My sincerest apologies fellow Taro heads, but this is my favorite one. Nier Automata is the inevitable conclusion that the series has been working towards to, with the actors of the stage play set by its predecessors finally rebelling against the 4th wall and breaking past this ever beautiful aging artform we love. Videogame characters being aware that they are inside a videogame is nothing new, but Nier Automata masterfully utilizes ever interactive system, device, mechanic and language at its disposal to bring new life to this concept and create an incredible purposeful metanarrative that could only work within the limitations of the medium and nowhere else.
Utilizing videogame conventions and expectations to frame its story as one of existential crisis and nihilistic despair experienced by what could be the protagonists of any kind of shmup, a genre defined by its disregard for narrative context and its primordial struggle where the player throws themselves to death over and over again oblivious to such purpose, Automata pits its characters against the bleek reality devised for and enforced on them and instills a level of self awareness that brilliantly paints a baroque moving picture that paralels our own communial absurdity on this tiny rock floating in space. That same interactive narrative continues on outside of the 2D ships, where Drakengard 3's intertwining of violence with sexual drive is further expanded and improved upon in Automata through its combat design.
Just as the characters are built to derive pleasure from the killing, so too do we from the now immediate and highly satisfying stylish Platinum combat, and just as purpose and meaning starts to inevitably crumble in front of them, so too does the fighting quickly decline into Drakengard territory, as the non threatening and non hostile enemies fail to ilicit any desire for engagement. No better is this exemplified then by the shift from 2B's two weapon combo fare to 9S's stop and start combat that perfectly reflects his state of mind and increasing frustration that explodes at the tail end of the game. And at the peril of shooting myself in the foot and being sent to the internet gulags, even the much (deservedly so) maligned peek at 2B's undergarments ends up reinforcing through gameplay the protagonist's self awareness and rejection of player control.
Carrying on the post 9/11 sentiment of Nier, Automata from the outset presents "the Other" as the consequence and victim of an eternity of perpetual warfare born from a conflict that none of the current perpetrators remember or fight for, and through an engrossing narrative that constantly delivers devastating revelation after another that repeatedly shatter the character's sense of purpose and resolve, it takes the ethos of a greek tragedy and creates a fascinating dialogue between the player and the screen. Route B and C provide the best use of sequential playthroughs in the series that cleverly switch between numerous point of views and further hammers home the theatricality of the game's construct, with 9S especially being a standout case with his pechant for breaking the boundaries of the game with his 4th wall breaking quips and hacking mechanics that ultimately make him the most vulnerable to the reality of the fiction he lives in. A world screaming out of the edges of the monitor, trapped in a nightmare of their own making and restricted by our very own code.
And that finale. That fuckin finale. What a glorious and exuberant display of love and admiration for the power of videogames and its capability to unite the world with empathy and optimism through a beautiful message of perserverance and struggle that only this artform knows how to deliver. Constantly do I see Automata criticized for being filled with philosophy name drops and references, implying an "emperor has no clothes" sort of deal that aspires to a pretense at depth, an odd critique that I fail to understand when the game consistently mocks said name drops and references and doesn't treat that lack of subtlety in the same manner as something like MGSV did with Moby Dick or 1984. If after witnessing that ending, you still believe that the philosophy musings aren't just the coat of paint through which the world of Automata communicates its message and are instead the focal point of the game, you my friend, have missed the forest for the trees. And I love how Automata's callback to Nier's final sacrifice gains a new whole meaning by its more open optionality.
Could go on about the perfect use of dynamic soundtracking, the cohesive selection of side quests that explore the game's ideas from numerous angles and humorous vignettes, or the clever use of achievements, but I guess I just did so time to wrap it up. I'm sorry the normiecore took this franchise from you, I truly am. But you wanted a new MGS2, right? Well, you got it. This is it.
Utilizing videogame conventions and expectations to frame its story as one of existential crisis and nihilistic despair experienced by what could be the protagonists of any kind of shmup, a genre defined by its disregard for narrative context and its primordial struggle where the player throws themselves to death over and over again oblivious to such purpose, Automata pits its characters against the bleek reality devised for and enforced on them and instills a level of self awareness that brilliantly paints a baroque moving picture that paralels our own communial absurdity on this tiny rock floating in space. That same interactive narrative continues on outside of the 2D ships, where Drakengard 3's intertwining of violence with sexual drive is further expanded and improved upon in Automata through its combat design.
