We'll probably get nailed to a wooden cross for this, but the perspective at Push Square Towers is that Scalebound – despite being directed by the legendary Hideki Kamiya – looks like total dross. And yes, before you start bleating in the comments, we'd say the same if it was a PlayStation 4 game.
The good news is that Platinum Games tends to work in cycles of "sh*t" and "sh*t hot", and there's reason to believe that NieR Automata may fall into the latter category.
Well, maybe. Its E3 2016 trailer was really good, and this gameplay video from PlayStation Underground shows some real promising combat. Alright, the location looks pretty darn barren, but we're loving the frenetic swordplay. There's probably some ways to go before this 2017 title is ready for release, but it gets a thumbs up so far.
Comments 19
I had high hopes for Scalebound, but the more I see of it the more I feel like it is going to be sh*t. It looks like they have no idea what game they want to make. And the protagonist looks like an ***hole...
The only people who don't love Nier haven't gotten to ending B.
Scalebound had something off putting about the look, and of course the Dante wannabe was just horrific, but I really don't think this video was the right time to call it out. I could only watch the first 2 minutes before I couldn't take the brown any more. It reminded me a lot of a section in FF12 where you are walking around a desert, maybe it was in an oil field.
I do have high hopes for Nier, calling out Scalebound just seemed unnecessary. And besides, we all know Zelda won E3 anyway.
@rjejr
To be honest I feel like Nintendo is so far removed from the pulse of mainstream gaming that even if some publications give Zelda: Breath of the Wild the nod, the actual title will still be ignored by the vast majority of people who are paying attention to E3.
it looks good but the backpack on the protagonist's back looks weird to me
I have the same opinion about scalebound and not because the game's on another console, I can buy it for my pc. Bayonetta 2 is the best platinum game for me and I hope Nier 2 can at least match that.
Man microsoft e3 is the best thing to happen to pc, I rarely play on pc anymore but maybe I will upgrade my graphics card so I can play gear 4 and other microsoft exclusive on my pc. And the new amd card is cheaper than xbox too..
The combat system in this game looks like what Platinum is good at when they are in their prime, with a "Final Fantasy" aesthetic. I hope it turns out well, and it doesn't suffer from cost or freedom of development restrictions from the publisher, like some of Platinum's other resent projects have.
I play my Xbox One more than my PS4, and I don't think it's even close: I want Nier and not Scalebound.
Scalebounds latest co-op game play didn't look that great to be honest but last years single player game play looked like a lot of fun so I am still hopeful that it will be great.
Nier doesn't look that great in the video to me. The colour looks very plain, the game-play looks very DmC but I guess if you like that style of game-play that's appealing. I would rather have a big Dragon by my side in more visual attractive and more colourful areas myself.
Scalebound still remains on my wanted list and one of the most interesting games that the Xbox has exclusively. Still not sure about 'Drew' but hoping his character is related to the story.
Whilst Scalebound demo was the definition of terrible, Neir doesn't look that good either. It looks okay but eh environments look so empty
@rjejr I'm going to challenge you to post a comment that doesn't mention Zelda.
This doesn't look good, in the sense of "will it be a good game?" Looks completely boring.
Way to turn this into a Scalebound article
Did I expect Nier to get a sequel that looks good? Heck no, i didn't even expect it to get a sequel at all, yet here we are. Over the last decade Platinum Games have become one of my favorite studios and I've come to expected nothing but greatness from them, until recently that is. They seem to offer their services to whomever is paying (royally) and fail to make any meaningful contribution to the industry at this point. Nintendo gave them the freedom to make the excellent Wonderful 101 and even better Bayonetta, but still expected the Nintendo polish, but with 3 mediocre to bad Activision games in 3 years, a Star Fox they should've passed up on and Kamiya's pet project Scalebound not looking very attractive, I'm not too sure bout Nier.
Nier on the PS3 was such a wonderful experience despite it's technical flaws and shortcomings in combat, but I don't think this Platinum Games is the studio to fix this in all honesty. A pure reboot would've been fine, but to hand them over the keys to the car seems risky. Storytelling and world building just isn't their strong suit and a game like Scalebound looks like it's suffering from it. Scalebound once was my main reason to get a One, just like the W101 and Bayonetta made me buy a Wii U, but the more it looked like Platinum Games was doing something new, I realized I don't want them to do something new.
Let's hope Taro Yoko is more than just the "producer", a title that's slapped on the box in exchange for some money or royalties, and really begins where Platinum Games should stop; cause if this game is either too much Yoko or too much PG, I don't think it'll be worth our while.
I couldn't get Into Nier on ps3 no matter how hard I tried even if I know it gained a cult following... This seems much better, at least technically!
I am not sold on Scalebound but this looks super boring.
I've never played a NieR game, but this looks fantastic. I'm very excited to see more over time.
@sub12 Well...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ck_gw31WUAA1dJy.jpg
@sub12 "Nintnedo is so far removed from the pulse of mainstream gaming"
I agree w/ that 100%, and I wonder if Nintnedo is going to try and embrace that w/ NX and get back to the casuals. Zelda might actually be the type of game that gets more mainstream press than gaming press. We haven't had a big new Zelda game since SS on Wii years ago, Nintnedo might try to wrangle some sympathetic nostalgia out of the public. Bundling Zelda w/ NX, alongside some family friendly gmaes, and Pikmin 4, maybe Luigi's Mansion 3 as well, may get people other than gamers - interested in the console. Family, kids, nostalgic adults, everybody but gamers. "Nostalgia" may be the NX gimmick.
Zelda still wins E3 though, but only b/c it is Zelda. If Horizon or GoW looked like that nobody would care about the game. I think Zelda may be poised for a comeback in a big way. People want more LotR and Hobbit, just look at all those fantasy Tv shows. If Nintendo really pushed Zelda w/ a TV series or major motion picture - preferably better looking than Warcraft - Zelda could be big again.
@get2sammyb Only on NL where I keep telling everybody how good Horizon and Witcher 3: B&W look.
And you started it this time by dragging Scalebound into a Nier article for not any reason at all I can think of, they aren't even remotely the same type of game. plbtttt
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