Nier: Automata (PC) Review

Get ready to be surprised multiple times throughout this. Surprised by a weird blend of genres; surprised by game mechanics forming part of the lore and narrative; surprised by wacky plot twists and turns; and much, much more. If you have any expectations, forget them all at once, as this is the worst way to approach Nier: Automata, as it begins with a vertical shooter segment… and then it becomes a typical PlatinumGames hack 'n' slasher, and then a 2.5D run-and-jump-shoot side-scroller, and then all things at once, in a boss battle that even incorporates elements of bullet hell.

After the intro concludes and jaws get off the floor, the adventure finally begins, and the player will get to experience the weird tale of androids 2B and 9S… and then some. This cocktail of different play styles, however, clearly shows that it's better to be a pro at one thing, rather than just good in many, as not all parts are created "equal." Okay, to be honest, nothing feels bad or simplistic - in fact, this is arguably the best action ever seen in an RPG, and the inclusion of more genres pleasantly mixes things up a bit - but they all feel poor compared to the awesome action gameplay of Bayonetta.

Thankfully, Yoko Taro's collaboration with PlatinumGames has, as previously mentioned, offered some great action mechanics, rarely seen in the genre, but this is also another section that's proof that Nier: Automata is far from perfect. At first, it's all wonderful. The sexy, short-skirted gothic Lolita known as 2B will dance around the battlefield, flawlessly blending melee combos, ranged attacks, evasions, and all sorts of superhuman feats of skill, yet, for some reason, everything will start to feel depressingly same-y after a while. In other words, the awesome action never evolves.

Oh, sure, it's possible to get new weaponry and pull off new combos, acquire new special skills for your trusty, orbiting Pod, and, even better, mess around with a variety of Chips that enable doing all sorts of things to the protagonist, from adding/deleting HUD elements, to creating "classes" that can be altered on the go. Sadly, these don't change the fact that it can all get be pretty repetitive, especially since the vast majority of enemies act (and look) the same, which comes in stark contrast with some of the bosses, who almost have a Soulsborne vibe.

To put it simply, most battles with foes feel like smashing piñatas; therefore, instead of making you feel anxious when facing some, it creates a feeling of "too bored to fight these metal cans again!" …which leads to the difficulty of it all and how unbalanced it is, with some of the weirdest spikes and dives ever seen in a video game. The worst thing is that there are basically only two options: easy and normal, which almost play the game for you, and hard and super hard, with both having no lock-on, and the latter one throwing one-hit kills into the mix.

…And then there's all this open world business. It won't be obvious at first, but the core of Nier: Automata is not its hack 'n' slash action. This is, by all means, a JRPG. You are meant to talk with characters, do side-quests, and, most importantly, explore. The thing is, though, this is a pretty poor kind of an open world. While the barren landscapes look pretty cool and grandiose in all their post-apocalyptic magnificence, this is basically a very small place that just happens to have been stretched too much - it is open world for the sake of open world.

To put it otherwise, it doesn't just look empty, it is empty. 2B mostly runs from A to B, something that really doesn't make the experience any better, since there isn't much to do in-between, especially after doing so for the umpteenth time - a frequent occurrence with the simplistic side-missions, which are nothing more than uninspiring fetch quests. Again, it's not a bad place to be, but it is surely not even near the cream of crop, especially when compared to the microcosms offered by the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

For all its flaws, this remains a very enjoyable title. Ask most fans, though, and they'll tell you that all this robot-smashing action is just the tip of the iceberg… which leads us to the main dish: the storyline. Initially, it feels like standard sci-fi fare: A multi-millennial war is waging between alien invaders and humans, with both fighting this through their proxy soldiers - cyber-sexy and highly sophisticated androids on behalf of Homo sapiens, crude machines on the side of E.T. Of course, this being a Yoko Taro creation, there's a lot going on underneath this generic setting.

 This is not just a robots-versus-robots tale, as it strives to do much more than that; it strives to ask questions. The best examples are the first two side-missions available. Both have 2B searching for some resources that two NPCs need. Like most quests, these are nothing to write home about, but upon finishing them, these characters' final words show what this all about - a contemplation on the themes of identity and war. Unfortunately, while this game generally pulls off these subjects in a pretty decent way (and more than that, to be honest), once again, it's not without certain issues.

One has to be ready for things that are way in-your-face and pretentious, cringy anime trope-ish dialogue sequences, and character stereotypes like the tired sensitive-heroine-underneath-the-cold-exterior cliché, for instance. Furthermore, while this adventure can certainly be pretty emotional, many times it will be hard to get immersed, with the lack of consistency being the main problem, as the overall presentation rapidly goes from goofy to awesome, and from awesome to goofy again… And what's with the two "arch-villains" anyway? Why. So. Fabulous?!?

It's all subjective, sure, but what's not so is the overall length. You see, one thing one should know about this is that, once it's over… it's not, as a secondary campaign of almost equal length begins… and then another one, as it turns out that the first 15 to 20 hours are nothing more than a freaking prologue, so, in order to fully appreciate Nier: Automata one must experience it all! A bold design move? Maybe, but that does not excuse the hours of mediocrity that must be endured before getting to see the few pieces of gold there is to be found here.

Oh, yes. It's good that this game exists, as, despite all the negativity, there's definitely a masterpiece under the corny anime hood - it's just that it's one that requires patience, and lots of digging for the finer details. In many ways, Nier: Automata is just like its visuals, with some truly atmospheric vistas and spectacular scenes being sandwiched between bland areas that look very… PS3. But that's what happens when the entire budget goes into a magnificently sculpted iconic main character - high heels, cute panties, sexy buttocks and all…

No complaints about the powerful, sad, and epic symphonic OST, however, as that is truly a flawless masterpiece. Really. Buy it now, listen to it later.