Final Fantasy XV and NieR: Automata
You may not have realized this, but Square Enix is actually about to publish two really big JRPGs in the coming months. The first is Final Fantasy XV – you may have heard of this one – and it’s due out on September 30. We’re all familiar with the Final Fantasy series; each iteration is completely different from the last, and the games are mostly about embarking on an epic adventure with a misfit group of friends. Some feel that the Final Fantasy name has tarnished a little in recent years, but are hoping that Final Fantasy XV will bring the series back on track. Whether FFXV ends up being the savior of the series or not remains to be seen.
However, instead of pinning all your JRPG hopes on this one game that’s been through a decade of development hell and back, let me direct your attention to another interesting game that Square Enix is publishing…
NieR: Automata is set to be released in early 2017, and is being worked on by director Yoko Taro and Platinum Games. It’s the sequel to massively underrated and overshadowed NiER, which launched back in 2010. Unfortunately, NiER didn’t get a lot of attention due to its release being so close to Final Fantasy XIII, and this led to it becoming more of a cult classic. NiER didn’t exactly bring in the big bucks, but for those who actually played the game, it delivered a powerful and unique story, along with one of the best soundtracks you’ll ever find in video games.
Because NiER was so unpopular at the time, E3 2015 brought about a really big surprise when Square Enix announced that NieR: Automata was in the works, and Yoko Taro was back at the helm. With Final Fantasy XV being at the forefront of Square Enix’s marketing and advertising efforts, NieR has been overshadowed a little, and we haven’t gotten to see a lot of it. Without further ado, here’s why NieR: Automata may be more deserving of your attention as a JRPG fan than Final Fantasy XV.
