🎮 Thoughts: NieR: Automata

Credit: PlatinumGames, Square Enix

Disclaimer: These thoughts are entirely my own!

Total hours played: 33

I’d seen the character designs from NieR: Automata around for years before I ever played the game, especially through cosplays at conventions, anime cameos, and internet references. It always felt like a core part of today’s gaming and anime culture.

From the visuals alone, it was clear that NieR: Automata was an action-adventure RPG with strong art direction and polished graphics, elements I naturally gravitate toward in a game. I also vaguely remembered it being well received when it first came out in 2017. Plus, I’m a sucker for anything by Square Enix (I’ve always loved the Final Fantasy series), so the name alone gave it some extra credibility in my eyes.

I had no idea what the game was actually about however. I was totally judging a book by its cover long before I ever picked it up. NieR: Automata had been sitting on my to-play list for literal years, but I only finally got around to it because one persistent friend kept urging me to give it a shot. She promised it would be a 10/10 experience and just wanted someone to scream about it with. Safe to say, I listened and finally picked up the game. I will say that I did not play any other NieR games prior to this, so take that into consideration when reading!

Some spoilers ahead so if you’re planning on playing the game, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The Visuals 🎨

There’s so much to unpack regarding the visuals of NieR: Automata.

Shot of the menu appearing on screen

Firstly, the game’s menu design is simple yet highly effective in blending musical elements with the digital. I love the subtle touches in the different menu screens, such as the side bars resembling lines from sheet music. The iconography also echoes musical notation, reinforcing the theme. The vignette effect to make it look like an actual screen is a great detail that elevates the entire experience.

The game’s muted color palette further enhances its apocalyptic and melancholic atmosphere, tying everything together seamlessly. This is evident in the menus as well as the character and weapon designs. Color also plays a key role in helping players distinguish between organic and cyber environments: Earth carries a slightly more vibrant scheme, while YoRHa HQ is defined by a cold, distant palette. That contrast (warmth versus cold) becomes even more impactful as the plot unfolds, amplifying the emotional weight of characters’ desires and the motivations of different organizations. The warmth feels warmer, and the cold feels colder.

The only consistent vibrant color throughout the entire game are the reds of machine attacks or warnings on screen, perfect in alerting the player of what is incoming or the direness of the specific section of the storyline. I really appreciate the approach the developers went with how they depict when your character is corrupted as well, through the glitching and malfunctioning screen, like you’re about to shut down because of a virus. Every single visual cue added to the dread and melancholic mood of the game.

The last thing I want to talk about is the game’s name logo design. It’s perfection. The use of directional line movement between each letter and the precise alignment is very well executed. The gear on top of the “i,” as a nod to the machines in the game, is a brilliant touch. On top of that, the transition into negative space through glitches creates a sense of movement even in the static image, like time is passing and the logo itself is being corrupted, mirroring the world of NieR as it fades and deteriorates. Honestly, the more I look at it, the more it feels as though the corruption is “taking over” the rest of the logo. It truly is a fantastic tie-in to the story of NieR.

The Storytelling 📖

One of the things I appreciated most about NieR: Automata was its use of multiple perspectives to tell a layered story. You experience the same events through the eyes of different main characters, which adds so much depth.

The game begins with you playing as 2B, a YoRHa combat android sent to Earth to eliminate the remaining Machines and reclaim the planet for humanity. Earth has become too dangerous for humans to inhabit after an alien invasion led to Machines taking over. Early on, 2B’s squad is ambushed and she’s the sole survivor. She then teams up with 9S, another android, and together they continue their mission, only to self-destruct in order to return to the Bunker, YoRHa’s orbital base. Since they’re androids, their consciousness gets uploaded into the Network, and they are essentially able to revive at the Bunker after.

2B realizing 9S has been infected with the logic virus

Back on Earth, they begin working with Anemone’s Resistance force to fight off more Machine threats. But they soon discover something interesting: some Machines have begun mimicking human behavior. In particular, they encounter Pascal and his peaceful village of Machines. As their mission progresses, they also meet A2, a rogue YoRHa android with a mysterious past. Along the way, they confront Adam and Eve, two humanoid representations of the Machine Network. Adam kidnaps 9S, which prompts 2B to kill Adam to rescue him. While recovering, 9S discovers a devastating truth: humans have been extinct for a long time, and the idea that they still exist has been a lie perpetuated by the Machine Network to give androids a reason to keep fighting. When Eve learns of Adam’s death, he goes into a destructive rage. In the final battle, 9S becomes infected with a logic virus, forcing 2B to kill him to prevent it from spreading, but his consciousness is preserved in the local Machine Network.

Later, a massive logic virus outbreak spreads through the YoRHa network, corrupting nearly every android except for 9S and (initially) 2B. Amid the chaos, the two of them get separated and 2B becomes infected as well. While trying to find safety, she encounters A2 and asks her to end her life before the virus takes full control. Tragically, 9S arrives just in time to see A2 kill 2B (without knowing the reason), leading him to swear revenge against her.

And then the title finally shows up on screen. The absolute whiplash I felt in that moment. What do you mean that was basically just the beginning of the game? All that intense combat, the emotional arc, 2B dying, that was just the prologue? I was stunned. It was such a bold, well-executed storytelling move that it left me genuinely shocked for a while.

The three main characters, 2B, 9S, and A2, each have such compelling and emotionally rich story arcs. You feel the overwhelming dread and grief of 2B, especially as the game slowly reveals how many times she’s had to kill 9S throughout her lifetime. With 9S, you experience his passionate curiosity firsthand as you dive deeper into the Machine Network, uncovering secrets he was never meant to know. And then there’s A2, initially introduced as a rogue, but as you play through her route, you witness her growing compassion and the emotional weight of the choices she’s forced to make. By the end of the game, you’re not even sure who to root for. Each of their motivations is deeply justified, and their pain is palpable. The story challenges your sense of morality at every turn: Do you obey the system, or do you question it? Do you keep doing what you’re told, or break free entirely?

