(I would first like to preface this review by saying that despite any technical troubles this game may currently suffer from, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not giving this game a shot. I don't condone the fact that Square Enix seems content with leaving the game as is for those with problems, and I feel bad for Platinum having to shoulder the blame, but I personally didn't have any big problems playing it and getting good performance, and you can always refund it if you have major problems.)
Nier: Automata is a breakthrough moment in gaming. I can only recall one other game that married its gameplay, soundtrack, and story so effectively together to deliver such a masterclass gaming experience, and that would be Undertale. This is high praise considering how Undertale shook the gaming world, but comparing this game to it is far from unreasonable. Yoko Taro will go down in gaming history as one of the greatest directors of his time, alongside titans such as Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto. Nier's balance of fluid and effortlessly stylish combat, haunting and evocative musical accompaniment, and brutally resonating, emotional storytelling is a recipe for one of the most compelling experiences in gaming.
Controlling your character feels responsive and tight, and combat never feels like a chore thanks to its diversity. The game delights in surprising the player with its variety, as one moment you could be hacking and slashing away at enemies in a ballet of swords, then participating in a twin-stick shooter the next moment, and finally a bullet-hell style hacking minigame. Yet, these changes in style, both bold and sometimes subtle (like forcing the camera to shift to a new perspective to nudge you into fighting differently) never feel like they don't fit in the flow of the game. Every part of the game strives to make sense of the mad mixture of styles by making each style contribute to the other, and tying them all very closely to a story context. Never will you be doing an action in Nier that does not have some impact or relevance to the lore or story, which you will care about deeply in time. In this way, many of the quests are given more weight and pertinence to the player's actions, making the fun gameplay its own kind of rudimentary reward beside the payoff of learning some new piece of information about the fascinating world of Nier and its characters.
Its characters as well, really are the stars of the show. It's been hundreds of years since an alien-led invasion of Earth left the planet inhospitable, forcing mankind to flee to the moon. The aliens employed machines to fight for them, and humanity in turn, made androids to fight this proxy war and hopefully regain their former home. The war is not going well for humanity, and it has been raging longer than anyone can remember. Androids in a central stronghold called the Bunker, as well as those left on Earth as part of a resistance movement, try to eek out some sort of life amidst the neverending conflict. Likewise, the machines they fight against, while initially simplistic and seemingly mindless, begin to take on human characteristics such as seeing eachother as family, getting angry over the death of a friend, or pondering existence itself; blurring the lines between the machines and more emotive androids.
In no time at all, making you care about the fates of friend and foe alike becomes the game's bread and butter, and lends an added weight to all of the tragic conflict unfolding on-screen. Nier Is a sad tale, steeped in melancholic moments of humanity for characters that are, by all accounts, not human. The world is an endless war, and both sides feel the fatigue and sorrow of waging it. It's compelling and heartbreaking in a way few games dare to be, and it will leave you thinking and feeling long after the credits roll. Nier has a lot of story to tell though, and even after the initial cedits, the game will drastically change things up as you progress to each "New Game+". It paces itself so that the story, the stakes, and all of the beautiful moments are continually raised to greater heights as you progress. The game also finds ways to radically shake your expectations the further you delve into it, and masterfully prevents you from getting too comfortable with any currently established gameplay pattern or story breakthrough.
All of these moments are brought to life by a musical score that is ever-changing and consistently enthralling. Nearly every piece of music is unique and has multiple versions of itself, with vocals ranging from French to English to Spanish, played at exactly the right moment to help reinforce the emotions or scenery on display. Not enough can be said about Nier's masterful use of audio and music to make its world believable and so unforgettable. While in the middle of a discussion with an NPC, if the tone in the conversation shifts to a more sad or ponderous one from the initial harmless small-talk, the background music will shift from a cheery melody into a slow acoustic guitar accompanied by wistful French vocals. At all moments, Nier knows exactly what it wants to convey and make you feel, and its audio design perfectly accompanies its multifaceted world every step of the way.
Truly, Nier: Automata makes such a lasting and deep impression that it can be hard to let go even once you've finished all that it offers. After it has left you emotionally devastated and absolutely captivated, with its subject matter so fascinating and endearing, you will only wish you could forget it all so you could experience it once again from fresh eyes. Nier: Automata, despite what you may preconceive about it as a game, will absolutely astonish you and take your breath away in unexpected ways. You will let down your guard while playing this game, and it will plant itself in your mind like a seed waiting to sprout into something utterly ineffable, and you won't ever be able to forget it.