NieR: Automata

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4607 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,076 out of 4607
  2. Mixed: 223 out of 4607
  3. Negative: 308 out of 4607
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  1. Piaskoryb
    Aug 20, 2019
    6
    This game isnt masterpiece. It have nice story, nice mine characters. But.. The whole gameplay i feel like i play incomplete game with limited budget and lack of content. Main plot is ok, gameplay? Well i do not know what to say. Spend on this game about 40h, i have fun but.. Never comeback to this title. I think nier is overhyped in some reasons, but i do not know why. The whole model isThis game isnt masterpiece. It have nice story, nice mine characters. But.. The whole gameplay i feel like i play incomplete game with limited budget and lack of content. Main plot is ok, gameplay? Well i do not know what to say. Spend on this game about 40h, i have fun but.. Never comeback to this title. I think nier is overhyped in some reasons, but i do not know why. The whole model is interesting thou, but not enough.… Expand
  2. vahn
    Aug 11, 2018
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is 100% "okay" and that's really the best thing I can say.

    After playing for 30 hours, doing all the quests i cared to do (about 83%), doing the main 5 endings (ABCDE) and enjoying and hating aspects of it, i just thought that "this game was ok". Really, it was just okay, especially when there are so many flaws - both gameplay and story-wise - that just don't really make it that great.

    For instance the combat is fun! Repetitive but fun, really REALLY repetitive but very fun, and I always loved using 2B for the fighting, which was smooth and easy to use but too bad the controls are utter crap and the lock on is awful.

    You also get to control 9S in the second playthrough, who is a scanner (aka hacker) and can kill most enemies with ease making the combat easier against tough enemies. Too bad that in exchange for that 9S fights like ASS, having the worst and most unreliable combat ever that I had to rely on the pod's gun to do damage. And the hacking is also repetitive too - what a surprise!

    The story is well done too: I had legitimate times where it surprised me and it had some very good scenes, especially the last endings.
    I won't lie when the game tried its best it did impress me with some deep scenes and sad ones too but at the same time it's ruined by a LOT of scenes that try SO HARD to make you feel sad it was hilarious.
    I wish I was kidding but that's actually how the game tries to make you feel sad, with forced scenes of death and dialogues ending with ellipses all the time.
    The only thing missing was a sign saying "Feel something", which I did: an urge to laugh.

    Some characters are well done too - I particularly loved Pascal and 9S (the start) - and I was legitimately curious to see how the game would end, but unfortunately most of the rest are either boring (2B) not well developed (Devola/Popola, Anemone, A2)) or just done there for that brief moment of sadness I was talking about (the random chats with your operator, quest related characters, etc).

    And the story itself...it's really not unique: it's basically a story of how androids and machine try to emulate humans and how they learn the meaning of existing. I don't dislike that though because it's HOW you tell a story that matters, but here's my problem with it:

    You can switch anyone with the binomial Android/Machine with anything and not much would change - besides the obvious stuff - and honestly there's not even much of that: the androids act like humans, the machines act like humans, everyone acts like humans...so why was it necessary to turn them into machines? It would've been more interesting if they were SLOWLY turning into humans, discovering feelings, having sadness, ANYTHING but they already know that stuff! They even say "Feelings are prohibited" because they KNOW feelings are a pain to deal with - which is true...WHICH IS WHY IT MAKES NO SENSE WHY ROBOTS WOULD HAVE FEELINGS, IT ONLY HINDERS THEIR ACTIVITY, AND IT EVEN SHOWS LATER IN A QUEST WITH PASCAL, YOU DUMB MORONS!
    There is a reason why the goddamn terminator had no feelings: if he did he would be freaking out whenever he terminated someone!
    In other words, this plot makes no sense and whereas they could've made some badass robots that start to learn what it means to have feelings, to slowly learn what it actually means to be human, including its weaknesses, but by giving them feelings right away they don't become more relatable: they just become annoying ****
    I've met real women with bigger balls than 2B and 9S! I'm not exaggerating!

    So...do I recommend it? Yeah sure: it's an okay game with good combat, a pretty decent story (which is more than can I say about Square Enix nowadays) and it has a good amount of pros and cons that beat each other out, making the experience equally balanced.

    I guess what makes the game better is the music which is good (not a fan myself) and the voice acting is QUITE amazing, probably one of the best of latest times and helps following the plot better even during its hiccups.

    But best game ever? not even close, at least for me, a spot taken for Berseria who not only made me sad for actual good reasons, it also had bits and pieces of existence too that were better explained and not too pretentious either.

    Overall I can recommend, get it on a discount if you're curious and enjoy/hate it.
    I did my part and I also got my saves deleted for others' sake because even if I didn't enjoy it, others might. That's the great thing about opinions.

