The interview was a bit painful to read. Felt like the person conducting it was desperately trying to push this as a Nier Automata successor, and wanted to get "Yoko Taro answers" from Taura.
They're different people, Taura has a pretty respectable resume aside from Automata too. It would be nice to see a little more interest in his vision as a director and his design method instead of just wanting to know if this is secretly a Yoko Taro game.
I want to dig into the gameplay again. So our character is a rookie in a special police force called Neuron. They fight interdimensional demons called Chimera. And they wield living weapons called Legion.
Are the Legion also Chimera who have been weaponized?
Yes, that's correct. The Legions started as Chimera, were captured, and have been put under control. They have armor attached to them and also have a mental synchronization with their wielder.
Do they want to help the Neuron? Or are they brainwashed? Or enslaved? The gameplay demo reminds me a little of Pokémon; particularly the idea of the beasts being trapped in their ball forever. Is that similar to how the Legion work?
It's kind of like Pokémon in that sense, but it's different from them in that the Legions are connected by a chain that creates a mental link between them and the main characters. In the beginning, they're not as obedient as they get later on. But they come to understand each other better together.
So I assume part of the story will be about the relationship between the rookie cop and the Legions: You coming to understand the Legion, and them coming to understand you.
It's not so much about the Legions' minds changing psychologically. It's rather that, earlier on in the story, when the player first gets the Legion, the player and Legion operate as two separate things. But as the story progresses, since the player and the Legion are synchronized together, they begin to fight as one.
Do we know if Legions learn new abilities throughout the game? If the legion in this video can learn time stop it would make my day.
Yes they all have an individual skill treeDo we know if Legions learn new abilities throughout the game? If the legion in this video can learn time stop it would make my day.
Man I loved Xenoblade 2 but it makes me wish there were more combos like this in that game. After DMC5 seeing that this game isn't just "baby's first Action game" and Taura is going all out with the options and combinations is really great. So happy that his directorial debut seems to be given his all.Holy crap, watch this bit from the Gamespot stage show today, the guy does a great job explaining the intricacies of the combat system and it's depth:
(timestamped 2h37m)
I was bummed that they were going through the same 2nd demo from treehouse at first but the guy demoing does a great job explaining the game and he worked on W101 and clearly knows his shit
Yeah this does bum me out. Taura's big moment should be his, not in the shadow of someone else, but I get that's how you sell things. :/The interview was a bit painful to read. Felt like the person conducting it was desperately trying to push this as a Nier Automata successor, and wanted to get "Yoko Taro answers" from Taura.
They're different people, Taura has a pretty respectable resume aside from Automata too. It would be nice to see a little more interest in his vision as a director and his design method instead of just wanting to know if this is secretly a Yoko Taro game.
Give me a Sieg skin cowards! :P Sometimes I feel like there were only ten people who played Chaos Legion. -highfive-So Astral Chain is basically just Chaos Legion with color, isn't it?
So yeah, looks like Akira Howard is the canon name.From the japanese website (I used automatic translator)
Born 20 years ago in the midst of the worst accident in ARC history, one of the twins grown up by an orphanage who happened to be married by Max. The growing protagonist became a policeman after seeing Max's back and growing. Later, he was overtaken by Yeozef to join Neuron in the middle
The title "Akira Howard" appears as if you did not select it as a player character in the game.
This is Maximilian (Max) Howard
The captain of Newon, who seems to be a strong rapport, but because of his high ability to judge the situation and his good looks, he has been able to grow orphans and Akira with a single man. He is anxious about the two men who became members of Neuron, but he is not quite comfortable.
Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ab48a/character/03.html
So, for someone who isn't familiar with Nier:A gameplay (me), what does that mean? I played the Bayonetta 2 demo and the kind of intense fighting in Bayonetta is probably not for me. On the other hand I really enjoyed Xenoblade 2 (including the battles) and for some reasonj (despite some intense fighting) MH.I would just guess it is very close to Nier: Automata in gameplay, because the Director is Taura who worked directly with Yoko Taro at Platinum in developing the game, and this his directorial debut.
Heck, the opening sequence is a shooter style gameplay which is pretty much exactly how Nier: A began as well
I would buy one only for Astral Chain, Bayonetta 3, Breath of the Wild 2, Smash Brosh Ultimate, Mario Odyssey 2, Metroid 5 and Prime 4, but wgo knows when we will see the last one :^/If I didn't own a Switch, I'd probably buy one just for Marvel Alliance, Astral Chain, and Fire Emblem
It means it's closer to Bayonetta than Xeno 2 (and by far since Xeno 2 is turn-based). I wouldn't compare to MH either because it feels so slow compared to action games and more about placement/patterns than reflexes and style switching, but overall I think Astral Chain will be easier than the endgame of a MH. Nier is easier than Bayo if you're worried about this. You don't have to do combos or extreme timing, it's more lenient. Did you watch the treehouse ? It can help you to get a better idea (this part is more about combat).So, for someone who isn't familiar with Nier:A gameplay (me), what does that mean? I played the Bayonetta 2 demo and the kind of intense fighting in Bayonetta is probably not for me. On the other hand I really enjoyed Xenoblade 2 (including the battles) and for some reasonj (despite some intense fighting) MH.
It means it's closer to Bayonetta than Xeno 2 (and by far since Xeno 2 is turn-based). I wouldn't compare to MH either because it feels so slow compared to action games and more about placement/patterns than reflexes and style switching, but overall I think Astral Chain will be easier than the endgame of a MH. Nier is easier than Bayo if you're worried about this. You don't have to do combos or extreme timing, it's more lenient. Did you watch the treehouse ? It can help you to get a better idea (this part is more about combat).
Will this game be comfortable enough to play in handheld mode only?
Some games just demand you use the pro controller, I hope this ain't one of them.
Omg my bad I don't know why I said turned based for XC2, must be the heat @_@.Thanks, the problem with watching is that you can have someone who is very skilled make something that is quite difficult look easy peasy :-) If i watched someone else play Hollow Knight, I would think it was easy to beat hornet (I think that was her name), but I never got past that part...
But I'll watch in a moment.and try to assess the difficulty for me.
In the mean time - it's been a while but for the life of me i don't remember XC2 being turn based (?) Quite certain it isn't, then again maybe I'm mis-remembering. Also, just so we are on the same page - when you said "slow compared to action games", you were referring to MH, yes?
Personally I really need a demo for this game that includes typical fighting. The game looks great, but I watched the game play and still don't know if the fighting is for me or not. I already made once the mistake (for me) of buying Wonderful 101 (I know, not the same type of game, but still). How hard the fighting is (for me) is make or break in such games, I really no longer enjoy games where I have to do each and every fighting section again and again and again and again.I wonder how feasible it'd be for them to release a modified version of the part played in the second Treehouse segment. Letting people actually play the game and explore the Ark a bit would probably be the best way to promote this game.
True exclusive. Nintendo own the IP.The gameplay looks great, especially how you can use the Legion to help in areas other than combat.
Is this a true Nintendo exclusive like Bayonetta, or is this a secret timed exclusive like Nier Automata?
Another reason to get a Switch then. Just launch the new console revision already so I can buy the old one at a discount.
Preload up on Japanese eShop. I assume it'll be available for preload on the other regional eShops later today.
9.6GB
I almost feel like the site should have its own thread, as there's hell of a lot of info and gameplay on there.
OP (Chaos17). You maybe should add this gameplay video from the japan website. It shows it off very well!
My voucher is ready.Preload up on Japanese eShop. I assume it'll be available for preload on the other regional eShops later today.