Square Enix has built its reputation on creating some of the most acclaimed and adored role-playing games of all time, and for the most part, they’ve all adhered to specific formula of turn-based combat and epic, sweeping narratives. For the publisher's upcoming title Nier, Square Enix took a decidedly different approach and created something strikingly different. And while the game certainly shares some elements from popular action franchises, Square insists that Nier brings something different to the table.

“A lot of people originally thought this game was a hack-n-slash, like a Dante’s Inferno, a Devil May Cry type thing,” Square Enix’s Matt Frary recently told X-Play’s Blair Herter, “but it does have magic as well. So you can run in with giant two-handed swords and knock enemies all over the room, or, at the same time, you can use defensive and offensive spells and they work together in a real natural way…in real-time.”

Find out even more about Nier’s character progression system, bloody combat and wise talking book guide in the following video interview: