NieR:Automata™

Nier Automata is an amazing game about androids and machines. It's rather complex such that the game allows you to play 3 different characters at different point of times across 3 different routes. There are also more than 20 endings that you can achieve which adds to that. The gameplay is really fluid and fun, there is so much shooting and hack and slash. The characters have such a strong personality and the story makes you think about life a lot. The soundtrack is literally melody from heaven and its a blessing to hear it. There is so much to customise that everyone's experience and preference will be slightly different. I am glad to play this game once in my life and this game definitely has a place in my heart.

Nice fights, nice songs, nice butt !

NieR: Automata is one of the best action RPG that offers deep storytelling, fluid combat, and great music. The gameplay mixes fast-paced hack-and-slash action with bullet-hell elements, while multiple story routes keep things fresh and engaging. It’s one of those rare games that stays with you long after the credits roll, making you reflect on its emotional and philosophical depth.

Hack and slash combat belies some of the more deep and thought-provoking writing in a video game. The plot itself isn't necessarily original, nor are the 'quests' innovative, such as they are, but there are real moments of brilliance throughout. It is very much a game where you get as much out of it as you put into it. If you just just run from point A to point B and kill all the robots in your way, it's probably a rather dull game. If you pay attention to the little things being alluded to throughout, it's a completely different experience. If you're open to it, this game will make you feel things and questions things. It can be rough, possibly depressing. A lot of cheese. I give it a 4.5.

Nier: Automata is another beautiful game. The details and the graphics are amazing, and the story is unbelievably good. The atmosphere is unique and the music is emotional. Combat is smooth and fun. In the end, I recommend it with all my heart :) 10/10.

