Nier Automata: Standard Edition (PS4)

Possibly the greatest action RPG of this console generation. I bought NieR as I am a JRPG fan but was not expecting an experience of such a profound nature. I guess I was late to the party... The characters and environment are great, and after the first play though I though "yeah its a good game". However the way this game subverts expectations and uses the games as a medium only revealed itself after I finished the subsequent playthroughs. I don't even want to say more in case I spoil things. Of course the game isn't perfect and does have its flaws (e.g. lack lustre side quests), but the experience is 100% worth the asking price.PLEASE, if you like RPGs, get this game; If you like games with a satisfying combat system, or story driven narrative experiences, get this game. DON'T watch a review, DON'T watch a let's play, just get this game. You'll thank me later.

To say Automata is anything less than a masterpiece is to do the gaming medium a total disservice. I am not a Jap RPG kind of guy (i have friends, i dont watch anime and i dont follow asian culture as a whole) but my arm was twisted by Skillup's review on youtube. Like him i found the art style on the surface gimmicky, clichéd and tailored to a specific kind of gamer. I was wrong wrong WRONG. The gameplay moment to moment is silky smooth, the action is insanely satisfying, controls are beautifully optimised and just feel so right. The story however and it's existential themes are what really helps catapult this game into a league genuinely all of its own. How can tin cans and an anime waifu make you genuinely ponder the meaning of beauty, love and the human condition. If you appreciate games as entertainment, it you appreciate art in any form, if you appreciate a game changing soundtrack, if you appreciate a game transcending it's medium and making you have a dialogue with yourself unlike anything gaming has seen since MGS2 then you are honestly wasting time by holding off immediately buying Nier. While no game is perfect, this makes a damn good argument for game of the decade. This game is haunting, emotionally crushing, hopeful, beautiful, satisfyingly deep and will split your gaming life to "pre Automata/post Automata". If you consider buying Nier, and opt to give it a miss, you have genuinely torn up a winning lotto ticket. Do it, put in the hours, sacrifice your save and thank me later

This is truly a good game. NieR:Automata is game set in a distant future with machine lifeforms taking over the earth, resulting in the remaining humans fleeing to the moon. you play as androids developed by humans to take the earth back. The action combat in this game is extremely entertaining and holds interest due to the way the game changes how it plays. the game can quickly change to a hack and slash to game to top down shooter to side-scroller, and more, throughout the game. this is an extremely fun game which can honestly put some other, recent action RPGs to shame. the game also has an intriguing story-line which will prompt the player to continue through the game in order to uncover the next plot point. on top of this the game also has 26 different endings ranging from A-Z which encourages the game to be replayed. however, replaying this game can be done with different characters which can show you the game from their view, doing well to keep the player entertained further. overall NieR:Automata is game well worth the purchase and while everyone may not have the same experience, everyone who plays it will likely not regret it.

This is a pretty huge game, built around an interesting sci-fi storyline in which the player controls an android fighting alien-controlled machines on behalf of humanity, the rest of which is in exile on the moon. As JRPGs go, the story is fairly interesting, and less all-over-the-place than some.The game is also visually impressive, although more cartoonish than some of the prettiest games such as god of war and horizon.The music is superb, and adds to the few of the game.So... three great parts of this game, but that’s where the positives end for me.A couple of major gripes:The 18 rating is purely for the occasional bit of fantasy violence, as the themes are almost childishly simplistic. Don’t let the age rating fool you into thinking this is a grown-up game.The quests are painfully repetitive. They’re all “bring this thing to that dude on the other side of the world.... and then bring me back what he gives you.... six times... and oh by the way NO FAST TRAVEL... and in return you’ll get a little snippet of some dull storyline which adds nothing to the game”.The main quest isn’t much better... I realised at one point I’d been playing for two hours without opening up any more of the game world running back and forward through the same mostly-linear area several times. It is not fun.Combat is fairly prettty, but honestly it is impossible to have any kind of strategy or apply any skill because it’s so difficult to control it’s also often difficult to figure out where your character is. The lack of skill involved makes combat feel shallow and unsatisfying.The flight-suit bits are reminiscent of the bullet hell style arcade shooter. They’re fun for a while, but I felt that some of the boss fights dragged on into being grindy.Gameplay is, at times, unpolished. Invisible walls crop up way too often... and the characters seem to get pushed off high edges when a breeze blows past. When you die your body remains on the map for your next life to collect all your stuff, but if you’ve stumbled into a difficult area, then that means all your gear is gone... as your next life will likely die as well. It’s supposed to be an interesting sci-fi mechanic I suppose, but it’s actually just annoying.So... there are a few good parts to this, but ultimately it asks for more time than it deserves.