In an action game, the response time between when a player pushes a button and when their attack is performed has to feel great. To improve this response time, we use a special tool to fine-tune when each animation can be canceled into other actions, and occasionally even make subtle adjustments to their total speed. We have to be careful, though – if the animators catch us changing the speed too much, they get pretty mad…
Final Fantasy XV truly feels like a labor of love by an extremely dedicated development team, that spared no effort to deliver the best experience possible. We really can't wait to see the results on November 2
It's always difficult to choose a clear winner in the ocean of mobile games releasing every year in Japan, yet, Starly Girls stands out among other things due to the absolutely charming character des
A new year is right around the corner and with it comes a slew of new games that the video game community is already giddily awaiting. Of course, Nierautomatafans.Com there is the dreaded first quarter. Usually, anyone familiar within the video game community knows that most triple A titles will be coming out sometime in the Q3, leaving Q1 looking a bit sparse. Just look at 2016 as an example. Three major shooters all came out one after the other for a few weeks and it can create some discord; getting to all those games can be difficult. With 2017 on the way, though, things are already looking a bit different. Q1 is looking more fleshed out with titles and one of those titles is Nier: Automata , not a triple A, but worth all the attention.
On the other hand, Square Enix mentioned better lighting and shadows definition for PS4 Pro, but from what we can see in the comparison screenshots above, and playing the demo, those improvements might not yet be implemented in the demo. That's quite understandable, considering that we're still about two months from release.
In a tight, closed space, sounds don’t echo very much. In a wide open room like the one above, though, echoes last longer. Echoes also change depending on the materials that make up an area: They’re louder when you’re surrounded by metal than when you’re surrounded by dirt, for example. Each area you explore in a game needs its own reverb settings to get these echoes just right.
Here’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, too clunky. With tears in your eyes, you go back and cut away huge parts of your magnificent creation until it finally feels good.
The demo for Nier: Automata follows two androids, 2B and 9S, inside of a massive abandoned weapons factory that is now run by machines . The player takes control of 2B as she (do androids have genders?) travels through this factory on a mission to take out a Goliath-class weapon. Immediately upon playing this demo the familiarity of its predecessor is apparent. 2B has a floating mechanical companion that can provide fire power assistance as she battles the robotic enemies as they shoot the familiar orb projectiles. Nier was no slouch with a sword, but watching 2B in melee combat is truly a thing of beauty as she is able to dispatch her enemies by using her blades with the finesse of a ballerina trained by ninjas. The explosive action on screen is accompanied by a beautiful choral infused soundtrack, which was one of the more memorable aspects of the original.
The gameplay of Nier: Automata is very similar to Nier. The bulk of the demo plays like a beat 'em up action RPG, where 2B has a strong and weak attack that she can string together in combos and can jump and dodge, all while using the right bumper to provide support fire from her floating gun turret. Platforming is thrown into the mix, though nothing really too elaborate was encountered. There is a section of aerial combat that was actually quite fun and added some variety, and the scale of the enormous enemy that was fought in this dogfight fashion was an impressive spectacle to behold. While this was a sudden shift in play style the transition was seamless, suggesting that the execution of incorporating multiple game genres is improved this time around. The battle controls in Nier: Automata make combat as enjoyable to control as it is to watch.
As usual, remember that the winners below reflect our personal feelings and opinions. It's perfectly ok if you disagree, and have your own list. As a matter of fact, feel free to post it in the comments.
As a series, it has managed to keep up with the times in good stride ( even if it got weirder along the way ). Nier and its predecessor Drakengard were both superb reflections of their time. Nier: Automata is already looking to address certain themes all too familiar for the times right now. Again, making a giant leap into the future, possibly to speak on what technology means for the world. How it shapes and effects our lives. It will be interesting to see where Automata goes because it will be the first game without human protagonist. Heroine 2B looks female, but like her counterpart S9 (looks male), they are both fully functioning machines. Not a single human thing about them, aside from looks (they both look dope). It will also be a game without blood, as far as what has been shown. Surprising as this series oozes blood; even the shades in Nier spouted fountains of gore. Yet even this design choice of focusing more on explosions than gore is important. Giving pause to thought, maybe Nier: Automata is saying something about our world in a clever way that is built into its world.