{"id":198414,"date":"2025-09-26T04:16:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T04:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/why-you-need-to-play-nier-automata\/"},"modified":"2025-09-26T04:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T04:16:29","slug":"why-you-need-to-play-nier-automata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/why-you-need-to-play-nier-automata\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need To Play Nier: Automata"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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In 2017, we saw the release of blockbuster titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn. Because of this, Nier: Automata<\/a> flew under my radar. Nevertheless, last\u00a0spring (2020)<\/span> was the perfect time for me to finally traverse Automata\u2019s desolate and beautiful open world. If someone had told me four years ago that Platinum Games\u2019 thought-provoking action\/RPG would play a large role in influencing my decision to pursue a master\u2019s degree in game design, I wouldn’t have believed them. And yet, here I am \u2013 back in school, and discovering all the ways\u00a0Automata continues to influence my creative process.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The upgraded version of the original Nier,\u00a0Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139<\/a> (yes, that\u2019s its real name), is<\/span> a remaster of the first game \u2013 except it\u2019s based on a version that never released in North America.\u00a0The events of Replicant connect to the sequel’s\u00a0bleak-yet-thoughtful story, so if you haven\u2019t played Nier: Automata already, here\u2019s why now is the perfect time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Compelling Narrative(s)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n
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Nier: Automata is a philosophical game that probes the complexities of compassion when there is none to be found, the lingering traumas of war during peacetime, and the pursuit of freedom within a system of surveillance. As elite android-soldier 2B (a twist on the famous \u201cTo be, or not to be\u201d Hamlet<\/em> quote) and ever-curious sidekick 9S, you set out to protect an abandoned Earth from an alien-robot army hellbent on fulfilling their centuries-long goal: Eradicate all humans and establish total sovereignty. While conducting missions, you interact with a colorful ensemble cast, from a pacifist robot named Pascal, to a nefarious marionette-machine called Simone that skulks in the shadows of a haunted theme park. Automata subverts expectations by showing the same story events through the eyes of three different characters, and only once you see every arc<\/a> is the game complete. There are a number of different endings, with the most important finales focusing on character motivations and even player choice. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In my experience, what puts Automata in a narrative league of its own is how it not only poses packed questions to its protagonists about their place in the world, but how it also breaks the fourth wall and forces players to confront their own socially-conditioned anxieties: Can we love, genuinely, in spite of stark differences? How much pain can we tolerate or forgive? Are we brave enough to denounce conformity and forge an identity all our own?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Atmospheric Music<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n
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I think Square Enix\u2019s RPG soundtracks are gaming’s gold standard. Nier: Automata\u2019s music, composed by Keiichi Okabe<\/a> (of Tekken fame) is in the upper echelon of my favorite video game music, joining the likes of Nobuo Uematsu\u2019s Final Fantasy VII and Yasunori Mitsuda\u2019s Chrono Trigger soundtracks. Automata\u2019s score isn\u2019t mere ambience. Instead, it\u2019s directly involved in the game\u2019s design: Songs transform depending on plot progression. Pascal\u2019s theme, for example, is one of Automata\u2019s more upbeat tunes, mirroring the peaceful robot\u2019s childlike exuberance and cheery disposition. However, during more solemn story moments, the same song plays again but with different sonic components like a melancholy chant or contemplative piano notes. In Automata, dialogue and player choice are integral pieces of the narrative, but instrumental melodies and vocal harmonies spin complex stories of their own. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Okabe relies on \u201cchaos language\u201d \u2013 a blend of two or more languages (in Automata\u2019s case, mainly German and Japanese) that create\u00a0undecipherable, but oddly familiar conlangs. This approach reflects the state of Automata\u2019s setting and time-period: 2B and 9S\u2019 futuristic, post-apocalyptic Earth is, all at once, eerily foreign and familiar.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Varied Gameplay<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n
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I could talk all day about Nier: Automata\u2019s sprawling plotlines and epic score, but what good would that be if the game wasn\u2019t engaging or fun to play? Automata\u2019s combat<\/a> is simple: Vanquish the robot horde with well-placed, devastating jabs or full-auto laser beams. But what makes the game so captivating is its wacky mix of genres. Automata is part RPG, part side-scroller, part hack \u2018n\u2019 slash, part bullet-hell \u2013 the list goes on and on. At its core, Automata is a masterful homage to an extensive list of preeminent and overlooked classics, from well-established arcade titles like Galaga to hidden-gem shoot-\u2018em-ups like Ikaruga. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Platinum Games often employs a dynamic camera to signify changes in gameplay mechanics. For instance, when the default third-person camera switches to a bird\u2019s eye view, you know you might be in for an explosive aerial warfare segment. Similarly, a side-view camera indicates platforming sections that emphasize spatial awareness and cautious navigation. Moment-to-moment gameplay shifts are always unexpected, and consequently, refreshing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n