    I simply don't understand what's so special about it and frankly I still prefer the original Nier way more than this.    … Expand
  3. Supervillan
    Mar 24, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just finished this game, watching E ending. Since playing this game with too much expectation, I feel a little bit awkward when I realized this is the end. (I thought the factors people praise on this game just didn't show up yet even just before the ending.)

    First of all, the scale is too small to call it the war of species. Of course it's ok if it's just for efficiency of directing, but it's too much small reminding of children's role play, which I can't be immersed.

    It pursued open world game but I think totally failed. Every sub-quest wasn't interesting or intriguing because all they are too simple errands (at war?) and following rewards are not attractive at all.

    What I really don't get it is why people admire this common Japanese subculture story that somewhere I've already seen. And the way of disclosing truths is not that dramatic. (It feels like when I saw how Assassin was originated at Assassin Creed Origin. Just... flat) And Why does 9S fall in love with 2B in the first place? Was there something between them that I don't understand? Or just for her nice butt like everyone praising this game?

    I admit music is awesome, but graphic is ... sometimes it doesn't seem released in 2017. Quite many textures have very low definition with blur effect. But overall, the colors or atmosphere is quite emotional.    … Expand
  4. aditya1101
    Sep 4, 2018
    7
    I'm not 100% done with my playthrough yet, but I'm already incredible impressed by this game. One of the best stories i've seen in a while, and it's the kind of story that really is best told through an interactive medium - it's always a big plus when video games really take advantage of their medium to tell stories that wouldn't be as good in other mediums. The gameplay is superI'm not 100% done with my playthrough yet, but I'm already incredible impressed by this game. One of the best stories i've seen in a while, and it's the kind of story that really is best told through an interactive medium - it's always a big plus when video games really take advantage of their medium to tell stories that wouldn't be as good in other mediums. The gameplay is super entertaining, the upgrade system was really fun to play around with, overall just felt incredibly well done and polished as well as super fun and satisfying to play.… Expand
  5. LordOMO
    Jun 29, 2019
    7
    The game is very overrated in my opinion. This game may have surprised me if I discovered it myself without any prior knowledge but since everyone hyped this game up for me i was a little diappointed.
    The most obvious complaint is how incredibly ugly this game looks (at least on base PS4 where I played it). If you played something like Horizon Zero Dawn prior to this it looks like it's a    The game is very overrated in my opinion. This game may have surprised me if I discovered it myself without any prior knowledge but since everyone hyped this game up for me i was a little diappointed.
    The most obvious complaint is how incredibly ugly this game looks (at least on base PS4 where I played it). If you played something like Horizon Zero Dawn prior to this it looks like it's a generation behind visually. And still the framerate dips at weird instances.
    My second complaint is the story which is supposed to be great but i didn't get it at all. The "first" ending feels very rushed and i was shocked by how little was done with the main characters and villains. I then dove into the new game plus content where a lot of stuff is fleshed out more but even after getting the ultimate ending i still don't feel like i understood the story. Sure, lots of stuff happened but the why is missing for me, as if i skipped through half of the game. That's why I enjoyed the side quests much more especially when they were little self-contained stories. The combat is really weird but mostly good. There is depth to the role-playing elements and the music is ok.
    Overall a good Action-RPG with sub-par visuals and a disjointed and confusing story    … Expand
  6. VmsCritic
    Jun 27, 2018
    7
    The game is pretty impressive in a few aspects: history, level design, soundtrack. The most surprising element is the diversity in the gameplay: you can play puzzles, you can play in 2D, 3D, air space fight and you can smash giants such as Shadow of the Golossus (but giant machines). I also found the game more difficult than I've imagined....the saving is soulsike, you need to checkpointThe game is pretty impressive in a few aspects: history, level design, soundtrack. The most surprising element is the diversity in the gameplay: you can play puzzles, you can play in 2D, 3D, air space fight and you can smash giants such as Shadow of the Golossus (but giant machines). I also found the game more difficult than I've imagined....the saving is soulsike, you need to checkpoint in order to save. One thing I really disliked was the death. if you use all your options against an enemy and you die, once you're back you'll have 0 potions. How can you survive the fight this way?

    I felt difficult in understanding the gameplay, it's not very well explained, as the developer really wanted to show everything as an android program. The hack and slash action is beautiful, but I found it limited. I've played several hack and slash games, and this is not my favorite. DmC Reboot for PS4 is a better option if you're looking for action, and NieR Automata is a smoother option.

    I only played the Route A and had other 3 endings (short ones). I really wanted to play the Route C but I couldn't find enough material to teach me how to do it, and didn't feel like going over the game again (didn't feel it was worth it).    … Expand
  7. ZaPaAl
    Feb 6, 2018
    6
    Overhyped. Basic fighting gameplay is pretty enjoyable, but that is about all on it's strong side.

