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. Dwoodlander
    Sep 21, 2019
    10
    I am now rewriting my review after playing through Nier: Automata again. I realized that I previously never finished a very special “true” ending (if you have done so, you will know what I am talking about). I also never fully appreciated the substance of the side quests. I am easily giving this game a 10/10 and now consider it to be one of my favorite games of all time. This game is notI am now rewriting my review after playing through Nier: Automata again. I realized that I previously never finished a very special “true” ending (if you have done so, you will know what I am talking about). I also never fully appreciated the substance of the side quests. I am easily giving this game a 10/10 and now consider it to be one of my favorite games of all time. This game is not “perfect” from a technical standpoint and has some difficulty balancing issues, but I have been filled with intense emotions and have been reflecting on my life for days since the credits roll. I can’t think of a single game that has had this dramatic of an effect on me, and that says way more about Automata than its average graphics.

    I will try to keep it short. First, the story is absolutely brilliant. What starts as a thrilling sci-fi/post-apocalyptic tale turns into a deep exploration of existential philosophy, the meaning of being alive in the face of mortality, and what happens when the foundation of your life’s purpose turns out to be a lie. This sounds bleak—and much of the game is, in a way—but the “true ending” left me feeling empowered and inspired; I won’t say any details, just go in blind and experience it for yourself. What I also appreciate about the story is that it is also simply enjoyable from a more superficial standpoint; it’s not so opaque or abstract that you can’t just have fun with it without thinking too hard. Otherwise, the music is phenomenal. So much has been said about this already, but I would say it is one of the best OSTs of any game, period. I can’t think of a single weak track. The gameplay is also extremely fun, with an excellent variety of mechanics to keep things interesting such as hack n’ slash, aerial dogfights, mech battles, hacking minigames, and other weird little surprises. The side quests can come off as fetch-quests at first, but I found that most of them explore an interesting philosophical concept or lore background that enriches the main story. The one issue I have is that the difference in difficulty between normal and hard is immense—I went from a cakewalk to 1-shot kills. It could have used some more balancing in this respect. The graphics are also not anything remarkable and can feel a bit drab at times, but the art style is really wonderful and unique, which makes up for it.

    Nier Automata is the rare “non-corporate”-feeling game that doesn’t shove its ideas down your throat, but rather introduces you to philosophical questions and leaves it up to the gamer to draw their own conclusions. It manages to be both thoughtful and entertaining at the same time. I am so happy to see the positive response for this work of art and can’t wait to see more incredible things from Yoko Taro.    … Expand
  2. oldskold
    Mar 31, 2018
    10
    This game makes FFXV look bad. This is the best game of 2017 and i recommend even if you don't play typically JRPG's.
  3. combobreaker96
    Jul 23, 2018
    10
    Sencillamente una obra maestra. Todo lo que ofrece, es de un nivel altísimo: historia increíble y con MUCHOS giros que uno no espera, especialmente si te encariñás con los personajes, como me pasó a mi. La música es de otro mundo, no me extraña que este juego haya recibido un premio por mejor banda sonora después de haberla escuchado, pero no solo por las melodías, sino también por losSencillamente una obra maestra. Todo lo que ofrece, es de un nivel altísimo: historia increíble y con MUCHOS giros que uno no espera, especialmente si te encariñás con los personajes, como me pasó a mi. La música es de otro mundo, no me extraña que este juego haya recibido un premio por mejor banda sonora después de haberla escuchado, pero no solo por las melodías, sino también por los momentos que acompañan. Los gráficos en mi opinión son más que suficientes para un juego como este, lo que quizás uno echaría en falta en gráficos, lo compensa con la cantidad de enemigos en pantalla que puede llegar a haber, la cantidad de partículas y efectos de chispas en medio de las peleas, la fluidez (lo más importante), etc. El sistema de combate es una delicia, fluido, intuitivo y visualmente hermoso, pero eso ya lo sabíamos, Platinum Games se especializa en eso. Es un juego con muchísimo contenido, yo tardé más de 70 horas en conseguirlo absolutamente todo. Después tenemos el DLC pero esta review es del juego base.

    Para mi es un 10, hacía mucho tiempo que un juego no me causaba tantas emociones distintas. Y te aviso, si este es tu primer juego de Yoko Taro (el director), prepará tu corazón, porque te espera una jodida.    … Expand
  4. kevlarkev
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    It is really hard describing this game, so I will not even try to say more than this is an experience different from anything i've ever had in the world of gaming. This game is unique in so many unforseeable ways with one of the best stories i have ever experienced, full of plot twists, interesting dialogue and fun characters. The music is also crazy good, so good that I many times foundIt is really hard describing this game, so I will not even try to say more than this is an experience different from anything i've ever had in the world of gaming. This game is unique in so many unforseeable ways with one of the best stories i have ever experienced, full of plot twists, interesting dialogue and fun characters. The music is also crazy good, so good that I many times found myself just standing still somewhere to enjoy the music for a good 15 minutes at a time. Gameplay is really satisfying with fast paced hack-and-slash style combat and the world is full of wonderful surprises if you take your time to explore it.… Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Scarlet_Knight
    Apr 26, 2021
    10
    As unbelievable as it may sound, this game has a great story, gameplay, soundtrack and characters. As for the English dub, it may not be the best at times, but there’s some other times in which it’s just top notch! It starts off as a pretty simple game and evolves into peak fiction. Would recommend it to almost anyone!
  8. duarte2377
    Feb 28, 2019
    7
    Good game, but due to the lack of Russian subtitles I can not put a higher rating
  9. 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.
  10. tkmtch
    Aug 29, 2019
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overview
    I played through the main content of the game including the E ending, but the game never got as interesting or entertaining as I thought it would be while I was playing. The game is actually really good at making players excited and think that there's a lot more to this game, but I ended up expecting the game to get more interesting till the very end, and it never did. It was not a bad game, it was good enough, but it's not like a 10/10 masterpiece game. There are lot of things in this game that's really good, but they never fully commit to improve it as the game proceeds, and the result is a really mediocre game.

    Let me explain further by breaking this game into 3 parts; story/narrative, combat, and the map design.

    Story/Narrative
    When we are looking at the story/narrative, it actually consists of 2 parts. #1 is the plot itself, and #2 is how the story is being delivered. This game has done a significant job on the way the story is delivered, and I believe that's what most people give credit for this game. However, I feel like the plot itself wasn't fully developed. Having finished the game, I feel like the whole story was shallow, while they had an opportunity to deliver deeper story/narrative.
    And this is where the spoilers comes in.

    After I finished the B route, big operation starts, but all the androids got hacked and was taken over, the base explodes, A2 stabs 2B, 9S falls of the bridge, giant white tower appears and boom there's the title Nier Automata on the screen and I was like oh my god, the game hadn't even started until now....but the reality was, it didn't take long to finish the game from that point. I'm not talking about the whole volume of the content, but I think not a whole lot has happened storywise from that point.
    And there's a lot they could have delivered. Why did A2 kill the baby forest king in A and B route? What was her motivation and goal? We can learn her past but I could never get to understand her because they never delivered a narrative to portrait how she felt or what she was thinking.
    And what meaning or role did the whole Pascal going mad part of the story have in the whole plot? There's no way we can find out how A2 felt after that incident or if it changed her in any way. Also, why did some machines start to go mad suddenly? Why did other machine lifeforms attack them?
    There's so much things we can learn as a fact, like A2's past, 2B's true mission, whole reason Yorha exists, machine lifeform's original plan to attack the server on the moon but changed it to launch the arc instead etc but the only character to build some kind of feeling or motivation or change over that was 9S. They could've gone deeper into A2 as a character. They could've included a scene to reveal how 2B felt all along. They could've explained why Adam and Eve were born and what it was all about. The mastermind of machine lifeform appeared suddenly in the end only to reveal the truth but he had no part in what was really going on, he failed to be an interesting character. I tend to love the story with no real hope, I tend to love the story when the main character dies tragically, but I never really loved the story of Nier Automata. Was the story really as epic as many people credit it to be? I doubt it, but in the end it's all up to personal perspective and preference.

    Combat
    Combat was another thing that I wished to become more interesting over time but never did. The combat system itself is actually pretty good. It's really fun to play, with different ways to attack enemies, with different types of weapons to choose from. However there are no interesting bosses or maps to beat. They never fully commit to make this game interesting as an action game. Instead they try to fool the player by including shooting game style stages and 2D action style maps. These really work well to prevent the whole game from getting too repetitive, but since they never tried to make an interesting action RPG game, the whole thing feels like an attempt to fool you into thinking it's entertaining than what it actually is. The gameplay overall is really shallow as well like the narrative is, and I just wish they included more 3D maps with interesting enemies and bosses to deal with.

    Map Design
    My friend recommended this game to me as an open world game, but more like a linear design game with some open areas you can kind of explore. It's more like the old Zelda games rather than the latest one.
    Just because the game doesn't offer open world experience doesn't mean the game is bad. Linear game design is fine. However the map design of this game tries to get the best part of both open world and linear game design and fails, resulting the open areas to be small and linear stages to be short and boring.

