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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. xGodModeONx
    Mar 19, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So I just beat the ABC paths with a couple of random endings (41 Hours on Normal) and I have to say the game, while mostly enjoyable also leaves a lot to be desired and is a bit tiring.

    Solid but inconsistent game play elements helped me trudge along through a good story that is unfortunately supported by numerous cookie-cutter fetch-quest side missions which I thought we hated these days. The combat is good but lacks the depth from previous Platinum titles. There's no special attacks to really unlock and you enhance your stats through "chips" which you find everywhere which you must assign to a limited amount of slots allowing you to create anything from a damage absorbing tank to a glass-cannon. An additional game play twist in the game is the perspective will switch to overhead or side view at points which is a neat novelty at first but isn't really very good except for the overhead view hacking portions which have some real nice game play elements in there.

    Graphics are fine, nothing special, but performance ranges from excellent to nauseating through a lot of the areas, especially the Forest which has frame rates somewhere between 30-40fps with awful jittering and this is on a PS4 Pro.

    So a very important bit here. There are two halves of this game (your first ending isn't the "real" ending, (there are 24 I believe) but you have to play the first half all over again with a different character to get to this second half. The problem with this is that I don't believe the game respects the time you put into it but forcing you to replay this only to get some additional story info and some additional side-quests they could of easily rolled into your first play through (why not switch characters on the fly?). So here you are trudging through most of the same stuff a second time while also having half your combat ability taken from you but you can hack into enemies at this point which is fun but wears out its welcome come the third play though.

    Music in this game can be really good as well but if I could turn off the vocals, I would. When my wife is in the other room asking me to turn it down because the "singing part is annoying" there is problem. In fact there is a jukebox in the Resistance camp where you can play the soundtrack and can turn the vocals off. The Music is best at this point.

    The story itself has some strong moments and will keep most interested but I can't help but think we've seen most of it before. Themes of the soul, what it means to be alive, and if artificial beings can have feelings are prevalent and there are moments of tenderness and bonding that not even human characters have in games. But the story is also too stretched out by forcing you to replay many parts and in my opinion is kinda of hindered when you have these mature themes but your enemies are dorky trash-can looking robots that sound ridiculous. The story does pick up in the third run (second half of game) when you are given control of the third primary character who is interesting but never really is given a lot of time to develop back story as it happens mostly through text archives you find in the world. In this part of the game is when everything starts getting explained as well.

    There is a very good game here but it is under a layer of odd design choices that make it hard to really hold on and not let go. It will take a bit of patience to really get going so I suggest not getting into it if you can't spare the time.