    Some interesting philosophy sprinkled across the game and story has a few moments, but sceneries and story are unbelievable for something to be so far in the future. The graphics and the 6-7 environments / areas are very very bland. Enemies to fight are basically machines based on a    Overhyped. Basic fighting gameplay is pretty enjoyable, but that is about all on it's strong side.

    Some interesting philosophy sprinkled across the game and story has a few moments, but sceneries and story are unbelievable for something to be so far in the future. The graphics and the 6-7 environments / areas are very very bland.

    Enemies to fight are basically machines based on a core design in many variations. The hacking mini game is an incredible basic shoot em up. Many weapons to find and some items to collect and upgrade, but they hardly make a difference. Difficulty on normal is near not existent.

    Overburding amount of backtracking and revisiting the areas, over and over again. 3 runs long, with minor changes. Fast travel and loading are oppressing with slow animations. Feels like the game was stretched as far as humanly bearable.

    Was it worth it for me? No. I was highly annoyed even before the first ending, but you are supposed to stick with it, it get's better. Well it did, but in the end, not enough at all. Endings are full of ... not alot at all. Like the game.    … Expand
  8. wolfie79
    Jul 31, 2018
    5
    I'm so tired of these over rated games that are littered with faults that no one mention. First of all, knowing where to go in this game is nearly impossible. It gives slight hints but you'll guess your way around. So the map is borderline useless. Second, you have an AI with you, and he works great but looks almost exactly like you so good look keeping track of who is who. Third, theI'm so tired of these over rated games that are littered with faults that no one mention. First of all, knowing where to go in this game is nearly impossible. It gives slight hints but you'll guess your way around. So the map is borderline useless. Second, you have an AI with you, and he works great but looks almost exactly like you so good look keeping track of who is who. Third, the challenge when you die isn't to go back and pick up your stuff, it's to FIND where to pick up your stuff. Forth, invisible walls! It's not open world! It's an extremely linear game and you have no idea where you can jump down or where you can't. It's like playing a remastered 90's game. Other than that, fun combat, beautiful graphics and excellent music.. If anything I pointed out isn't your cup of tea: DON'T BUY THIS GAME..… Expand
  9. pongkrit03
    Jul 25, 2018
    6
    Nier has some merit but to give a 8 or 9 is too exaggerate. I was having a high hope after read all reviews here but after I played it myself. It is not the game I was looking for. It is still fun sometimes, but not anywhere near other great games out there. In fact, apart from charming main character model, it is average game at best.

    Note: I finished first ending then tried playing    Nier has some merit but to give a 8 or 9 is too exaggerate. I was having a high hope after read all reviews here but after I played it myself. It is not the game I was looking for. It is still fun sometimes, but not anywhere near other great games out there. In fact, apart from charming main character model, it is average game at best.

    Note: I finished first ending then tried playing second one half way then felt too bored to continue, people who praise the game usually say that you have to play at least 3 endings, so I don't know, maybe it get better, but I have no motivation anymore.

    Pros
    - Charming unique character models (2B) - you can see her pantie while playing.
    - Unique camera style - the camera keeps switching between 3D and 2D, and bird view. allow various style of gameplays
    - Good unique BGMs

    Cons
    - Very Outdated graphic
    - Empty & Small World
    - Repetitive looking enemies
    - Shallow combat mechanic - Combat in this game is various but everything is shallow. You can melee or range, dodge .... etc. Nothing serious since you can drink potion anytime with no animation, so as long as you have plenty health potions, you should not die unless due to carelessness. Moreover, dodging is too powerful, you can spam dodging button endlessly and nothing will hit you due to very long i-frame. I would say Nier is kind of jack of all trade, master of none. It gets repetitive real fast.
    - Hard difficulty is not fair - Devs just raise dmg to the point that normal enemies can kill you in 1-2 shots, it is just artificial challenge.
    - Boring Side quests
    - The game is very short 10-13 hrs

    Story is subjective one. It is very creative world, about the fight between android and machine, but personally I feel like the story of Nier lacks of backbone. It feels like anything can happen in this world without any reason. I do not care that much about relationship between characters but the devs emphasize this too much. It was disappointed for me.

