“Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death...I often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle...and wonder if we’ll ever get the chance to kill him.”
These are the first words spoken in NieR: Automata, and their implications and intent reverberate throughout the game - echoing over and over throughout the smallest details and largest revelations, including the game’s structure itself. Even as you slice through it as 2B, a physical manifestation of the duality of sex and death, the world reveals itself to be saturated with questions of philosophy, metaphysics, and ontological conundrums - constantly asking, "what is choice, what defines life, and does it even matter?" Through multiple endings that circle each other and spiral on top of themselves, both the player and the characters are given the opportunity to discover and question these ideas themselves. Unlike literature, games, as an art form, have a tendency to offer too much to the player, diluting personal experience and discovery for the sake of spoon-fed meaning. However, NieR: Automata deftly eschews offering these types of answers, instead forcing the player to come up with an interpretation on his or her own. This could be seen as frustrating to some - just another exercise in nihilism that the game offers, but with the many layers and nuances within the game's world and narrative, it's more satisfying to discover a variety of meanings than to be handed one nice moral wrapped up in a bow. If there's any one unified message within NieR: Automata's spiraling, splintered world, it's that you are responsible for discovering truth and meaning for yourself.
All of this philosophical contemplation is juxtaposed against fairly pure action gameplay. Though the combat isn't as deep as something like Devil May Cry, there is enough variety and flexibility to keep things interesting. Being able to equip two different sets of dual weapons is really nice, and each of the weapon combinations have different combos and animations. Being able to further customize character builds through plug-in chips (which also have sets you can switch between) enables the player to be prepared for any type of encounter. All of the characters control incredibly well and are very responsive, so world traversal feels great as well, and quality of life features are there - fast travel, increased movement speed, etc. - to keep things moving along. Though the game doesn't force you to use all of the combat tools on the lower difficulties, I found that bumping it up a bit gives more incentive to try out new tactics and use different combinations of chips and weapons. NieR: Automata also offers several arenas with increasingly difficult challenges and qualifying rules, so that the player can make the best out of the sleek combat system if they are interested in doing so.
NieR: Automata's unique implementation of philosophical world-building and narrative as well as smooth action gameplay combine to make a truly great game that is both intellectually engaging and fun to play.
These are the first words spoken in NieR: Automata, and their implications and intent reverberate throughout the game - echoing over and over throughout the smallest details and largest revelations, including the game’s structure itself. Even as you slice through it as 2B, a physical manifestation of the duality of sex and death, the world reveals itself to be saturated with questions of philosophy, metaphysics, and ontological conundrums - constantly asking, "what is choice, what defines life, and does it even matter?" Through multiple endings that circle each other and spiral on top of themselves, both the player and the characters are given the opportunity to discover and question these ideas themselves. Unlike literature, games, as an art form, have a tendency to offer too much to the player, diluting personal experience and discovery for the sake of spoon-fed meaning. However, NieR: Automata deftly eschews offering these types of answers, instead forcing the player to come up with an interpretation on his or her own. This could be seen as frustrating to some - just another exercise in nihilism that the game offers, but with the many layers and nuances within the game's world and narrative, it's more satisfying to discover a variety of meanings than to be handed one nice moral wrapped up in a bow. If there's any one unified message within NieR: Automata's spiraling, splintered world, it's that you are responsible for discovering truth and meaning for yourself.
All of this philosophical contemplation is juxtaposed against fairly pure action gameplay. Though the combat isn't as deep as something like Devil May Cry, there is enough variety and flexibility to keep things interesting. Being able to equip two different sets of dual weapons is really nice, and each of the weapon combinations have different combos and animations. Being able to further customize character builds through plug-in chips (which also have sets you can switch between) enables the player to be prepared for any type of encounter. All of the characters control incredibly well and are very responsive, so world traversal feels great as well, and quality of life features are there - fast travel, increased movement speed, etc. - to keep things moving along. Though the game doesn't force you to use all of the combat tools on the lower difficulties, I found that bumping it up a bit gives more incentive to try out new tactics and use different combinations of chips and weapons. NieR: Automata also offers several arenas with increasingly difficult challenges and qualifying rules, so that the player can make the best out of the sleek combat system if they are interested in doing so.
NieR: Automata's unique implementation of philosophical world-building and narrative as well as smooth action gameplay combine to make a truly great game that is both intellectually engaging and fun to play.
Reviewed on May 28, 2022