    It gets a 7 from me which is "Good" in my book.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 18, 2017
    7
    Nier Automata
    A game that plays itself.
    Nier Automata is a 3rd person hack and slash open world action adventure rpg game where you play as android 2B accompanied by 9s and a droid This game takes place after Nier, though this is a spin off, there are nods to the past game here// but other than to appreciate those moments, playing the past games is unnecessary.. This continues the    Nier Automata
    A game that plays itself.
    Nier Automata is a 3rd person hack and slash open world action adventure rpg game where you play as android 2B accompanied by 9s and a droid
    This game takes place after Nier, though this is a spin off, there are nods to the past game here// but other than to appreciate those moments, playing the past games is unnecessary..
    This continues the human vs robot war in a post-apocalyptic open world where robots are beginning to feel emotion…
    2B and 9S have an endearing relationship here... 2B being programmed to be more calm and composed, while 9s is more emotional…
    Leads for some great moments and dialog in the game,, its just a shame theyre so few and far between because watching their growth is the best part of the game..
    The game takes around 8 hours to complete… though there are multiple endings and perspectives the game shows you if you’re interested in checking them out...
    After playing through Automata the first time though... I was fine with that ending being my final ending…
    Because unfortunately neither the story nor the world enticed me enough to want to play again
    The world is tiny, dull, colorless, lifeless, not fun to explore…
    And the entire 8 hour journey is spent revisiting all of these locations over and over…
    There were very few moments I thought wow... this game is beautiful or this section is really cool…
    It looks and feels generic throughout…
    I did enjoy the fact that the camera is constantly pulling in and out, changing game perspective, to where at times the game feels like a 2d platformer.. I just wish more was done with it than give us the typical grey and brown rusty structures to run through…
    For the most part you get a task, go to the location on the map, turn in your progress, go to a different location... fight a boss that all but maybe 2 are just spongier hack and slash battles… rinse and repeat…
    The world feels connected… but back to the point that it feels generic…
    Nothing feels like you haven’t seen it before…
    Making your journey back and forth feel like a drag…
    the combat here is fairly fun… I wouldn’t necessarily call it satisfying though…
    Not much to it other than light and heavy attacks…
    You can find new weapons in the world and upgrade them with the parts and materials you find in the world and off of robots to make the battle grind a little quicker…
    but much like the world... the combat was just there. It was good… the world is good... but again, never felt fun to me… just existing
    plus there’s a setting in the game where all you have to do is move your character... The game does the attacking for you…
    Almost turning this into a twin stick shooter hack and slash game if you want…
    I dipped my toes in both styles
    but after fighting enemies that all felt the same over and over... I actually started to prefer the autopilot mode.
    I’m sorry, I know this dislikes are coming... I’m in the minority here…
    But I don’t see the upper 8s and 9s this game is getting by everyone else
    Nier Automata has great characters in B2 and 9S...
    But the story of these robots feeling emotion is never told in an impactful way…
    the world is no fun to explore..
    the bosses feel uninspired and the combat is just there…
    This is a good game, I had fun…
    you won’t regret playing through…
    but I don’t honestly believe you’re missing anything if you choose to skip this one…
    I give Nier Automata
    a 7/10    … Expand
  7. Gold_Grande
    Mar 8, 2017
    7
    Nier: Automata is a great title with fun environments and characters. Its hack and slash style of gameplay is an extremely satisfying feel. The game has difficulty settings for players of all types but is still a challenging piece due to its save system. While all that is great, Nier: Automata does not change itself up too much from beginning to end. Diversity of common enemies and bossesNier: Automata is a great title with fun environments and characters. Its hack and slash style of gameplay is an extremely satisfying feel. The game has difficulty settings for players of all types but is still a challenging piece due to its save system. While all that is great, Nier: Automata does not change itself up too much from beginning to end. Diversity of common enemies and bosses is not great as other games in this category. Though when it comes to mechanics, it's one of the best of its kind. It's a fun piece which I recommend a play-through.… Expand
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. geoxd88
    Jul 20, 2017
    7
    The only reason I give this game a 7 is for the idea, the story and (at some points) for the presentation. As a game I don't think it deserves more than 6. Platinum games has made a lot of well received games in the same genre, yet I see no progress. The mechanics feel aged, the weird restrictions send us back at least a decade and in general it has a playstation 2 era feeling from startThe only reason I give this game a 7 is for the idea, the story and (at some points) for the presentation. As a game I don't think it deserves more than 6. Platinum games has made a lot of well received games in the same genre, yet I see no progress. The mechanics feel aged, the weird restrictions send us back at least a decade and in general it has a playstation 2 era feeling from start to finish. It's a solid game, don't get me wrong, but I can think of at least 100 things that could be done better, especially considering the talent and technology owned by the development company. Be warned that It requires a lot of dedication to see the vision behind it in its entirety, otherwise you will be left with a bitter taste, unless you are satisfied with bullet-hell inspired projectiles filling your screen every 10 seconds.… Expand
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. frysguineapig
    May 8, 2017
    7
    I liked the game overall, but it didn't blow me away either - while the story was fairly strong, it was also a bit repetitive to get most of the various endings.
  14. UncutSuspiria
    Jun 16, 2017
    7
    UPDATE: I lowered from 8 to 7. This got boring real quick. I will definitely pick it back up again, but it drags.

    I will start off by saying I was hesitant about buying this game because I HATE anime and Japanese styled cartoons/characters/story/etc/etc/etc.... But, I am glad I bought it. Gameplay 10/10 - Extremely fun and addictive. Soundtrack 10/10 - Some of the greatest music    UPDATE: I lowered from 8 to 7. This got boring real quick. I will definitely pick it back up again, but it drags.

    I will start off by saying I was hesitant about buying this game because I HATE anime and Japanese styled cartoons/characters/story/etc/etc/etc.... But, I am glad I bought it.

    Gameplay 10/10 - Extremely fun and addictive.

    Soundtrack 10/10 - Some of the greatest music from as game that I can recall.

    Story 8/10 - Definitely not original. Almsot the same as Horizon Zero Dawn. Luckily is told in a different way.

    Characters 7/10 - The main characters are androids/robots, thus they act like them. not characters you will get attached to. 2B sexy af though.

    Innovation 8/10 - how the game cycles camera modes and goes to 2D and aerial view is pretty genius.

    Visuals 10/10 - The style is fantastic. Like Horizon Zero dawn, this games visual are stunning.

    Graphics 8/10 - Graphics are great and run at 60fps. Those that say they are bad failed to see that at times they are intentionally meant to be this way at times. Some parts are supposed to be grainy, some parts are supposed to be black and white.

