Game of the Month #123 (April 2025) - NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines. Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on... A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.
How long is NieR: Automata?
When focusing on the main objectives, NieR: Automata is about 21 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 61 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
Platforms:Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genres:Third-Person, Hack and Slash, Role-Playing
Developer:PlatinumGames
Publisher:Square Enix
NA:March 7th, 2017
EU:March 17th, 2017
JP:February 23rd, 2017
Aliases:NieR:Automata - Game of the YoRHa Edition, NieR:Automata - BECOME AS GODS Edition, NieR:Automata - The End of YoRHa Edition

Oh this game. I won't beat around the bush and start off by saying I'm really not a big fan of it. Combat isn't that great, the story and characters aren't very well written and the fact you have to beat the game 5 times just to get the full story instead of just making it one big campaign comes off to me as nothing more than hubris. I remember liking the first Nier's story but it's been a while since I played it. The way 2B is famous on the internet and it's primarily because of how she looks also just annoys when it comes to values and principles.

Not even sure I can even picture playing it again when the anime adaptation is mostly faithful to it and even adds scenes not in the game and in some ways has better writing, even if it isn't much. I only watched the first half, I've held off watching the 2nd half for a while now due to me knowing I am not going to like it.

The music is fantastic I'll give it that, it's amazing gives me a lot of vibes of anime soundtracks I really like while also just be angelic and majestic. The composers of the soundtrack did an outstanding job. To top everything off the anime uses music from the game. If any game adaptation wants to get on my good side, using music from the games is a good way to do it.

Oh this game. I won't beat around the bush and start off by saying I'm really not a big fan of it. Combat isn't that great, the story and characters aren't very well written and the fact you have to beat the game 5 times just to get the full story instead of just making it one big campaign comes off to me as nothing more than hubris. I remember liking the first Nier's story but it's been a while since I played it. The way 2B is famous on the internet and it's primarily because of how she looks also just annoys when it comes to values and principles.

Not even sure I can even picture playing it again when the anime adaptation is mostly faithful to it and even adds scenes not in the game and in some ways has better writing, even if it isn't much. I only watched the first half, I've held off watching the 2nd half for a while now due to me knowing I am not going to like it.

The music is fantastic I'll give it that, it's amazing gives me a lot of vibes of anime soundtracks I really like while also just be angelic and majestic. The composers of the soundtrack did an outstanding job. To top everything off the anime uses music from the game. If any game adaptation wants to get on my good side, using music from the games is a good way to do it.

the fact you have to beat the game 5 times just to get the full story instead of just making it one big campaign comes off to me as nothing more than hubris. I remember liking the first Nier's story but it's been a while since I played it.

Setting aside that it is one big campaign (think of it as a tv series where the credits are just for that episode and not the whole series or story arc) , this is both not true and also forgetting how Nier did it, and you did say it had been a while so I'll remind you. This is also useful for anyone starting the game now so I'll put it here

Nier:
Play A route
-> Replay A route from the midpoint Curing Kaine's petrification
-> Don't have all weapons? Replay game A route from midpoint again, making sure you have all weapons. Missing weapons from Part A of Route A? (such as quest rewards from quests that have been locked off) , replay the game from the beginning to get them. Then you can finally move on to:
-> Have all 33 weapons? (Replicant, less in OG), Replay A route from midpoint again, with some extra scenes and on screen translations for certain characters
->Hope you save before the final boss. Make Choice A
->Load save, make choice B. if you didn't save at the last chance, replay entire final dungeon, assuming you have a save. If not, well good luck.

If playing Replicant:
Have altered title screen reflecting previous progress of the above endings, Replay game until you beat the boss at the Aerie, which is about 2/3 through the first half of the game.

So you replay mostly identical content a minimum of 3 times.

Automata:
Play route A
-> Play Route B, made up of some of A and new content from another perspective
->Play Route C which is an all new sequence of events, ensuring network services are on. Pick an option at last choice, giving you ending C or D.
-> Goto chapter select, load the last chapter and pick the other option to get ending D or C
-> If you have watched both ending C and D, Ending E will automatically play after the previous ending.

You replay partially identical content once (and a tiny bit for chapter select) compared to OG Nier's 3+ times repeating half the game twice and the first half 1+ 2/3 times. Hardly 5 times.

