Support NeoGAF

[BlueAlpaca]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

 

[Damigos]

Finish it one time
You will want a second finish by then

 

[Cert.in.Death]

In short, yes.

But it's very anime game, which is a pro or a con depending on your tastes.

 

[Punished Miku]

Absolutely. One of my top games ever made. But I don't think you're going to have the patience to appreciate it, or make it there.

It doesn't sound like it's for you. It can be very repetitive, and you're going to bail on it. The gameplay really doesn't change that much throughout the game.

 

[CatLady]

I'm an outlier when it comes to Nier since so many people think it's some brilliant philosophical opus. I thought it was dumb and it never got better for me.

Hated the combat, story and characters. I found it very repetitious even in the first playthrough. Got much worst as you had to play the same story over a 2nd time with the other character.

I played it all the way to the various ends waiting for the big payoff and it never happened for me. But I do realize I'm in the minority so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[iHaunter]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

Combos can be pretty extensive if you do it right. I actually quite enjoyed the combat as well as the story. But story is the biggest draw to this game. Notice my avatar. It's been years and I still think about this game.

Also the best soundtrack of any game ever.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

The greatest experience I've had in all of gaming.

 

[zeorhymer]

The way the story is told is fragmented compared to other games. You only get pieces every time you beat the game.

 

[Danjin44]

It absolutely does but it also depends on your taste, I have been fan of the way Yoko Taro makes games since original Drakengard but it also acquired taste, it not gonna be for everyone.

 

[The Shepard]

I to struggled to carry on on my first playthrough.. ended up thinking it was massively over rated in all honesty.

Started it again in lockdown and ended up loving the game and getting the platinum. Some games you just have to be in the right frame of mind, the right time to play.

 

[Aldric]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

You unlock more combat options as you go through the game (the whole pod system is especially interesting if you focus a bit on it) and without spoiling there's some new mechanics introduced after the first ending that make things fresh but the core gameplay doesn't significantly changes. Still worth a playthrough for all the endings and the meta aspects.

 

[Mossybrew]

Nah. I beat the game the first time, got maybe an hour or two into the second run, and it just hit me that I was totally wasting my time. Game is mediocre.

 

[SeraphJan]

I like Nier Replicant better story wise

 

[Nautilus]

No. Its a bad game that for some reason people love.

 

[WitchHunter]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

Nah, overrated. Nice game, but nothing extra. Never understood the hype around it. Maybe the protagonist's looks/outfit...

 

[Dorago]

Combat is superficially easy but it's more about attrition than having hard one on one fights. Boss difficulty ramps up nicely and there's a good variety of encounters too. You also have a large number of weapon and spell load outs you can unlock and customize with. Beyond mechanics, the story is both absurdist and tragic. There are several moments from the game I can instantly recall even though I played it three years ago. Stick with it and you will be rewarded.

 

[Xeaker]

I loved the first NIER. The second one is horrible, one of the worst games I played.

 

[SkylineRKR]

I think 9S gameplay is worse than 2B. So I don't think it really got better. I liked the final arc a lot though. The lore and story is excellent though, esp. when you played NieR.

NieR is better in terms of world building and characters, but Automata has better B, C routes that spice things up more.

 

[Vaelka]

Imo the combat is what you make out of it.
It's the same with the Souls games you could say that they have really simplistic combat and is just button mashing and to some extent that's true.
But it's also not really true if you try to be more creative with it, I mean the same could be said about DMC5 too you can go through the game just spamming 1 button.

Nah, overrated. Nice game, but nothing extra. Never understood the hype around it. Maybe the protagonist's looks/outfit...

There's a ton of games that are essentially actual Ecchi that don't sell well and don't get a good reputation like Automata.
If it was just about 2B's looks then why wouldn't they be popular too or even more popular?

 

[kiphalfton]

I liked the first game better, and I’m not even talking about the Replicant remaster. I’m talking vanilla Nier on PS3/X360. Seemed like there were a lot more interesting locations, and despite people saying the graphics looked like ass… it’s not like Nier Automata didn’t look like ass too, in relation to other PS4/X1 games. Gameplay is good, but not god tier like people make it out to be.

 

[lifa-cobex]

I also stopped playing at a point until my friend told me to keep going.

I'm glad he did.
Keep going.

 

[A.Romero]

I also stopped playing for a long time after doing the first playthrough. It got much much better the second time.

