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[AgentLampshade]

If I missed that then it’s the game’s fault for hiding it’s provocative statements within tedious side quests that people tell me to avoid

God forbid you actually have to play the game to find out what it's about.

 

[LotusHD]

It’s not that the game doesn’t have these themes, it’s that it never expands upon them passed the level of someone who took a Philosphy class

I'm still trying to figure how you're saying the game never elaborates on its themes or anything, when like the biggest example of it doing just that would be Ending E.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Route B is my favorite. I love hacking~

It certainly makes the boss battles a breeze which helps with the perceived length.

And OP better not stop now. Theres so much more to experience.

 

[Drillary Clinton]

God forbid you actually have to play the game to find out what it's about.

Oh believe me, I played it.

 

[RubberLuffy]

God forbid you actually have to play the game to find out what it's about.

Play a video game??? Who would do such a thing? Fuck it, i'll just watch the endings on youtube

 

[Danjin44]

I'm surprised people have issues with Route B. I found the hacking minigames very addicting and made the game go by at twice the speed

Same. I put Stun +4 and Combust +4 chips and the combat became so much fun.

 

[Phu]

I'm still trying to figure how you're saying the game never elaborates on its themes or anything, when like the biggest example of it doing just that would be Ending E.

Ending E is a golden moment in gaming.

 

[RubberLuffy]

Same. I put Stun +4 and Combust +4 chips and the combat became so much fun.

My second time playing the game I did way more hacking than my first time and used both those chips. God it was good. Overclock dodge, hack hack hack, throw a spear if there's anyone left

 

[BlueTsunami]

Same. I put Stun +4 and Combust +4 chips and the combat became so much fun.

People are probably stubbornly playing 9S as 2B. Hack and slash. With the right chips you'll be taking down hordes of enemies.

And thr philosophy 101 argument is the new "its pretentious".

 

[HeresSomeWeapons]

the idea is that it recontextualizes all of the character development that has happened up to that point, not that it's the catalyst for new character development

Spoiler

one free example: here's a fun thing to consider-- who actually calls 9s "nines?" 2b definitely does, a few times, but do you remember any NPC over the course of the entire game calling him nines? do you remember him remarking how he doesn't usually get partners and usually works alone? do you get the impression 9s has any friends? why do you think 9s thinks people call him "nines"?

Spoiler

also note: as a2 points out, even 9s knew 2b's true identity & purpose

4S. 4S calls him Nines.

 

[LotusHD]

Oh believe me, I played it.

Haven't beaten it though, unless that has changed since we last spoke lol

 

[Danjin44]

God forbid you actually have to play the game to find out what it's about.

Seriously!!! I feel like some people here just hate the act of playing games. They want finish game as fast as possible so they can move on to new game.

 

[Drillary Clinton]

Haven't beaten it though, unless that has changed since we last spoke lol

Yeah I finally went back and beat it last month lol

 

[GillianSeed79]

I'm kind of in OP's situation. I tried to be a completionist on route A and started B but put the game down a few hours later and haven't gone back to it. It doesn't help that everyone hyped the story to hell and back and route A's plot is basically paper thin. I keep telling myself I'll go back to it but nothing really compells me to. Is the story THAT good or is it just typical anime stuff with a smattering of existentialism references to make itself look smart? To me its like FFXIII, a game that was supposed to get good but only if you played 30 hours first. *shruggs*

 

[LotusHD]

Yeah I finally went back and beat it last month lol

Then how does Ending E at the very least not contradict what you were saying

I'm kind of in OP's situation. I tried to be a completionist on route A and started B but put the game down a few hours later and haven't gone back to it. It doesn't help that everyone hyped the story to hell and back and route A's plot is basically paper thin. I keep telling myself I'll go back to it but nothing really compells me to. Is the story THAT good or is it just typical anime stuff with a smattering of existentialism references to make itself look smart? To me its like FFXIII, a game that was supposed to get good but only if you played 30 hours first. *shruggs*

Play it and find out for yourself, lest people hype it to hell for you again.

As for Route A, that is not an uncommon feeling. The other routes expand on the story immensely.