[h3] Gameplay Mechanics – How the game plays moment-to-moment (movement, controls, unique systems). [/h3] -This game has way too many mechanics for me to individually go through. So I will try to bundle them up -NiER Automata has a lot of different sections with different mechanics each. Sometimes it will be an Space Invaders flying section bullet hell, sometimes it is a side scroller, or top down. Sometimes it straight up a shoot em up arcade mini game, but most times it is a 3D ARPG with camera controls in which you can attack with a variety of weapons and Pods. -I absolutely love the variety of scenarios this game provides the player. Makes every encounter and area very unique and memorable, as well as each character. -The game also has a very unique way of setting up skills, passives and even HUD elements. It took me a bit to find out what was going on, but it becomes very intuitive with time. -You can even FISH. -One thing I want to note is to always remember to save your game, this game DOES NOT auto save with side-quests and stuff [h3] Difficulty & Challenge – How hard the game is, balance of challenge, fairness. [/h3] -The game has three difficulties, regardless of them, the game can be really easy or really hard depending on how you decide to play it. I played a lot on the regular difficulty, then I tested the easy difficulty and did not see too much of a difference, so I never switched back. I tried the hardest one too, but I was already max level and way too op for it to matter. [h3] Combat System – How fights feel, variety of moves, enemy behavior. [/h3] -This game has a lot of quirky mechanics, and the funniest one are the "Auto-Chips". When you equip them, you character does actions automatically, meaning that if you equip all of them, the game play the fights by itself. This was so much help for farming some stuff like levels, as you can afk while it does the job. This also works for the arcade sections, and makes Hacking way less annoying. -The game is mostly very fluid in the movements, attacks, jumps, skills and shooting. Feels great to play with some very satisfying feedback. The dodging is pretty nice as well. -All playable characters have unique combat, and sometimes even movement, mechanics. I enjoyed all play styles. -There are not a lot of enemy variety, but I don't think that bothered me at all. They all feel very appropriate for the world and story. Plus the fights are always very fast paced since they tend to release A LOT of energy balls, making the melee combat filled with that bullet hell feel. -The chips add a lot of build variety, and you also have a pod that accompanies you, you can shoot with it, as well as use a wide pool of skills. - Overall a lot of variety and awesome feeling combat. [h3] Weapons, Gear & Abilities – Variety, upgrade systems, usefulness, uniqueness. [/h3] -In this game there are Melee weapons, Pods and Pod programs. you can also hack enemies and even self detonate to give out a lot of damage. You can change clothes, but it is strictly visual. -you can have three preset of chips, so you can quickly change sets to fit best each fight you are in (very underrated feature imo). -Weapons and pods can be upgraded, but some materials are quite rare. I ended up getting most in the shop on NG++. [h3] Level/Area/Mob Design – How environments are structured, exploration, layout creativity. [/h3] -The map of the game is not big, but somehow they managed to do a lot with it. I never really got tired of it, aside from the Abandoned Factory. I absolutely hate going through that area. -The map evolves a lot with the story and it is very easy too traverse, the movement makes it great and fun to run around and there are fast travels near all important landmarks. All areas have some unique enemies, and they are placed really well, it is never annoying to just run through as it is easy to avoid enemies. [h3] Story & Narrative – Plot, characters, pacing, emotional impact. [/h3] -I won't talk about the story itself because this one is truly amazing and you need to experience it blind. The game has 26 endings, but only the endings A,B,C,D and E really matter. The other ones just happen when something specific happens during playthroughs. This game's story is very philosophical and quite depressing for most part. But it did make me laugh, made me warm inside and made me cry a few times. You will come to love every single character, even the mobs and the enemies, by the last end of the game. -The cutscenes are gorgeous and the dialogues are very engaging and well voice acted. [h3] Music & Sound Design - How good is the music and design and how well it fits the game. [/h3] -Music and SD is really good. all sounds fit the world super well. i can't really remember any motifs from the game in terms of music, but I did enjoy it as it was happening. [h3] Visuals & Art Style – Graphics quality, artistic direction, animations. [/h3] -The game is not very colorful, but I think it fits the apocalyptic setting. The aesthetic of the game is super cool. I love the character designs, as well as areas, enemies and weapons. It is very stylized, just like the Japanese fantasy games usually are. -Performance & Polish – Bugs, frame rate, loading times, overall smoothness. -The game runs very smooth. Even on steam deck I was getting 60 fps. Never witnessed a single bug or crash. [h3] Replayability – Side content, multiple endings, NG+ options. [/h3] -This game has a lot of replay ability. Just by going for the 100% you go through the story twice and a half and it is never boring or repetitive. Also the amount of builds and challenges one can do is huge. And you can go for the 26 endings if you feel like it, some are pretty funny. [h3] Boss Fights – Design, difficulty, creativity, memorability. [/h3] -As I said, the game can be harder or easier if you want too. I had a hard time early game, and then I over-leveled and literally one shot a few bosses late game. The bosses are very creative and fun to fight. The encounters are multi phased and utilize most mechanics of the game. -There are a few very memorable bosses, overall pretty nice quality. [h3] Achievements – Creativity, difficulty, how they encourage exploration or mastery. [/h3] -The achievement list has some duds that are quite grindy. However the game has a very weird mechanic: an in game shop in which you can buy achievements for the game. when I finished them game I was missing a few, and I loved the game so much that I was afraid of ruining my memory of the game by spending an additional few hours grinding stuff like materials to upgrade all weapons or pods, or finding 100 bodies and catching 80% of fish. So I ended up spending all in game currency I had left on the last few achievements. [h3] Conclusion -Very underrated games with one of the best stories and tone ever. I would give it a 9/10. Please play this game. if you don't enjoy the gameplay that much, just turn on auto chips and let yourself experience the story. [/h3]

A true masterpiece. Nier: Automata delivers an unforgettable experience through its hauntingly beautiful story, breathtaking music, and striking visuals. Don’t let the character designs fool you — beneath the surface lies a narrative rich in emotion, philosophy, and meaning. I can't recommend it enough.

Finished the "first time" more than a year ago and knowing that I had to play it at least one more time to "finish it" gave me a headache... then I decided to push through, becose moma didn't raise no quitter, and... I loved it. A game worth the effort. This game has it's limits gameplay wise, but it's diverse enough that you'll actually won't feel too much the repetition. The story is the actual focal point of the experience. Honestly a really, really good plot. The characters as well are nicelly written. I fully advise to anyone the narrative trip that is Nier:Automata. 9/10

genuinely one of the most beautiful games i have ever and likely will ever play. there is so much heart to this game. the soundtrack is stunning, the world is immersive, the storyline will break your heart. the combat and movement style are genuinely the most satisfying of any video games (trust me). i love this game to saturn and back.

