NieR Announced for Japan

Square Enix made formal announcement today of a Japanese release for NieR, an action RPG that was announced at E3 for release in Western markets.

In Japan, the game, which is in development at Drakengard developer Cavia, will be known as NieR Gestalt. While originally announced overseas as PS3 and Xbox 360 multiplatform, the Japanese announcement is just for the Xbox 360. Square Enix has not clarified if this means that the PS3 version has been cancelled.

Timed with this announcement, this week's Famitsu has a feature on the game, detailing the background story and showing off some large enemies. Most of the details in the magazine mirror the E3 announcement, where a playable build of the game was demoed for the press.

Players take control of the white-haired Nier, who despite his rough looks is said to be kind and possess a great sense of justice. Nier's daughter has been afflicted by a mysterious sickness, and he's out to find a cure. Joining him on his journey is a massive sword, which he uses to wipe out anyone who stands in his way.

Nier makes use of overwhelming speed and power to defeat his foes. Outside of sword attacks, players can also make use of a dash, a guard, and magic.

Screenshots released by Square Enix today offer a look at a scantily clad female warrior, who looks like she could be a second playable character.

Not mentioned in Square Enix's announcement today is a second NieR game. Titled NieR RepliCant, this title is shown in a two page advertisement in Famitsu. Artwork in the ad shows the upper body of a white-haired female character, who does resemble the female warrior shown in the Gestalt screenshots. The ad promises a full reveal next week.

It looks like players will get a chance to sample NieR in advance at the Tokyo Game Show. Famitsu states that the game will be on display, although it doesn't specifically stated that it will be playable.