 

[RubberLuffy]

I'm kind of in OP's situation. I tried to be a completionist on route A and started B but put the game down a few hours later and haven't gone back to it. It doesn't help that everyone hyped the story to hell and back and route A's plot is basically paper thin. I keep telling myself I'll go back to it but nothing really compells me to. Is the story THAT good or is it just typical anime stuff with a smattering of existentialism references to make itself look smart? To me its like FFXIII, a game that was supposed to get good but only if you played 30 hours first. *shruggs*

A and B are just set up

 

[Strings]

Route B and beyond are bad. I felt the same way.

Yep. Like, game peaked in A for me. Thought the characters became laughably underwritten in C+.

Enjoyed the first Nier significantly more.

 

[OniBaka]

It doesn't help that everyone hyped the story to hell and back and route A's plot is basically paper thin.

Believe me, most in ot felt the same until route c started.

I enjoyed everything in the game but can understand why some don't.

 

[Drillary Clinton]

Then how does Ending E at the very least not contradict what you were saying

Maybe elaborate was a bad word. Nier knows what its themes are and wear them on its sleeve. They aren’t difficult to pick out. I just didn’t find the way it handled them thought provoking and they often did not elicit any emotion from me. Playing that section was enjoyable tho.

The best parts of the game to me are the beginning and the end.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

I think 1/4 of of my playtime was spent aimlessly wandering around not knowing where to go next. Probably because I found the 3D map to be obnoxious to read and many areas looked too much alike and started blending together. My sense of directions in games can be bad at times but this game was one of the worst I've played recently in that regard. Got lost so many times looking for that stupid robot village in the trees next to the carnival-ish area.

Loved the hacking mini game though. The way they managed to switch it up each time and rarely give me repeat patterns was commendable.

 

[bobawesome]

This is all on you for front loading all the busy work. You could've just moved on at any time. Aside from a few things here and there there's no significant reward for doing sidequests.

Tbh I was so hype for this game but the second I got to the open world in the beginning I just...

I have a problem playing RPGs these days. It's been months and I played like 30 minutes.

"Open world". It looks large at first but it's a small-ish hub that you learn to navigate easily.

 

[RubberLuffy]

I think 1/4 of of my playtime was spent aimlessly wandering around not knowing where to go next. Probably because I found the 3D map to be obnoxious to read and many areas looked too much alike and started blending together. My sense of directions in games can be bad at times but this game was one of the worst I've played recently in that regard. Got lost so many times looking for that stupid robot village in the trees next to the carnival-ish area.

Loved the hacking mini game though. The way they managed to switch it up each time and rarely give me repeat patterns was commendable.

I mean, the overworld isn't really that big and there's not many spaces, I found it pretty easy to learn. Except the forest, that place is kind of confusing.

 

[VeryGooster]

I think the only thing I really didn't enjoy about Route B was revisiting that one factory with the cult.

Currently on Route C and damn that's actually somewhat of a kick in the ass.

 

[Danjin44]

I mean, the overworld isn't really that big and there's not many spaces, I found it pretty easy to learn. Except the forest, that place is kind of confusing.

I honestly like the maps more than Horizon. I don't need crazy detail map I like that the game encourages me explore on my own instead putting everything on the map for me.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Don't skip the side quests if you don't have to, guys.

They are not necessary but they do fill out the story considerably and add a lot of context.

 

[LotusHD]

Maybe elaborate was a bad word. Nier knows what its themes are and wear them on its sleeve. They aren’t difficult to pick out. I just didn’t find the way it handled them thought provoking and they often did not elicit any emotion from me. Playing that section was enjoyable tho.

The best parts of the game to me are the beginning and the end.

Ya, this is a much better way to word it lol

 

[ShinMaruku]

Route B only dragged for me because 9s is a fraud compares to the gynoids in combat.

 

[Z3M0G]

Omg take a short break if you must but when you are ready rush through route B and then prepare to have your mind blown wide the fuck open!

I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.

Its halarious how wrong you are... people who played the story to the end and read your post can only be doing the hardest of face-palms right now... i feel sorry for you if this is what you assume the game is all about.

