We’ve seen a lot of different special events happen in NIKKE: Goddess of Victory. New characters appear. There was a Chainsaw Man event. Now, we can get and use 2B, A2, and Pascal from NieR: Automata in the game. To learn more about the planning and preparations for this NIKKE NieR: Automata event, we spoke with Director Yoo Hyung-seok and Head of Scenario Plot Jeung Jae Sung about the crossover.
Jenni Lada: When did planning for the NIKKE x NieR: Automata event begin?
Yoo Hyung-seok: I’d wanted to collaborate with NieR: Automata since the planning stage. In fact, I’ve been a long-time fan, so I would have jumped at any collaboration opportunities even before the development of NIKKE. (Laughs) I started seriously considering a crossover with NieR: Automata after we launched pre-registration in 2022. This was when I heard about a collaboration opportunity from the business team.
Image via Level Infinite
What kind of work goes into planning a crossover like this?
Hyung-seok: We’ve always prepared various interesting elements for large-scale events in Goddess of Victory: Nikke. But in this crossover with NieR: Automata, we’ve focused more on hacking minigames and the UI. NieR: Automata’s UI is a big feature of the game, so we’ve attempted to recreate the feel of it. Using the hacking minigames as an example, because the plot and story are inseparable elements in the original game, we wanted to recreate that sense of inseparability in this crossover.
Jeung Jae Sung: We’ve spent a lot of effort on the story. Goddess of Victory: Nikke and NieR: Automata have many similarities in terms of the theme, the overall atmosphere of the story, and world view. As a long-time fan of the NieR series, not just NieR: Automata, I really like the unique ambience of the story, which has had a significant impact on me as a developer. This great monument of a game has inspired me immensely. I focused on conveying deeply emotional and sincere stories in this crossover event.
How involved were the original staff from NieR: Automata when putting together the NIKKE event?
Hyung-seok: Both of us [Level Infinite and Square Enix] place great importance on player experience, and we hope to bring something new to fans of both games through this collaboration. You can experience the style of NieR from the UI design and gameplay and how the games are fused together.
How did you decide that 2B, A2, and Pascal would be the three playable characters for the NIKKE NieR: Automata event?
Hyung-seok: If I could have my way, there wouldn’t be a single character left out! (Laughs) Among the characters of NieR: Automata, I personally really liked Pascal’s story. Of course, I also loved 9S and Emil, so I really wanted to add them all in. I decided to give each of them a suitable position. 9S and 2B share a story and Pascal appears in the battle outlook as well as the side story, while Emil can be found on the field.
Other than that, many players may be surprised by Pascal’s appearance. Pascal has healing abilities, which are very useful for Commanders who just started playing NIKKE for the collaboration event. Pascal’s battle pose and reload motions are very cool as well, so please be sure to check it out in-game.
How influential were the original character designs when putting together 2B and A2’s costumes, including the Metamorphic Damage ones, for the NieR: Automata NIKKE event?
Hyung-seok: Although the front/back appearance and standing/battle postures of 2B and A2 are the same, we put a lot of effort into showcasing their unique movements seen in NieR: Automata. The reloading motion is also very impactful. We’re very pleased with it. Pascal’s actions fully embody his personality. We’re looking forward to the players’ responses.
Was any specific music composed just for this event?
Hyung-seok: Many players are fond of NieR: Automata‘s BGMs. When I’m working on the computer, the music I listen to the most is the music from NieR: Automata‘s live concert. (Laughs) To commemorate the collab, we’ve produced OSTs that can make everyone feel the two games’ fusion. We’ve prepared many sound tracks that give off the NieR: Automata vibe, so please look forward to them.
How accessible is the NieR: Automata event for newcomers to NIKKE?
Hyung-seok: We set the difficulty and balance in such a way that even novice Commanders would be able to complete the event storyline without too much trouble.
In addition to getting Pascal for free, we’ve also prepared various events where players can get additional rewards, such as a collaborative event Login Bonus, co-op, and Full Burst Day. We hope everyone will enjoy the event.
Image via level Infinite
What NieR: Automata series Easter egg are you most proud made it into NIKKE?
Hyung-seok: Firstly, in terms of character design, Pod is set as a shooter in the original title. 2B and A2 do not use guns. We thought that this interaction would be an interesting addition to the crossover. Hence, we’ve tried to work out a balance: Let 2B have a gun while A2 wields a sword.
We’ve also dug deep into A2’s berserker mode and created a figure of her wielding a sword, which turned out beautifully.
Jeung Jae Sung: In terms of the story, we put effort into striking the right chemistry between the two titles.
On top of that, we’ve also prepared a scene that would make NieR fans go, “Hm? Is this…? ”
Hyung-seok: I hope this event can bring back everyone’s experiences and memories of playing NieR: Automata. On top of the event stories and characters, if you can reminisce the overall narrative of NieR: Automata while playing, your experience will be even more fantastic.
Would a NieR Replicant NIKKE crossover ever be possible?
Yoo: I can’t reveal too much about any new collaboration, so please stay tuned on NIKKE; there will be new stories coming your way.
Editor’s Note: This interview was lightly edited for clarity.
NIKKE: Goddess of Victory is available on PCs and mobile devices. NieR: Automata is on the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC, and its anime adaptation is streaming on Crunchyroll. The NIKKE NieR: Automata event runs September 1-27, 2023.
Published: Sep 4, 2023 09:00 am