The amount of plot twists in NieR: Automata hit the perfect balance for me. Every twist felt intentional, not just for shock value, but to deepen the emotional and philosophical impact of the story. Even that final moment, where you’re literally fighting the developers during the credits sequence? That’s something that could’ve easily come across as gimmicky or cheesy in any other game, but here, it lands so well because it ties directly back into the game’s core themes of resistance, hope, and interconnectedness. It’s such a clever and meaningful way to wrap things up, breaking the fourth wall not just for fun, but to challenge the player one last time. It left me sitting with my thoughts long after the credits rolled. The final choice you make is less about gameplay and more about who you are, and that’s what made NieR: Automata resonate so deeply with me. NieR: Automata’s 26 different endings, from emotionally heavy to hilariously absurd, brilliantly reward player curiosity and reinforce the game’s bold, unconventional approach to storytelling.

Side note, I loved the subtlety of the naming convention (B = Battle, S = Scanner, A = Attack). It gives you insight into each character’s designed “purpose” from the very beginning, yet the narrative works so hard to challenge and complicate those labels. Also appreciated the very many endings (26 to be exact) you can achieve from fooling around in the game as well. Great addition.

Another side note, the casting for 2B and 9S (in the Japanese version) was easily an 11/10. They couldn’t have chosen better voice actors. Casting is one of the biggest draws for me in any project, and here it was spot on: Ishikawa Yui as 2B was a brilliant choice, bringing a calm, humane touch to a character that might otherwise feel cold and mechanical. Pairing her with Hanae Natsuki (known for portraying characters who endure traumatic storylines) as 9S was the perfect complement, adding the final layer of emotional depth.

The GAMEPLAY 🗡️

Gameplay showing 9S hacking the system

When I realized the story was basically starting all over again after the first ending, this time with 9S as the playable character, I was a little annoyed. I assumed (very prematurely) that the gameplay would be repetitive. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Depending on which character you’re playing, the combat system changes drastically. With 2B and A2, you fight using traditional real-time action combat, as you’d expect from an action-adventure RPG. But with 9S, the gameplay shifts into a hacking mechanic that adds an entirely different layer of challenge. What’s even better is that this mechanic fits perfectly with 9S’s role as a Scanner, making the gameplay feel purposeful and character-driven. You can still fight as 9S in the traditional real-time action combat option, but this added component creates an extra layer of difficulty and intrigue to the gameplay as a whole.

As you progress through both the main storyline and side quests, the game does an excellent job balancing both combat styles. By the end, it’s not about favoring one over the other, you need to be skilled in both to survive. I personally had a harder time with the hacking system since it didn’t come as naturally to me (I’m more of a button-masher, you see), but it felt incredibly rewarding to push through that learning curve. By the final stages of the game, I was confidently switching between hacking and real-time combat, depending on what the battle called for.

The open-world map in this game had its pros and cons. The need to find certain characters or items to complete both main and side quests required me to revisit parts of the map multiple times. Even with fast travel unlocked, I often found myself wandering for a while before finishing a side quest. On the positive side, this allowed me to stumble into areas I was clearly under-leveled for, which kept the gameplay interesting, pushing me to level up so I could eventually return and face those challenges without getting beaten too badly (looking at that very specific area where tons of machines were waiting as you exit the elevator).

What caught me by surprise is the ending sequence of the game. The fact that you have to fight against the developers and the studio itself to finish the game? And that the entire community comes to help you through essentially “deleting” their own selves so that you can survive to the end? Genius way to combine storytelling with gameplay. Truly a lot of 4D chess thinking went into creating this game.

The MUSIC 🎶

There’s something both apocalyptic and tragic about the tone of this game’s soundtrack. The use of keys and strings gives it a timeless, almost classical quality. It makes the world of NieR feel as if it has existed for centuries, simply waiting to be discovered again. The choir provides the haunting feeling that there is something hiding beneath the surface and further suggests the tragedy that will unfold as you play through the game.

The shift from a full orchestral track to an 8-bit version when transitioning from real-time combat to hacking gameplay deepens the immersion. It creates the illusion that you’ve been pulled directly into the game’s code, experiencing the world through the characters themselves. NieR: Automata is a perfect example of how to utilize music as part of the gameplay, interacting with the user in many layers.

While reading about the thinking behind NieR’s music design, I came across this Medium article discussing the use of leitmotifs and how the game employs them to evoke specific emotions from the player. These recurring themes create a sense of continuity and familiarity, especially during moments when the game shifts between main characters and their respective settings. I have not played NieR: Replicant, but I can imagine how the two games are very interwoven not just by certain characters that appear in both but also the leitmotifs that link both games together.

Everything that lives is designed to end 🤖

NieR: Automata was a journey I will not soon forget. The overall experience was incredible to witness. The seamless blend of visuals and music is something rarely achieved in games, and it leaves the player in awe by the end. Beyond just being moving and thought-provoking, it was fun! Every boss fight, every new mechanic, every shift in perspective kept me engaged and excited to see what would come next. I often caught myself smiling at the clever design choices, or completely immersed in the thrill of combat. It’s clear that the developers, and really everyone involved in creating this masterpiece, poured their passion into it. I’m especially grateful that I went into the game unspoiled, even though I played it years after its release, because every surprise and twist hit with full force. Playing NieR: Automata wasn’t just memorable, it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in years.

——

Thank you for reading! Want to read more game thoughts? Check out my other entries here!