    In the end, score 6/10 is the best I can give for this kind of quality and quantity. For those who never play this game before, there is a free demo, but warning, that demo stage is the best of combat stage they could offer. If you expect something better, you may get disappointed.    … Expand
  10. Nimzabaat
    Nov 14, 2018
    5
    Nierly unplayable (heh). So to be completely honest, I really hate bad in-game camera. I hated it in the Resident Evil series and every single time it shows up. Nier makes the terrible camera a mechanic and constantly changes modes to throw the player off. I see that some people like it, but honestly, I'd rather play Too Human again than another minute of Nier. While the story is rumoredNierly unplayable (heh). So to be completely honest, I really hate bad in-game camera. I hated it in the Resident Evil series and every single time it shows up. Nier makes the terrible camera a mechanic and constantly changes modes to throw the player off. I see that some people like it, but honestly, I'd rather play Too Human again than another minute of Nier. While the story is rumored to be good, the best way to experience Nier is to watch a "Let's Play" with a player who has the patience to get through the awful gameplay.… Expand
  11. Vadrael
    Dec 2, 2017
    5
    I enjoyed the game sadly it has a few points which i think could have been better.
    The story can be confusing but isnt to bad, but the major issues lies with the world which should have be a little bit bigger and the weapon upgrading system is kinda cheap with only a max of 4 upgrades per weapon.
    The Music was good and the game mechanics were fun as well as the great graphic but i    I enjoyed the game sadly it has a few points which i think could have been better.
    The story can be confusing but isnt to bad, but the major issues lies with the world which should have be a little bit bigger and the weapon upgrading system is kinda cheap with only a max of 4 upgrades per weapon.

    The Music was good and the game mechanics were fun as well as the great graphic but i wished for more content in exploration and customization.    … Expand
  12. JYDeAlberto
    Apr 4, 2018
    6
    All this people rating this game 10/10 are just people who loved the game and are biased, or just people who don't know or played an actually interesting story and fun open world game.

    The reality is that while the art is amazing, the soundtrack stellar, and the writing has wtf moments that are really cool... Graphics look old, the world is big but empty and with so much backtracking    All this people rating this game 10/10 are just people who loved the game and are biased, or just people who don't know or played an actually interesting story and fun open world game.

    The reality is that while the art is amazing, the soundtrack stellar, and the writing has wtf moments that are really cool...

    Graphics look old, the world is big but empty and with so much backtracking the game has you doing, it starts to annoy you.

    You can make a postapocaliptical setting but at least fill it with stuff besides robots and ruins and just two different types of animals.

    Regarding difficulty there is a huge imbalance in between modes: on easy the game plays for you.On normal the game is easy. On hard you are mostly 2 hit ko regardless of your upgrades or level. And on very hard you are 1 hit ko by anything, even enemies at lvl1.

    The boss fights are cool when you fight robots but uninteresting when you fight humanoids cause these boss fights share the same mechanics every fight, with the same moves, and sometimes they get a couple extra attacks but it just feels like fighting the same boss with just slight variations.
    In addition, the game makes these boss fights challenging by making the bosses just hit sponges. Its like if you play skyrim on legendary difficulty where it takes forever to do some decent damage.

    The story is badly written,you may like it but it is badly executed. There are major plot holes even if you do the side quests that expand on the main story line and explain it, even if they explain it, it is bad writing.

    Not to mention these side quest are tedious and boring fetch quests and escort missions.

    The bullet hell and 2d sections in the game are fun. The rest is very dragging and boring, and from time to time you watch some crazy stuff happen which is really cool.

    Overall:

    Graphics: 5/10. Really old looking

    Story: 6/10. Interesting but with major plotholes and just bad writing.

    Gameplay: 6/10. Combat can feel fun but theres not much enemy variety which contributes to boredom and while robot boss fights are fun the humanoid ones are uninspiring and repetitive.

    Score: 6. Interesting and fun some times but mediocre and boring the rest of the time.    … Expand
  13. YakusokuNoJi
    Jul 20, 2023
    7
    Spoilers ahead.

    An Age where the Children of Mankind and Extraterrestrials are the next Generation: A.I. vs A.I. When Nier Automata was announced I could not have possibly been more happy. Nier Gestalt is my second favourite game of all time. The setting, the main character, the story - I always wanted a sequel. And it is finally here. I am also a great of the ficitional theme of    Spoilers ahead.

    An Age where the Children of Mankind and Extraterrestrials are the next Generation:

    A.I. vs A.I.
    When Nier Automata was announced I could not have possibly been more happy. Nier Gestalt is my second favourite game of all time. The setting, the main character, the story - I always wanted a sequel. And it is finally here. I am also a great of the ficitional theme of A.I.s, so not the ones that we as computer scientists make that do not live but the A.I.s that are actually already alive from developing a consciousness.
    And Nier Automata takes exactly this theme. Drakengard already introduced A.I.s as it already consisted of Androids. Nier Automata takes it to the next level. It puts you into the role of the Androids, this time fighting machines that were brought from outer space. And as we think of it from out ordinary A.I.s, the Androids think of the machines as mere machines without consciousness and emotion. No person, no A.I. Of course this brings some twists with it within the story as Androids obviously are not the only artificial lifeforms that achieved psychological living. At the same time, while appropriate to the Drakengard series it brings several tragic questions with it concerning your side and that of the others. Granted, it is not as good for me as the first one. But I did not expect that anyway. I knew from the very beginning that it would not be the case because Nier Gestalt, so the Western Nier has a father-child story and talks about what you would do for your most precious while giving you the original you were cloned from as antagonist who of course feels exactly like you and at the same time shows that with both sides to be pities people still do not have the right to de-value other lifeforms like clones for example just because they were not born naturally or intended.
    The story of Nier Automata still brings its own nice side of life and valueing and all with it and the post-apocalyptic setting together with its incredible music, character design and a wonderful combat system from platinum games does the rest.
    Con:
    Unfortunately, though I love it as part of the Nier timeline, I cannot just normally enjoy Nier 2 as I did the first one. The decision of making this RPG more action-oriented heavily influenced the overall design of the game. I prefer a more simplistic style like in the first Nier where I can just sit back and enjoy instead of getting constantly frustrated. Example: Nier Automata tells you it has no auto-saves. Well, that is not 100% accurate. Still, while there are some automatic moments where you get set back in case of losing you might find yourself in trouble. In some situations you just cannot save manually and Nier 2 consists of those Gundam air battles. One of them was very long and I ran out of Potions. It should not be a thing that even on Normal difficulty you are stuck in a battle forever because you are allowed to make only very few mistakes. This is the most apparent checkpoint complaint I have but there were a few more moments. Another thing is the hacking: Hacking is a little minigame feature in the game that you just have to go through even when doing the regular storyline. The problem is, this minigame consists of just moving your analogue stick and shooting. You cannot evade anything other than by moving away, you cannot heal, you cannot really do anything in a problematic situation. The mingame consists basically of the thought of "Learn the pattern for the harder ones" but that is easier said than done often. You are allowed a few mistakes but sometimes even when already knowing what to expect the maneuvering alone might lead you to the need area where the enemy units that you want to destroy with the hacking shoot at you. There are several hacking instances which are very easy and then some where I think they should just ot have been there because whenever something needs simply too long then it should be re-considered. Hard Modes exist for a reason but why doing such frustrating things on lower difficulties - it just is an obstacle so you cannot fully enjoy and that is something I really think of as a real pity for a sequel of Nier.
    Finally, the last thing I think that was very risky: The narrative style. Drakengard is always known for a very unusual narrative style both theme-wise as well as how the story is put together. The thing is: In Drakengard you might be used to the story being presented after a few playthroughs but in Nier 1 it was more like you had to go through the same storyline, then go through it again and again with just a few additions ad endings. Here you have the first two endings in the middle of the story, get more to know during run 2 and after run 2 you actually continue with what happens after those endings, so unlock the rest of the game you could say. I am fine with it but I am not sure how many people who are not used to this actually have the nerve to do 2+ runs. Still: I love Nier and recommend it.    … Expand
  14. silencer
    Feb 9, 2018
    7
    Here's an honest opinion from someone who's not a fanboy of ps4 or japanese devs:
    Nier is a very nice 3rd person open world action rpg. It has beautiful environments, engaging stroy for the 1st part of the game (more on that later), fantastic atmosphere and one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have ever heard in a video game.
    However, the story is not complete until you reach part 3    Here's an honest opinion from someone who's not a fanboy of ps4 or japanese devs:
    Nier is a very nice 3rd person open world action rpg. It has beautiful environments, engaging stroy for the 1st part of the game (more on that later), fantastic atmosphere and one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have ever heard in a video game.
    However, the story is not complete until you reach part 3 of the game, and to get to part 3 you have to play part 1 all over again with tiny variations (call it part 2). It's such a chore that by the end of part 2 I was completely burned out on the game. Still, I got to part 3, and after an interesting story-filled section what does the game ask you to do? Go to 3 different places and collect keys. That's right, fetch quests in the middle of the action. That completely kills any momentum the game has going. Given how atrocious the save system is in this game (you can easily lose up to an hour of progress) and cheap deaths from some of the enemies, I feel like the game simply does not appreciate the time of the person playing. So, I give it a solid 7. It's a good game with some major flaws, but it's artificially stretched and level-gated. Part 1 is a lot of fun, but if you value your time, just stop there and watch the rest on youtube.    … Expand
  15. vampyren
    Jul 20, 2018
    6
    I play allot of games on many consoles so i can compare this game to allot of other games.
    After reading so much positive about it i decided to play it right after i finished Horizon (which was an amazing game experience!).
    I do like the sort of games Nier tries to be but in all honesty the game never delivers the experience everyone here trying so hard to convince you about. The story    I play allot of games on many consoles so i can compare this game to allot of other games.
    After reading so much positive about it i decided to play it right after i finished Horizon (which was an amazing game experience!).
    I do like the sort of games Nier tries to be but in all honesty the game never delivers the experience everyone here trying so hard to convince you about. The story is so so. The menu, map and even the annoying item pick up where you accidentally talk to your partner got me quite mad at first. Ok i got used to it at the end but for a game people give 9 or 10 that is just not acceptable.
    And even if i only played it 1 time the game is not that appealing enough for me to continue. Many games like dark soul or even Horizon or Witcher are so amazing that i can keep playing them but not this game. Its just boring. Enemies are pretty much all alike. Stories are just so so.
    Its a ok game but no where near a 9 or 10 grade games. Also its way way to short even if they say you need to play it multiple time. The first run took me 3 days or so. That is no where near a 9 grade game!
    Personally i dont like huge games that takes months to finish but even for me this was way to short.
    Just my 2 cent anyway. Enjoy.    … Expand
  16. Grahl1
    Sep 25, 2018
    6
    What could have been a great game ends up being quite a banal experience due to a lack of balance in difficulty. I found the game simply unplayble in anything above Normal (you get one-shot by everything, and how are you supposed not to take damage in such an ultra fast-paced combat style), while the combat in Normal and Easy is just not challeging, just hack away and press that healWhat could have been a great game ends up being quite a banal experience due to a lack of balance in difficulty. I found the game simply unplayble in anything above Normal (you get one-shot by everything, and how are you supposed not to take damage in such an ultra fast-paced combat style), while the combat in Normal and Easy is just not challeging, just hack away and press that heal button that will give you acess to a limit 300 very cheap, very easy to acquire potions.