    Again, I was hesitant but bought it anyways. Something I do not regret. It has been a long time since I owned a game where I counted the minutes until I could go home and play it. I would give this a 9 but I have yet to fully complete it.    … Expand
  15. whiteclover
    Jun 10, 2017
    7
    Visually it's amazing, the main character looks really cool... I found it a bit stressful to be honest. I had high expectations for the storyline but got a bit disappointed in the end. I guess I was expecting a plot twist or something lol
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. karmic_devil
    May 2, 2021
    7
    Nier Automata is a beautiful game with a beautiful score in a fascinating world that falls short of greatness by quickly becoming repetitive. In the beginning of the game as you figure out the combat and learn about the world it does a great job of capturing your interest but as it goes on the battles all feel the same and the questing devolves into simply heading to the illuminated pointNier Automata is a beautiful game with a beautiful score in a fascinating world that falls short of greatness by quickly becoming repetitive. In the beginning of the game as you figure out the combat and learn about the world it does a great job of capturing your interest but as it goes on the battles all feel the same and the questing devolves into simply heading to the illuminated point on the map - and worse sometimes the spot on the map is so vague that you can be right next to it and then spend 30 minutes wandering around to figure out how to actually get TO it.

    This game isn't terrible. On the contrary it's quite good. But at some point in your play the frustrating is likely to outweigh the fun. And that's a shame.    … Expand
  20. duarte2377
    Feb 28, 2019
    7
    Good game, but due to the lack of Russian subtitles I can not put a higher rating
  21. Denis94
    Sep 7, 2021
    7
    Es un título que hace cosas de 10 y otras que no llegan al 5 me explico: la banda sonora es una autentica maravilla y quizás sea lo más destacable del juego, la jugabilidad se nota fresca y rápida, no tiene muchos combos pero si variedad de armas para dar profundidad al combate, gráficamente está bastante descuidado excepto los modelos de algunos personajes que lucen bastante bien, elEs un título que hace cosas de 10 y otras que no llegan al 5 me explico: la banda sonora es una autentica maravilla y quizás sea lo más destacable del juego, la jugabilidad se nota fresca y rápida, no tiene muchos combos pero si variedad de armas para dar profundidad al combate, gráficamente está bastante descuidado excepto los modelos de algunos personajes que lucen bastante bien, el mapeado de mundo abierto es un auténtico solar en ocasiones caminarás y correrás sin apenas encontrarte nada y la historia sin ser una revolución se puede decir que cumple, en definitiva un juego que podría ser un 10 pero se queda en un 7 por esos aspectos poco pulidos.… Expand
  22. Skyyfall
    Dec 3, 2020
    7
    For 2017 year this game not bad. Very bad graphic and open world looks like empty. I think this game needed remake!
  23. Crimson9
    Dec 25, 2022
    7
    Games are rarely philosophical like this. And even more rarely do they successfully deal with these themes and tie them into an interesting story. That's what Nier does better than any other game. Its a decent example of games as an artform, although I'd argue that it falls short of other examples such as Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus.

    Other than that, I loved the music, and    Games are rarely philosophical like this. And even more rarely do they successfully deal with these themes and tie them into an interesting story. That's what Nier does better than any other game. Its a decent example of games as an artform, although I'd argue that it falls short of other examples such as Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus.

    Other than that, I loved the music, and enjoyed the variety of different gameplay.

    But overall, despite the variation of different gameplay, it overstays its welcome and becomes really dull. Level design and the main type of combat are pretty uninspired. Its very tedious.

    1 point off for the oversexualization of the main characters too. Its just JRPG cringe.    … Expand
  24. OriginalGinyu
    Sep 2, 2023
    7
    Pretty unique in a lot of ways, but definitely super overrated!!!! The open world isnt exciting at all and it has a lot of annoying game design choices (for example the save system).
  25. Sigarda
    Aug 24, 2023
    7
    A good game, but VERY overrated. While polished and enjoyable, has many flaws. Huge lack of enemy variety, too few bosses, combat is clean but gets repetitive, the story is predictable if you are not under 14yo, and I couldn't care for any of the main characters. A good game overall and better than most of modern games, but as I said, really overrated.
  26. 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
  27. sandlefoxiv
    Mar 13, 2017
    6
    Excellent characters and music but a very stuttering frame rate and subpar combat really make this game drag on. Platinum is definitely on the rise again after their last few outings but they just don't have the formula for success. What a shame.
  28. wesker2012
    May 4, 2017
    6
    I bought this game and beat the game once. I realize there are at least 3 other endings, but I didn't feel any incentive to play the game again once I beat it the first time. The game was unique and creative, and I also played the first Nier, but this game just didn't feel fun to me. Would of been great as a rental. I also bought the game after reading all the hype. And I don't thinkI bought this game and beat the game once. I realize there are at least 3 other endings, but I didn't feel any incentive to play the game again once I beat it the first time. The game was unique and creative, and I also played the first Nier, but this game just didn't feel fun to me. Would of been great as a rental. I also bought the game after reading all the hype. And I don't think the game is as good as the hype suggests. I was preparing for a very engrossing plot, but the plot was super thin. I finished watching the plot/story on youtube and still don't understand whats so great about it. Who knows, maybe its one of those games you have to play yourself to fully understand. The time investment was just too much for me though.… Expand
  29. 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
  30. 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
prev
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Jun 14, 2017
    80
    Melancholic, wistful and creative at every turn. [Issue#186, p.80]
See all critic reviews »