A doll is just a doll? Then why does it hurt to see them torn and slashed? A machine is just a machine? Then why does it hurt to see one breakdown? Why do we project these feelings onto these objects? is there meaning to be found in that? Is there meaning to be found in what seems like nothing? Is there something crucially important about the empathy we share for these objects as the reality of a seemingly uncaring world seeps in?
NieR Automata is many things to me and is many things narratively, no game has won my heart like the NieR series has and none have since. I could spend literal hours talking about how much of Nier is about the things that feed conflict and why they happen despite our best interests, despite what we know is 'right', and the desire to break that cycle of conflict, even when it's too late to stop. It's about an infatuating love between two people who also want to kill each other, it's about the mistakes of ancestors creating countless misery for their descendants. It's about language/culture barriers creating monsters where there is none. It's about personification of non-living beings that desperately want to be alive. About the death of god(s) and how we cope with that. It's about sacrifice and what your willing to do to see this world's end and for others to do the same. It's many things and I adore all of it.
Emil and 9S are probably my favorite written characters in the medium of video games and I hope that can be usurped someday. 2B (and hell most of Taro's characters) is a tragic character that just wants to not hurt the one she loves despite needing to countless times, I hope she has a wonderful life with 9S at the end of the game as much as the world of Automata will let her have, which it's ending is left up to mostly interpretation. I will never understand people who write off 2B as a no-note character with only a fat ass to keep her relevant. Eitherway, I adore this game and have 100%ed it, I can't wait to see what Taro does next if at all.
NieR Automata is many things to me and is many things narratively, no game has won my heart like the NieR series has and none have since. I could spend literal hours talking about how much of Nier is about the things that feed conflict and why they happen despite our best interests, despite what we know is 'right', and the desire to break that cycle of conflict, even when it's too late to stop. It's about an infatuating love between two people who also want to kill each other, it's about the mistakes of ancestors creating countless misery for their descendants. It's about language/culture barriers creating monsters where there is none. It's about personification of non-living beings that desperately want to be alive. About the death of god(s) and how we cope with that. It's about sacrifice and what your willing to do to see this world's end and for others to do the same. It's many things and I adore all of it.
Emil and 9S are probably my favorite written characters in the medium of video games and I hope that can be usurped someday. 2B (and hell most of Taro's characters) is a tragic character that just wants to not hurt the one she loves despite needing to countless times, I hope she has a wonderful life with 9S at the end of the game as much as the world of Automata will let her have, which it's ending is left up to mostly interpretation. I will never understand people who write off 2B as a no-note character with only a fat ass to keep her relevant. Eitherway, I adore this game and have 100%ed it, I can't wait to see what Taro does next if at all.