It became one of my favourite stories in gaming.

 

[Hobbygaming]

Nier Automata is on my G.O.A.T list, I loved everything from the game design, combat, MUSIC and story. I truly adore this game

 

[Fbh]

Love the game but honestly, if you've started it twice and got bored/tired of it both times maybe it's just not for you.

The story continues to get better as you move on, but the gameplay is a mixed bag (I really enjoyed route C but route B can be a tad annoying as it's too similar to A except with worse combat)

 

[Sleepwalker]

I totally dropped this game, gameplay and story did not resonate with me and life is too short to play it 4 times just to see if it gets better.


I'll watch it on youtube one of these days when im bored.

 

[March Climber]

Sometimes it's okay to admit that a game isn't for you. I didn't enjoy playing The Last of Us part 1. I enjoyed the story but hated the gameplay. I put up with it until the end. I didn't even touch part 2 because I heard the story was bad, so there's no reason for me to endure more of the same gameplay. If the story for Automata isn't engaging enough to you, then there's no need to find reasons to keep at it. Everything said in this thread has been stated before about the game and I'm sure you're aware. Barely anything we will say will change your own personal opinion.

 

[WitchHunter]

Imo the combat is what you make out of it.
It's the same with the Souls games you could say that they have really simplistic combat and is just button mashing and to some extent that's true.
But it's also not really true if you try to be more creative with it, I mean the same could be said about DMC5 too you can go through the game just spamming 1 button.

Well, you cannot act like a monkey in souls games that's for sure. To a certain extent you could do it in Nier. At least most of the time I didn't know what happened and why in combat and how most of the enemies died.

There's a ton of games that are essentially actual Ecchi that don't sell well and don't get a good reputation like Automata.
If it was just about 2B's looks then why wouldn't they be popular too or even more popular?

Well, which games had the same level of detailed "innocent sexy" looks and failed to deliver?

 

[Bragr]

It's a very strange game, the combat plays well but it does become a bit of a button masher. There is too much backtracking and running back and forth. Side missions are too fetch-heavy. Environments look like a mediocre PS3 game.

The story just continues to ramp up and goes into a massive philsophical ramble about what it means to be alive. Some find it interesting, some find it ridiculous. It's ambitious, I give it that.

I started to struggle with motivation after I finished the first campaign. It took me a long time to come back and finish the game, and I thought it was well worth it when I finally did. I do think the story is a mess, some parts of it are great, some not so much, but it's very unique for a game and interesting to go through. You can sense that the developers wanted to go deep.

 

[yansolo]

games awesome, but you don't have to like everything, people in here trash stuff just to be contrarians

 

[Captain Toad]

The combat is given too much credit, but the atmosphere and uniqueness make up for it. If you dislike the game to that point, I doubt your opinion will vastly change.

 

[SafeOrAlone]

Once the songs get stuck in your head, yes.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

Best final credits of any game I've played. The ending theme song still makes me tear up.

With that said, it's takes A LOT of patience to finish this game. If you don't like the fighting, then just hang it up and watch a YouTube video about it.

 

[Chronicle]

No. I don't get it either. I bought this game because of all the positive reviews. It was sparse and linear. You fought against giant bubbles.

The soundtrack was horrible too. Come at me.

 

[Craig of War]

Nope it get worst & worst & when 2B die i stop playing not worth the time it get boring quick

 

[CatLady]

No. I don't get it either. I bought this game because of all the positive reviews. It was sparse and linear. You fought against giant bubbles.

The soundtrack was horrible too. Come at me.

OMG - I forgot about that soundtrack. Everyone raves about it, but I couldn't stand it.

I always seem to have the opposite opinion of the majority here.

 

[LectureMaster]

One of the most impactful stories in video games for my experiences. The combat is enjoyable from start to finish, the story gets better as you play.

The game ost list is still in my Carplay and and I listen everyday. It's just that good.

 

[Chronicle]

OMG - I forgot about that soundtrack. Everyone raves about it, but I couldn't stand it.

I always seem to have the opposite opinion of the majority here.

Same.

 

[RCU005]

This game starts better, is better, gets better and ends better!

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

If you weren't really enjoying it by the end of the Amusement park I'm not sure you'll ever really love it. If you're not enjoying it at that point of the story it's probably not worth trying to finish it. Video games are meant to be fun, and if you're not having fun after a sufficient amount of time you shouldn't feel obligated to finish it

 

[The_Mike]

I'm not really into anime, but I enjoyed the game. I pew pew with the gatling lol.

