basis. But a lot of people are about to get to know him better, as SINoAlice ??(a mobile game featuring fairy tale characters who fight to resurrect their authors) is on the verge of its release this month.

We got the chance to chat with Yoshinari Fujimoto (producer), Shogo Maeda (producer) and Yoko Taro (director) regarding the western release of SINoAlice, sneaking in a few NieR questions along the way.

Digging right in, I wanted to get a sense of how successful SINoAlice has bee?n in Japan, to get some background on why developer Pokelabo sought to bring this to the masses.

Fujimoto explains that SINoAlice "became expl??osively popular" after its July 2017 release, and although "things have settled down" in the third year, he calls it "the biggest guild vs. guild game app in Japan." Maeda chimes in here, noting that it's still ranking very highly in the app charts, and they would have liked the localization to come out last yea??r while the iron was hotter: but had issues taking over publishing duties from Nexon.

There doesn't seem to be any major differences between this localization and the Japanese version, which is great news for those of you who have been following along and didn't want to miss out on a chunk of content. Maeda says that "updates will progress like they did for the Japanese version upon launch," and that the team "will re??lease? some features earlier in the global version than they were in the Japanese version."

Those features include the VIP mechanic, the guide syst??em for new?? users, the Gran Colosseum League "and more." I tried to get some insight into the gacha monetary system, to see if it would be altered at all for the western versions, but it looks like things are staying put, with Maeda explaining that "the gacha system is the same as the Japanese version."

A huge part of the game is the incredible artwork, so all of the staff had to chime in with their favorite characters. Fujimoto says that they adore Alice, who they refer to as a "Yoko-style Alice." Maeda agrees, stating that Alice was the first character designed by one of the lead artists (Jino). Taro gave us a very Taro answer: something that wasn't in the game yet. " In terms of story, I like Parrah and Noya's the most. Well, that story hasn't been released yet actually, so it's just inside my ?head," he said.

Shifting gears a second, Fujimoto was able to shed some light on how the free-to-play division of Square Enix has been evolving these past few years: "It's grown a lot, but we have a lot to go in terms of making a mark globally. I think business models for games will continue to diversify in the futu??re. While there will be multiple core models, I think free-to-play will be one of the standard core models in the world like it is for Japan."

Remember all that aforementioned success I said Yoko Taro was enjoying? Well, I asked him to marinate on that a bit, wondering out loud if he ever saw himself going from Drakengard to this little NieR empire of his. He muses, "I'm very thankful that SINoALICE became a hit, thanks to Automata suddenly becoming a hit unexpectedly. While the illusion that Yoko cranks out hit titles is still alive, I'd like to mak?e l??ots of cheap-looking games, sell them off for high prices, and save all the money to live off of for the rest of my life."

While Taro declined to comment on the impact that Square Enix's Final Fantasy x NieRi collaboration has had on his work, he did give us some insight into how he views the NieR universe as a whole. I wanted to get some background on how?? he saw the entire universe in his head; to see if he has trepidations with handing his baby off to someone else.

His response was fascinating: "It's not so much that I'm protective, it's just a hassle to explain the settings to others. Also, since I'm the author, I g?et to make up new settings or make changes." Fair enough!

If you're interested, you can play SINoALICE today on iOS and Android.

The post Yoko Taro and crew talk SINoAlice and ‘the hassle of explaining NieR to others’ appeared first on Destructoid.

I can dig it

We know Yoko Taro can be an eccentric dude, but he also has great taste. Speaking to Famitsu in regards to the recent re-release of Ikaruga (and NieR: Automata on Xbox One for that matter), Taro mused on how the classic shoot 'em up (shmup) influenced his work -- specifically NieR: Automata, a game that wears its shmup love on its sleeve.

According to Taro, it was much more than just "putting a ton of bullets on-screen at once" and bullet hell influences: "Ikaruga influenced how I synchronize the game sequences with the music. Combining the two in a way that appeals to people’s hearts is a task that’s quite difficult. This sort of technique has been a hurdle for developers to overcome since the early days of gaming history, and I think Ikaruga is the first game to actually do it. Because, up until then, BGMs were only split by different scenes in each stage. In that regard, I believe Ikaruga was a game-changer in gaming history. Iuchi-san, the planner and director of Ikaruga, was also in charge of making the music. Thanks to this, the stage progress matches the music as well. That is one part of what makes Ikaruga amazing. Stage 2’s music starts off with a sense of speed to go along with the opening scen??e, but as the screen starts scrolling slower, the song goes slower as well."

Taro also clarifies how he worked this philosophy into his own creation: "How they mixed music and the sequences together was really groundbreaking, and it left such an impact on me that I stole it for the Nier series. In another scene in NieR: Automata, the boss movements match the rhythm of the music, but that was just forcing it...and not something the players could control in an interactive manner. If it were done properly, the music would increase in fervor when you do massive damage, or something like that where you feel the game via the music...it’s because it’s done so well in Ikaruga that it shines so brightly."

