NieR: Automata - Game of the YoRHa Edition

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 776 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 671 out of 776
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 776
  3. Negative: 45 out of 776
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  1. ArtyomShpytyack
    Feb 12, 2020
    9
    Despite not up to date graphics and other flaws (like boring mmo-like side quests and unbalanced weapons) the game is one of the most memorable and atmospheric games of all time. The characters and the music are unique, and if you beat the game you will never forget it.
  2. Khrizs
    Feb 14, 2020
    10
    One of those game with an ending that doesn't leave you indifferent. The way it deals with issues such as conscience or destiny is worthy of the great masters. Love it.
  3. aosan
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    Damn, this game is awesome. This is an art I think. Beautiful music, great story, excellent character design. The first time I did not understand this game. But the second time I couldn’t tear myself away from her. By the way, I was expelled from the university because of her xD I love this game. Yoko Taro - you fn genius)
  4. DamyanDG10
    Oct 28, 2019
    10
    What a game this is !
    Never thought I was gonna play it cuz i had some wrong impressions on it but man did i get wrong on this one..
    Everything in this game is just phenomenal but one thing goes beyond all and thats the story.
    PlatinumGames deserve a huge Bravo for this one!
    If you ever got in any doubt about trying Nier:Automata - dont be, just play it and be a part of this piece of art!
  5. Edugelion27
    Mar 18, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It certainly isnt a perfect game but a game that really makes u question so many difficult topics and what it really means to live. The emotions i felt during the final act are a one in a lifetime experiance.… Expand
  6. CraZyMIX
    Jul 7, 2020
    10
    A game like no other. The story is deep and engaging, the gameplay is fast and stylish, the music is out of this world, and the semi-open world is breathtaking. This game also features a lot of unconventional design choices that are very surprising and like nothing I've ever seen before, but they are sure welcoming surprises.
  7. TSoultz1995
    Apr 19, 2020
    9
    I was surprised with how much I ended up enjoying this game. It has fun, fast gameplay and feels to me like somewhere between Ocarina of Time and an old PS1 Squaresoft RPG. Its quirky, addictive, and has a good story with some interesting twists.

    My only criticism is that the second play through (there are 5 main endings, requiring 3 play throughs) is a little too similar to the first    I was surprised with how much I ended up enjoying this game. It has fun, fast gameplay and feels to me like somewhere between Ocarina of Time and an old PS1 Squaresoft RPG. Its quirky, addictive, and has a good story with some interesting twists.

    My only criticism is that the second play through (there are 5 main endings, requiring 3 play throughs) is a little too similar to the first and the character is no where near as fun to control as the one you start out with. I was finding myself doing less of the side quests on that one.

    Generally there is a good amount of freedom in the game to roam around and do quests at will, but it is done so in a way that you never feel like you lose the main narrative. Plenty to discover and some great settings. Music is unbelievable!    … Expand
  8. mistwalker14
    May 15, 2019
    6
    I was pretty excited to finally play this game after hearing all the praise it has, not only from fans, but a lot of gaming outlets as well, almost all the time I tend to agree with them, but this is just one of those times where I just don't quite get it....
    This game is a combination of an Action game, with an open world and some RPG elements, also there are some shoot'em up elements    I was pretty excited to finally play this game after hearing all the praise it has, not only from fans, but a lot of gaming outlets as well, almost all the time I tend to agree with them, but this is just one of those times where I just don't quite get it....
    This game is a combination of an Action game, with an open world and some RPG elements, also there are some shoot'em up elements (the second playable character will have a lot of sections of this) and the game can't even execute one of those single genres well....
    The combat, which is similar to Bayonetta if you are familiar with that series, 2 attack buttons: 1 heavy and 1 light attack, but in this case, the combo variety options this game offers are pretty limited and considering the poor enemy ai design, their paterns are very predictable and honestly, most of them feel the same while fighting them, you'll just end up using the same moves over and over again, there's really not a real challenge, unless higher the difficulty settings which only makes the game harder in an artificial way (enemies do more damage). None of the bosses feel memorable, at least in a gameplay-wise pov.
    Now into the open-world and RPG aspect.... I don't really understand what was the point of making this game open-world, none of the side-quests are interesting in any way, most of them consist of the same thing (go here, kill enemy, collect item, return to quest giver) and the fact that the game purposely ("lore") avoids a auto-save feature so you'll have to save every single time, because in most cases, the game doesn't offer check-points (although in my experience, some boss fights did have them... for some reason). It is worth mentioning that, at least for me, for an open world game to be good it most have a world where you can forget about the main missions for a bit, and this game just doesn't have that kind of world.... most of the areas are empty, and since it is using gameplay elements from an action game... you really don't have anything to do in it.... I really feel this should be a linear game separated by chapters, like every other action game in the market, at least if this game is supposed to be "all about the story bro" like their fans are claiming it to be.