    Summary
    Nier Automata had the potential to be a masterpiece. Developers tried to do something really great and they partially succeeded, but the core content of the game was abandoned.    … Expand
  11. Francisco45
    Dec 2, 2019
    9
    Simplemente de los mejores , la historia me parece muy pero que Muy buena su gameplay es extremadamente fluido las mecanicas de combate son excelentes como una pega en mi opinion son los graficos
  12. Kirikoou
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    It's my favorite game of the decade, it's just that good, money and budget don't make a great game, Nier is at best a AA but to tell it's story, a story about humanity, about what make a human being you first need a direction, and thanks To Yoko Taro, we have that.
  13. nakaosensei
    Feb 26, 2020
    10
    A masterpiece, it brings a reflection about the way we see life, it has a good gameplay also, can't recommend this enough.
  14. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    10
    Personally, the best hack and slash ever created. The customization of your character, the visual and artistic section, the story, the design of the enemies and levels, the soundtrack, frenzied combat, in general, everything is outstanding. I really can't think of any better hack and slash than this. 10/10 masterpiece.
  15. ViktorKrakov
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    Really enjoying the game so far. Halfway through my first NG+. The combination of different styles and mechanics is very refreshing.
  16. sofiaclyg
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    the most impactful game i’ve ever played ! the plot is so good and the gameplay fun and attractive to play !! really recommend it
  17. ADCT800
    Jul 2, 2020
    8
    Nice game, amazing combat, good animations and beautiful characters. I am not that impressed about the world or those robots. They should have scrapped those multiple endings and invested that time creating more unique enemies or world.
  18. BL0ODYHAMSTER
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    Nier Automata in my opinion has one of the best story telling in gaming this generation. The game is not perfect by any means but these small problems do not detract what a great game this is overall.
    This game does take more than 1 play through, if by any means you see the credit and just think its over....it isn't, you have to play it again to get more of the story.
    (side note I    Nier Automata in my opinion has one of the best story telling in gaming this generation. The game is not perfect by any means but these small problems do not detract what a great game this is overall.
    This game does take more than 1 play through, if by any means you see the credit and just think its over....it isn't, you have to play it again to get more of the story.

    (side note I wrote a review but accidently deleted it and I don't want to rewrite it again)

    Overall Overall, how I feel about this game is this, the director really know and understand how to pull on your heart strings. This game does that really well. Only if you give it time and play it to the fullest. You can't just play it for the first run and just be done with it.

    Overall this    … Expand
  19. lcja
    Jul 1, 2020
    8
    very good combat and music! I have to say that it has surprised me greatly. Hightly recommended.
  20. cheburagen
    Jul 10, 2020
    10
    ЭТО ПРОСТО АХ*ЕННО!
    1010.
    Особенно доставила музыка. На повторе была пару месяцев
  21. TheRavS
    Oct 10, 2020
    6
    Nier: Automata has broken my heart not in the way the game intends.

    Yoko Taro's game is a beautiful action rpg with great visual design and gorgeous music. In addition to that, the way the game plays with its UI is very pleasant and ultimately adds to the overall experience. However, those are the only qualities of the game I can praise. I really wanted to like this game; perhaps    Nier: Automata has broken my heart not in the way the game intends.

    Yoko Taro's game is a beautiful action rpg with great visual design and gorgeous music. In addition to that, the way the game plays with its UI is very pleasant and ultimately adds to the overall experience. However, those are the only qualities of the game I can praise.
    I really wanted to like this game; perhaps because of the general praise I had heard since 2017 or because it comes partly from Platinum games, but I simply couldn't ignore the blaring issues this game has and that make it, in my opinion, something very far from a masterpiece.

    First I want to talk about the combat, to which there is some slight depth with abilities (or chips) and the weapons you can use. However, though some work has been put in it, its depth is completely unnecessary, as one can simply level up the character and upgrade their main, original weapon and melt the enemies either way without any need to switch weapons, despite how much the game wants and makes it available to you. Therefore, as an action game, Nier: Automata falls in the painfully lower end of the spectrum, as the bare mechanics obsolete themselves into button spamming. This is surprising, as the game seems to rely on combat a lot to drive you towards 90% of the objectives and story, but it feels like no one sat to play-test the game and figured that in the 50h of gameplay it would get very old or that the dissonant difficulty in some parts (mainly bosses) was a red alarm indicating there is a problem with this unnecessary core mechanic.

    As an rpg, the game isn't anything special either. You have abilities that are mostly passive abilities to aid you in combat and which can easily break it, such as having passive regen or recovering 30% of your health each time you kill an enemy (of which there are too many to excuse the existence of this ability). There are a few actual abilities, such as pod programs (super moves with cool-downs) or being able to taunt, but they're scarce and overall they don't rock the combat as they could or should.
    Objects, whether materials for upgrading gear or consumables, become more of a chore than an actual nice system towards the overall experience you're given. This, added to the very "Go there, kill that"; "Go there, pick up that"; and "Go there, protect that" with a side of cheap morals/philosophy type of side-quests makes it very hard to actually care about the world you're playing in or to explore it and discourages you from really engaging with the NPCs. This is when the section you're in has been filled, as another issue is that most of the world is far too small and empty to usher the sandbox-ish map, that ultimately also becomes a nuisance rather than adding to anything.

    Given this is a story-heavy game, it makes a very poor job at keeping you engaged with both its plot and characters, as the latter are incredibly 2 dimensional and barely have any depth. Their interactions appear to create some depth, but neither the characters' minds or the themes the game "explores" have anything beyond surface level exposition, which is really heartbreaking. As for the plot, while it could work in some other medium, an interactive videogame is most certainly not the way this story should be told: the storyline is an incredibly bland and uncharacteristic one that pretends to have something to say but ultimately doesn't and tries to hide that through meaningless interactions, eye-candy like androids 2B or A2 and the illusion that you, the player, have some agency, such as with its "gag" endings in this light novel with combat.
    Also, having to repeat 5 hours of unnecessary gameplay just because, when what is added there could have been implemented in the first play-through, makes me think the writers didn't know how to structure a story.

    Conclusion: though Nier: Automata deserves a 10/10 in the visual and musical department, its gameplay, characters and plot completely crash down, mainly because this universe and story should be explored in a novel, not in a videogame. Because of this, it seems Taro's game wants to be a game by adding action rpg elements, but it completely misses the mark or whatever it tried to achieve, completely wrecking the story that could have been told or the entertainment it could have provided.

    The visuals and music made me give it a 6, but were they not there, this game would be a 3.5 out of 10.    … Expand
  22. Kostas_Spirou
    Jan 28, 2022
    10
    One of the most special and unique games I've ever played.
    The story is masterfully crafted with some very interesting characters, and the writing is genius, the constant fourth wall break is spot on! I don't want to spoil it for you, but I can safely say that this is one of the best stories I've ever experienced, I haven't played a game that tells a tragic story in such a special way ever    One of the most special and unique games I've ever played.
    The story is masterfully crafted with some very interesting characters, and the writing is genius, the constant fourth wall break is spot on! I don't want to spoil it for you, but I can safely say that this is one of the best stories I've ever experienced, I haven't played a game that tells a tragic story in such a special way ever before.

    Once you finish the first playthrough, you'll need to load from your save data to play the second playthrough and then the third playthrough to experience the whole game, and the payoff is definitely worth it!

    The gameplay mechanics are incredible too, it constantly switches genres on-the-go, and it's full of surprises. My only complain is the hacking minigame, but other than that everything else is Top Tier.

    Last but not least, the music is absolutely phenomenal, one of the best soundtracks ever, absolutely perfect for the game.

    This game is an unforgettable masterpiece, a true gem within the videogame industry that sticks with you forever.

