Today Square Enix showcased gameplay of its upcoming action JRPG NieR Automata, presented by Creative Director Taro Yoko, Producer Yosuke Saito, Lead Game Designer Takahisa Taura, Game Designer Isao Negishi and Operator 60 voice actress Keiko Isobe.

First of all, at 00:11:55, we see Taura-san challenging the newly-released demo on Very hard difficulty, showing off his undeniable skills at action gameplay.

An all-important detail is also shared about something everyone who played the demo had plenty of chances to glimpse. YoRHa 2B's white panties aren't actually panties, it's just the bottom part of a leotard. At least now you know what you're looking at when you're playing with that camera, and I know you are. Don't worry. I don't judge.

After that, Negishi-san showcases (at 00:24:20) a sub-quest received at the Resistance camp. We're given a glimpse at the newly-revealed Resitance leader Anemone. The player will talk to her as part of the main scenario, and that will open sub-quests from other members, in this case the weapon shop owner.

After that, Taura-san showcases the Plug-in Chip system (at 00:35:50), that allows you to customize the performance of 2B with skills and modifiers. Some examples are a scanner feature, an ability to make the heroine's sword slashes ranged, one to counter enemy attacks, one to briefly stop time after a perfectly timed dodge, and one to slow down time for about a second (time doesn't actually stops or slow, it's 2B's sensors that are overclocked). There are even chips that allow you to hide elements of the HUD.

Plug-in chips can either be purchased from vendors, or dropped by enemies.

At 00:51:00 we also see the Cypress Stick revealed by the latest trailer in action, and how it turns chests into those from the Dragon Quest series (which are much easier to spot), and has a similar effect on damage and healing numbers.

At 00:55:32 Final Fantasy XV's Engine Blade is also showcased, giving 2B a warp effect similar to Noctis'.

At the end of the video, at 00:59:40, we get to see some merchandise sold at the Lawson convenience stores in Japan, including a Emil pillow, a smartphone case, a frame print of of the Japanese cover of the game, cookies, and a mini-table. They will also be offered at Lawson's online store Loppi. A creative collaboration with the Japanese alternative band Amazarashi has also been announced.

The game will release in Japan for PS4 on February 23rd, in North America on March 7th, and in Europe on March 10th, 2017. A PC version is also scheduled to come next year, but no release window has been announced for that one. It will support PS4 Pro, and you can read details about that here, and see some of the improvements here.

If you want to try the game for yourself, a demo is currently available on the North American and European PlayStation Stores.