Details Revealed for Nier: Automata’s Combat System

Last Updated: October 26, 2016

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Famitsu recently revealed details about the combat system for Nier: Automata, the upcoming action RPG from PlatinumGames and Square Enix for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

The protagonist is an android named YoRHa No. 2 Model B, or 2B. She can wield a balanced one-handed sword, a heavy two-handed sword, and faster, short-range melee weapons. Her Pod support system also allows her to shoot enemies from a distance.

In combat, you’ll use the Square button for a fast attack and the Triangle button for a heavy attack. You can have two weapon sets (such as one set using a melee weapon and one-handed sword, and another set using the one-handed sword and two-handed sword), and you can swap between at any time using the d-pad. For ranged attacks, you’ll use R1 to fire your Pod’s guns and L2 to lock on to enemies.

Finally, R2 will be used to let you dodge and evade attacks. If you dodge at the exact moment an attack would have struck, you’ll become temporarily invincible and be able to use special attacks. This should sound familiar to anyone who has played Platinum’s Bayonetta games, although unlike Bayonetta’s Witch Time, it doesn’t affect the flow of time.

Like Platinum’s previous games, Nier: Automata should be filled with challenge for players who love action games. However, for those who are unable to play the action sequences, there is a special Auto Mode that lets 2B automatically attack and evade as long as you keep moving. Auto Mode can only be enabled if you’re already playing on easy. While this may seem like an odd decision, Bayonetta included a similar feature.

Nier: Automata is due out in Japan on February 23, 2017, with a worldwide release later that year. Although it is a sequel to Square Enix’s 2010 action RPG Nier (which is itself a Drakengard spin-off), director Yoko Taro has said players will be able to enjoy Automata even if they didn’t play the original Nier.