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Character Tirade Proves Nier's Edge

Square-Enix is not known for pushing the envelope in terms of maturity and questionable content. Despite a few scantily clad female characters here and there, this studio's primary goal is never to shock and titillate. But are we seeing a shift in their style with the upcoming mature RPG, Nier?

We've heard a bit about it in the past, including the game's motto, "Nothing is as it seems." Cavia is the developer - they were responsible for Drakengard - and they're building this adventure around the main character, Nier, who is trying to save his daughter from a certain deadly disease. But a recent video-less trailer has opened our eyes (er...ears) to another character: her name is Kaine, who typically wears even more revealing outfits than we've typically seen in Square-Enix-published titles and goes bonkers when yelling at Grimiore Weiss. You can listen to this expletive-laced tirade over at Game Informer and then decide for yourself if Square-Enix is trying to "grow up," so-to-speak.

Oh, an don't forget that recent scans from a Japanese magazine have referred to Kaine as a hermaphrodite, thanks to possession by a male demon during combat. Basically, she is shown as a full female (we think) but her aggressive behavior is due to the sudden influx of "maleness." See, we don't really know if she was physically affected by this possession; i.e., a true hermaphrodite, or if the demon merely affected her mentality. But either way, this isn't the type of thing we normally see from Square-Enix and it'll be interesting to see how the fans respond...

Related Game(s): Nier

12/28/2009 10:19:40 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (49 posts)

frylock25
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:47:30 AM
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this game sounds weird. will be interesting to see what they do with it.

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Jawknee
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:54:12 AM
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Err, he used the wrong word for her "maleness". Shes no more a hermaphrodite then Regan was in the Exorcist. Weird he chose that word to describe her.

Also, this is nothing new from Square. They showed nippleless boobies in Parasite Eve. It's rare that they show stuff like this but not new.

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mbg77
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:57:25 AM
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I think with an attitude like this she could be a Killzone 2 squad leader.

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Highlander
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:59:06 AM
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From the article and the description of the duality of gender, it sounds more like Hermaphrodite is not the correct English word here. Could it be the result of a slightly too literal translation trying to cope with the duality of a female inhabited by a male persona?

Either way, I think someone at SE has confused weird issues of sexuality/gender and lots of swearing with being grown up.

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BTNwarrior
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 11:52:43 AM

I guess for some cultures if a girl cusses people out she must be a hermaphrodite cause no girl could use those words.

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fluffer nutter
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 12:55:14 PM

Women tend to be more vulgar than men. Don't think so? Hang out with a group of them on girls' night out. You'll see. ;) Not that I am against it. Nothing wrong with not always being proper.
Last edited by fluffer nutter on 12/28/2009 12:55:40 PM

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Nynja
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 3:35:49 PM

@fluf

That is very true. My woman can have a pretty vulgar mouth and be very cruel when with her friends. Sometimes she can get that way just around me. I wonder if it has anything to do with me...

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Nynja
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 11:56:07 AM
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Brings new meaning to a man trapped in a woman's body... Have to admit, I'm curious.

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Nynja
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 3:32:28 PM

........after re-reading my comment, it sounds a bit... strange.

What I believe I left out was "I'm curious to see how far SE is going with this."

I have to agree with Highlander's comment. Lost in translation as usual.

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nad
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 12:10:31 PM
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wow, from fluffy characters with pink hair to this?

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Banky A
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 2:03:17 PM

MegaFlare!

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nad
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 12:12:39 PM
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btw tomboy might be a better word to describe her than hermaphrodite

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Banky A
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 2:03:26 PM

MegaFlare!

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Superman915
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 12:58:22 PM
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'one character (a rumored hermaphrodite) goes nuts'

LOL!

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Ultimadream
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 1:35:03 PM
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I've said it once and i'll say it again:
Nowadays this there any difference?

That 30 seconds trailer of her/him running on like a b!tch didnt interest me at all.
Last edited by Ultimadream on 12/28/2009 1:35:18 PM

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Oxvial
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 1:50:55 PM
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Meh I dont like characters that talk like 12 years xboxlive trolls .

hope she isn't always like that.

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Banky A
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 2:05:20 PM
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"Grimiore Weiss"

Haha, recycling traditional Square-Enix character names FTW
Weiss the Immaculate in FF: Dirg of Cerberus was definitely a dumbass!
Last edited by Banky A on 12/28/2009 2:06:25 PM

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Kangasfwa
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 2:25:08 PM
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So... This book Kaine is yelling at is sentient?

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Alienange
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 2:44:54 PM
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Why people think expletives equals mature is just stupid. Expletives equals immature.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 3:00:03 PM
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While I am still interested in Nier and where it is headed, the more interesting study here is how the Japanese are going M rated as an attempt at western appeal. Is this how we are to them?

And how is this game set to release in Spring of 2010 when there isn't even any gameplay yet? (That one fuzzy look was no doubt a very early build)
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 12/28/2009 3:02:07 PM

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Scarecrow
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 5:29:13 PM
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It's ok, only if it fits the game though
Random cursing just for the heck of it is dumb (childish even)

This really doesn't change my hype level for this game, to be honest.