Some of you might think it's a bit premature to call Automata one of the all-time greats (it's not), but hearing it discussed in the same breath as Ikargua? It's definitely earned that right.

Yoko Taro [Famitsu via Siliconera]

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2017 was one hell of a year

The South by Southwest festivals and conferences have been going down this past week, once again in Austin, Texas, which includes this year's SXSW Gaming Awards, co-hosted by IGN's Alanah Pearce and? Blizzard’s Richard Campbell.

The highlight of the night -- and to be expected at this point -- was definitely the Game of the Year award going to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and, of course, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds going ??home with a few awards as well. But, my personal highlights include t??he musical performance going on for five minutes too long and watching the incredible pre-recorded videos from Yoko Taro and friends.

As for the awards themselves??, it was broken down into 24 categories this year and down below you'll find the full list of winners:

Video Game of the Year

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: Nintendo

Excellence in SFX

Super Mario Odyssey

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: Nintendo

Excellence in Musical Score

NieR: Automata

• Publisher: Square Enix
• Developer: PlatinumGames

Excellence in Technical Achievement

NieR: Automata

• Publisher: Square Enix
• Developer: PlatinumGames

Excellence in Visual Achievement

Horizon Zero Dawn

• Publisher: Sony Computer Interactive
• Developer: Guerrilla Games

Excellence in Animation

Cuphead

• Publisher: StudioMDHR
• Developer: StudioMDHR

Excellence in Art

Cuphead

• Publisher: StudioMDHR
• Developer: StudioMDHR

Excellence in Convergence

Star Wars Battlefront II

• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Developer: EA DICE

Excellence in Multiplayer

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

• Publisher: PUBG Corporation
• Developer: PUBG Corporation

Most Promising New Intellectual Property

Horizon Zero Dawn

• Publisher: Sony Computer Interactive
• Developer: Guerrilla Games

Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game

Night in the Woods

• Publisher: Finji
• Developer: Infinite Fall

Excellence in Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: Nintendo

Excellence in Design

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: Nintendo

Excellence in Narrative

What Remains of Edith Finch

• Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
• Developer: Giant Sparrow

Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award

Doki Doki Literature Club!

• Publisher: Team Salvato
• Developer: Team Salvato

Gamer’s Voice Award Video Game

Battlesloths 2025: The Great Pizza Wars

• Publisher: Rooster Teeth Games
• Developer: Invisible Collective

Gamer’s Voice Award Mobile Game

Tiny Bubbles

• Publisher: Pine Street Codeworks LLC
• Developer: Pine Street Codeworks LLC

Gamer’s Voice Award Tabletop Game

Sol: Last Days of a Star

• Designer: Elephant Laboratories

Gamer's Voice Award Virtual Reality Game

SUPERHOT VR

• Publisher: SUPERHOT Team
• Developer: SUPERHOT Team

Trending Game of the Year

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

• Publisher: PUBG Corporation
• Developer: PUBG Corporation

Esports Game of the Year

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

• Publisher: PUBG Corporation
• Developer: PUBG Corporation

Tabletop Game of the Year

Gloomhaven

• Designer: Issac Childres

Virtual Reality Game of the Year

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

• Publisher: Capcom
• Developer: Capcom

Mobile Game of the Year

Fire Emblem Heroes

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: DeNA, Intelligent Systems

For those of you curious what the "Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award" is for, it's named after and dedicated to Matthew Crump; a SXSW Gaming Expo coordinator and game developer who ?passed away in 2014. The category is awarded for games that challenge the “norm” of gaming and can deliver a culturally innovative view of the game world, charac??ters, or gameplay.

The post Nintendo cleans house at this year’s SXSW Gaming Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, they never expected to sell two million copies

_{[Image source]}

NieR: Automata is a strange ?and amazing game, and if you haven't played it yet, make a note in whatever note-taking software you use to eventually pick it up at a price you're comfortable with. If you have a??ny love at all for weird projects that really show what games can do as a medium you'll enjoy it.

And enjoy it people did, as Famitsu checked back in with the NieR: Automata team (Illustrator Akihiko Yoshida, designer Takahisa Taura, producer Yosuke Saito, and famed director Yoko Taro) to see how things have been going since its launch last February, and they're st??ill very happy with h?ow everything turned out.

As a reminder they explained that they would have been fine just selling through one million units, but ended up being completely taken aback by two million. They also noted that they felt like they had the freedom to make the project they wanted to make, and even got to add in one kooky bugged-out mechanic into the game -- pressing the R3 button while holding the d-pad arrows -- which break the camera but felt that it was "NieR enough" to keep.

There's also one better kept secret -- something the team deems "unpleasant" -- that no one has discovered yet. They call it "the final secret of NieR: Automata, and that they aren't going to explain what it is because "problems may occur." Until folks find that hidden bit, director Yoko Taro did confirm that a new game is being proposed, and that since 2020 is the 10th anniversary of NieR, they wanted to announc??e "something big," po?ssibly a new project.

A year later Automata continues to impress, and now ?I? just want to play through it again.

NieR [Famitsu via Gematsu]

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