    The leveling system doesn't feel as rewarding like other RPGs, because it doesn't really serve a purpose in the game... except for some side-quest that won't adjust to your level, and since you have to buy your abilities with in-game currency, I don't see why it was implemented.
    The graphics are really not that good for what this generations is capable of, these are on the same level as a PS3/360 game, for the looks of it, they used the same engine Platinum used for Bayo 1, MGS Rising. I do admit some areas, like the castle in the woods, do look pretty.
    My favorite aspect of this game is the music, I think it is one of the few things the game nails to achieve. The story is... interesting, but I'll have to admit I don't really get the praise it receives, but the fact that you have to deal with all the boring gameplay aspects made it kinda difficult for me to really enjoy the trip, and the fact that you have to beat the game 2 TIMES (the second one is way worse than the first one, since you won't be having a 2nd button attack here, but a "hacking" button that triggers a shoot'em up minigame... meaning that you'll have to play it hundreds of times) to get to the second part of the main story just made it worse.
    I particulary like the english dub, I think the voices of the 3 main characters nailed it in their roles, and I say this as someone who likes to play/watch things in their original language.
    I guess I'll admit that 2B's character model.... is quite something, but sex appeal won't make me higher my final score for this game lol.

    I do know that Yoko Taro games are known for having pretty bad gameplay and a lot of technical issues, and since this game was developed by Platinum Games, this is one of the better ones in those aspects, and I really don't have an issue if the guy has an audience that likes his games, but for gaming outlets and other professional reviewers completely ignoring this game's issues and going as far as nominating it for GOTY alongside games that actually are well crafted GAMES (Breath of the Wild, Persona 5) is something I can't respect.    … Expand
  9. Zetsky
    Aug 1, 2020
    10
    Best game i ever played, the gun goes boom, the android goes blast blast, unique gameplayyy
  10. ryingzi
    Mar 19, 2019
    6
    游戏是个好游戏，但是开发商吃相太难看，价格定位过高，如果是一开始的199定价，我相信很多人会买，六分给的游戏，扣开发商四分
  11. ty92
    Aug 7, 2019
    7
    The combat is fast and graceful. The story is good from the start. The music is good. And the different camera angles they use is interesting. You get a full package of game here. Some of the side quest are bad. But overall it's a good game.
  12. VioleGreis
    Mar 1, 2019
    2
    So we all already known that Nier:Automata was the nice game and has some performance issues, but Yorha edition just do nothing for original Nier, it doesn't fix bugs or improve performance, not give us new game-play features, just a few avatars ( who care about them? ) and pod skins ( the same as avatars ). So i really don't understand why you give to this game 8-9 score. That scoreSo we all already known that Nier:Automata was the nice game and has some performance issues, but Yorha edition just do nothing for original Nier, it doesn't fix bugs or improve performance, not give us new game-play features, just a few avatars ( who care about them? ) and pod skins ( the same as avatars ). So i really don't understand why you give to this game 8-9 score. That score should be on Nier:Automata but not Yorha edition.… Expand
  13. Momonga
    Mar 2, 2019
    10
    Best Game in Looooong Time Si es perfecto que mas puedo decir la musica la accion el hecho que lo pase bien y no me aburi como con los otros AAA que salen como productos sin almas. Este juego es una experiencia interactiva hasta el ultimo de los creditos. mexclando realidad con virtualidad en una forma que pocos ejemplares pueden hacerlo. le doy 10 no por fanatismo sino porque laBest Game in Looooong Time Si es perfecto que mas puedo decir la musica la accion el hecho que lo pase bien y no me aburi como con los otros AAA que salen como productos sin almas. Este juego es una experiencia interactiva hasta el ultimo de los creditos. mexclando realidad con virtualidad en una forma que pocos ejemplares pueden hacerlo. le doy 10 no por fanatismo sino porque la experiencia fue de 10 y al final todo lo que buscamos en un juego es esa cosa que nos dice me alegro de haberlo terminado y no de por fin lo termine.… Expand
  14. mayu_euphan
    Mar 21, 2019
    10
    simplemente el mejor juego de esta generación , recomendado a todos . Una historia sublime , personajes , jugabilidad de 10 etc , simplemente comprendo
  15. Mitohondrik
    Mar 4, 2019
    0
    OMG LMAO
    It's such a stupid way to get money from poor players. Completely agree with VioleGreis. The most helpful review ever!
  16. RaizenBS7
    Mar 9, 2019
    10
    I dont regret having bought this game.
    I believe that it is a game of 10 !!
  17. aladrin
    Mar 5, 2019
    9
    a masterpiece of good play action good music, history controls I recommend it
  18. ThePluckyBrit
    Apr 8, 2019
    5
    This is an odd one for me, I loved the 1st game, I couldn't enjoy this game.

