 The combat and action elements of Nier were inspired by the God of War series of games , which both Taro and Saito enjoyed . While the games had not been as popular in Japan as in North America , the two felt that the idea of having boss fights with different combat styles than the regular battles was an idea that would appeal to players in both regions . The changing styles , as well as the occasional changes in camera angle and movement , were meant to " accentuate [ the ] gap between real , modern scenery and the fantasy world " as a tie @-@ in to the game 's story . The game was meant to appeal to older players ; it was intended as an action @-@ RPG for an older market than Square Enix 's action @-@ RPG series Kingdom Hearts . This influenced the decision to have a main character in his 30s , as well as more blood and swearing than typical in a Square Enix RPG . The fusion of different gameplay styles was included as a homage to earlier gameplay styles and genres . 