It is indeed a masterpiece. Great themes and well-voiced characters. Makes you think. Combat is very good as well.

NieR: Automata very quickly became one of my favourite games of all time. It's an absolutely gorgeous game that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The soundtrack is incredible, the animation and graphics are fantastic (especially for a game that's almost 10 years old), the characters are unique, and even just the structure of it is unlike anything I've played before. There are some parts that can be tedious or frustrating but that's mostly grindy stuff that isn't required to complete the main story. The narrative of Automata absolutely captured me, and it's one of the few games I've 100% completed because of it. Overall this is an incredible game that I would definitely recommend giving a chance!!

The game direction is just amazing. the action is awesome. i loved all the different types of gameplay mechanics. the combat is fine. it is just not at the level of souls like combat. the music is great. the game looks great. most of the side quests are not super interesting. personally, i never really connected to the characters, and story was just okay for me. overall i would recommend this game if you want to play something wit cool action sequences and with very unique and quirky game direction. i have definitely never played a game as unique as this before

Es un juego que debes de jugar alguna vez en tu vida. Buen gameplay y excelente banda sonora ni hablar de la historia, es simplemente sublime.

One of my fav games (alongside Replicant and Fatal Frame 3) The gameplay was MUCH more enjoyable and less tedious than in replicant. The whole setting, story, ost’s, visuals and so many details ahhh everything was so perfect. Though it did not dive as deep into philosophy (at least with the references) as I thought, the whole DrakenNier series made me have an existential crisis. I’m in desperate need of more NieR games PLEASEEE I‘M BEGGING

I was introduced to this game technically through my dad. I found out about this game because my dad had a bunch of figures of the NieR:Automata characters in his room on his shelf where he has his other figures and things. Unfortunately I don't have an A2 figure, but I do now have a 2B figure in my room. Anyways that's unrelated to my review, after playing replicant to play this game I realized why I dropped this game before (I played this game a while ago, but dropped it due to its introduction) and that is because of how hard the introduction is. Now playing on a controller this time around helped a lot because this game is pretty much unplayable with a keyboard, it was still extremely difficult on hard difficulty so I had to resort to the normal difficulty, I will do another playthrough on hard, though. Introductions aside, this game has a very expansive combat system with me finding out a combat move I could do 50 hours into the game which is saying something because I had to set time aside to figure out how many moves I could do and also look them up as well, even after all that I still missed one move after coming back to this game to do some important quests. Now with all of that aside, I want to get into the good stuff, the story. This game has some of the most heart-wrenching stories, not even from the main story but from some of the quests and optional pieces of content that have it's own crazy depressive and backstory lore to them only seen through optional things or from the anime (which I really recommend, I love the anime and especially when A2 is in it and how they revealed A2's given name which I really loved) but as for the main story of course it's one of the best out there. 2B and 9S's relationship in this story can be perceived as romantic, I also perceive it that way, but mostly, as for the message in the NieR franchise goes, it shows the humanity and emotions in these lifeforms in which "emotions are prohibited." It's difficult not to spoil it when I want to get into detail, but to see 2B and 9S's banter in the game, the parts in which they talk to their operators in which it also reveals a side in them such as themes of family or being curious about what's on Earth, the themes in family being more prevalent in the story of A2 and the machine lifeforms as well is something that was very entertaining and made the emotional depth of the story as great as it is. For A2, which is by far my most favorite character in the game also happens to be another story full of grief and despair, A2 also having a similar personality to that of 2B in which she is cold and harbors a great hatred for the machine lifeforms, I feel the same way and way more stronger in fact that I do A2 like I felt about Kainé in replicant, something about characters like those have me attracted to them in someway where I pay more attention to their stories and the things they had to deal with to get to the point that they are in the game. This game is by far one of the most beautiful and best game I've played in my life with characters that are absolutely irreplaceable to me, stories that I sympathize with and I cry to, to rate this a "10/10" would be an insult to this game, it goes beyond rating for me, I hope people see what I did when playing this game, I will never forget.