    It just felt kind of empty to me, combat was good, animation was nice, but the settings were hideously ugly and dull, most of the sets looked worse then the original game, I just couldn't click with it, never got to finish the first play through as my interest just kept trailing off, no idea how you could play    This is an odd one for me, I loved the 1st game, I couldn't enjoy this game.

    It just felt kind of empty to me, combat was good, animation was nice, but the settings were hideously ugly and dull, most of the sets looked worse then the original game, I just couldn't click with it, never got to finish the first play through as my interest just kept trailing off, no idea how you could play it multiple times, there must be a good game here, but I've just struggled to connect with it so not a recommendation from me.    … Expand
  19. Lestatman
    Mar 28, 2019
    6
    I had not played the previous games so went in without any prior bias. Was enjoying it till I got to the ending and then another ending and then another ending by which point I had gotten tired of it and wished it just had one ending and thats it.
  20. hello_world
    Mar 9, 2019
    8
    Gameplay wise, there is nothing special about Nier: Automata. If you like Platinum games, you can enjoy the combat, though it is not as good as the Bayonetta series, it's not as bad as the Korra game.

    Where the game truely shines is its narrative. The game uses the works of philosophers like Nietzsche to tell the story and serve as a backbone for its core themes. While they don't    Gameplay wise, there is nothing special about Nier: Automata. If you like Platinum games, you can enjoy the combat, though it is not as good as the Bayonetta series, it's not as bad as the Korra game.

    Where the game truely shines is its narrative. The game uses the works of philosophers like Nietzsche to tell the story and serve as a backbone for its core themes. While they don't provide any interesting commentary on the works they reference, very few games even attempts on tackling this subject matter and they actually do some quite clever things to its narrative and gameplay to invoke the works they reference. The game ends with the most interesting moral choice in video games ever. I won't spoil it here, but I will say that unlike other games where a moral choice usually means you see one of two endings, this is a moral choice with actual consequence on the player making the choice.

    One main gripe I have with the game is the character design of 2B. I'm no prude, but I was disappointed that with everything else about the narrative of the game being so well thought out and deliberate, that the only justification the creator had for 2B's sexualised design was that he likes looking at hot girls. This is a rather shallow design choice as it sacrifices both realism and characterisation.

    On the realism front, there is no reason to send a battle android into battle in a dress. It offers no protection and later on you see that they could have put her in amour the entire time, they just chose not to.

    On the characterisation front, 2B is portrayed as a cold, aloof character that is actually emotionally vulnerable and caring on the inside. Again this is not reflected in her character design as nothing about a skirt suggests cold on the outside, caring on the inside. Again a suit of amour would have fit in better as it alludes to the fact that her cold exterior is just a defence mechanism to help her not get too close to those she cares about, but if you get past her emotional amour, she is vulnerable.

    With everything else being so well thought out, the decision to put 2B in a skimpy outfit seems like a missed opportunity.    … Expand
  21. danderso
    Apr 26, 2019
    3
    I honestly cannot understand the respect that this game gets.

    Very bland combat (and that is all that you do). The story is typical JRPG nonsense.
    Voice acting is very poor. Attack, dodge, rinse and repeat.