    I just feel like this is a game made specifically for 13 year olds. From the "shallow-philosophical" story of 2 emo robots, from the fact that you see 2B's panties all the time, to the boring hack and slash and loot. It all made for a very bland experience, in a world and environment and concept with the potential for much more.

    Really, I can't get it how this is only getting 9s and 10s. Seems like people no longer play a game to have a challenge, to actually have some dopamine going in their brains, no, they just want an overpriced interactive Hollywood movie.    … Expand
  17. stavrosperi
    Mar 31, 2017
    7
    Honest review from a guy who loves challenging games,loves japanese made games and loved to death Bayonetta and it's battle system

    Graphics: 8 Technically the graphics are ps3 but the artwork is amazing and builds excellent atmosphere.Artwork>graphics so 8/10 here Sound: 9 The soundtrack is truly memorable,one of the best i have heard in years in a videogame and it really compliments    Honest review from a guy who loves challenging games,loves japanese made games and loved to death Bayonetta and it's battle system

    Graphics: 8 Technically the graphics are ps3 but the artwork is amazing and builds excellent atmosphere.Artwork>graphics so 8/10 here

    Sound: 9 The soundtrack is truly memorable,one of the best i have heard in years in a videogame and it really compliments the mysterious setting of the game.The fx sound of the game is good, could be worse could be better.Not every dialog is voice acted though.It gest a 9 mostly for the amazing soundtrack

    Gameplay: 7 Serious balancing issues for the difficulty levels.Very hard=one hit killed.That makes the different enemies irrelevant. Weather u get him by the smallest enemy or from the largest robot it's the same and it kills any purpose of having different enemies and different levels of enemies.In normal u have to try hard to get killed.the camera is bad in this game.You don't have lock on on hard and very hard and i had to move the camera far away from me because u constantly get attacked my mobs and u have to be aware of your surroundings 360 degrees.That creates another problem and that is that u can't really see the animations of the opponents when the are ready to strike.This and the fact that u always get attacked by mobs makes the combat more like hit,hit evade and repeat repetitively without really reacting to whats happening on the battle.Combat can be satisfying but it has these serious problems that truly hold it back from being great and deep.

    In conclusion i give it a 7/10 it is a game with fresh ideas, excellent setting and atmosphere,engaging story and there is some fun to be had by the combat but at the same time it is severely flawed in the battle department and the difficulty imbalance.I find it quite good but certainly overestimated and judging by the scores it got and from the fact that it is developed by a company that i absolutely love, i must say i am a little bit disappointed.    … Expand
  18. Gotrek74
    Sep 28, 2017
    7
    An accomplished game with a seamless transition between 3D platforming and combat, 2D side-scrolling game and a top down twin stick shooter. The story is very good and the art design is good but it just doesn't excite me the way it seems to excite others.
  19. mrlee97
    Apr 3, 2017
    7
    While the gameplay is fantastic and the soundtrack is decent, this spiritual successor really falls short of what made the original Nier such a masterpiece. The story in this title is pathetic, and the music is pretty underwhelming compared to its predecessor. The characters and world are also in particular very weak. But what saves this game is tight, TIGHT gameplay. Great combos, greatWhile the gameplay is fantastic and the soundtrack is decent, this spiritual successor really falls short of what made the original Nier such a masterpiece. The story in this title is pathetic, and the music is pretty underwhelming compared to its predecessor. The characters and world are also in particular very weak. But what saves this game is tight, TIGHT gameplay. Great combos, great selection of weapons, multiple ways to fight, and fantastic directing. I hope they can make another sequel with a story as great as the original but with this fantastic gameplay.… Expand
  20. GrumpyReviewer
    Apr 6, 2017
    7
    I think Nier Automata is a fantastic game. The story is intriguing, the art is incredible and the gameplay is smooth and a lot of fun. But there are some basic aspects that really frustrate me: 1) the map/exploration and 2) side quests.