    Final Rating: "Masterpiece" ~ 10/10.    … Expand
  23. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 4, 2022
    9
    Nier: Automata is an exceptional action RPG developed by the action game veterans at Platinum Games. Combat is fast paced and fun, if not a bit on the mashy side, but the real star of the show is the engrossing and intelligent meta-narrative. Nier: Automata also welcomes repeat playthroughs with alternate scenarios and endings.
  24. itsoskej
    May 15, 2022
    10
    I'm yet to contemplate on why people tend to give bad review on videogames story that they didn't understand, nor even finished.
    They say that they're bored, story isn't engaging. I think it's universal to any game that is not holding players by their hands explaining every single detail around them to build up the narrative.
    Quite frankly, I'm still surprised people even consider    I'm yet to contemplate on why people tend to give bad review on videogames story that they didn't understand, nor even finished.
    They say that they're bored, story isn't engaging. I think it's universal to any game that is not holding players by their hands explaining every single detail around them to build up the narrative.
    Quite frankly, I'm still surprised people even consider putting this kind of argument in NieR: Automata reviews, as this game has its story unfolding right off the bat, throwing players immediately into their first mission.
    Without spoilers, NieR:Automata story revolves around the question that both philosophers, although more sophisticated, and more down to earth folk think about - soul, consciousness, and possibility of both forming in inanimate objects, like androids, machines. It is question that player, through character, at some point will naturally start asking themselves throughout the course of the game. If you feel like you're not fit to answer such abstract questions, do not fret, because there are protagonists that are programmed to 'think' they're not fit to do either, and going through their story ultimately let you find the answer... the answer that director, Yoko Taro, thought would make a touching story.
    I think the best part of both games in NieR series, are characters. I never thought I could be attached to videogame character in my life. In fact, before NieR I've never been attached to any protagonist of any videogame that i played. Whatever i felt during my playthrough was completely new feeling that i experienced.
    Main point of NieR series is answering existential questions and feeling of compassion towards not only friendly characters, but also the ones we face.
    Sadness also plays big role as, obviously, it's probably the best emotion to fill art with meaning and to put people in position to reflect on later. I think that's exactly what art is for, and NieR:Automata does it remarkably.    … Expand
  25. Gabriel988
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Jogo perfeito, trilha sonora magnífica, gameplay fluida, história e personagens cativantes e gráficos muito bons
  26. 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
  27. Vainz
    Mar 25, 2017
    10
    One of the worst games I've ever played. Everything here is bad..history, gameplay, empty map and mostly graphics. I do not understand all the absurd notes, it's certainly an overrated game
  28. 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.
  29. Gravypie
    Mar 25, 2018
    3
    Please DO NOT believe all the hype for this game. It is a festival of boring fetch-quests through a maze of bland scenery (PS2 textures) and mash-fights. Very boring and tedious. This style of game should've died out a long time ago. If you enjoy looking at the main character running and running...then more running, getting lost, back-tracking and then lots more running then this is thePlease DO NOT believe all the hype for this game. It is a festival of boring fetch-quests through a maze of bland scenery (PS2 textures) and mash-fights. Very boring and tedious. This style of game should've died out a long time ago. If you enjoy looking at the main character running and running...then more running, getting lost, back-tracking and then lots more running then this is the game for you.
    A cardboard cut-out of a game.
    P.S the graphics in the prologue/tutorial are lovely. That's where the good graphics end.    … Expand
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. Hanxius
    May 27, 2020
    1
    This game is so god damn boring... The Characters and their diaolgues are god damn cringe and, the Story, the Levels and the World Design made me sleep as hell... Even controling 2B and the Camera is **** up. The Gameplay is so repetitive and the game so easy you just have to lock on an ennemy and shoot it until it dies. No need to say that the Enemies and the Bosses are really really bad.This game is so god damn boring... The Characters and their diaolgues are god damn cringe and, the Story, the Levels and the World Design made me sleep as hell... Even controling 2B and the Camera is **** up. The Gameplay is so repetitive and the game so easy you just have to lock on an ennemy and shoot it until it dies. No need to say that the Enemies and the Bosses are really really bad. The game doesn't even look good... Really I really don't how people can describe this game as the best in the world...

    At least 2B is hot tho (Oh and **** thoses 2D/Topside view parts.)    … Expand
  33. Xepher
    Jan 11, 2020
    2
    Cheap garbage. It became overrated because of the interesting designs and beautiful soundtrack but beyond that there is nothing there. It's a poorly made boring indie game parading as AAA.
  34. CinderShoiler
    Jun 21, 2020
    2
    The game was overrated . It has a lot of disadvantages :
    Not a big world that you can run in 5-8 minutes .
    Total 4 types of weapons . Few game mechanics . Uncomfortable the linear flow . With the inability to even run around the world without a task . There is simply nothing to do in the game after a complete pass . Price . Game landscape, with design and filling with a strong    The game was overrated . It has a lot of disadvantages :
    Not a big world that you can run in 5-8 minutes .
    Total 4 types of weapons .
    Few game mechanics .
    Uncomfortable the linear flow .
    With the inability to even run around the world without a task .
    There is simply nothing to do in the game after a complete pass .
    Price .
    Game landscape, with design and filling with a strong sense of isolation .
    The developers refused to support the game and fix problems with bugs .
    Textures , no matter what anyone says, but they are terrible .

    I can not say that it is terrible , but I can definitely say that it looks raw and unfinished with this overrated quality .    … Expand
  35. CapNcrunk
    Mar 30, 2020
    2
    I bought this game after playing the demo, which contained the shooter elements of the game and nothing else. I was disappointed after finding out the full game was 75-80% wandering around a sparse, empty open world, fighting the same respawned enemies over and over again, wondering where you're supposed to go next. I uninstalled it, but decided to give it another shot a couple years laterI bought this game after playing the demo, which contained the shooter elements of the game and nothing else. I was disappointed after finding out the full game was 75-80% wandering around a sparse, empty open world, fighting the same respawned enemies over and over again, wondering where you're supposed to go next. I uninstalled it, but decided to give it another shot a couple years later because I remembered the shooter elements being so much fun. This time, I got to the end of the prologue that takes 30-45 minutes to complete and died, only to find out it doesn't save the game until after you finish it. Thus, it forced me back to the begining to play through the 40 minute prologue again. Uninstalled. It gets one point for the decent shooter game it advertised itself as, but only lets you play a few minutes of every few hours in reality.… Expand
  36. Diwari1215
    Mar 17, 2017
    9
    I have never grown to love a game more than this. When I began I was frustrated with the game's design and story, but please, take ti from me, this game is top notch. The game really dazzles as you begin to play through it more and more. The soundtrack, characters, story, and combat is amazing. If you have a PS4 or PC, and you haven't played this game, you must absolutely do so. PlatinumI have never grown to love a game more than this. When I began I was frustrated with the game's design and story, but please, take ti from me, this game is top notch. The game really dazzles as you begin to play through it more and more. The soundtrack, characters, story, and combat is amazing. If you have a PS4 or PC, and you haven't played this game, you must absolutely do so. Platinum games once again proves to be one of the best developers out there, and combined with Squenix's top notch story writing, there isn't a game out there quite like this. Nier Automata made me a believer, and you will be made one too.… Expand
  37. gummibear
    Mar 22, 2017
    6
    Not a game for everyone!

    I bought this game after reading all the amazing reviews on metacritic. I realize this is a dissenting opinion but Nier Automata was not for me. I really wanted to like the game and pushed through despite that fact that I wasn't having a lot of fun. I won't give it a negative review just to offset the many 10s, instead I will give it what I got out of it.    Not a game for everyone!

    I bought this game after reading all the amazing reviews on metacritic. I realize this is a dissenting opinion but Nier Automata was not for me. I really wanted to like the game and pushed through despite that fact that I wasn't having a lot of fun. I won't give it a negative review just to offset the many 10s, instead I will give it what I got out of it.

    All these things combine to provide very little immersion factor from my point of view.

    1) The story and characters did nothing for me. Its obvious early on that there is no real purpose to the story if you do not care for the characters and honestly I just didn't care at all. Its a game where you never really feel a sense of purpose.
    2) Combat may look cool at first but there is not very much in terms of mechanics and there is virtually no challenge to any of the boss fights. I could care less for the 2D or top down shooter or hacker segments...seem more like pointless minigames.
    3) RPG element of the game is kinda missing with there being very little difference is what your skills or weapons are like from beginning to end. I was never looking forward to my next level, upgrade or weapon. It never felt that I was building my character towards any goals or improvements.
    4) GUI is serviceable but 3D map was clunky with very little instruction of how to use...eventually you figure it out but there were some annoying moments early on.
    5) I hated the shifting of perspective from 3D to 2D because it added nothing to the game beyond trying to hide the linear nature of the missions.
    6) Rigid environment where you are force-fielded out of passing through some areas where you should realistically be able to fit.
    7) Consider me not a fan of the sound track. Some segments were annoying, others depressing for no reason, others just weird for weird's sake. I can't say there was a single track which I actually enjoyed listening to.

    I can actually understand all the 10 reviews because this game is very much about tastes. If you are really into Japanese Action RPGs then you might just love this. This genre has been hit and miss for me and this time I'm afraid that Nier Automata just hit on all the parts that I tend to not like.    … Expand
  38. darkwyve
    Mar 20, 2017
    10
    I'll start with saying I am a fan of the original . I love the haunting melancholy of this world. Personally I feel it carried over perfectly. The characters at first seem one dimensional, but have many subtle layers and countless subtext in their conversations that fleshes out well as the story unfolds.

    The dark visual beauty of Nier is a joy to explore and the phenomenal soundtrack    I'll start with saying I am a fan of the original . I love the haunting melancholy of this world. Personally I feel it carried over perfectly. The characters at first seem one dimensional, but have many subtle layers and countless subtext in their conversations that fleshes out well as the story unfolds.

    The dark visual beauty of Nier is a joy to explore and the phenomenal soundtrack is something I'll continue to listen to long after I'm done with the game. The one thing that was a drastic change was the combat and that was entirely for the better in my opinion. It is so fluid and entertaining that I never tired of battling enemies to level up even when doing the simplest of side quests or exploring the world.

    Last, but certainly not least, is the incredible story that isn't truly or fully experienced unless you do three play-throughs of the game. While you can get a satisfying ending in one run, you cannot experience the true depth of the world and story itself until the third run concludes.. With 60+ hours as I completed the game on Ending 'E' (which I consider the true ending) I felt a sense of true awe and connection to my fellow Nier players.