    I tried for about 4 hours and gave up and got rid.
    From what I had read, I expected something life-affirming but it was dreadful.
  22. rbirbi
    May 11, 2019
    0
    Entre los personajes y los paisajes y sus gráficos no salgo de casa.
    https://www.game.es/nier-automata-game-of-the-yorha-edition-playstation-4-161565
  23. lefermier
    Oct 28, 2019
    0
    one of most overrated garbage ever played broken console port on pc looks **** boring empty open world stpuid mechanics like restart the whole game for continue story is good if you are a 14 teen
  24. samstylle
    Dec 31, 2019
    0
    Sinceramente como as pessoas gostaram desse jogo. GRAFICOS ULTRAPASSADOS HORRÍVEIS. JOGO TODO CHEIO DE NEBLINA PRA ESCONDER E DESFARSAR OS GRÁFICOS MAL FEITO. JOGABILIDADE ANDA EM MATA UNS ROBÔS SEM GRAÇA S TUFO REPETIDO S
    SEM FALA DO MAL ACABAMENTO FO JOGO TRILHA SONORA OKAY HISTÓRIA SEM GRACA Clichê sem fala pior de tudo mundo vazio quer te mal elaboradas não sou hater mais e mal    Sinceramente como as pessoas gostaram desse jogo. GRAFICOS ULTRAPASSADOS HORRÍVEIS. JOGO TODO CHEIO DE NEBLINA PRA ESCONDER E DESFARSAR OS GRÁFICOS MAL FEITO. JOGABILIDADE ANDA EM MATA UNS ROBÔS SEM GRAÇA S TUFO REPETIDO S
    SEM FALA DO MAL ACABAMENTO FO JOGO TRILHA SONORA OKAY HISTÓRIA SEM GRACA Clichê sem fala pior de tudo mundo vazio quer te mal elaboradas não sou hater mais e mal feito esse jogo odiei pior recepção.Nao vale a pena jogo parece joguinho de celular    … Expand
  25. VTL
    Dec 21, 2019
    6
    Siendo sinceros... la jugabilidad es semiperfecta, la estetica es muy buena, la accion no para de succeder... pero la historia es predecible... los enemigos son 4 y para de contar... su backtraking es horrible... no se porque lo consideran una obra de arte la verdad. Esta bien el juego pero nada mas... la primera pasada ademas es muy corta luego si busca sus 100 finales... pero es lo mismoSiendo sinceros... la jugabilidad es semiperfecta, la estetica es muy buena, la accion no para de succeder... pero la historia es predecible... los enemigos son 4 y para de contar... su backtraking es horrible... no se porque lo consideran una obra de arte la verdad. Esta bien el juego pero nada mas... la primera pasada ademas es muy corta luego si busca sus 100 finales... pero es lo mismo otra vez, con sus 4 enemigos otra vez... me aburrio sinceramente... lo siento. buen juego, pero nada mas.… Expand
  26. dr0nzer
    Jun 28, 2020
    7
    Firstly, a 2017 release - graphically does not hold that great in 2020, however the gameplay mechanics still do and are astonishing, i was pleasantly surprised and impressed many times over, the entire system is seamless, the boss battles are some of the best I've ever experienced, so many layers, so much depth..... so many phases! There is so much replay value if that's your thing, it's aFirstly, a 2017 release - graphically does not hold that great in 2020, however the gameplay mechanics still do and are astonishing, i was pleasantly surprised and impressed many times over, the entire system is seamless, the boss battles are some of the best I've ever experienced, so many layers, so much depth..... so many phases! There is so much replay value if that's your thing, it's a game that actually encourages you to in order to see the other endings.
    The music/soundtrack compliments the action so well, I personally didn't understand the story... nor did i really care for it, I've only done one playthrough and I won't be doing another.
    I do feel this game is overhyped though.    … Expand
  27. Honigschleim
    Nov 24, 2019
    3
    The game was not so great now, it was totally overhyped. The gameplay is very fast, and the game does not manage to develop personal proximity to the characters.
    The soundtrack is outstanding.
  28. Nielivarez
    Jun 6, 2020
    7
    * TLDR and my suggestion:

    Nier Automata is a decent game that left me with mixed feelings. It's unique. But it also has its frustrating moments. If you are out of good games then give this one a go. I suggest you don't touch the side-quests and just progress the main story. You'll have a way better time. * I originally had written a much longer review of this game but to MetaCritic's    * TLDR and my suggestion:

    Nier Automata is a decent game that left me with mixed feelings. It's unique. But it also has its frustrating moments. If you are out of good games then give this one a go. I suggest you don't touch the side-quests and just progress the main story. You'll have a way better time.

    * I originally had written a much longer review of this game but to MetaCritic's 5K letter limit I had to cut in half and forgo the positives. There are many of those reviews out there.

    * What keeps this game from being a masterpiece?
    As great as Nier Automata is, it has it's annoying moments. And unless these moments are addressed with fair and constructive critisicm, they will be included Yoko Taro's next games or any aspiring developer who wants to learn from this game. That's the main reason I am writing thise piece, and that's why I am surprised as to how many reviews, even those who sporadically mention these flaws, ingnore them in their ratings.

    - Flawed pacing:
    The pacing of Nier Automata reminded me of MGS5. When a quest becomes available, I, the cosumer, take it as a sign that the game wants me to do it. However these side-quests have almost nothing to do with your main quest and doing them actually hurts the pacing of the game.
    So basically, no story development while you are doing unrelated side-missions and when a story development does happen you know that a snooze-fest is awaiting you further ahead until the next development happens.
    Keep in mind, these side-missions are designed to be a part of the game; if you delete them, you're omitting a big chunk of the game.