The combat's pretty fun, I guess? The story... well, it's trying to be deep, I think? But honestly, I just kept losing track of what was happening between the tears and the existential dread. 2B is strong and all, but it’s like... everyone in this game is either sad, dying, making unfunny jokes or just not okay The music’s is the best part, and I swear, it sticks with you even after you turn it off. Anyway, Just started playing. Salt

You might think this is a game all about emo androids with shapely behinds fighting robots in the future... And you would be right! Because while this games creator, Yoko Taro, is a creative genius, he is also a huge pervert. But this is not a "fanservice" game, at all. It does not rely on stuff like that in the game, the characters are sexy and thats it. What you DO get, is one of, if not the best, video game stories ever written. Set in a (very) dystopian future where humanity is on its last legs this game presents philosofical themes and questions like what is the meaning of existence, cycle of life and death, what it means to be alive, the complex dynamics of war, family, love and hate. Add on some absolutely brilliant and unique game design choices with an amazing OST and you have got NieR:Automata. A fast paced action-rpg with a fantastic and very emotional story. You will probably never play another game quite like this. Enjoy

incredible that i got to experience this, devastated i can never experience it for the first time ever again

Really nice combat. Atmosphere is great and the art direction is awesome.

how can a life changing game include big assed women, femboys, AND deep a hitting story???

took me 3 playthrough starts to realize that putting game on normal and enjoying the story instead of bashing my skull against a concrete wall is a way to go actually zero complaints, I am a glazer, and I have been left emotionally shattered thank you Yoko Taro, Platinum Games and all other good people behind this banger

Joe I know you are watching, this game is like anime dark souls with like blindfolds. help i'm stuck in an never ending loop.

Somewhat of a cozy game to me. Excellent game. But the writing is maybe not as good as I thought it would be. Should've been more devastating. But still good. 2B 😍 Edit: nvm about the writing, the game is FAR from over when you get to ending A. You need to get ending B and C/D/E for the full experience. 10/10

I logged in for combos, But stayed for the bounce, Every frame a blessing, My will to resist? No ounce. Waifu in leather, Blade shining bright, I clicked “Start Game.” ...then edged all night.

This is the best game I have ever EXPERIENCED. It made me feel things. Absolute masterpiece. I don't even know where to start. The combat, the music, the cinematography, the game design, just A++. This game transcends genres, by meshing every type of game you've ever played in a really enjoyable gameplay loop. I can't believe it took me so long to play this game. I thought after...finishing the game, I might play it again a second time. Well...it's even more awesome and unique the second time! If you know, you know. [*Endgame Hacking is absolutely brutal. I'm not too proud to say that I changed the mode to Easy, and put in the Auto-Chips for the very last major hacking hurdles in the Hacker Recovery Tower. It was the only time I wasn't having fun.]

I don't think I've ever recommended a game harder the this. Everything just comes together so well, the music the atmosphere. This is one of the few games that I consider to be worth every penny, even off sale.

Each treasure had a different shape And one of them had a shape of a human Only Yoko Taro could put final boss before the ending credits, after, and inside simultaneously Combining multiple genres, from slashers to simple text novels. Making UI as part of the game. Rearranging background music to foreground. This game didn't fear to experiment in everything, and successfuly so And on top of that - it's pinnacle of music, story and storytelling 11 out of 10

everything that lives is designed to end. we are perpetually trapped in a never ending spiral of life and death. is this a curse? or some kind of punishment? i often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle and wonder if we'll ever get the chance to kill him.

best game series OF ALL TIME. peak storyline, peak soundtrack, peak characters, peak lore, and did i mention peak story storyline? honorable mention: peak storyline. ITS SO PEAK

Everything about the start of the game is user unfriendly and a chain of bad design choices which made me not wanting to continue. Thought that maybe after the intro the game is making up for it.... nope, it doesn´t.

Very solid game pretty fun. The way they did the story/endings here was very engaging, enjoyed playing through this and Replicant.