If you dont plan to play the game, go read some of the spoiler thread... but i warn you, you may absolutely hate yourself afterwards.

It may not affect everyone the same way, but it was one of the most important gaming experiences of my life. And it wasnt because of anime girls...

 

[Professor Beef]

there is a very quick way to get the platinum even if you just blast through only mandatory content and beat the game in like 12-20 hours

if you're just playing the game for the fucking trophies though literally do me a favor and don't play it

bad human beings like you dont deserve good games go play a fucking licensed piece of trash that gives you a platinum in 35 minutes

lmao @ this nerd-ass post

 

[Ascheroth]

Route B is better than A.

Me:
Ending A - I love this game
B - I LOVE this game!
CDE - I LOVE THIS GAME!

High Five!

As someone who really liked Nier Automata, and didn't want it to end, I still agree with your gameplay criticisms. The basic systems of interaction (mainly the combat) aren't robust enough to sustain the game's length. There's very little incentive towards mastery, especially if you get ahead of the game's curve through sidequests. Most of the required skill in the game is knowing how to hit the dodge button to get out of the way of stuff.

For me, I was invested enough in the narrative to stick with it, and the end of Route B and Route C were really great payoffs. The tough thing with Route B is that I really don't know how you could excise it (and its repetition) without compromising the game's narrative development. The perspectives you receive, and the order you receive them in, are very purposeful.

Ya, the balancing is my one major issue with the game. Frankly, it outright sucks.
The combat has quite some depth in theory, but the game does a hilariously bad job at teaching you that depth (actually it doesn't even try) and neither does it require you to use this depth. Basically combat gets 'worse' the more sidequests you do, because it's really easy to overlevel and the game is way too dependent on stats, but you should do the sidequests because (most of them) are just really good, narrative wise (especially the ones on Route B and it drives me crazy that most of the recommendations are just 'just rush through it'.) They really should take a look at how Falcom balances their Action-RPGs, but it's good for a first try I guess.
Which is why all things considered it's just GOTY#2
Trails in the Sky the 3rd literally has no weaknesses, sorry Nier.

People felt the same way about B in Gestalt and RepliCant too. I think it's something Taro needs to figure out how to make it different enough to make it interesting for people if he's doing the whole "from another perspective" thing.

Maybe with a larger budget, the next game could have a different format altogether or maybe it could be a larger mix of new and old content but with new gameplay mechanics.

I mean Route B already has new gameplay mechanics. The very beginning of the route screams 'Hey, this is not going to be the same thing' and I was totally flashed, because I didn't even know there were different playable characters (which is now basically common knowledge. I guess they also revealed that before release tho, I just went in knowing nothing ).

Seriously!!! I feel like some people here just hate the act of playing games. They want finish game as fast as possible so they can move on to new game.

Yeah, that's kind of a good point. Probably why the unusual structure throws many off.
"Ugh, I already saw the credits, you tell me there's more? I want to rush through the next game already!"
Hyperbolic of course, but I get that feeling from some posts sometimes

 

[arcticice]

didn't enjoy 2nd playthrough either. rushed through it in like 6 hours. Route C was well worth it though. Nier is my GOTY

 

[MetalliCabombination]

Switch to easy, get some broken augments and spam stuff and watch the story. The gameplay has problems. Story is a masterpiece

 

[hurricanes]

I didn't bother with the side quests and get bored after route A as well, but I wasn't exactly having too much fun with route A either. The game is not for me.

 

[Danjin44]

Switch to easy, get some broken augments and spam stuff and watch the story. The gameplay has problems. Story is a masterpiece

The actual combat itself is fantastic the problem is the game has huge balancing issues.

This video describes it perfectly. The video has big spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS3_DRX_Gm4

 

[Risk Breaker]

I kinda wish they had found a way to interlace Route B and C to play through at the same time, since I also felt it was the low point of the game before that AMAZING Route C.

 

[daninthemix]

The overarching problem for me is that Nier: Automata can't sustain its own length.

This is true of the vast majority of games, imo.

