After playing Persona 5, I was looking for another JRPG that would deliver such an amazing experience, so I decided to play NieR: Automata. First of all, the story of this game is divided to 3 Routes. Route A is only the first half of the story, Route B is the same plot from different prespective but it's a bit deeper and it has additional gameplay mechanics, and Route CD is the second half of the story. The first 2 Routes are great, but story-wise they're incomplete, however, Route CD is were NieR: Automata's magnificent narrative potential truly shines! Thanks to NieR: Automata's absolute masterclass of a game design, the story is unparalleled! It blew my mind and it exceeded my expectations countless times! Overall, NieR: Automata's narrative is quite possibly the best I've witnessed in any videogame. The gameplay is awesome too! It plays mainly like a 3D Hack 'n' Slash but there are Shoot em Up, 2D and Bullet Hell sequences as well. That's straight up impressive. The hacking mechanics make the gameplay a bit boring at times though. The characters - especially the main characters - are very engaging and well-developed. The music is absolutely phenomenal! It's one of the best parts of the game! Lastly, the bosses are decent, the audio design is great and the animations are gorgeous. NieR: Automata isn't flawless though; the visuals are slightly outdated and the side-quests are mostly dull.
Pros:
+ Best narrative ever
+ Amazing gameplay
+ Engaging characters
+ Incredible music
+ Masterclass game design
Cons:
- The visuals are a little bit outdated
- Weak side-quests
Narrative: 10/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Content: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Music: 10/10
Graphics/Audio: 8/10
Final Rating: 10/10
NieR: Automata - while not flawless - is a videogame that is able to showcase the power of the medium, it's the perfect example of a masterpiece, it's one of the most important videogames I've ever played and it's undoubtedly one of my favorite videogames of all time.
Do I recommend it?:
Everyone should play this game! NieR: Automata is a must-play, period.