    I can firmly say this is the best game I have played in the last five years, and I have a feeling it may end up being one of the top ten games I ever play in my life. Very few games merit a perfect score from me, but this one is wholly deserving of it.    … Expand
  39. BedhedEdWed
    Jul 31, 2017
    6
    Nier: Automata is an overrated game, receiving undeserved praise for its quirky, and for lack of a better word, its Japaneseness. The gameplay, developed by Platinum Games, is surprisingly boring and stale. Platinum is known for its fantastic hack-and-slash gameplay, so I don't know what the **** happened here. Enemies will either go down in two hits or two-million hits. The combat isNier: Automata is an overrated game, receiving undeserved praise for its quirky, and for lack of a better word, its Japaneseness. The gameplay, developed by Platinum Games, is surprisingly boring and stale. Platinum is known for its fantastic hack-and-slash gameplay, so I don't know what the **** happened here. Enemies will either go down in two hits or two-million hits. The combat is repetitive and monotonous, lacking any real combo system. Instead, it has only a light and heavy attack, along with an A.I. pod that you will forget is even there most of the time. Over the course of the game, you will notice that the combat has devolved into dodge and spam light attack, OVER AND OVER AND OVER. The other aspect of this game, the story, is just alright. It was compelling enough for me to complete the game and obtain the platinum trophy in it as well. It is not a story that I would consider tracking through one more time, though. The story is the only reason that this game is a six instead of a four. I would not recommend it, but because of all the critical praise you've likely heard about this game, you'll probably pick it up anyway. I would just say that if you do, wait for a price drop.… Expand
  40. 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.
  41. jpoid
    Mar 30, 2017
    6
    Not for a hardcore player. I definitely do not recommend it after playing Nioh.
    There is some good things about Nier, like graphics, the transition between 2D and 3D scenarios, and the sound (although the music becomes a bit repetitive after a while). But the over-simplified combat system is thought for an 8-year old person. After playing Nioh, where you need a lot of skill to dodge and    Not for a hardcore player. I definitely do not recommend it after playing Nioh.
    There is some good things about Nier, like graphics, the transition between 2D and 3D scenarios, and the sound (although the music becomes a bit repetitive after a while). But the over-simplified combat system is thought for an 8-year old person. After playing Nioh, where you need a lot of skill to dodge and managing your stamina, here you need just to spam the infinite ammo of you Pod, which does a fair amount of damage, and stay safe at mid/long range. Enemies are so slow, that is almost hard not to avoid their hits, you should be really a troll in order to die there.
    Another very important fact, I have ended the game after only 9 hours of game play!! And it says: you can keep playing the sub-quests, but this is obviously not great, the main history should have been much more polished and complex than it is.    … Expand
  42. jpacor
    May 19, 2017
    6
    I must say, I was pretty disappointed by this game. The opening hours are promising, with fun combat and an interesting story, but the game soon becomes repetitive and dull. Mostly boring fetch side quests, and very limited fast travel requires frequent running around. The boss battles are relatively fun and exciting, but after finishing the game once, I would definitely not go through itI must say, I was pretty disappointed by this game. The opening hours are promising, with fun combat and an interesting story, but the game soon becomes repetitive and dull. Mostly boring fetch side quests, and very limited fast travel requires frequent running around. The boss battles are relatively fun and exciting, but after finishing the game once, I would definitely not go through it again just for another ending.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. Deadheadbill
    Mar 19, 2017
    8
    Meh. First off, I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of jrpg's. However I am a fan of great games regardless of their genre and so with all the good rviews decided to give Nier a shot.

    This is just a meh any way you slice it. Combat alone is a 9, but the story, idiotic dialog, bad camera angles and crappy save system are constant disappointments. Wish I had redboxed it or waited    Meh. First off, I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of jrpg's. However I am a fan of great games regardless of their genre and so with all the good rviews decided to give Nier a shot.

    This is just a meh any way you slice it. Combat alone is a 9, but the story, idiotic dialog, bad camera angles and crappy save system are constant disappointments. Wish I had redboxed it or waited for a deep discount rather than dropping full priced coin on it.    … Expand
  45. OneManCast
    Aug 7, 2018
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I find its lack of self-awareness and its lack of factual backup to the story, quite reprehensible. There's so much I can rant and rave about, down to finite details.

    NieR: Automata is made by Square Enix and Platinum Games.
    It features a multitude of gameplay mechanics, and those who love nostalgia may initially get their kicks and such.
    Normally I'd say "Until they grow tired of it and realize how worthless and bland it is" but it is quite clear that people are so delusional that they are no longer qualified to judge what a good game is.

    Where to start?
    Let's break down this story.
    So, starting with the story setting, and we already have problems.
    Basically, aliens arrived on Earth and invaded.
    "In the year 11945 during the 14th Machine War (some time after the 4th ending of the original NieR), Earth has suddenly been invaded by extraterrestrial life forms, armed with weapons known as “bio-machines.”

    Facing imminent destruction, mankind had no choice but to flee the Earth and take refuge on the moon. In an attempt to reclaim their planet, humanity formed a resistance army of android soldiers.

    To break through this deadlock and reclaim their homeworld, humanity sends the “YoRHa” – an infantry unit of state-of-the-art androids – into battle.

    An arduous battle between androids and bio-machines unfolds on an uninhabited, barren planet. And who knows what forgotten truths are revealed in war…"

    Two things. A)This gets a literal retcon closer to the end of the game. B)Biomachines are physically and universally impossible. None of the materials known to the entire universe allow metal based alloys to allow biological life. Constantly, you are FORCED to watch as BS goes down.
    Stuff like machines creating humanoid machines (which is literally just androids, of which does not need the overt attempt at a moral and philosophical gray zone) is physically, chemically, biologically IMPOSSIBLE.
    Here's the thing about this game ladies and gentlemen. This entire game is a pseudophilosophical ATTEMPT at commentary over what makes someone or something "human". Both sides show this shallow attempt as well. Pascal reading Nietzsche, Androids having emotions and desires, biomachines making humanoids, said humanoids reading religious and historical diatribe to further solidify of how 3Deep5Me this game is.
    The aliens who invaded? Already dead. The killers? Adam and Eve. I kid you not, those are the names of the two machines. If you cringed in disgust or annoyance, I can't blame you. It is so transparent about how cool and edgy and meaningful they wish to be.
    It is disgustingly overbearing, with no basis in actual fact and it requires your suspense of disbelief to an ABSURD degree.
    They're passing off this other message of mere Nihilism, and to a real Nihilist like me, I see through this phony BS.
    The whole premise of "what makes us human" is so easy to properly portray that a mentally low-functioning eight year old could do it in their sleep.

    The fix is simple. Switch the Androids of YoRHa with the machines (I.E. the machines serve YoRHa and the Androids serve and eventually kill the Aliens), and adjust the story accordingly. Makes FAR MORE sense, less overbearing, and the ending part of the whole final arc makes more sense too. Not only that, but 9S and 2B would also be more imposing of villains than Adam and Eve, who we have a complete disconnect with.

    It is so simplistic to make your point better than the writing direction you gave it, that it baffles me how stupid Yoko Taro is. I mean, if you wish to write the story your way, by all means. Just don't pass off this story as something so intellectually and morally deep when WITH EASE I can just Mad Lib and switch out adjectives and nouns to make it a million times more effective.

    It is so shallow and so transparent to me, that it amazes me that this game has successfully conned its way to not only have common acceptance by the ignorant masses, but also be considered one of the BEST games of 2017. I kid you not, this is a real thing that people delude themselves to be.

    I only covered the entire skeleton of the game. I would prefer not to do play by play honestly, but to be frank there's so many issues with the story, I do not have the time nor character limit to go over it all.    … Expand
  46. Daniel_Campbell
    Mar 9, 2020
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I LOVED the first Nier, but I really wasn't a big fan of this one. The environments are drab and the combat feels very one-note. But my biggest gripe is a narrative one. It has an interesting story to tell, but it's undercut by the idea that all the androids have another version of themselves living in their HQ that will activate upon their destruction. What's the point of crying over a fallen comrade if their just going to reawaken in HQ with all of their memories? In this world, death means almost nothing. Why would 2B cry over 9S being destroyed when it means literally nothing is lost? There are no stakes if death means nothing. If that narrative bullet point were not there, it would be a profound and deep story...but it IS there. So, for me at least, it ruins the entire story.… Expand
  47. Grobeu
    Jul 17, 2021
    0
    Played 3 hours and uninstalled it. If you don't like anime, you'll hate nier. All the tired clichés are there. The map is hideous. The combat (80% of the gameplay) is beyond boring, the enemies are badly designed bullet sponges, the story and characters are cringy, childish and ridiculous. Levelling up doesn't change a thing, the weapons are all the same, the combat never changes, andPlayed 3 hours and uninstalled it. If you don't like anime, you'll hate nier. All the tired clichés are there. The map is hideous. The combat (80% of the gameplay) is beyond boring, the enemies are badly designed bullet sponges, the story and characters are cringy, childish and ridiculous. Levelling up doesn't change a thing, the weapons are all the same, the combat never changes, and you'll have to grind through this poorly developed grind fest 6 TIMES before you can get the really ending - if you really care about the run-of-the-mill, boring weeaboo sci fi "story".
    Easily the worst game I played in the last 5 years.    … Expand
  48. overratedhuman
    Dec 30, 2020
    0
    I don't know who designs games these days and what kind of people think, "let's just not let people save the game for the first 2 hours".
    It's baffling, it could have been a great game perhaps, but I'm fed up with this silly details like "you don't save", or "your character dies forever". It's a game, the main point is that there's no serious consequences for failure like in real life. I    I don't know who designs games these days and what kind of people think, "let's just not let people save the game for the first 2 hours".
    It's baffling, it could have been a great game perhaps, but I'm fed up with this silly details like "you don't save", or "your character dies forever". It's a game, the main point is that there's no serious consequences for failure like in real life. I don't want to play the game in easy or normal mode because that's boring, and in hard it's not easy enough for you to pass through on the first run... I've died 3 times an hour and a half into the game and had to repeat the entire thing. All the artistic effort you put on the game is wasted on some silly stubborn decision. This one goes into a special place with Death Stranding of designers I write the name down so I never buy anything created by them ever again.    … Expand
  49. TheAlin1213
    Jul 15, 2018
    10
    It is one of the best game ever to be released. The game that is a masterpiece as a game. I know it may sound confusing. But lots of games have an excellent story yet lots of them are afraid of being games, that is using tools which this medium gives. Thanks to it, Automata works only as a game. Nier ia a game masterpiece, as a whole while in many games we don't appreciate a game, butIt is one of the best game ever to be released. The game that is a masterpiece as a game. I know it may sound confusing. But lots of games have an excellent story yet lots of them are afraid of being games, that is using tools which this medium gives. Thanks to it, Automata works only as a game. Nier ia a game masterpiece, as a whole while in many games we don't appreciate a game, but their single elements like narrative, music, characters, acting, world design and so on.