I love this game with all my heart. Truly one of the most meaningful video game experiences I have had. Wholeheartedly recommend people to play this. Very few times have I felt as empty and listless as I have when I got Ending E.

everything good you heard about it is true, its an awsome game, many things to find and many ways to die (endings) this game has a beautiful story great characters and a good learning curve, the only one things you must know, there is a lot of back tracking for side quest but most of them are worth your time (please do not go to the max dificukty on the first try)

Great gameplay, nice robots sussy ! Totally would grind 2B gears

very fun game, even more fun if you play it again after 5 years and forgot a lot of the story. 10/10

I wasn't sure I would like a game like Nier. I normally don't, but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I do like the game. It's nothing like I've ever played before, which is fine, hence my hesitation as well. The storyline is well thought out and I love that our heroine 2B is not the type for complaining or emotional attachments. The only thing I do not care for are those 'mini games' you sometimes get, but I can overlook those because the rest of the game is a 100% enjoyable!

good game, great story, unintuitive in some respects but i liked it enough to look past

One of the best and most interesting games I’ve ever played. Great combat and lore. Push through the 9s storyline, it’s worth it.

If you've never played this game, please do. I never had and I'm glad that I finally did. This game deserves all the praise it's gotten and more.

Is it fun? Yes. Would i recommend it? yes. That said the bad: * the map is awful, but one of the game char actually makes fun of this and it made me laugh lol * Side quests....This game will forever make me google games to see how side quests are done. I Just don't like filler like that. IT absurd and if you progress you can miss some/it does not tell you some will expire. Plus they give you quests you cant do on the map. idk why this is a thing but it is. Other than that its quite fun. Combat is cool, remind me of the 2010 NIER but with a twist. Terminator style. Plus the music is amazing too.

Peak ost, I didnt like some of the twists in the story though. Also playing as 9s is godawful boring after a few hours. 9/10

It's been like 3 years since I bought this game I have finally finished it with the true ending, and it reached my heart. This game will start to mean a lot for me from now on It's a really good game, very fun, intriguing and it can have it flaws, sure, but a game has never reached me so much like NieR Automata. It's an absolute 10/10 Please if you can, play it, but don't stop just after achieving one of the main endings. Play it through till the end, I can assure you that it will be worth it. And never give up

If you seek a game where every note tugs at your heart and every plot twist challenges your perspective, look no further. Nier Automata is a symphony of sorrow and hope, a story that breaks you apart only to piece you back together—with a soundtrack that ensures you’ll never forget the journey.

Came for the action. Stayed for the lore. I had no idea the rabbit hole i was entering lol but im glad that i did. the combat is so quick and fluid, the aesthetics are amazing, character design/development is fantastic. and the lore? i cant think of any other franchise that has plot points this thick. HIGHLY recommend you check out all of the lore (from drakengard series to automata and everything inbetween) its a bit of a gripe that piecing all of it together requires multiple sources, but automata story still stands strong on its own.

Absolutely had to pick up NieR: Automata while it was on sale on Steam. One of my most memorable playthroughs on the PS4. I can't wait to double-dip on PC. So yeah. This game is a masterpiece. The character designs, the setting, the story, the soundtrack. It's all around just a perfect game. I'm sure tons of others have mentioned this but for the love of all that is good play through ALL of the endings. I won't give anything away but there's one specific ending that may honestly change the way you approach life or view gaming as a whole. There is nothing I could say to praise this game enough. I HIGHLY recommend it.

casual hack and slash gameplay complimented by an absolutely mindblowing setting, complex psychological thought-provoking story that puts most modern AAA games to shame and a beautiful, emotional soundtrack existential crisis guaranteed honestly, just play it, go in blind and enjoy the show, worth playing just for the story alone wish i could experience it for the first time again 10/10

Most of my hours are on my Switch, but having played this on Steam as well, I have to say I prefer this version. Nonetheless, NieR Automata is a pretty good game, but its reputation is blown out of proportion. There is a lot of dumb stuff in this that ruins the experience every now and again. Some quest items don't spawn and you have to restart the game. The minigames are garbage. The jokes acknowledging the issues the game has doesn't fix them. The gameplay itself is good, but for some reason Automata deviates from it into arbitrary sections that are completely different from the usual gaming experience and every time this happens, it is horrible. The bosses are brain dead and most of them require no thought process to beat. Despite all of these issues, what this game does right, it does REALLY well. It is a good game, NOT a great one, and I easily prefer Replicant over this one.

