NieR Automata is a rather deep game. Almost worthy of a Deep Dive. Unfortunately, I have not completed the game, so I am in no position to go on a Deep Dive about it. The game came out to very well reception, as it’s story was very highly praised on IGN and Metacritic, with many praising the dilemma that the player faced, as well as the way the story made even the players doubt if what they were doing was the right thing, even if they couldn’t do a thing to change it.
NieR Automata is a pretty challenging game, where each and every decision matters, and it is actually encouraged to make multiple saves while at the same time, seeking out other players failed runs to either turn into your ally or harvest for plug ins and resources. Plug ins are the main system of leveling up in NieR Automata, as 2B uses them to learn new things or enhance aspects of her stats. However, you can also remove important plug ins, such as the OS Plug In, which will instantly kill 2B if she removes it, or the vision and audio receptive plug ins, which make the game egregiously harder than the hardest difficulty in the game. What’s more, the game has an amazing way of introducing you into the life of 2B, with a mission going horribly wrong at the start and forcing 2B to self destruct with a colleague. Later on, you are given the usual setup options in by far, the best way, as 9S, the aforementioned colleague and companion of the story, helps 2B readjust her settings, even going as far as to tap her shoulder when the player enables vibration. Something else however, is that the game mandates that you enable the self destruct feature. This feature is entirely accessible, but heavily advised against unless absolutely necessary.
The Story of NieR at first seems simple, being set up in the future where aliens attacked using machines, and so humanity made the YorHa units, a military of androids to take back Earth. However, when 2B and 9S beat a Goliath class, a machine that can cause colossal damage, and more often than not requires a flight unit to take on, things get a lot more complicated. Heck, even before that, you see that Machines aren’t as clear cut as they are made out to be, as some show emotion, others show compassion, and one village of machines just straight up refuses to fight. This all makes 2B and 9S, who previously thought that machines were just mindless killers, question just what kind of war they are fighting. I refuse to spoil any more, as the story should be enjoyed in person, and no amount of description I could do would do it justice.
All in all, NieR Automata is a beautiful game with a beautiful story, and it is definitely worth every cent. It is greatly received to this day in reviews and ratings, and still looks beautiful, even without having any new generation console support, meaning it doesn’t have anything boosted or enhanced (systematically/graphically) even when playing on newer generation consoles, such as the PS5 or the Xbox Series X|S. I highly, and I mean very highly recommend that you all check out the game, and enjoy it for yourselves.