    Adventages:
    + amazing narrative that can't be told in any another medium
    + stunning soundtrack (the best video game soundtrack I have ever heard)
    + interesting however depressing world
    + good sidequests
    + a mysterious world to interpret
    + shocking plot twists
    + one of the most beautiful ending in the history of video games
    + enjoyable gameplay that often change format what makes it not dull

    Disadvantages:
    - later in the gane we have hacking sequences (that are supposed to be more like minigames) which become a main mechanic although it is not so expanded    … Expand
  50. CyberRobotnix
    May 18, 2018
    10
    May I ask, why does this game have a lower metascore than Super Mario Odyssey? Because guess what? I had more fun wandering around in this game than I did with Super Mario Odyssey since it actually felt rewarding.

    It also succeeds in terms of level design, game design and creativity whilst games like Sonic Forces or Super Mario Odyssey fell flat on each categories. If you buy this    May I ask, why does this game have a lower metascore than Super Mario Odyssey? Because guess what? I had more fun wandering around in this game than I did with Super Mario Odyssey since it actually felt rewarding.

    It also succeeds in terms of level design, game design and creativity whilst games like Sonic Forces or Super Mario Odyssey fell flat on each categories.

    If you buy this game, expect to have a lot of fun!    … Expand
  51. egoBorder
    Dec 19, 2017
    10
    Nier: Automata is simply a great game. It's not just the story or the gameplay, rather almost every single aspect contributes to an enjoyable experience that manages to hit some emotional notes, prompt a bit of philosophizing, and delight the eyes and ears, all without overstaying its welcome.

    On the surface, Automata is an open-world action-RPG, but it's perhaps more accurate to say    Nier: Automata is simply a great game. It's not just the story or the gameplay, rather almost every single aspect contributes to an enjoyable experience that manages to hit some emotional notes, prompt a bit of philosophizing, and delight the eyes and ears, all without overstaying its welcome.

    On the surface, Automata is an open-world action-RPG, but it's perhaps more accurate to say that it's a languidly paced story-focused action game. The distinction might seem silly, but the player won't find a Rockstar-style open world brimming with possibilities. The world in Automata is much more measured and precise, made to fit a pre-existing narrative. But the developers managed to pull off the delicate balance between too much and too little to do. As a result Automata manages to reward exploration without demanding it in excess.

    Aesthetically the game is a delight to behold, with particle effects that make the battles feel exciting and music that is sure to please. It's true that the range of locations is not as extensive as in other games, but what is there is always thematically appropriate. Much in the style of a Souls game, locations are memorable even when they're not impressive or richly detailed.

    The game is of course Japanese and much in the vein of anime. If that's an immediate red flag for you, this game may not change your mind. However, Yoko Taro and Platinum Games have achieved something that feels at once unique, new, and familiar.

    Do yourself a favor and play this game!    … Expand
  52. CaptainChau
    Mar 21, 2018
    10
    Nier: Automata is a really great game that not only has an intriguing storyline, but also great combat along with good difficulty settings. The difficulty settings were perfect for casual players along with players looking for a challenge. Each swing of the blades felt satisfying and crisp and by doing perfect evasions it made the players feel rewarded. I expected great things from thisNier: Automata is a really great game that not only has an intriguing storyline, but also great combat along with good difficulty settings. The difficulty settings were perfect for casual players along with players looking for a challenge. Each swing of the blades felt satisfying and crisp and by doing perfect evasions it made the players feel rewarded. I expected great things from this game when it was released and it honestly fulfilled what I was expected and gave me even more.… Expand
  53. Whitewolfx99
    Mar 25, 2018
    10
    It's just simply Masterpiece game that got on my all time Top 10 favorites personally :) Forget GOTY , automata transcends.
    because most people especially "norms" or normal ones can't handle or understand the abstract or weird genius of Nier: Automata it's gonna f*ck with your brain and touch your heart. Simply amazing
  54. XV_
    May 2, 2018
    10
    Pretty much everything about this game is incredible: music, gameplay, story, etc. Even the sidequests are very interesting per se. But for me the thing that stands out the most is that it knows that is a videogame and knows what kind of things can be done only in this medium (as much as I like Last of Us it feels that it wants so hard to be a movie), it blends perfectly gameplay andPretty much everything about this game is incredible: music, gameplay, story, etc. Even the sidequests are very interesting per se. But for me the thing that stands out the most is that it knows that is a videogame and knows what kind of things can be done only in this medium (as much as I like Last of Us it feels that it wants so hard to be a movie), it blends perfectly gameplay and storytelling in such a brilliant way that at the end I was so moved on that I could not sleep. Is hard to think that this comes after such a flawed game like Drakgengard 3 (which I really like but it's just kind of bad) but I guess that Platinum have an important role in that huge leap. On the negative side, I felt the combat system too simple, feels more like a God of War than Devil May Cry and the difficulty spikes are just ridiculous. I played normal for the most part but the thing played almost itself but when switching to hard it was like x5 times harder, I mean there's a Very Hard difficulty which pretty much everything one hits you but I would really liked to have something in the middle of Normal - Hard. Anyway, a masterpiece.… Expand
  55. crislepe06
    Sep 30, 2018
    10
    One of the most epic stories i have ever witnessed in a video game. The game is perfect in every aspect except for its graphics but it didnt bother me. My GOTY in 2017 is NieR Automata.
  56. bochkaRU
    Feb 6, 2019
    10
    This game is unique and excellent. There is no other video game that can give you a comparable experience. The combat is fast-paced and fun. The story is mature and well told, in an unique and refreshing way.
  57. Emilh
    Jan 15, 2023
    0
    Bland and blinding action at too high speeds. The camera is shaky at best and gets locked when you really want to have it free. The music doesn't fix the context with the vocals totally out of place. In "easy" mode the game is no longer a game - it becomes a cringeworthy slow bad movie. It is obviously made with fanservice in mind, so much so that it becomes ridiculous and disgusting.Bland and blinding action at too high speeds. The camera is shaky at best and gets locked when you really want to have it free. The music doesn't fix the context with the vocals totally out of place. In "easy" mode the game is no longer a game - it becomes a cringeworthy slow bad movie. It is obviously made with fanservice in mind, so much so that it becomes ridiculous and disgusting. After x hours into the game I have no feelings at all to any of the characters. Better pick up any other game in the genre.… Expand
  58. 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
  59. ace_pilotson
    Apr 8, 2017
    5
    This game is certainly not for everyone. I bought it because of all the great reviews and scores and didn't enjoy a moment playing it. The music is annoying, the camera and controls are a pain in the a**, the checkpoint/autosave feature is a joke. The story is the usual Japanese futuristic nonsense some will love, some will not, but no-one will understand a thing.
  60. 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
  61. pdh115
    May 16, 2017
    5
    This Game Has Good Story, Good Sound, Good Mood
    But It's Battle Skill System is Bad. There is only one customize System Pod Program, Bad Map And Bad Ranged Battle
  62. Virtue777
    May 20, 2017
    0
    I really didn't enjoy this game as much as I had hoped. They make you backtrack through the same boring lifeless areas over and over and over. And there are several segments of the game that are purposefully frustrating because they're trying to make some weird artistic point. Just watch someone play this on YouTube or read a plot synopsis. The story is good, the rest of the game is garbage.
  63. Tirah
    Jan 9, 2018
    10
    So, I finally got to play this game and wow! This is one of the most messed up games I've ever experienced - because Automata is much more than just a game, it IS an experience. It's so surreal, everything goes, and you're never sure what going to happen next.

    I can't describe the story or characters without spoiling everything, so let's just say both are very likeable, very    So, I finally got to play this game and wow! This is one of the most messed up games I've ever experienced - because Automata is much more than just a game, it IS an experience. It's so surreal, everything goes, and you're never sure what going to happen next.