Automata is the far less convoluted and monotonous true ending to achieve for people and has more going on. Whether someone likes the story or not is subjective, but the routing is arguably objectively better because it's more likely to be achieved through just playing the game. You absolutely don't need to play through it five times, and you don't need to already be aware of a secret unlock requirement.

Ultimately if someone enjoys the first Route, they will probably enjoy the entire thing. If they don't then fair enough, you can't win them all.

Of course, people who play this for the first time might want to ignore all of this, especially Civilwarfare101's misleading bit at the beginning. There are multiple endings, but getting those is definitely not as convoluted as the first game.

the fact you have to beat the game 5 times just to get the full story instead of just making it one big campaign comes off to me as nothing more than hubris. I remember liking the first Nier's story but it's been a while since I played it.

Setting aside that it is one big campaign (think of it as a tv series where the credits are just for that episode and not the whole series or story arc) , this is both not true and also forgetting how Nier did it, and you did say it had been a while so I'll remind you. This is also useful for anyone starting the game now so I'll put it here

Nier:
Play A route
-> Replay A route from the midpoint Curing Kaine's petrification
-> Don't have all weapons? Replay game A route from midpoint again, making sure you have all weapons. Missing weapons from Part A of Route A? (such as quest rewards from quests that have been locked off) , replay the game from the beginning to get them. Then you can finally move on to:
-> Have all 33 weapons? (Replicant, less in OG), Replay A route from midpoint again, with some extra scenes and on screen translations for certain characters
->Hope you save before the final boss. Make Choice A
->Load save, make choice B. if you didn't save at the last chance, replay entire final dungeon, assuming you have a save. If not, well good luck.

If playing Replicant:
Have altered title screen reflecting previous progress of the above endings, Replay game until you beat the boss at the Aerie, which is about 2/3 through the first half of the game.

So you replay mostly identical content a minimum of 3 times.

Automata:
Play route A
-> Play Route B, made up of some of A and new content from another perspective
->Play Route C which is an all new sequence of events, ensuring network services are on. Pick an option at last choice, giving you ending C or D.
-> Goto chapter select, load the last chapter and pick the other option to get ending D or C
-> If you have watched both ending C and D, Ending E will automatically play after the previous ending.

You replay partially identical content once (and a tiny bit for chapter select) compared to OG Nier's 3+ times repeating half the game twice and the first half 1+ 2/3 times. Hardly 5 times.

Automata is the far less convoluted and monotonous true ending to achieve for people and has more going on. Whether someone likes the story or not is subjective, but the routing is arguably objectively better because it's more likely to be achieved through just playing the game. You absolutely don't need to play through it five times, and you don't need to already be aware of a secret unlock requirement.

Ultimately if someone enjoys the first Route, they will probably enjoy the entire thing. If they don't then fair enough, you can't win them all.

Okay, I exaggerated when I said beating the game "5 times" but it all just stems from the fact that I don't really like the very concept of the whole multiple endings. With the first Nier, I mainly just a watched a review a while back where he said all you need to get is ending A and B and you can stop playing the game, I just followed that however it still didn't sell me on the idea. When people don't enjoy something they tend to exaggerate it a good deal even if it might not entirely be true and are blowing out of proportion. When exposed to do something you don't like the very concept of doing it can feel agonizing even if it's 5 minutes if not less than that.

The Batmobile in Arkham Knight might or might not be overly prevelant, at the end of the day, the Batmobile detractors don't like it and to them it feels long due to how much they have to get through to get to the parts of the game they like if they already aren't over repulsed by how much they hate the Batmobile.

There's other examples, there is 4-5 senate scenes in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy but that won't stop the people who dislike the politics in those movies to act like they are nothing but senate and politics dicussions.

Dragon Ball Z can be infamous for it's scenes of people screaming and powering up even though the longest power up and screaming sequence lasted 5 minutes at the most and that said 5 minute scream served the plot.

The Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy gets a bad rep for having Lara Croft cry a lot even though there isn't as many sobbing scenes as they make out.

I exaggerated and made a mistake, I won't deny it but Nier Automata is a game I remember being hyped for or at least seeing many claim that Yoko Taro finally has the budget and vision to make a geniunely great game when I played I questioned why I even bothered getting as far as I did. I didn't know what the sunk cost fallacy was and I was determined to beat every game I started back in 2017.

