This was my third time going through this game. What I can say from the heart is: NieR: Automata has some of the best themes, philosophies and music in any videogame ever. However, the gameplay at times struggles to live up to the profoundness of the game's ideas and story.

The themes of humanity, existence, death, and a future to be dreaded are all thoroughly explored with multiple allusions to famous philosophers and narrative knots that tie every loose end together. This game is so profound, I would argue it's one of the strongest cases for not only videogames being art, but also something to be analyzed and studied thoroughly. Not much detail on the music except that it is astounding, with not a single track sounding bad or not fitting the world.

The art design and world are all fascinating to gaze at, but not exactly gripping to explore. The gameplay is passable and at times really shines, but there's those few gapes in design and monotonous combat that bring the experience down, even if it is by the smallest margin.

NieR: Automata is a crowning achievement in storytelling and themes. The gameplay is passable and sometimes quite enjoyable, but struggles to be as profound and interconnected as the game's masterful story.