    The map is a MESS. Hard to navigate, hard to read, hard to know where to go. It's a chore. And the side quest system is all over the place. Some quests    I think Nier Automata is a fantastic game. The story is intriguing, the art is incredible and the gameplay is smooth and a lot of fun. But there are some basic aspects that really frustrate me: 1) the map/exploration and 2) side quests.

    The map is a MESS. Hard to navigate, hard to read, hard to know where to go. It's a chore. And the side quest system is all over the place. Some quests are OK, some are fun, some are confusing and you don't even know exactly where you are supposed to go (due to the map being a complete mess).

    On top of that, the game is still buggy and the framerate drop is ridiculous and distracting. A beautiful, fun, very nice game. A very sexy game, I'd say (and not just because of the protagonist). The whole thing feels sexy and monochromatic and post-apocalyptic in the best way possible. But the game is far, far from perfect.    … Expand
  21. ElleryHQ
    Jan 26, 2019
    5
    Как оказалось, в демо показали самые интересные моменты всей игры. Боевая механика неинтересна и никак не развивается. Посредственная в графическом плане. Игра БЕЗУМНО скучная. Пара интересных сюжетных моментов и фан сервис - успех популярной игры. А, ну еще саундтрек понравился, потому оценка не совсем плохая.Как оказалось, в демо показали самые интересные моменты всей игры. Боевая механика неинтересна и никак не развивается. Посредственная в графическом плане. Игра БЕЗУМНО скучная. Пара интересных сюжетных моментов и фан сервис - успех популярной игры. А, ну еще саундтрек понравился, потому оценка не совсем плохая.
  22. xboxlikewater
    Sep 6, 2019
    6
    Probably Platinum's worst major game, particularly gameplay-wise. It has very simple, watered down Bayonetta combat with poor RPG aspects implemented into the game. Infinite dodging, an empty world, awful hacking segments, having to play through the game multiple times, a generic story, poor enemy variety. The music and ending are great but the rest is subpar and a real disappointment.Probably Platinum's worst major game, particularly gameplay-wise. It has very simple, watered down Bayonetta combat with poor RPG aspects implemented into the game. Infinite dodging, an empty world, awful hacking segments, having to play through the game multiple times, a generic story, poor enemy variety. The music and ending are great but the rest is subpar and a real disappointment. For me, Astral Chain does everything this game does better barring character writing and is a real step up for director Taura. Automata is a decent game, especially if you're a casual generally not into Platinum's typical action games, but if you're more into weaving complex combos and getting highscores such as in Bayo or DMC this game might be a bit disappointing.… Expand
  23. jewel5
    Jul 25, 2018
    6
    Geez, I don't understand people going **** over this game. The story and characters were average at best. The gameplay was ok, but very repetitive. I enjoyed the characters and story of the 1st Nier so much better. This one left me cold.
  24. witcher6999
    Dec 23, 2018
    7
    прошел 3 раза, короче если сравнивать по уровню scifi то это лайтовый версия horizon, так как тут много условностей не объясняется нормально, а точнее объясняется списыванием на то что это японщина. Например почему все в Yorha женского поло и один сканер 9s мужского? Плюс полно таких нелепостей по всему сюжету. Пару твистов были понятны задолго до конца, что касается человечества и из чегопрошел 3 раза, короче если сравнивать по уровню scifi то это лайтовый версия horizon, так как тут много условностей не объясняется нормально, а точнее объясняется списыванием на то что это японщина. Например почему все в Yorha женского поло и один сканер 9s мужского? Плюс полно таких нелепостей по всему сюжету. Пару твистов были понятны задолго до конца, что касается человечества и из чего созданы Андроиды, ну это было логично. А вот про истинное предназначение 2b и про циклы приятно удивило. Хотя последнее было и в horizon, причем объяснено очень классно по научному, без лишнего пафоса и соплей, ну опять же это японщина, так что на это списывается. Что касается геймплея, понравился хакинг и управление другими машинами, элементы шутемапа, тоже класс, а вот боевка печаль, печальная, очень скучно мешить 1-2 кнопки прижимая то и дело уворот. Плюс было много бесячих геймдизайна хорошо моментов, когда по сюжету Андроида парализует и он не может прыгать и уклоняться, а только ходит, при этом ты падаешь куда-то, где тебя зажимают андроиды со своей икрой и все. Было также пару моментов когда квиксейв не срабатывал...… Expand
  25. CoreGamer1408
    Aug 1, 2019
    5
    I could not take the game or story seriously with those costumes and character types. The switching between the different views like full on 3D to side scroller and top down was not fun. I found the action was fast fluid and easy to pull off. The locals looked interesting, but the enemy types not so much. Game felt weird and off. Just not my thing I suppose?
  26. canceRnya
    Oct 29, 2018
    6
    Ужасна технически, играл на фатке, слишком однообразна для такой продолжительной игры, и при этом тебе зачем-то дают еще раз проходить одни и те жи миссий за 9S, так что когда приходит время A2, ты ужэ слишком устал, и хочешь просто быстрее закончить это.
    Ну и теперь о хорошем: трусы, музыка, да и не плохая развязка, изначально оценивал эту игру намного ниже, но если взять перерыв где-то    Ужасна технически, играл на фатке, слишком однообразна для такой продолжительной игры, и при этом тебе зачем-то дают еще раз проходить одни и те жи миссий за 9S, так что когда приходит время A2, ты ужэ слишком устал, и хочешь просто быстрее закончить это.
    Ну и теперь о хорошем: трусы, музыка, да и не плохая развязка, изначально оценивал эту игру намного ниже, но если взять перерыв где-то на середине, то получится не так уж и плохо, наверна.    … Expand
  27. zbucket
    Jul 28, 2018
    5
    A confusing mix of genres that feels more of a chore than a game. Switching from a side scrolling space shooter to a running platformer to an open world 3rd person rpg is novel for the first few hours. It soon becomes more irritating than fun though and that is where my biggest problem with this game is... I've now played for +20 hours, on my second playthrough, and can't think of aA confusing mix of genres that feels more of a chore than a game. Switching from a side scrolling space shooter to a running platformer to an open world 3rd person rpg is novel for the first few hours. It soon becomes more irritating than fun though and that is where my biggest problem with this game is... I've now played for +20 hours, on my second playthrough, and can't think of a single part of the game where i was enjoying myself.

