Game Review: Nier: Automata
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It’s not often I come across a game I can’t define. A game that really shakes up my Jimmies, and completely subverts my idea of what to expect in a story or characters. So here we go; a look at the weird and wonderful, brutal and binary world that is Nier: Automata.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD
So where to begin?
Humanity has been evacuated from Earth for centuries. After aliens invaded from space and unleashed swarms of intelligent robots, humanity had to go up. To the moon, and what is known as The Bunker, where humanity’s last defence lies.
Androids. People who have sacrificed their own bodies to be put into machines used for combat and exploration back on Earth. You control a few of these androids on different playthroughs. So we have 2B, the main character, who uses up to two weapons to great effect. 9S is a analyst, who can hack machines, and even take control of them, which drastically changes the game.
In the first playthrough, we play as 2B as we learn the combat, and how to manage your Chips, which are essentially power-ups. His passive abilities can increase your health, defence, damage dealt, even slow time if you manage to evade perfectly. They synergise with how you play. If you prefer to tank your way through, you’ll want health upgrades and defence upgrades. But, if you’re good at dodging, then you can up your attack damage, combined with slow time, or evade up, and you can destroy enemies within seconds.
It feels incredibly satisfying to rip apart multiple bots at once.
Hacking also has its rewards. You can directly control enemies if you catch them unawares, or simply destroy enemies when in combat.
The combat is fluid, and fast, and a nice change from the slog of shooters I’ve been trapped under.
The story is the one thing I’m in two minds about. It explores the idea of machines becoming sentient, and evolving through technology, morality, and what being human is (2B or not 2B, get it?), and it does it beautifully. I cannot sing its praises enough.
However.
It doesn’t really have a point. After three playthroughs it’s unclear as to what the game was actually meant to say. Is it saying we are all human in a sense if we have emotions? Are we all doomed to be taken over by technology?
What is the point?
But I digress.
The game is really awesome, and will really mess with your expectations of what a story is.
Definite 5/5.
Until next time!