I'm glad people do enjoy the game, I'm not as much of a heel I used to be years back where I just questioned people's sanity for liking the media I didn't enjoy. Last thing I want to do is be overly harsh towards media that have a large passionate following and by doing so invite the fans of that media I'm criticizing to do the same towards things I like. Last thing I want is to be attacked with appeal to the person and look who's talking fallacies, with two wrongs make a right and tu quoque also being put into the mix.

I've already beaten this game so I won't be playing this month's chosen title, but to all of you playing for the first time get ready for a roller coaster of emotions. The combat is a bit repetitive and simple but it can be satisfying. Don't forget to take it slow sometimes and take in the environment, the atmosphere in this game can be mesmerising in the slower moments as it gives you time to think about this world and sink your teeth in it. Getting all 5 of the main endings is worth it, the final credits sequence changed my whole view and perspective on endings and their impact. If you played Replicant beforehand then this game will hit even harder.

Either way happy gaming to everyone and have fun.

I've been hearing great things about the NieR games for a while, and I'm excited to dive in.

I had previously heard about the "requirement" for multiple playthroughs to get the "true" ending, but that doesn't bother me too much tbh. If I love the game on my first run, I'll do it again and it will naturally be faster. If I don't love it, I won't do a second run. Easy. Don't overthink this y'all.

I'm personally very excited to play through NieR Automata. I don't know too much about it, but from what I've seen it looks really good. I'm not going to bother with "true endings" or anything because I just don't care about them, unless I really end up loving this game. I'm one to just play through a decent game once and be done with it, most of the time at least.

I don't know when I'll be able to start it, it may not be for a week or two. I'm really looking forward to playing and discussing about it though. You all have fun!

I finished route A tonight, and I'm torn on whether I want to play more or not. On the one hand, fast paced hack and slash with disorienting camera movement, some pitch black environments, bullet hell extravaganza sequences, a couple unfair feeling boss phases, and unending trash mobs isn't my idea of great fun. On the other hand, I can't deny that the music and some of the narrative elements are great, the bits of story I'm most interested in weren't resolved, and finishing route A at level 26 means I didn't even get close to finishing what I had planned for my character's chip load out and I'd really like to. Knowing me, I'm probably stubborn enough that I'll endure the repetition in order to get to new content.

So, I finished route B tonight. It was 80% repetition, but the 20% that was new really livened up the story. It was also fun to round off some of my characters' plug in chip setups and cruise through things more rapidly on the second pass. I still would have preferred if they found a way to condense routes A and B into one, but it's not terrible as is.

I've started route C and finished the intro, but I hit a difficulty spike right after that. Oh well, I'll bust through it eventually. I was glad to see that route C is definitely all completely new content and takes place after endings A and B. Here's hoping I make it to endings C, D, and E without issue.

Barring this third route being utter garbage, I don't think it's a stretch to say that the "multiple playthroughs" are worth it.

I finally found some time to start playing the game. The PC/Steam port has some major problems so I had to spend 30 minutes figuring out why my game was locked at 30 FPS and stuttering so bad, then my controller stopped working with it. But I managed to get it sorted and I ended up putting over an hour into it today.

The combat is pretty tough, but I'm starting to get used to it. I'm loving everything else about the game though, everything from the story to the characters and world are fantastic. I can't wait to dive into it more. I'm hoping I'll find the time to finish it by the end of the month since I've been pretty busy. Either way, I'll contribute my thoughts once I'm done with a playthrough.

If you guys are enjoying the story so far I can't wait to hear your thoughts after the final route's ending. If you're finding it difficult to pull through 5 different playthroughs, I can assure that you won't regret it if you're liking the story and characters :)

Oh and about the difficulty spike, yeah I had it too, you'll stumble across a few parts throughout all routes that are suddenly much harder so don't feel bad.

Hope to see you there everyone, keep us updated and have fun!

Well, I got the five main endings. I'll flesh out my thoughts a lot more fully in a blog update, but here and now I'll just say:

- It's not an all timer for me, but it absolutely was worth it and I'm glad to have experienced this game.
- The music is incredible.
- It's a JRPG and therefore must meet a threshold of design and story weirdness. It certainly cleared the bar.
- The music is incredible.
- The combat was alternately frustrating or trivial. From about halfway through route B until the end I'd say it was mostly trivial because I'd found my lane and optimized my weapon and skills.
- The music is incredible.
- I'm still not sure how I feel about the story overall. IMO there was a definite narrative peak and a good deal of filler - relatively speaking - after that. Route B was my favorite and 9S was the most likable character by far. After the reveal about humanity's extinction - which I suspected was coming but still loved - the story just kind of tread water.
- If someone likes action, spectacle, and incredible music, then they will like this game.