    space shooter + uninspired fetch questing in a ps3 level rpg was just boring.

    Combat generally works well and has a depth to it if you are willing to work at it, but 90% of enemies can be killed just by holding the shoot button and running around so there is little incentive to.

    Music is nice though... which i guess is a thing    … Expand
  28. riken
    Jun 20, 2019
    6
    Nier: Automata surely has some interesting philosophical motives, but the rest of the game is a nightmare. Story is really messy and don't even get me started on all of those interpretations... I saw like 20 different videos and articles trying to explain it and everyone fails to do so, probably because it is meaningless and without any real conclusions. But at least it hides it prettyNier: Automata surely has some interesting philosophical motives, but the rest of the game is a nightmare. Story is really messy and don't even get me started on all of those interpretations... I saw like 20 different videos and articles trying to explain it and everyone fails to do so, probably because it is meaningless and without any real conclusions. But at least it hides it pretty well with some nice ideas and motives and that are the good side of this game. Combat isn't really pleasurable and that open world is a disaster. Half of side missions were good, the other half... disaster again. Graphics are ok for me, but soundtrack is amazing on the other hand. Well, I wouldn't recommend it to casual players, because it's not really a game, that will fit a typical person, but if you are a fan of nonsense and japanese styled games then you might ignore Nier's flaws.… Expand
  29. duarte2377
    Feb 28, 2019
    7
    Good game, but due to the lack of Russian subtitles I can not put a higher rating
  30. Colericus
    Aug 11, 2019
    5
    Buen gameplay, pero simplimente esas historias que buscan ser profundas y oscuras, que se fuerzan a ser filosoficas me parecen basura, que al final es pretenciosa y le gustara a fans de basura pretenciosa, como juego es exelente pero la historia se amcae por buscar ser más de lo que podia.
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PS4 Game of 2017
6
#6 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
6
#6 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 101 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 98 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 101
  3. Negative: 0 out of 101
  1. Gamers' Temple
    Aug 21, 2018
    95
    NieR Automata: Beyond Gods Edition was a total shock to me with how much I enjoyed it. It takes a very solid experience for me to enjoy an RPG lately and NieR grabbed me quite well from the beginning and kept me entertained throughout. It's the type of game where I want to do everything that I possibly can just to make the experience longer - a type of game I rarely find nowadays. I went into NieR Autamata with no expectations other than the good gameplay that I usually find from Platinum Games, I went away floored with a near perfect action game.
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  2. Power Unlimited
    Oct 19, 2017
    87
    NieR: Automata is not for everybody. In fact, the game looks to be aimed at the most refined fans of the medium by not caring about the regular gaming conventions, in the same way the works of David Lynch are perfect for the hardcore moviegoers.
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  3. games(TM)
    Jun 14, 2017
    80
    Melancholic, wistful and creative at every turn. [Issue#186, p.80]
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