    I can't describe the story or characters without spoiling everything, so let's just say both are very likeable, very interesting, and very tragic. The controls are fantastic and the gameplay is smooth, this is Platinum Games at their very best.

    Automata's music is also absolutely fantastic and very catchy, I got my platinum trophy 2 weeks ago and haven't played the game since, but I'm still humming Beautiful Song to this day. It's a masterpiece and I wholeheartedly recommend you buy the soundtrack.

    Sadly the same can't be said about the graphics - they're hideous and the game looks very, very bad on my 4K TV. No antialiasing whatsoever, jagged edges everywhere, low resolution textures, NPC models look like something from the PS2 era... It's really bad. Fortunately, the game itself is so good that I was more than happy to overlook this.

    Pros:
    - complex story with multiple endings
    - great replay value, multiple characters, different paths
    - likeable characters
    - fantastic music!
    - great controls
    - enjoyable combat

    Cons:
    - terrible graphics    … Expand
  64. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    5
    I tried this game on Saturday so it’s still very fresh in my mind. There were a lot of things that I didn’t like about the game so I just stopped playing it fairly quickly. I hated the music, I just found it to be very annoying and distracting. For the most part, music is not that important to me and as long as I can zone the music out then I’m fine with it. This was so bad that I couldn’tI tried this game on Saturday so it’s still very fresh in my mind. There were a lot of things that I didn’t like about the game so I just stopped playing it fairly quickly. I hated the music, I just found it to be very annoying and distracting. For the most part, music is not that important to me and as long as I can zone the music out then I’m fine with it. This was so bad that I couldn’t do that and I would say that five minutes into the game, I had to mute the game music.

    The combat itself, I didn’t like the way that the cameras kept shifting from an overhead view to a 2-D plane to 3-D plane. I know its a way to shake up the combat but the only plane that I enjoyed was the 3-D plane because that felt like the most natural in this type of game.

    Finally, what turned me off from this game was, I was on a bridge and I had to fight two Compound Miter Saw things and it wasn’t fun trying to dodge those and I ended getting stuck in between both of them and I died. Which this is a fun game where if you die within the first half hour of the game then you have to start the whole thing over again because that’s how I like to play video games. Redoing things that weren’t that much fun to begin with.

    I have sent this game back to Gamefly and I will not be playing this game again.    … Expand
  65. RepentantSky
    Dec 19, 2017
    10
    It's pretty likely at this point that people don't need to hear me or anyone else sing this game's praises, but it really does earn all of it. It's a masterpiece that's far better than any advertising could have told you it would be. The story, the characters, the gameplay, the overall style of the game, and most importantly in a game like this, it's replayability make it not only one ofIt's pretty likely at this point that people don't need to hear me or anyone else sing this game's praises, but it really does earn all of it. It's a masterpiece that's far better than any advertising could have told you it would be. The story, the characters, the gameplay, the overall style of the game, and most importantly in a game like this, it's replayability make it not only one of the best games for RPG's this year, which is saying a lot on it's own, but it's one of, if not the best game of year.… Expand
  66. Andrea9922
    Feb 5, 2018
    10
    wow! such a incredible game! you guys must buy! perfect story and beautiful musics! amazing!
  67. SplitMind
    Aug 8, 2018
    6
    I feel like I'm the only person who didn't really like this.

    Contrary to a lot of people, the restrictions on saving were manageable, but I do think this was an unnecessary element to have in the game. It seems that the developers really wanted to be original here and whilst they have succeeded, they may have hindered the game in some ways. My biggest gripe is with having to travel    I feel like I'm the only person who didn't really like this.

    Contrary to a lot of people, the restrictions on saving were manageable, but I do think this was an unnecessary element to have in the game.

    It seems that the developers really wanted to be original here and whilst they have succeeded, they may have hindered the game in some ways. My biggest gripe is with having to travel from place to place. In my first few hours of the game there was no quick way of doing this and it quickly became cumbersome and monotonous to complete quests.

    This leads me to another frustrating factor, in that the quests and general narratives do not flow very well; even in the early periods of the game I was left wondering where to go next or how to progress the story, making me feel like I was wasting time. Having to resort to online guides and videos makes the game feel more like a DIY project rather than fun or a pleasure.

    Would I recommend this game? At a decent price, yes, but bear in mind the issues delineated above. The high review scores this game has gotten has me very confused indeed.    … Expand
  68. DMB1985
    Sep 3, 2020
    4
    I really struggled to see why there was so much hype around Nier:Automata. One of the biggest areas of praise I heard about N:A as how powerful and original the story is. Whilst it isn't bad, it doesn't cover anything that hasn't been done in sci-fi media numerous times before and relies on anime clichés to try and deliver an emotional punch. This is made all the worse by the fact that inI really struggled to see why there was so much hype around Nier:Automata. One of the biggest areas of praise I heard about N:A as how powerful and original the story is. Whilst it isn't bad, it doesn't cover anything that hasn't been done in sci-fi media numerous times before and relies on anime clichés to try and deliver an emotional punch. This is made all the worse by the fact that in order to see the full story you need to play the game 3 times. If you can't get into the game on your first play through then you are in for a painful slog trying to see everything, especially as the second playthrough is by far the worse.

    From a gameplay perspective this is really poor. There are some epic moments. The prologue delivers an exciting introduction to the game and there is a great boss battle just past the halfway point of the first route but these moments are few and far between. Combat is so simple that it quickly becomes tedious. As enemies don't block or dodge, the game quickly becomes a case of just mashing square with the occasional dodge required. I didn't expect this to match the depth of combat games such as GoW or DMC but I expected at least a bit of skill to be required rather than just the mindless button masher that this is. RPG elements are also paper thin offering no depth beside

    I could probably forgive the poor combat and lack of depth if the open world was interesting and fun to explore. Unfortunately this is bland and empty with nothing really to see and do bar some really tedious side quests that are no more inventive than fetch quests or killing a bunch of enemies. There is so much backtracking throughout this game both through the main story and side quests that it quickly becomes soul destroying. This is made all the worse by how ugly the open world is, looking like a late PS2 game. I appreciate that this is a low budget game but there are plenty of low budget games that still manage to look like they belong in this generation by using an art style that is appropriate for the budget. This would look so much better if the devs had gone for a cel-shaded style rather than trying to adopt a more realistic approach.

    One thing that N:A does do really well is mesh numerous different game styles together seamlessly. One minute you can be playing a hack and slash game, then an old school space shooter like Galaga and then a Metroidvania style level. But the novelty of this quickly wears off as the general gameplay just doesn't have enough depth to keep things interesting.

    Nier:Automata is really a niche game that is well suited for those who have a deep interest in Japanese anime culture but will feel a chore for most other people.    … Expand
  69. Skip_Rat
    May 4, 2018
    0
    The biggest let down of a game I have played this year. Don't believe the hype surrounding this game, It's a truly awful slog of battles at the start and just not worth it. Graphics are dull and gameplay and controls are beyond frustrating. Total trash.
  70. 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
  71. tony_blackie
    Apr 27, 2020
    0
    Very childish and repetitive. Deleted after 40 minutes of playing (no way to save btw).
    If you're above 14 I don't recommend this.
  72. reb0014
    Jul 30, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game could have been so amazing but a few things held it back. First off the disjointed storytelling does us no favors, jumping back and forth confusingly.

    Secondly and far more important is how the game won't tell you which quests will end the game (and rendering all open quests as failed) and this will result in people having to replay parts of the game to try and finish quests, or just deal with the knowledge that certain portions of the game have been locked away because you didn't complete them in their stupid arbitrary order that they definitely don't warn you ahead of time about. So if your a completionist like myself it's an exercise in frustration.
    There are 4 main endings (they are more like acts in a play) so that's a bunch of chance to ruin your game and not see cool side quests because you accidentally did the wrong quests in the wrong order.

