Nier: Automata
Nier: Automata tells the tragic tale of two elite YorHa androids, designated 2B and 9S, battling to reclaim post-apocalyptic earth from the hordes of robots that now inhabit it in place of humans.
From a base on the moon, the shadowy upper echelons of humanity’s surviving council guide their YorHa forces in their war against their ancient foes… who increasingly show sign of civility and even humanity.
The story of 2B and 9S’s journey is one of self-discovery, and through the struggles and difficulty’s they face, a powerful bond begins to form between the two.
2B, especially, is a stoic battler-type android devoid of emotion at the beginning of the game, and it is really rewarding to see her interactions with the much easier going 9S develop over time. She eventually comes to care for him, and even to question the orders that she has followed blindly for so long.
With Neir: Automata, the game’s director, Yoko Taro, explores what it means to be human. Are we born this way, or is it through the actions that we have earned our humanity?
The game goes to some incredibly dark places but is balanced by the off-kilter humor that is often found in Taro’s games. It’s a harrowing tale, but one well worth undertaking, and here’s hoping we get a follow up to the series, although a direct sequel is unlikely.
Check out this Neir: Automata feature, which takes a closer look at how the game avoided falling into the usual pitfalls stories of this genre often fall into.