 

[Keasar]

A is the long play.
B is the short one (it goes really fast to play through compared to A and presents 9S' inner character)
C is where shit is fucking going down.

Keep playing is all I can say.

 

[bchan555]

It's unfortunate that MOST of route B is the same gameplay-wise as route A. This probably turns off a lot of people and makes them think there isn't much more to the game.

Even if it tells the story from a different perspective and the ending is different, probably 80% of it is the same game you just beat from route A.

It's not until route C that it actually plays like a completely new game/a sequel and the story really kicks into high gear and goes to crazytown.

If you can stomach B, continue onwards to C! I think it's worth it.

 

[Danjin44]

It's unfortunate that MOST of route B is the same gameplay-wise as route A. This probably turns off a lot of people and makes them think there isn't much more to the game.

Honestly if people do little experiment with chip system that really changes 9S combat style. The problem most people are facing is they are trying play 9S like 2B. Using chip like Stun, Combust and overclock really made Route B more fun for me.

 

[McBradders]

I actually stopped in route C

Spoiler

a little after getting 9S

because... man that game is fucking exhausting.

Didn't help that I chugged A and B down super hard and fast - much like the OP I was all about doing sidequests in A which were them totally skipped during B. I don't want to get into details because this is a game you need to experience for yourself. Reading and watching don't really do it justice.

I like the game. I get the love for it. It's really something great but it wore me the fuck out. I will go back to it before the end of the year to finish of C.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

I'm playing Route B right now after doing too many sidequests as well, and while I appreciate taking down enemies using your own enemies through hacking, 9S gameplay doesn't feel as satisfying as playing as 2B


BUT


The game is fantastic, when I finished the game with 2B I felt the need to play more of it. I got new sidequests as 9S as well and kept playing. I can't put down the controller.

Love it.

 

[AgentLampshade]

How does 9S know 2B is looking at the birds when he's busy mowing down waves and waves of machines? Never liked that.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I'm playing Route B right now after doing too many sidequests as well, and while I appreciate taking down enemies using your own enemies through hacking, 9S gameplay doesn't feel as satisfying as playing as 2B


BUT


The game is fantastic, when I finished the game with 2B I felt the need to play more of it. I got new sidequests as 9S as well and kept playing. I can't put down the controller.

Love it.

You're so close to shit getting real.

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Exentryk]

A tip: Use Overclock.

 

[bchan555]

Honestly if people do little experiment with chip system that really changes 9S combat style. The problem most people are facing is they are trying play 9S like 2B. Using chip like Stun, Combust and overclock really made Route B more fun for me.

While this is true, what probably bothers people the most is that it's still mostly same bosses and the same main story, just from a different point of view.

At least C is basically a TRULY new chapter.

 

[LotusHD]

A tip: Use Overclock.

Another tip: Don't use Overclock.

It ruins the music.

 

[Primethius]

Honestly if people do little experiment with chip system that really changes 9S combat style. The problem most people are facing is they are trying play 9S like 2B. Using chip like Stun, Combust and overclock really made Route B more fun for me.

Nah, the problem is that 9S's combat sucks compared to 2B's and it's mostly the same everything that you go through.

Route B sucks and is basically filler that could've been condensed down to half an hour with some smarter game design.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

When does the game pick up? I'm early, having just gone to the desert and

Spoiler

fought the weird naked dude that was birthed out of the robot amalgamation

, and it hasn't really been terribly exciting yet.

 

[Danjin44]

Nah, the problem is that 9S's combat sucks compared to 2B's and it's mostly the same everything that you go through.

Route B sucks and is basically filler that could've been condensed down to half an hour with some smarter game design.

Sorry I disagree. I used Stun +4, Combust +4 and overclocked that made combat fun for me and in my opinion most intresting side quests were in Route B. To me Route C wouldn't be as interesting as it was if it weren't for Route B.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Don’t worry OP it doesn’t get better.
The best way to play the game is to ignore the side quests (they aren’t worth it and can just be read on a wiki). Then to play on easy and try to blitz through the game as fast as possible for just the story. You can get it all done in 20 hours that way.