What do you do when your planet is overrun by aliens and their murderous robot minions? Escape to the moon, of course.

So explained game designer Takahisa Taura when asked about the conspicuous absence of humans in Nier: Automata

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During the demo I controlled 2B--one of Automata’s main android protagonists--as she took on hordes of mechanical enemies. 2B’s bot-destroying arsenal includes a short sword, a great sword, a pair of massive gauntlets (think the Nemean Cestus from God of War), and a companion pod that hovers above her and acts as both a gun turret and temporary zipline. Each of these upgradable battle instruments is assigned a face or shoulder button, making interchanging them a breeze. As I gleefully smashed, slashed, shot, and dodged my way through wave after wave of malicious automatons, I was happily reminded of both the frantic, fluid combat of Bayonetta (hardly surprising given that Platinum Games is involved in both titles), and the cathartic, arcady button-mashing of God of War. There was an immensely satisfying rhythm to demolishing swarms of robots, but that doesn't mean I could just turn off my brain. Each type of enemy has its own unique properties, and I had stay on my toes and change up tactics if I wanted to stay one step ahead of overwhelming odds.

The gameplay is very action-orientated, but the game’s producer Yosuke Saito assured me that Automata remains true to its RPG roots. You can upgrade weapons, take on sidequests, and buy and sell items in any of the hub "towns" scattered throughout the world, including a rather depressing hovel known as the Resistance Camp. There aren’t many inhabitants left in the world, but I’m happy to report that one them will be a not-yet-announced returning character from the original Nier. It's not clear how this person will impact Automata's melancholic story or its multiple endings, but it strongly suggests that the events in Automata are indeed somehow connected to its predecessor.

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Along with combat and customization, you'll also be able to explore a variety of seamlessly connected locations, where I was assured that almost anything visible on the screen is reachable. Indeed, from the little I saw there seemed to be few obstacles in the beautiful, 1080p/60FPS rendered world that might prevent players from openly exploring their surroundings. I was also pleased to hear these areas will offer the same verticality and puzzle-platforming as its predecessor, though no word yet on whether boar-drifting will return.

Meghan Sullivan is IGN's resident expert on JRPGs. She loves wrestling, anime, and pizza. Talk to her about all of these things on Twitter.