Nier: Automata (PS4)

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eneuman96
Posts: 326
Joined: April 13th, 2015, 11:16 pm

Nier: Automata (PS4)

Postby eneuman96 » March 13th, 2017, 9:05 pm

If nothing else, this will go down in history as the SECOND best game to come out in March 2017.

Jokes aside, this is an interesting title from Platinum Games that is typically classified as an action RPG, but in reality is a mashup of several different genres, most conspicuously games like Ninja Gaiden (the modern trilogy, not the NES one) and Platinum's own Bayonetta. I'm surprised how much buzz it's been getting considering it's a sequel to a game that really only became a cult classic some years after its release.

I'm only a few hours in and like it so far, but I've read that you have to get more than one ending (of which there are several) to fully experience what the game has to offer. One thing that bugs me is how cluttered and chaotic the combat can feel on occasion. Virtually every button on the controller has an important purpose, and it can be tricky to remember which button does what during life-or-death situations. Additionally, I had to make a custom scheme to get more comfortable with the controls, and even after that I'm STILL having some trouble getting used to everything. To its credit, however, custom control schemes seem to be a rarity in this day and age, and it's commendable that it's even an option here.

This game is primarily a brawler, but there are also shoot-em-up segments, which are arguably better executed, and from what I've heard there may be even more kinds of unexpected gameplay changes a la Battletoads. The game also sometimes switches perspectives from three dimensions to two and a half, which reminds me of some of the recent Sonic games of all things.

Nier Automata is certainly unconventional and I've heard (I realize I'm going on hearsay a lot, but bear with me) that it gets better the further you progress. I can't wait to see what else it throws at me. And to its credit, it's managed to distract me from a certain other game that begins with "L" and ends with "egend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."

DaHeckIzDat
Posts: 1997
Joined: April 9th, 2015, 1:41 pm

Re: Nier: Automata (PS4)

Postby DaHeckIzDat » March 14th, 2017, 9:16 am

eneuman96 wrote:typically classified as an action RPG, but in reality is a mashup of several different genres


eneuman96 wrote:you have to get more than one ending (of which there are several) to fully experience what the game has to offer.


eneuman96 wrote:The game also sometimes switches perspectives from three dimensions to two and a half


Haha, if you hadn't mentioned the improved combat, I would have thought you were describing the original Nier. Seriously though, Nier is one of my favorite games (I gave it an A- for my RPG crew review) so I'm ridiculously excited to play (and hopefully review) Automata.

JWK
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Joined: April 30th, 2015, 2:27 pm

Re: Nier: Automata (PS4)

Postby JWK » March 20th, 2017, 1:24 am

I just finished NieR: Automata and it is my favorite game of the 8th generation. In fact, it's simply one of my favorite games of all time. From its visual style, to its graphics, to its characters and world, NieR Automata is an absolute masterpiece. This is Platinum's best combat. This is Yoko Taro's best storytelling. This is Keiichi Okabe's best music-- actually, this beats out Chrono Trigger and the original NieR for my favorite gaming soundtrack ever. This is the best game Square Enix have published since their merger in 2003. It's brilliant.

I have finished endings A through E-- all five of which are needed for the complete story-- plus a handful of joke endings. It may sound daunting, but it's really not. Two of those endings can be skipped directly to after your third playthrough. And the playthrough are significantly different, reveal important plot points and extensions to the story and are totally worth it.

NieR/Drakengard has always been a good series with great storytelling. But now it has the presentation and technical chops to match the director and music composers' collective ambition. It's just an incredible game. I have sky-high hopes for the series in the future.

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Gentlegamer
Posts: 787
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 1:01 am

Re: Nier: Automata (PS4)

Postby Gentlegamer » March 21st, 2017, 10:52 am

For some reason, I never realized Nier was made by Platinum.

Well, this is on my list now.


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