I ended up only getting ending a. No matter how I tried after beating the game I could only get ending g.

Someone told me to look it up, but I ain't looking some guide up to get another ending lol.

 

[Haggard]

I'm an outlier when it comes to Nier since so many people think it's some brilliant philosophical opus. I thought it was dumb and it never got better for me.

Hated the combat, story and characters. I found it very repetitious even in the first playthrough. Got much worst as you had to play the same story over a 2nd time with the other character.

I played it all the way to the various ends waiting for the big payoff and it never happened for me. But I do realize I'm in the minority so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Whenever someone says he played something the hated for dozens of hours I automatically assume he is retarded....

 

[20cent]

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better?

Not really. I'd suggest to switch it to easy mode unless you enjoy the gameplay. Then finish it once.
If you feel annoyed to replay it, take a break and come back few weeks/months later to resume your game. Starting from the "second" playthrough to the "real" end will feel more straightforward.

 

[ethomaz]

I’m one of these that thinks the first Nier was better…

 

[LordOfChaos]

I didn't really like it until the first ending finished, and then another short one after that which is largely similar.

Then I was in love with the game by the actual end, and still think about it sometimes.

So take that as you will. I say keep going.

 

[Thabass]

OMG - I forgot about that soundtrack. Everyone raves about it, but I couldn't stand it.

I always seem to have the opposite opinion of the majority here.

Maybe improve your standards then.

I'm kidding of course, but honestly, I loved the soundtrack and I listen to it still quite often.

Honestly, OP, beat the first story once, there's a lot more game to play. OR, you can play the game on harder difficulties. There is a stark difference in the difficulty and it feels more like a Souls game to me (maybe because I suck), but the story is oh so good.

Also, if you haven't beaten Replicant...I kinda suggest you do, but it's up to you.

 

[01011001]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

Automata is ridiculously overrated... like overrated TO THE MAX.
it lost all the atmosphere and charming characters of the first game and replaced it with a slightly more competent, but still bad, fighting system that looks flashy and that's about it.

even as a fan of Nier 1, Automata was hard to finish for me. I only did because I wanted to see the Story through as a fan of the first game.
and Nier 1 was only as enjoyable as it was because of the characters and atmosphere, it too wasn't really that great of a game...

so take away the good parts and replace it with worse replacements and a slightly improved combat system and all you get is a slog without any redeeming qualities

but you don't do "multiple runs" the game just has this quirk that makes it look like you are playing to the credits but in reality the game continues from there... so there aren't really multiple playthroughs.

 

[RGB'D]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

Literally the same. I have just come to the conclusion that while I do value gafs opinions, anime gaf is not for me. I wasted time on Nier, and 2 personas which did absolutely 0 for me...

 

[vaibhavpisal]

A while ago I made it to the machine village and stopped, now I started again from the beginning and just made it back to the village, and got something to take to the resistance camp leader who gave me something to take back to the village... Sigh.

I'm not getting this game, combat is button mashing and dash. And lots of heals everywhere/cheap, honestly at the amusement park boss fight I did not even bother that much and just took the damage and healed. It's got nice music, 60fps, and gotta love 2B's... shoes. Girl's got style.

I'm guessing the story is what makes this game, but does the gameplay get better? I'm not looking forward to it honestly let alone doing multiple runs for the "real" ending.

It will only get worse. In second playthrough they take away heavy attack button and replace it with hack. Which reduces it to single button mashing.

In third they spam enemies at you (cause of low budget or maybe you are approaching end, no idea).

Story was a bit, I dunno, I had trouble digesting a few parts. Overall a great game, but missed clearly being a masterpiece.

 

[kraspkibble]

no.

because it starts off fucking great and keeps going. it‘s one of the best games ive ever played.

 

[poodaddy]

I'm an outlier when it comes to Nier since so many people think it's some brilliant philosophical opus. I thought it was dumb and it never got better for me.

Hated the combat, story and characters. I found it very repetitious even in the first playthrough. Got much worst as you had to play the same story over a 2nd time with the other character.

I played it all the way to the various ends waiting for the big payoff and it never happened for me. But I do realize I'm in the minority so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Same here. Probably the most overrated game of the past ten years.