    Finally and worst of all is the absolutely retarded hacking mini game that was shoe horned into act 2 and 3. They force you to use it by making bosses have retardedly huge health bars. The mechanic of hacking with a terrible old school asteroids style game forces you to play what looks like a 30 year old game instead of something that came out this year. Beautiful graphics don't matter when your forced into a washed out grey landscape filled with stupid space ship arcade like crap, which you absolutely will be to get through one of the areas in the 3rd act. And it's not one or two, but like 20 in a row. It is the worst area in the entire game and honestly ruined the experience for me. Being forced to do that crap multiple times really forced it home how out of place the hacking game is, and how they crammed it into the game to give the illusion of depth. I absolutely loathed the hacking game and it's a testament to how great the rest of the game is that I'm even contemplating finishing this game. But seriously **** whoever did the hacking game, or at least forced you to use it so heavily to get through the dungeon. The concept of the hacking game is actually not horrible however by forcing it to into such a large role was an awful idea.    … Expand
  73. Zenketsu1
    May 31, 2017
    3
    On Route C to the game, I decided that in between me running to my objective I decided I haven't saved in a while and I should probably do that. So I decide to jump down a hole towards a save point. I jumped down this hole dozens of times before to get to this save point. But because of the fetch quest I was doing at the time, something different happened. It triggered one of the game'sOn Route C to the game, I decided that in between me running to my objective I decided I haven't saved in a while and I should probably do that. So I decide to jump down a hole towards a save point. I jumped down this hole dozens of times before to get to this save point. But because of the fetch quest I was doing at the time, something different happened. It triggered one of the game's joke endings with the hilarious punchline of kicking me back to two hours worth of progress. Nier Automata does not respect you or your time. It makes jokes about how much it wastes your time and about how boring the tasks you have to do are, at the same time forcing you to do the same tedious tasks it makes fun of. The story it offers is really solid, but the monotonous garbage you have to go through in between each story beat is insulting. Every quest is a boring fetch quest. Warp to location, run to the objective marker, run back, warp to the quest giver, rinse repeat. The dialogue is always either funny, dark, provoking, or some combination of those and is genuinely great content. It's so much running back and forth with the characters also complaining about how boring the task they've been given is. For a pro tip, this doesn't make your game clever, it makes it pretentious and annoying. Aside from running what you also do is some of the dullest combat in an action game I've played. In terms of complexity, the combat is a tick lower than God of War with 9S being one of the most boring experiences I've had in a AAA game right up there with Bioshock Infinite. There is zero combo potential and only about 4 weapon types that all don't actually change how you approach enemies. Pod customization doesn't really add much either, the only Pod plug in that makes combat more interesting is the zip line type utility. With such a lack of depth, the combat loses its charm extremely quick. You don't learn any new moves, your initial moveset is extremely limited, but the most insulting part is that you don't get better at the combat. There's nothing new to learn. The only "advanced" technique I've been able to find and see people discuss is self destruct cancelling. Which all it does it let you do your standard Square combo faster. A massive disappointment from the company that made the Wonderful 101. And then there's all these smaller, more obnoxious moments like when you have the option to tell an NPC how horrible and useless the map is. The NPC then gives you a smug response saying that you should go explore instead and not rely on the map. Listen, I'm running through this map back and forth for hours accomplishing your side quests. Sometimes, I would like to have some clarity on my objective so that I can run through the same area I've been through 30 times a little bit faster. And when your map is actually useless in areas like the Factory and Forest, it's **** boring to run around the area and guess where the quest marker is. I already explored these areas the first time through. I just want to go through the boring side quest to get the actually decent content. Exploring the same area 50 times for each side quest is not a fun experience and it's not something that you should make fun of you player for complaining about. And I think that small, meaningless interaction summarizes Automata. It expects you to put up with tons of garbage to get to anything meaningful or quality, which is such a shame because the story is great. Although even the story doesn't hold much respect for the player, or at least it feels like it was written by 5 different people. Which is strange considering how focused Taro's other visions are. 2B and 9S' opinion on things is so radically different for each quest it may as well be different characters doing each one. Like when you're in the valley where robots committed suicide, 9S informs me "Don't trust them, they're only machines". This is after hours and hours of content where the characters assume the machines are life, with 9S telling 2B to be nicer to machines of all things in a ton of these. Another thing, at the beginning of Route B, 9S looks on a machine that considers another machine his brother and 9S responds "You can't make him your brother." But in a later side quest, 9S is confused by what a family unit is when talking about the old world. These are only the inconsistencies I can roll off my head after finishing, but playing I recognized a lot more and i couldn't take 2B or 9S seriously until the ending of Routes A and B where they finally became somewhat consistent.… Expand
  74. TheFrog
    Aug 13, 2017
    4
    Boring, uninspired combat, particularly iIrritating when it goes back 30 years in time, forcing you to play an old 2D shooter a la Xevious. Bland and dull when it tackles 3D melee combat, with many different weapons that play essentially the same.
    Incredibly annoying and boring side quests. Go there, talk to someone. Go to another place, talk to someone else. Go to yet another place, find    Boring, uninspired combat, particularly iIrritating when it goes back 30 years in time, forcing you to play an old 2D shooter a la Xevious. Bland and dull when it tackles 3D melee combat, with many different weapons that play essentially the same.
    Incredibly annoying and boring side quests. Go there, talk to someone. Go to another place, talk to someone else. Go to yet another place, find body, quest over. Would be fun if combat were fun.
    Main quest? Storyline revealed after several playthroughs, and it still makes very little sense. Much more attention to classic JRPG dramatic scenes, that usually feel contrived and forced, than to a coherent and believable story.
    The environment is marred by abundant invisible barriers everywhere. Want to climb that cliff? Oof, you bounce into an invisible wall. Want to jump on that trellis structure? Ditto. This is terrible level design, especially considering how SMALL the game world is. Just a handful of small levels you'll need to traverse over and over (and over, and over).
    I see many people loved the soundtrack. Incredible, I wanted to poke a stick into my ears, after several minutes of bleating choruses in the forest area. The rest is at least sufferable, but forgettable.
    I guess this is another videogame you may love if you're into JRPG strangeness, and hate if you are not.    … Expand
  75. CharlePL
    Mar 13, 2017
    6
    Game with huge potential. Unfortunately this potential is not met. Game is full of different bugs, drop frames a lot. Side quests are stupid to say the least. Nice, indie game, but massively underdeveloped.
  76. DicaIdealGamer
    Apr 14, 2018
    1
    They are asking $ expensive for this game. If it were free to play I would give a 6 or 7. As an expensive $ I give 1/10
  77. Steff86
    Jun 5, 2018
    5
    Found Nier Automata very dull and boring! Started off ok but then it was much of the same with forgettable characters.
  78. TediPik
    Jan 13, 2022
    1
    The music was literally the only reason I finished the game, as the story in route C (which was supposed to be "godlike") turned out to be...meh. The philosophy was supposed to be "out of this world", in truth the philosophical motives discussed during the game were high-school level, aside from the fact that they were investigated into at a very superficial level. Is this game mostlyThe music was literally the only reason I finished the game, as the story in route C (which was supposed to be "godlike") turned out to be...meh. The philosophy was supposed to be "out of this world", in truth the philosophical motives discussed during the game were high-school level, aside from the fact that they were investigated into at a very superficial level. Is this game mostly played by kids who are only now being introduced to the thoughts and works of Nietzsche and the like? Because it sure as hell looks like it. The game may give you a feeling of emptiness and depression after beating it, but that’s about it.
    I was hoping for a “transcendental journey” and “deep reflection on the condition of modern humanity”, but I didn’t get to experience anything which would even remotely resemble the ubiquitous praise and high esteem perpetuated by a number of players in this regard.
    Pushing yourself to finish the game if you don’t feel like playing it is a mistake. Believing players that you should force yourself to finish route B, which has some major faults in game design, only to proceed with the story, is a mistake. Don’t get me started on combat mechanics, graphics, etc., as the game falls short in this department as well. In my particular case, it’s over 20 hours down the drain.    … Expand
  79. Eretik
    Sep 2, 2019
    0
    Weak graphics, weak story, stupid action. It is difficult to understand why this game is so hyped
  80. gyigyo2
    May 30, 2017
    3
    Spoiler ahead. first of all i really loved NIER1 for PS3 and XBOX360 but...this game is just overhyped thats all,..
    when you reached ending E (what everyone say the true ending) that was bullsh*t how the hell everyone landed a different area when everyone was dead? inside the big Tower? that ending is more likely a badly developed "FORCED" happy ending... The game graphics is like a 2008    Spoiler ahead. first of all i really loved NIER1 for PS3 and XBOX360 but...this game is just overhyped thats all,..
    when you reached ending E (what everyone say the true ending) that was bullsh*t how the hell everyone landed a different area when everyone was dead? inside the big Tower? that ending is more likely a badly developed "FORCED" happy ending... The game graphics is like a 2008 PS3 game, the game is 51gb and 27gb full of RENDERED movie with 30fps and the game is 60fps. side quest was very boring i only finished 68% and i decided to go only and focus to the story because that was interesting! the characters was bad really bad, 2B? well its an overhyped character because she have "great "ass" thats all, i never felt sorry for her, or 9s, 9s was a BABYACED little kid, If 9s was so "smart" why he never realized it in the first place that androids and machines are same lol when i started the game after 1-2 hour i realized machines have feelings too maybe nore than many android in this game.i never understand japanese people 9s was clearly in a kid body 14-15 year old and 2b is a more likely a 19-20 year old teen body why the hell they need relationship (lovers) this is just so ugly, then why not make both of it mature body like in NIER1 was (part2), or not lovers just Brothers feels. A2 was okay character the only interesting character in the game. the music? that wasnt bad at all, but nier1 music is still way better! i never understand why everybody love platinum games gameplay mechanic in nier automata have full of irritating things in combat, and gameplay,Ai is a joke i dont even want to mention that..The minigame hacking was *** irritating, i really hated it! it was like a good concept but in reallity was a bad mistake. overall its a boring game! overhyped/ overrated as hell, NIER1 was better than this, the only interesting part of this game more or less was the story.    … Expand
  81. ArtyomShpytyack
    Feb 12, 2020
    0
    Despite not up to date graphics and other flaws (like boring mmo-like side quests and unbalanced weapons) the game is one of the most memorable and atmospheric games of all time. The characters and the music are unique, and if you beat the game you will never forget it.
  82. NightmanCometh
    Mar 7, 2017
    5
    Visuals are repetitive and boring. The environment seems empty and devoid of real detail. Non-immersive.