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Phoelix
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 6:08:26 PM
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This is off-topic, but is anybody else noticing the ads that make you click "continue" to read articles and otherwise navigate? I've gotten 2 so far.

Say it isn't so, PSX team. That's a really big plus for this website (no full-page or otherwise intrusive ads), and I'd hate to see that change.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 6:51:10 PM

Well, there's a reason you see other big sites doing this. Progress has its price but I doubt the guys will do anything to seriously impede your browsing.

I think it's fine so far.

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Ultimadream
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 7:08:30 PM

I have that but its not even an ad, its just a big orange box with an error code in it... goes away after five seconds though and brings me to the article

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 7:32:33 PM

Obviously, that's an error. ;)

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Phoelix
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:07:38 PM

I guess that's where we disagree. I'll check to see if Adblock Plus works.

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BikerSaint
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 9:10:08 PM

@Phoelix,
Yeah, this new full-page, site-blocking ad really blows, even if it's only on there for X amount of seconds.

Ben@ This is just my opinion but...I certainly understand the need for wanting all the ad revenue this site can get, but not when the interference of an ad also becomes a detrimental PITA to the site too...just saying.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 11:05:52 PM

I don't get them in Firefox

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Highlander
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 11:33:25 PM

Ads pay for the costs of hosting a website and paying the staff that write the content. Unless you think that Arnold, Ben John, and the team at PSX Extreme are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts of course...

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Alienange
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 11:57:38 PM

I don't get them in Firefox either. Noscript FTW!

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Phoelix
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 12:50:19 AM

I know how ad revenue works.

The thing is, I don't see anything on the site (unless they hired someone new) that would cost PSX any more than what they are already paying for. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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Banky A
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 8:30:15 PM

I get that error whenever I come on after restarting Google Chrome.

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 6:52:18 PM
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Does anyone else think the voice acting here just plain blows?

I wasn't too impressed with the voices I've heard in FFXIII, either...Square-Enix has always lacked in this department and I'm not sure why. Go knock on Konami's door and ask to use the cast they assembled for MGS4, for God's sake.

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Scarecrow
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 7:30:55 PM

FFXII's voice acting was good...

(And I always loved Yuna's voice......still one of the most distinct voices in gaming)

That might just be me though

I actually thought XIII would be good when it comes to voice acting....(since they emphasize those cut-scenes so much)

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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 7:33:33 PM

FFXII did have good voice acting, and it was decent in X. But we're talking about supposed blockbusters; the creme de la creme. We've come a LONG way in voice acting ('cough' Uncharted, Batman 'cough') and that just doesn't cut it for Nier. Not these days. FFXIII isn't up to par, either, IMO.

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Banky A
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 8:28:06 PM

For God's... Snaaaake.
That's more like it.

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Snaaaake
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 7:46:20 PM
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I wonder why SE never work on their voice acting, Kaine's voice was awful, and together with those foul words it certainly made her sound worse.

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Geobaldi
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:22:17 PM
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This, and Nier: Replicant, has been on my watch list for a while now. Too bad we'll only get one of them here. Looks like another title I'll have to import at some point.

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djjake
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:23:29 PM
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just came on to say all these ad's you have on the site recently have killed it for me, makes my computer lag, one of the reasons i stopped goin on vgcharts :(

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BikerSaint
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 9:20:53 PM

@djjake,
Yours too huh? I hate this new full page pop-up ad, and all those moving flash ads make my page go buggy too.

A real shame if that has to happen, but if it get's any worse I may have to stop coming here too.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 12/28/2009 9:21:57 PM

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djjake
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 8:41:07 AM

worst one was the scrolling one accross the top, took a min or two to catch up, even when i clicked off it it lagged lol

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just2skillf00l
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 8:35:53 PM
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Wow...after watching a trailer of vulgar ranting all I can say is wow. I wonder what they'll do for an M rating next time if this act doesn't grant it.

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BikerSaint
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 9:26:32 PM
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HMMM, she's pretty hot looking but she does seem to be wearing a rather ballsy outfit there,huh?????

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BikerSaint
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:24:32 PM
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Funny that Dragongard was mentioned cause I just picked that game up for my collection yesterday & I'm liking it.

So now this new one will be going on my radar.

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newchef
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 8:41:16 PM

i love drakengard...the second one kinda sucked tho =/

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Oyashiro
Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 10:44:21 PM
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Cursing like a sailor does not a mature game make.

Well, its not like we will be hearing he/she cursing to much seeing as Nier: Replicant is not making its way outside of Japan.

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sonic1899
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 12:52:04 AM
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...i don't care if she's a hermie. she just became my favorite character in the game
Last edited by sonic1899 on 12/29/2009 12:54:13 AM

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___________
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 @ 1:05:03 AM
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hmmmmm.
SE and the word mature dont belong in the same sentence.
games like FF and kingdom hears spring to mind.
so forgive me if im a little skeptical on this one.

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King James
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 @ 12:54:33 AM
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No wonder its going to xbox.

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