Nier is a Japanese role-playing game set in an open world environment. Players will control multiple characters through action-based gameplay, with the ability to rotate the in-game camera 360 degrees. New playable characters are unlocked with each playthrough and story route. While stated to be a high-action game, the developers have said that it will likely retain the role-playing elements of the original Nier. It is planned to retain the previous game's mixture of gameplay styles. Gameplay is generally focused around melee weapons, but some shooting elements are also planned. Weapon Stories, a recurring element in Drakengard and Nier of stories attached to weapons found around the world, are also planned.
Nier: Automata shares the post-apocalyptic setting of the original Nier, taking place after the game's fourth ending. While carrying over the Drakengard series' tradition of a dark atmosphere and branching storylines, no direct narrative connection is shared between Nier: Automata and the rest of the series. Set an unknown time after the events of Nier, the story revolves around a war between the remnants of humanity and the machine army of invaders from another world. The initial invasion forced humanity to flee to the Moon. Humanity eventually sends down combat androids dubbed "YoRHa" to fight the invaders in a proxy war. While denied emotions and lacking true names, they have particular attitudes that distinguish them from their fellows. The YoRHa are commanded from the Bunker, a reconnaissance base in orbit above Earth, and establish a self-sufficient Resistance on Earth to drive back the Machines.
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