    Gameplay is repetitive and at times, gimmicky.

    The story is the only redemption.
  83. BlackFriday999
    Feb 22, 2020
    0
    Questo gioco fa vomitare al mio cane e il mio amico stupido (bubi) non vuole capirlo
  84. maneinar
    Sep 21, 2017
    4
    A devil may cry wannabe that falls short in every aspect but graphics, world design and a hot robo girl to look at. Combat is repetitive, enemies become damage sponges as dificulty rises, cliche story, etc. Not for me
  85. xiekaidream
    Sep 17, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 比死亡搁浅更直白的哲学著作（X） 2B天下第一（在A2出现前 相比ARPG，9S打飞机还玩的挺爽的0.0 操作时候只会无尽按住R1，狂按□，一秒按一下R2竟然也感觉动作很爽-。- 虽然只做了20%多的支线但是每个都很有意思 为避免强迫症纠结要不要白金，真结局直接帮我删除存档一了百了，我谢谢你-。- 棒极啦~… Expand
  86. clairealcee77
    Feb 15, 2021
    10
    One of the best PS4 games which has amazing soundtrack, atmosphere and storytelling.
  87. tdebug
    May 3, 2020
    0
    I think they forgot to implement "save" option in the game. The fact you always need to start from the initial cut-scene once killed is interesting, but I don't think I have all time in the world to beat the game that way.
  88. worldcitizen19
    Sep 21, 2017
    0
    Very, very disappointed. There are just way too many Square Enix fanboys who would give anything a 10/10 even this linear rubbish with hardly any production value at all compared to their past games. The same linear corridor just different skins and coats of paint show this to be a $3 iOS rogue game nothing else. The teenage son of the cleaner at Square Enix cremated this game. Where’sVery, very disappointed. There are just way too many Square Enix fanboys who would give anything a 10/10 even this linear rubbish with hardly any production value at all compared to their past games. The same linear corridor just different skins and coats of paint show this to be a $3 iOS rogue game nothing else. The teenage son of the cleaner at Square Enix cremated this game. Where’s the graphics? Hello. It’s 2017 we have 4k consoles. Terrible, horrible graphics. This is just a very cheap indie with a tiny budget ripping off the naive. I bought it and am asking myself - where’s the game? It’s just a demo. The rogue element is to save production costs so you think you’re getting 60 hours of gameplay but you’re really playing the same game 10 times with a slightly different ending.

    After FFXV all male game with females as an afterthought and this absolute rip off I’m keeping away from Sqaure Enix cash ins. And I trusted you guys 10/10 and went and bought this rubbish. People must be bored to death to play this. Even the music made me fall asleep. Should have bought a real game.    … Expand
  89. MetaReviews
    Mar 14, 2017
    2
    Game is underwhelming to say the least.
    Pretty standard button mashing combat system and generic story.
    Graphics aren't really up to 2017 standards although they're not bad. Sound design and music is good but not great. Frame rate dips sometimes along with other graphical instabilities. All in all not worth 60$. Get it on sale if you really want to play it. Nier Automata doesn't    Game is underwhelming to say the least.
    Pretty standard button mashing combat system and generic story.
    Graphics aren't really up to 2017 standards although they're not bad.
    Sound design and music is good but not great.
    Frame rate dips sometimes along with other graphical instabilities.
    All in all not worth 60$. Get it on sale if you really want to play it.
    Nier Automata doesn't bring anything particularly new or remarkable to the table and struggles to differentiate itself from all of the other anime styled RPGs out there.    … Expand
  90. eMeLDi
    Sep 5, 2021
    0
    The game developer must really hate gamers! UI is a mess. it is like early PS2 era games. Old, cluttered menus deep in other menus. Combat is button mashing while having no idea what is happening in the screen. Oh and saving and famous game restart and watching aaaaaall cutscenes and tutorials after each death in game prologue. Those guys in Platinium really hate gamers. :D
  91. SlimeCorrupted
    Oct 4, 2017
    0
    Generally speaking, incredibly boring gameplay, tedious enemy desing (most enemies look the same way). The game is just boring and characters are unemotional (because they are robots but it doesnt help me)
  92. sumbodyshero
    Nov 10, 2017
    0
    This is without a doubt one of the worst games ever made. The grass is almost as tall as the characters, it has nothing to do with the first game. It has SPACE SHOOTER levels. The animations are pathetic. This game actually made me not be a Platinum Games fan anymore. I knew it was a mistake after one night of playing it. This game symbolizes what's wrong with the games industry. Luckily,This is without a doubt one of the worst games ever made. The grass is almost as tall as the characters, it has nothing to do with the first game. It has SPACE SHOOTER levels. The animations are pathetic. This game actually made me not be a Platinum Games fan anymore. I knew it was a mistake after one night of playing it. This game symbolizes what's wrong with the games industry. Luckily, the trade in value was more than what I paid for it! I will always love the first game.… Expand
  93. AColdOnion
    Mar 16, 2017
    2
    This game was just another single player jog with no multiplayer... if you like games where you button mash and kill everything with ease like a god then this is for you.... bought the game because of the good reviews but ultimately felt very underwhelmed..
  94. disappear81
    Mar 28, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i agree with Risotto review, i came to play combat rpg, ended up playing stupid mini game to kill enemies, story is 5/10 at best,

    i liked the combat style from demo, but realizing you play maybe 30% max with 2B got me angry, 9S behaves like little kid i was extremly annoyed playing with him    … Expand
  95. Baluberda
    Mar 22, 2017
    0
    Characters Model:8 (Pretty good, lacks a bit of color on the enemies, all mate shines)
    Characters Personality: 3 (the commander has a bit so +1)
    Gameplay: 7 (quite good but invisible walls takes 2 points off) Enemies: 10 (they are mostly perfect) Quests: 7 (good enough) Level Up/ Items:6 (Level up is good, items are not relevant) Enviroment interaction: 0 (doesnt have) History:    Characters Model:8 (Pretty good, lacks a bit of color on the enemies, all mate shines)
    Characters Personality: 3 (the commander has a bit so +1)

    Gameplay: 7 (quite good but invisible walls takes 2 points off)
    Enemies: 10 (they are mostly perfect)
    Quests: 7 (good enough)
    Level Up/ Items:6 (Level up is good, items are not relevant)
    Enviroment interaction: 0 (doesnt have)

    History: 3 (just 2 androids killing, dying and blood. Pascal gets +3 to this)
    Human History: 1 (Your commander tells you, no cinematics or photos)
    Alien History: 1 (Just a cinematic of dead aliens)
    Choice/non-linear development: 1 (just ending cinematics)

    Moral/censorship: 0 (it doesnt have censorship, neither sexual or blood)

    So i give it a 4, but the price...
    Price: 60 euros for an unfinished game that should worth 20)
    I give it a 2    … Expand
  96. mutante2
    Mar 9, 2017
    0
    un juego visualmente impactante, pero falta de buenas fisicas, detalles, etc, le falta profundidad y repite la formula de ya muchos juegos, llega a aburrir muy rapido
  97. fortigas
    Apr 6, 2017
    0
    Hack ans slash, mucho frenetismo, pero graficos que podrian estar mejor y misiones secundarias muy de repetitivas, another so so RPG, nothing impressive.
  98. platguy4
    Mar 1, 2018
    9
    As a Nier fan, I was in doubt. The first playthrough is a little lackluster, though what follows is an extremely thought provoking and interesting piece. There is no other game which has such subtle writing,, deep empathy with the supporting cast, and the pure weirdness that comes with automata. What is initially a fairly straightforward game becomes a master piece with each hour you play.As a Nier fan, I was in doubt. The first playthrough is a little lackluster, though what follows is an extremely thought provoking and interesting piece. There is no other game which has such subtle writing,, deep empathy with the supporting cast, and the pure weirdness that comes with automata. What is initially a fairly straightforward game becomes a master piece with each hour you play. Sure; the graphics are a little rough in places and enemy variety is a little thin. But this game is about way more then that; It is about seeing yourself in these characters as they live, die, and recreate. The creator wants you to know that existence is tangible and fraught, and the story bends at its knees to get the player to feel this anguish. It succeeds.

    There are a few bugs here and there, mostly related to the frame rate. But still, this surpasses all of this generations games in terms of story and curiosity. My only personal bug is the possibility to "buy" trophies post game. Maybe the developers were taking the piss out of the current love for trophies / achievements, or making a dig at our own reasons for existence. Either way it took some of the joy out of the end game for me, since I enjoy that end game grind that i both love and hat with JRPGs    … Expand
  99. ciccio80_1980
    Nov 11, 2018
    10
    I have just finished the game, leaving behind many secondary missions and activities to do. Analyzing the title I can say that ...
    Graphics: Su Ps4 behaves really well, never had a problem or a bug, stable frame rate, breathtaking views and spectacular animations.
    Sound: amazing soundtrack and general sound perfectly performed.
    History and gameplay: beautiful and fascinating
  100. renaldowhat2
    Jun 24, 2019
    10
    The best games that I've ever played. It took me awhile to get his get a chance I'm so glad I did. Absolute masterpiece. Anyone else says otherwise they are wrong..
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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

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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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