Taro Yoko is back to work on a new Nier game for PlayStation 4, and this time, Square Enix are working with PlatniumGames on the upcoming title. Key developers on the new project spoke with Dengeki in a recent interview.

The story takes place in the future of the first title. Gestalts and Replicants will not be in the game.

Nier, Yonah, Kainé are names that will likely have a chance of being mentioned in the upcoming game. Yoko says that Emil will appear. Accord from Drakengard 3 will also be mentioned by name. While they didn’t reveal the name, they say that ____ will be in the game as well, and Dengeki were really surprised to hear about this.

Yoko says that he believes the game will have a happy ending, this time around. PlatinumGame’s game designer Takahisa Taura for Nier 2 reacted with a “huh?!” and Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito reacted by saying “from what I’ve seen in the scenario, how the heck is it supposed to have a happy ending?! I can’t imagine how,” to which Yoko responded to the two with “I’m telling you, it’ll be a happy ending. You don’t need to look so worried.”

The “Junk Heap” will also be in the second game, but it remains unknown whether it’ll be in the same spot.

The above concept art that depicts a ruined city is not Shinjuku.

This is a shopping mall area where Robots may linger. There will be other areas like desolated theme parks, and other ruins in the game.

The concept art of the forested area is called “Castle of the Forest” in its current development stage.

The above symbols read “Doll, Human, Machine,” but we still don’t know the significance behind the three words.

Even if you’re not great at videogames, you’ll be able to beat the game, and it’s being balanced to have enjoyable action. Taura says that this will be the basis of the project.

A lot of the staff from PlatniumGames actually really loved Nier, and they’re working on the new title with much respect to the previous one. They couldn’t share other details, except that it will be “very Nier”.

There will be multiple playable characters, and you’ll go through the game as you switch through them. (According to other interviews, there will be three playable characters.)

Instead of being able to switch through different characters whenever you want, they’re thinking about a style that will switch according to how you progress through the game, and for new games, and such.

Characters with the same weapons will have different actions. They’re working on something that will allow you to connect your combos.

There will be other things to ride besides boars.

Bravely Default designer Akihiko Yoshida has been busy with his work at CyDesignation, but after he was influenced by a certain enthusiastic female Nier fan from their staff, and even from the CEO who is a huge Nier fan, he decided to take the offer.

Taura says that he had ideas for smartphone and PlayStation Vita games, but he has strong feelings for Nier so he wanted to make a compromise for it. After gathering the best staff, he was determined to give it all he’s got for the new Nier game.

Yoko says that he believes Nier is something that is valued beyond being a game, and he still even the creators don’t know exactly what is it that attracts people to it. That said, he doesn’t feel like he’ll be able to reproduce that same exact feeling in the new game. For that reason, he believes that it will be a new Nier with a different taste to it.

As far as development goes, the new Nier game’s scenario and plot is practically done, and it’s more of a “Yoko’s world” than before.

Taura and Yoko.

The new Nier game is in development for PlayStation 4.