Are You Looking for a Dark Emotional Story?
One of the things the original NieR was known the best for, was its dark and moody story. Automota is going to be very much the same experience, with a dramatic and character driven tale. You should be fully aware before going in, that Automata isn’t going to be an upbeat and cheerful experience. This isn’t to say that the entire game is depressing, just that NieR in general deals with dark and multi-faceted themes.
Just like the first game you’ll learn about both the bright and dark sides of humanity, with everything that falls in between. Just make sure you’re in the right head space for NieR: Automata, as you’ll, no doubt, be dealing with some heavy themes and events.
Are You Okay With a Game That’s a Bit of a Slow Burn?
Oftentimes, RPGs like NieR take a while to get into, something that certainly held true for the first game. This isn’t to say you won’t be getting in on the action right away, because you will. Just don’t expect to truly understand what’s happening in the story until you’ve played for quite a bit. Automota’s director, Yoko Taro, is notorious for having convoluted and utterly strange storylines. Couple this with the fact that Automata has multiple endings, and you’re going to spend a while piecing everything together.
Keep in mind that if you feel lost about 7 hours into the game, you probably need to keep playing and see more, or even see another ending. Automata isn’t a short game, at least getting all endings won’t be short, clocking in around 35-40 hours. Just make sure you’re ready to be in for the long haul if you plan on picking the title up, as the payoff will be well worth your time.
Have You Played the Original NieR?
By far the best way to know what to expect from Automata, is by playing the original NieR. Obviously the two games have separate stories, but there are still links you’ll find like familiar characters and lore bits. And boy does NieR have a lot of lore. The two games are actually preceded by the Drakengard series for lore, with very loose connections. You can jump into Automata right off the bat, if you want, but you’ll truly be able to appreciate the scope of the world and story by playing both.
Truth be told, the NieR games are very heavy on lore, putting a huge emphasis on having players understand the entire sequence of history and the world. Luckily there are plenty of guides and booklets you can use to catch yourself up on the lore of both NieR and Drakengard. You can use a lore primer, like ours, to helpfully catch you up on everything. However, you might want to give the first NieR a try if you haven’t, it will help immerse you into things more and it’s one darn good experience just on its own.
Are You Willing to Work for Multiple Endings?
Going hand-in-hand with Automata’s slow burning story, is the fact that it has multiple endings, which are truly integral to the game. NieR’s endings function differently than most, as the alternate one isn’t simply telling you another side of the story. No, the endings in NieR and Automata are huge revelation moments, drastically altering your understanding of events, and even unlocking large portions of the game. The first ending in the first NieR didn’t even get you halfway through the game, and Automata sounds like it’s going to be very much the same way.
Keep in mind, however, that you’ll probably have to work to get at least one of the endings. The original game made you play through a part of the story twice, and collect every weapon in the game in order to see all endings. Yoko Taro loves to make players work to see story, and piece-by-piece put things together. Don’t expect a breezy playthrough of this RPG, you’re gonna have to take your time and piece things through.
Do You Enjoy Platinum Style Combat Systems?
Another major aspect of Automata to considers is combat, and it may be a bit different from the typical action-RPGs you’re used to. With Platinum Games coming on board to develop the game, they brought their trademark level of hectic battles. This means you’ll need to be on your toes in every combat encounter, and things are pretty over the top. You can choose from four different weapon types and unleash a slew of different combos and abilities on your enemies. You’ll also have a small robot assisting you, that you can use to fire projectiles.
If you’ve played previous Platinum games you’ll have some inkling of what to expect, although Automata does draw inspiration from NieR as well. Boss battles and certain encounters will utilize tons of projectiles, almost to the point of being called a bullet hell. Because of this, it’s almost always best to keep on the move in Automata. Just make sure your skills are ready for a fast-paced and demanding combat systems, before you go ahead and pick up NieR: Automata.
Published: Mar 6, 2017 01:02 pm