It was a fun ride. Also, big thanks to those who clarified some of the route stuff in this thread. It made me much more confident launching into route C.

I just barely finished route A, I was closer to the end of the game than I expected. Let me just say, absolute cinema. I was planning on doing all the side quests that were available but was unable to. It's sort of dumb how a lot of the quests just get completely cut off and become not completable after the flooded city chapter, that's my only big gripe with the game. While the combat felt difficult clunky at first I ended up really enjoying it, and it became fairly easy. I had a lot of fun experimenting with all the different weapons, plug in chips, and pod programs. Though it took me till about halfway through my playthrough to start messing with those. I loved a lot of the special combat sequences with the flight units, and all of the bosses. Though there is a pretty low difficulty ceiling I've found, once I had the combat fully figured out and I started to consistently get perfect dodges I just cruised through most combat encounters.

While the story or narrative isn't breathtaking, I still found it to be beautiful. I didn't really understand why the intro of the game existed other than to be a tutorial, but now that I've finished I get it. Seeing 2B and 9S grow more fond of each other, and seeing them start to grow emotional depth was incredible. The ending had me in tears. Nier: Automata is an absolutely gorgeous game, I can't wait to play through the other routes.

I almost had a heart attack. (Ending "U" spoilers I guess)

Fun fact, it's possible to self destruct in the bunker in the playable end credits scene, which finishes secret ending U which I wasn't even aware of. I thought I'd self destruct 2B's skirt just because I thought it'd be silly to do in the credits, and it was funny, but there goes an entire game session. Checking my save file it never counted ending B because I self destructed. Thankfully it's letting me load the save just before the final sequence, which is still an hour of progress lost, but is better than me having to replay the entirety of route B lol.

I'm still working on getting all the endings, I'll post my final thoughts once I'm done.

I almost had a heart attack. (Ending "U" spoilers I guess)

Fun fact, it's possible to self destruct in the bunker in the playable end credits scene, which finishes secret ending U which I wasn't even aware of. I thought I'd self destruct 2B's skirt just because I thought it'd be silly to do in the credits, and it was funny, but there goes an entire game session. Checking my save file it never counted ending B because I self destructed. Thankfully it's letting me load the save just before the final sequence, which is still an hour of progress lost, but is better than me having to replay the entirety of route B lol.

I'm still working on getting all the endings, I'll post my final thoughts once I'm done.

Lol. I got one of the joke endings and lost a solid 90 min progress at one point. Don't eat the fish jackass asks you to try.

I got endings C, D, and E finally. The final route added way more to the game than I thought it would, in fact I'd even consider it an essential part of the experience of Nier: Automata. There are still some things I'm confused about, but by the end I think I got a good idea of what was going on with the larger story. I still don't completely understand project Yorha, why was it set up to fail? The dynamic between 2B, 9S, and A2 is very interesting. Seeing 9S hostile towards 2B in the final route had me confused, but the eventual secret being revealed by A2 made sense of a lot of the story up until that point, and why 9S was the way he is. It's all a lot to take in so I'm not sure, but that's what I got out of it. Ending E is really nice though, it's great to see all 3 of the Androids starting anew. The story, storytelling, and setting strongly remind me of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Doing a light amount of research apparently Yoko Taro took a lot of inspiration from Evangelion, which I can very much see in Nier Automata.

The gameplay is also pretty good. I honestly didn't like the combat very much at the start of the game, but I quickly got used to it and it even became easy. I had a lot of fun experimenting with plug in chips, pod programs, weapons, and some different play styles. All of the boss designs and sequences are also very well made. I didn't enjoy playing as 9S nearly as much as 2B, but I still enjoyed playing through route B and C with him. A2 was really fun to play as, her berserk mode is really neat.

NieR: Automata might just be my favorite game of all time, I had an incredible experience with it. I'll definitely play some more just to finish some side quests that I missed and go for achievements.