I don’t normally cover games that are brand new, and certainly not those that have had such widespread coverage already. But I feel I need an outlet for NieR Automata.
I’m going to try to keep my thoughts relatively spoiler free. However, the game is so dense with moments that are vulnerable to spoilers that this should serve as warning before reading. And even talking about the tonality of the game could set certain expectations. You’ve been warned.
I want to emphasize how incredible it is that we even got a NieR 2. NieR was a self-contained game and many of the vague (or absent) plot elements were found outside of the game in interviews and the companion book, Grimoire NieR. NieR, and Drakengard are rabbit holes of sorts. There’s a surface theme to them but deep down they are weird, provoking, and often uncomfortable. And I wouldn’t say the gameplay was necessarily bad – I wouldn’t play them otherwise – but it definitely wasn’t exceptional. People play them for the flavour and that’s not always agreeable to everyone. So I thought Drakengard 3 was definitely the end point for the series. They aren’t exactly mainstream cash streams, you know?
PlatinumGames has brought a solid core gameplay to NieR Automata. It feels good – it’s responsive and never seems unfair. Weapons no longer strictly outclass one another, variety is much more viable. And the material grind – while present – is drastically reduced from NieR. There’s some of the signature Platinum flash but it’s not taken to the extreme. A number of folks I’ve seen have been disappointed that the game wasn’t Bayonetta. But I think that Automata had much more awareness surrounding it than the first game or any of the Drakengard entries. So people assumed it was a Platinum game first, but really it’s a Platinum game second and a Yoko Taro story first and foremost. It still has a lot of the trappings of the series, in terms of world limitations and game progression. But it’s definitely more accessible than previous entries and it does things very well, period. And that’s not to say it isn’t over the top – it definitely is – it’s just the bedfellows people expect it to keep are a little moreso ha ha.
I can’t talk too deeply about the plot in this space, it’s something I don’t want to spoil. I’ll just say that while Automata can be very hamfisted and melodramatic at times there’s often subtext that you might not realize until much later. And the deeper you go, the more becomes clear and the originality starts to become quite apparent. There’s absurdist comedy in Automata, but there’s just as much there to challenge you. There’s a few scenes and pieces of music that struck me in a way that I kept thinking back on them days after playing them. Not many games elicit that kind of response from me.
The original NieR is a contender for the greatest OST in a video game ever. It was gorgeous, dreamlike, penetrating. NieR Automata is a worthy successor. There are some amazing tracks here that lend such serious context, that seriously accentuate the impact of these scenarios. While Automata looks great, the audio presentation really is where it shines. Birth of a Wish, The Weight of the World, a certain village’s theme. I have some instant favourites from this game, and there’s already a strong sense of attachment and memory established from enjoying this game to the extent I did.
That was the strength of NieR, the established sttachment to your companions and to Nier himself, to uncovering the mystery of the world and drinking in the broken, bizarre world. Automata does this. While Automata quickly executes its world building through action, the myserty doesn’t take long to assert itself. The core characters are great, and the supporting cast can surprise you. Sidequests are a bit samey, but I’d recommend doing some because they’re actually quite useful for filling in parts of the lore.
I’m not a fan of numerical scores, and when Automata started scoring really high and gaining a lot of interest I started to get curious. Not for the quality of the game, but knowing the direction these games can take I was wondering how public reception would fare once it was released and they got their hands on “that anime game with the sexy android.” Because the themes are never that superficial. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the reception and hope it means we can get more creative projects from Yoko Taro.
Seriously, Automata wouldn’t be considered a safe release by many series’ metrics. So to risk development costs on a sequel to NieR, I am so thankful. I really can’t overstate how incredible it was to see this game get announced, get completed, and then be as great as it is.
NieR was a game that lots of people could recommend to me, but I have always had trouble recommending to others. I think my time with Automata was personal enough that it will be much the same in that regard. Right now, writing this a few days after finishing it, I’m still gushing. I’m still over the moon. How apropos!
I liked the first NieR quite a bit even if it’s not an overly fantastic game. The music is its best attribute and the story and characters are interesting and I would say the gameplay is passable.
Unfortunately I was never interested in NieR Automata nor has that changed. This is a disappointing sequel for me. I’d play it if I had it in front of me, but I’m guessing I’d still be mostly apathetic about it after playing through.
It feels like this is a good game for those who like 2B primarily and to a lesser extent Platinum and not so much for those who liked the original. But yeah, it’s most likely at least pretty good if you like both, especially the former. Nice behind, anyway!
I can’t say much in this space, but it gels with the original. There might have been room for something in between though. The tone of the fantasy here is different but the narrative is just as strong.
I don’t want to spoil the original NieR for casual observers here either but it would have been difficult to do a direct follow-up with the same cast – even though I was very attached to those characters myself and would have loved that.
I would have been more interested in Automata if Adam had have been the main character but you already know that. :p
I would have preferred that. Hopefully I’m interested in his next game.
I can understand your feels mate, and actually THAT would have been interesting!
I hope a next game is completely unrelated to NieR and Drakengard. But maintains the eccentricity.
Same. I wonder if it’ll be with Platinum again? I would say probably.
I think they had a good reception WRT gameplay, so probably. Lots of devs make use of Plat for the combat and such these days. As long as they don’t commission the Mutants in Manhattan engine.