Nier Automata is one of the few games that I feel comfortable giving a five out of five stars for when it had come out. It serves as a good basis for my rating system.
No game is flawless, however Nier: Automata is quite close. As a piece of art, Automata is beautiful, and tells a rich story with a strong message and themes that say something. It has a deep and engaging combat system that allows for casual play, or complexity for those interested in exploring it. All while having unique experimental gameplay to fully immerse the player through interactivity. It has an excellent soundtrack, and it has excellent characters. The style it has was so impactful that it has been taken by many modern games. It really does everything I can ask for from a game, and moves the medium forward.
It has its flaws, A2 and 2B do not get enough screen time and must share their stories, making 9S the focus when it was meant to be a story with multiple protagonists. Some later challenges can get repetitive, and some RPG mechanics can feel a bit tacked on.
However, none of these flaws I feel is significant enough to take away from all of the positives that make this game great. Nier: Automata is not my favorite game, but it is the closest to what I picture a perfect game is in my mind. Something that dares to say something and take risks, something that fully utilizes the medium of games by incorporating engaging interactivity, something that takes full advantage of audio and visuals.
No game is flawless, however Nier: Automata is quite close. As a piece of art, Automata is beautiful, and tells a rich story with a strong message and themes that say something. It has a deep and engaging combat system that allows for casual play, or complexity for those interested in exploring it. All while having unique experimental gameplay to fully immerse the player through interactivity. It has an excellent soundtrack, and it has excellent characters. The style it has was so impactful that it has been taken by many modern games. It really does everything I can ask for from a game, and moves the medium forward.
It has its flaws, A2 and 2B do not get enough screen time and must share their stories, making 9S the focus when it was meant to be a story with multiple protagonists. Some later challenges can get repetitive, and some RPG mechanics can feel a bit tacked on.
However, none of these flaws I feel is significant enough to take away from all of the positives that make this game great. Nier: Automata is not my favorite game, but it is the closest to what I picture a perfect game is in my mind. Something that dares to say something and take risks, something that fully utilizes the medium of games by incorporating engaging interactivity, something that takes full advantage of audio and visuals.