NieR Replicant First Gameplay Footage Demonstrates Faster and Smoother Combat

Square Enix shared a look at the very first gameplay footage of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… during its TGS 2020 Online special broadcast.

Check out the footage from the Square Enix live stream below:

We get a first look at the gameplay for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… starting at the 26:51 mark of the video. The footage shown is from the debug build on PC using a console controller. The area shown in the gameplay footage is the Northern Plains, which might look familiar to those who played NieR Replicant or NieR Gestalt.

The monsters known as the Shades usually don’t come out when the sun is out during the day, but the devs spawned some here in debug mode to demonstrate the combat around the 28:00 mark of the video. While the enemy designs are just like they were from the original game, the animations have been brushed up significantly in the upgraded game.

The updated combat system has magic and weapon attacks interweave in an interesting way to keep things “exhilarating and punchy.” For example, in the original game, you couldn’t strike with the Dark Lance while moving. Now, you can charge it up while moving or during regular attacks.

NieR Replicant will release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Japan on April 22, 2021 and April 23, 2021 in the West for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam worldwide. The White Snow Collector’s Edition is now available for pre-order.