Ronald Scheffler

The competition for these awards was fierce, with extremely strong entries in the genre and from Sony itself, but the moment we saw Keiichro Toyama fly around in the most three-dimensional open world we have ever seen, topped by graphics and colors that just give us a visual overflow, we knew where our hearts w That will likely change in 2017, however, if the past few weeks have been any indiciation. Not too long ago, Square Enix announced that there would be a link between Final Fantasy 15 and NieR: Automata , a statement that showed a strong belief in the latter's development progress. Today, developer Platinum Games upped the ante even further, unleashing a 4.4 GB demo of NieR: Automata in the PlayStation Store. The demo also got an updated description once it went lHere’s a common situation: You’re patting yourself on the back for making an animation that looks super-cool and flows really nicely. Then, you put your perfect animation into the game engine and try controlling it, and it dawns on you that it’s too slow, Nierautomatafans.Com too clunky. With tears in your eyes, you go back and cut away huge parts of your magnificent creation until it finally feels good. "Join androids 2B and 9S and their ferocious battle to reclaim a machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machine lifeforms... NieR: Automata is a fresh take on the action role-playing game genre that gracefully blends mesmerising action with a captivating sto The producer also confirmed that the game would be PS4 Pro optimized, and confirmed than an Xbox One release was on the cards depending on how NieR: Automata sales fair from the game's launch early next year. From our time with the game, the action sequences look to have heavily improved, and Platinum Games will be banking on an enveloping storyline and smoother combat keeping fans hooked. While we have some concerns about large bland locations and a lack of cannon fodder enemy variety, it's clear that NieR: Automata looks like a marked improved on the original, and action RPG fans should consider the title when it eventually releases across the gl **Giuseppe Nelva: The soundtrack has always been very important in NieR , and in fact you even held a concert a few months ago in Tokyo: what kind of inspiration and philosophy you you had while composing the music for NieR: Automata Speaking of taste, this Tokyo Game Show marks the beginning of our Reader's Choice Award, voted directly by you. The response was much stronger than we anticipated, and you can expect to be able to express your preference like this at every edition of the DualShockers awards from now on. And since we're keeping the best thing for last, you can find the winner out at the bottom of the p The first set of the NieR: Automata videos will no doubt prove incredibly interesting to fans of the original. Revolving around the game’s combat, they first show a pair of characters walking around the post-apocalyptic game world, before then taking on enemies in the game’s action-oriented combat system. It certainly looks as though the game’s action has a more dynamic feel than the original, perhaps in keeping with Platinum Games’ development hist When NieR: Automata was first announced , fans of the original game were excited to hear that the title was making an unexpected return thanks to Platinum Games. This week, Game Rant had a chance to go hands-on with an early build of Nier: Automata , speaking with the producers about how the sequel aims to fix the extensive gameplay problems of the original title, while expanding the lore and universe from the first NieR that fans seemed to systematically love more than crit Those interested in checking out what should be one of the first big RPG releases of 2017 should head over to the PlayStation Store now to begin downloading their copy of the demo. First impressions matter a lot, and if the buzz surrounding the demo is any indication, NieR: Automata could be a sleeper hit waiting to happen - perhaps Square Enix and Platinum Games will be able to combine to top the former's incredible 2016 after It took three different designers to arrive at the character you see now: One made the original concept, another made the full rough design, and a third (that’s me!) added all the additional details. I also worked on the designs for the other machine lifeforms you’ll find in NieR: Automata, making sure they have an appropriate amount of visual detail. I also check over all these designs with an eye towards what configurations and mechanical details would make for the best possible 3D character models. This year's Square Enix E3 2016 presentation largely centered around Final Fantasy 15 , and rightfully so - the game took a decade to develop and has been heralded as one of the best JRPGs in recent memory. Unfortunately, however, and perhaps unjustly, that meant Platinum Games' NieR: Automata took a backseat on the grandest gaming stage of them all. Ever since gamers caught a first look at NieR: Automata , they've been intrigued by NieR: Automata 's grim industrial world and mysterious android protagonist, and news about the upcoming title has been difficult to come