Nier: Automata doesn’t justify itself as a video game as much as I would have preferred. The numerous fake endings felt pointless and the gameplay, while varied in scope, becomes repetitive due to heavily limited enemy variety and encounter design. In an uncharacteristic move from Platinum, battles often boil down to simplistic wars of attrition where you mash the attack button and occasionally jump or dodge. It’s a real shame too, because everything else is phenomenal.

The story is unforgettable. A mindbending tale about racism, humanity’s justifications for war, and the necessity of a God for finding purpose in life. Truly one of the best stories the medium has been graced with. The three playthroughs required to see the whole story are well done, especially the last one. Seriously, if you play this and enjoy the gameplay a lot more than I did, Automata may be a contender for your favorite piece of interactive art.

Audiovisually, this is a feast. The graphics are a firm reminder that the AAA industry would be better off dropping photorealism more often in favor of creating a memorable art style that doesn’t require years of development time. I will certainly remember these post-apocalyptic landscapes for a long time. The music accompanying them will burrow itself into your brain. Great to listen to on YouTube for sure, but far more powerful when playing the game.

Despite coming out in a year packed with great games, Automata sold very well, but unlike many commercial successes today, it stands tall as something special. The product of a true visionary. If you are hesitant to play it because of the anime influence, don’t be. The story is far more contemplative than most non-anime narratives and it avoids a lot of the cliches typical of the medium.