Nier: Automata is getting hotter and hotter as its release date approaches.

Publisher Square Enix has released a 29-minute gameplay video of its upcoming action role-playing game Nier: Automata. The video revealed more details about ithe game's open world, a stark contrast to the very linear demo gameplay released in December 2016. The trailer fleshed out the game's combat mechanics and its role-playing elements.

Nier: Automata is a PlayStation 4-exclusive title that will come out on March 7.

A Post-Apocalyptic Open-World

The latest gameplay video was released by the U.S. PlayStation blog in its channel. The game revealed more about its beautiful open world. In the trailer, we see different geographical features called "zones." At the start of the trailer we see the main characters roaming in an encampment in some urban ruins. As the game moves along we see lush parks with flowing streams and waterfalls. In the latter part the green spaces give way to a desolate desert location.

This is a post-apocalyptic world set thousands of years in the future, so what remains of human cities has been reclaimed by nature. We see ruins of buildings overtaken by giant roots and thick vegetation. This graphical trait is a testament to Square Enix and developer PlatinumGames' reputation for creating memorable worlds in terms of visual quality and attention to detail.

The open world is populated by both organic and mechanical residents. Cyborg NPCs are holed up in their camps as their robot enemies roam the open world. Blissfully unaware of their ongoing war are the animals that were left when the humans fled. So we see fish, wild boars and moose. The demo showed that these moose can be used as mounts. Yes, you can ride a moose!

The open world is explorable, which means there are treasure boxes and secret locations scattered all over. Nier: Automata added a verticality feature, thus allowing traversal of high places by jumping.

Quests, Fishing, And Other RPG Staples

The demo revealed more about the game's role-playing elements such as Quests. Like in most RPGs, accomplishing quests will earn you rewards such as EXP, weapons, and items, and even unlock story plots or secrets. The one shown in the demo was a "fetch quest," meaning you must get a particular item from a specific area. To get the item, you either search for it or defeat an enemy who has it.

The demo also teased us with the prospect of a fishing sidequest. Fishing has been an RPG trope, but Nier added a new twist to it by making your drone sidekick do the fishing for you.

Speaking of drones, you can customize what kind of weapons your drone will use to help you. You can either set it to fire a Gatling gun or laser, or become a hammer!

There was no customization shown in the video but the developers promised that players can craft items from parts and use "chips" to power up "9S," the main cyborg protagonist of the game.

Other features shown were "passive" enemies in some areas of the map. Also, if you die in the game, as a cyborg, your "data gets sent to the moon" and you acquire a new body. You can revisit your cyborg "corpse" and loot its items. You have the option to revive or repair it. If you leave it for some time, it will become "corrupt" and you can fight your old body to get bonuses.

Don't forget, Nier: Automata will come out on March 7. You can check the site for more updates!