I had finished the game, the story is so surreal and the atmosphere catch the feeling of post apocalyptic and melancholy. But for me, the main thing this game excel at is the story, combat system and the ost of the game. If you want to play this game, please take your time and enjoy it to the last you wont regret it. Anyway, A2 is the best girl.

Good action game that can make you think with a world to visit up, down, left and right.

Nier Automata is a title that I had high expectations for considering the consistent praise from game reviewers and just the average person who finished it. However, whilst I enjoyed my time with the game I also have numerous issues regarding its game-play. Starting on the positives, I love the look of this game. It has a very 'clean' aesthetic and while im usually opposed to 'monotone' colour palettes in my video games it does suit this game very well. Every area in this game manages to look beautiful and depressing at the same time, which is complimented well with this games excellent soundtrack. The core combat here is pretty fun as well although its nowhere near as deep/complex as other character action games such as Devil May Cry. Combos here are essentially just to perform one or two light attacks with your light weapon and then hit one heavy attack to initiate a long combo animation. You have several types of weapons in this game such as short swords, long swords, spears and bracers and you can assign whichever one you want into either your light weapon slot or heavy slot to get different combos. You also have a bot that flies around with you the entire game, this thing is essentially just your turret/gun that you can fire. Furthermore, since the bot flies alongside you, you can perform melee combos/strikes and use the bot to fire at your enemies simultaneously. This makes the bots firing mode a consistent source of DPS and since there's no timer or ammo limit for your bots firing mode there's no reason to not use it every combat encounter. But the bots gimmicks don't end there, you can also equip an ability onto your bot that you can use on a cool-down timer alongside your regular combos. Such abilities being a large laser that deals high damage with a long range, or an ability that turns your character into an AOE tornado of blades for around 1 second which deals high damage to enemies caught inside and grants you invincibility frames. However, whilst the game gives a pretty small but fun roster of toys and mechanics to play with, the issue comes in the fact that the game does not encourage you to engage with any of it. My main issue with this game is that whilst the core melee combat and bot abilities are fun to mess around with, the game simply does not encourage any of that. Enemy variety here is EXTREMELY limited, you have your weaker small bots, slightly stronger medium sized bots, even slightlier stronger medium bots and then your ‘goliath’ sized enemies. Theres also a few other enemy types but for the majority of this game you will be fighting the same roster of bots but with different paint jobs or minor design tweaks with the only real difference gameplay wise being there health & damage numbers. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem if these bots actually forced the player to engage with the combat mechanics, but these enemies are just so easy to defeat on normal difficulty by just button mashing and doing perfect evades (which are pretty easy given the generous evade window). In terms of difficulty, this game might be one of the worst in terms of difficulty scaling that I have ever seen. Playing this game on normal difficulty is a breeze but holy shit playing it on hard is a legitimate nightmare. This game does the cardinal sin of having it to where the only difference between normal and hard mode is the health and damage numbers of enemies, and goddamn the difference is staggering. On normal difficulty, suicide bots would remove a quarter of your health if they got to you, on hard mode these guys will nearly one shot you if your not careful. That’s just one example but the chasm between enemy damage and health scaling in normal and hard modes are just ridiculous and a cheap way of doing difficulty. There is also the story, which is honestly the main reason why I beat and 100% this game. This games plot is…all over the place, I haven’t spent too long analysing this story but if you just took seat back and looked at the worldbuilding for this game there are tonne of questions to be made which unfortunately will probably never get answered in the foreseeable future. Still, I found the main mystery with the conflict between the androids, Yorha, the machines and the dynamic between 2b, 9s and A2 to be compelling enough to look past the more obvious flaws in this games writing. Some other minor issues I had with this game was a noticeable lack of a combo list for you to look through. Don’t get me wrong this games combat is pretty simple and the amount of combos you can perform are pretty basic, but I had no idea I could just manually sweep enemies into the air for air combos until I was 10 hours in and looked at a reddit post. Overall, despite me not loving this game as much as everyone else who seemingly gave it 10/10s, I had a great time playing through it and would not be opposed to a sequel (which isn’t a Gacha game) or even ‘remaster’ that irons out most of the gameplay issues that I had.