Story
Set in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere with a sad, deep, and tragical storyline that struck me with both amusement and surprise, Nier: Automata is a fascinating game.
After humanity’s retreat to the moon, androids have been fighting an enemy force (machine lifeforms) on Earth so that humans might one day return and live again. The enemy isn’t just some all-time-for-no-reason evil. The game leaves you with questions that will haunt you for a while, and by the end, you kind of come to peace with it. You gradually get answers to your many questions at the same time the characters discover them for themselves.
The story follows three main androids: 2B (a calm, professional fighter), 9S (a curious scanner unit), and A2 (an earlier model who has gone rogue). That’s all you need to know going in.
Gameplay
The game mixes multiple forms of gameplay—hack-and-slash combat, bullet hell shooting, hacking, and even text-based adventure segments—but it’s mostly an action RPG (which I really liked). It’s extremely hard to play. Even with Auto-Chips (which automate fights and dodges), it’s still gonna be a bit hard. Auto-Chips are available only on Easy mode. There are four difficulty levels: Easy (auto-chips available), Normal (standard), Hard (no lock-on, tougher enemies), and Very Hard (one-hit death).
As I said, the game is really hard, but the story was so strong that I stuck with it, determined to reach the end. I should have fought more enemies and done side quests so that later stages wouldn’t be as difficult, but I skipped them and ended up struggling.
Why Side Quests Matter?
Let me expand on why skipping side quests is a bad idea. Unlike many games where side quests are filler, in Nier: Automata they contain most of the lore, background information, and character development. Some side quests seem pointless at first, but hours later you’ll realize they provided important context for a major moment. Additionally, side quests are the main source of experience points—if you skip them, you’ll end up severely underleveled in later sections.
There are about 60 side quests in total, and nearly all of them are worth doing. My advice: don’t skip anything. Upgrade your tools constantly. Keep an eye on your map for new quests, as some are only available during specific story windows.
Endings
There are 26 endings in total, but only a handful of “real” endings. The rest are joke or Easter egg endings—for example, one ending is triggered by dying in the first 60 seconds of the game.
The game is structured in a way that you need to keep playing after the credits roll for the first time. That’s not a spoiler—the game itself tells you this. Just keep going.
The Anime
I highly recommend watching Nier: Automata Ver1.1a. I watched it first, then played the game. The anime illustrates different endings at the end of each episode—cleverly using a cipher in the episode titles (the highlighted letters spell out a hidden message when decoded).
The anime is not a straight copy but more of an alternate take. It mixes content from the game with material from side stories and novellas. Some events happen in a different order, and the anime gives more screen time to certain characters’ backstories than the game does.
The art style and voice actors (both Japanese and English) are the same as the game, and it almost feels like watching the game itself. That said, the game’s interactive elements can never be fully translated to a passive medium. The two versions complement each other rather than one replacing the other.
Final Thoughts
I really, really enjoyed this game—the gameplay, the graphics, the large world you could explore with different climates, and of course, the music. There’s something special about how the director (Yoko Taro) uses the game mechanics themselves to tell the story.
Oh, and you should have seen the cute robots. Even the machine lifeforms, who are supposedly the enemy, have moments of genuine innocence and tragedy.
If you play Nier: Automata, don’t rush. Do the side quests. Pay attention to the details. And when you reach the end… just trust the game.