NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it follows combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and rogue prototype A2 as they fight alien-created Machines in a proxy war for humanity. The story requires multiple playthroughs, with each route revealing new layers of narrative and perspective. The game blends hack-and-slash combat with bullet hell elements, shifting between 3D exploration, 2D side-scrolling, twin-stick shooting, and even text adventure segments. Production began in 2014 with series creator Yoko Taro, producer Yosuke Saito, and composer Keiichi Okabe returning. Lead character designer Akihiko Yoshida, known for Final Fantasy, shaped the android aesthetic. The localization was handled by 8-4, the team behind the original NieR.

Originally released for PlayStation 4 in Japan on February 23, 2017, it launched worldwide on March 7, 2017. A Windows version followed on March 17, 2017, with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch ports arriving in June 2018 and October 2022 respectively. The game received critical acclaim for its story, themes, gameplay, music, and characters, though some noted visual and technical issues. The PC version initially suffered from unresolved problems until a 2021 patch. Sales far exceeded expectations, reaching over ten million copies worldwide by February 2026. The game won several awards, including Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2017 and Role-Playing Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards. Its cultural impact includes an anime adaptation, stage plays, novels, and crossovers with other games. [edit]

NieR: Automata combines fast-paced melee combat with a pod system that provides ranged attacks and utility functions like grappling and hacking. The combat designer Takahisa Taura, known for his work on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, helped create a fluid system that allows players to switch between light and heavy attacks, dodge, and unleash special moves. The pod can be customized with different weapon types, such as machine guns, lasers, and hammers, each with unique behaviors. The game seamlessly transitions between perspectives, from third-person open-world exploration to 2D side-scrolling platforming and top-down shoot 'em up sections. Auto-mode options are available for beginners, and the game includes achievements and controller support across all platforms. [edit]

The game is set thousands of years after the events of the original NieR, during a war between alien-created Machines and human-made androids. The player initially controls 2B, a battle android, and her partner 9S, a scanner unit. As they complete missions for the android resistance, they encounter mysteries about the Machines, including those that mimic human behavior and question their own existence. After the first playthrough (Route A), Route B retells the story from 9S's perspective, revealing new details and allowing him to hack enemies. Route C continues the narrative after a major turning point, introducing A2, a rogue prototype. The story explores themes of identity, purpose, and the nature of humanity, culminating in multiple endings that build on each other to form a complete experience. The writers, Yoko Taro, Hana Kikuchi, and Yoshiho Akabane, crafted a narrative that uses its gameplay structure to deliver philosophical questions about life and death. [edit]