    - Sinful side-quests:
    These side-quests are not only causing pacing issues for the main mission but they themselves are to put it mildly 'unispired'.
    All the old sins of the 90s are here. 'Fetch quests' are the best you can hope for. 'Escorting helpless NPCs' are here as well. And the one side-mission where you 'walk aimlessly in a huge barren desert, hoping to chance upon hidden items' just takes the cake.
    They're the prime examples of 'filler content'.
    The 'existential crisis' these quest convey isn't due to the story but your IRL time-waste.

    - Main story momentum killers:
    For some reason, the cool moments in the game are immediately followed by some event that intentionally kills the flow. It's like the cow that produces a lot of milk but as the bucket starts to fill, poops a hard dung in it and spoils it all.
    For example, after a cool event, you are forced to stumble for about 4-5 minutes across the map unable to use any abilities. You also can't jump. This clearly intends to frustrate the player. But why? I'd calmly put down the controller and play another game.

    - Unnecessary multiple playthroughs:
    The multiple playthroughs turned out to be more of a marketing strategy.
    [PARAGRAPH BELOW TALKS ABOUT NUMBER OF PLAYTHROUGHS. SKIP IF YOU CONSIDER IT A SPOILER]
    The game has 5 meaningful endings. To get those endings you have to play '3 routes'. However the 2nd route 80% matches your 1st playthrough, and the rest are bits of new info sprinkled in. The 3rd playthrough is basically a new segment of the story locked behind those 2. Keep this in mind as we go on.
    [END OF DISCUSSION ABOUT NUMBER OF PLAYTHROUGHS]
    Here's the problem. Halfway through your first playthrough, you unlock the fast-travel. However, when you start your 2nd route this fast-travel mechanic is taken away until you unlock it again in the middle of your current playthrough. So you have to do all the boring trekking once more, doing the same missions again. I personally find it this decision very hard to swallow.
    So, given how much new content exists in these multiple playthroughs, you are basically dealing with a single normal-length campagn which is stretched through muliple playthoughs to artificially inflate its length and value. I don't know whether this was an executive decision by Yoko Taro or an artistic one, but what it leaves me with, is the sense that the game doesn't respect my time, at all.

    - Under-utilized combat:
    This is a Platinum game. You except to see cool fights and skill based slashing. But unfortunately the JRPG nature of the game overtakes and leaves the combat under-utilized.
    Combat is more about your level that it's about your skill. You slash and then you dodge. The system of combat is very simplified. If the enemy is +10 levels higher than you, the fight is gonna drag on until you give up or finish it and not gain anything for your hard effort.
    The lackluster nature of combat extends to your weapons too. There are many weapons in the game but the weapons of the same class all share the same movesets. A greatsword has the same animation and moveset as a halberd! This is a huge disappointing and limiting factor for a game that wants to encourage exploring and finding those weapons.

    Summary:
    Nier Automata is a good game but you will have to practice patience, especially if you are a completionist.    … Expand
  29. PIANTOM4R
    Jun 26, 2020
    0
    Not a good game the frames are not the best hhshusushejjdjdjdjjdjdjdjdjididk
  30. Kricri
    Mar 28, 2020
    2
    The lack of auto save is unforgivable for a game like that. I played 1h in the prologue, the game crashed, and I had to restart from scratch... bye bye Nier Automata
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS4 Game of 2019
44
#44 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. DarkStation
    Apr 3, 2019
    90
    Nier: Automata is a really compelling piece of science fiction. It builds on the thematic foundation of sentient robots and takes into a bold and heart-wrenching direction. The emotionally rich saga is further bolstered by an intensely memorable soundtrack that add so much flavor and extra dimension to the multiform narrative.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    Apr 2, 2019
    97
    If you've never played NieR: Automata, this package is the perfect way to experience this bizarre and haunting masterpiece.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Nexus
    Mar 19, 2019
    95
    NieR Automata: Game of the YoRHa Edition was my first foray into the NieR series and I personally loved it. I know some people soured on having to basically replay the same game again just to get to the third run that opened up more of the story, but the first two routes don’t take incredibly long to play through if you don’t do any side missions. Then again doing the side missions just made the game more fun for me and I kept forgetting that I needed to finish the main story to write this review. If you’re into hack-and-slash RPGs and don’t mind having to play through the game three times to experience the full story, give this game a shot.
    Read full review
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