Just as the characters are built to derive pleasure from the killing, so too do we from the now immediate and highly satisfying stylish Platinum combat, and just as purpose and meaning starts to inevitably crumble in front of them, so too does the fighting quickly decline into Drakengard territory, as the non threatening and non hostile enemies fail to ilicit any desire for engagement. No better is this exemplified then by the shift from 2B's two weapon combo fare to 9S's stop and start combat that perfectly reflects his state of mind and increasing frustration that explodes at the tail end of the game. And at the peril of shooting myself in the foot and being sent to the internet gulags, even the much (deservedly so) maligned peek at 2B's undergarments ends up reinforcing through gameplay the protagonist's self awareness and rejection of player control.
Carrying on the post 9/11 sentiment of Nier, Automata from the outset presents "the Other" as the consequence and victim of an eternity of perpetual warfare born from a conflict that none of the current perpetrators remember or fight for, and through an engrossing narrative that constantly delivers devastating revelation after another that repeatedly shatter the character's sense of purpose and resolve, it takes the ethos of a greek tragedy and creates a fascinating dialogue between the player and the screen. Route B and C provide the best use of sequential playthroughs in the series that cleverly switch between numerous point of views and further hammers home the theatricality of the game's construct, with 9S especially being a standout case with his pechant for breaking the boundaries of the game with his 4th wall breaking quips and hacking mechanics that ultimately make him the most vulnerable to the reality of the fiction he lives in. A world screaming out of the edges of the monitor, trapped in a nightmare of their own making and restricted by our very own code.
And that finale. That fuckin finale. What a glorious and exuberant display of love and admiration for the power of videogames and its capability to unite the world with empathy and optimism through a beautiful message of perserverance and struggle that only this artform knows how to deliver. Constantly do I see Automata criticized for being filled with philosophy name drops and references, implying an "emperor has no clothes" sort of deal that aspires to a pretense at depth, an odd critique that I fail to understand when the game consistently mocks said name drops and references and doesn't treat that lack of subtlety in the same manner as something like MGSV did with Moby Dick or 1984. If after witnessing that ending, you still believe that the philosophy musings aren't just the coat of paint through which the world of Automata communicates its message and are instead the focal point of the game, you my friend, have missed the forest for the trees. And I love how Automata's callback to Nier's final sacrifice gains a new whole meaning by its more open optionality.
Could go on about the perfect use of dynamic soundtracking, the cohesive selection of side quests that explore the game's ideas from numerous angles and humorous vignettes, or the clever use of achievements, but I guess I just did so time to wrap it up. I'm sorry the normiecore took this franchise from you, I truly am. But you wanted a new MGS2, right? Well, you got it. This is it.
16 Comments
Yeah, agree 100%. While I dont agree with the idea that Automata presents a boring and two dimensional cast of characters without emotional depth in contrast to Nier's, I can understand why some people feel that way and can't vibe with its more plotdriven and grandiose scope. Its the criticisms dunking on the existentialism shit that always baffle me, they come across as disingenuous and intelectually dishonest jabs to justify some unexplained displeasure with the game and it's popularity. I woke up and had the classic experience of re-reading what I wrote and going "wow, this is awful" and will probably expand a bit on my preambles, but i'm glad someone managed to relate with my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
C'mon though trying to call out "Normiecore" is just kinda laughable, although the rest of the review is nice enough.
i'm Normiecore.
It's always chafed my brain that folks assume that this game having intentionally competent combat (a ridiculous phrase but in Yoko Taro land it's applicable) isn't also speaking to something. By the end of Route A 2B was healing faster than damage was being dealt and there was only little grey guys and fucking innocent animals to use it on. Like c'mon
I can sympathize with the notion that there wasn't any intenionality behind the Platinum combat other than its marketability, because honestly I don't fucking know. But it really doesn't matter, cause it perfectly conveys so much of the narrative through the pure act of playing the game.
I've mentally categorized N:A with, like, Twin Peaks of all things in that it seemed like a creatively liberated auteur-type intentionally playing in a friendly space, so my guess would be a mix of both? Who can say, though. Like you said, at least it pans out.
Maybe I just misunderstood what Normiecore meant, then? It sounds like an insult.
It's just a harmless jab I threw half jokingly there, not meant to antagonize anyone. I just know a lot of people resent the popularity Nier Automata, and the franchise itself, garnered and brought about the creation of Nier Remake.
That makes more sense. Sorry for not really gettin' it at first, then. The way people react to Nier getting popular definitely is a bother, I find. More people getting to experience great games is good!
genuinely my favorite review on this site and of this game. ever since i've played this game in 2018 i've wanted to write something to articulate how i feel about the game and how it impacted me but struggled to do so; you share my exact sentiments and articulated yourself in the way i've always wanted and struggled to do so. if i ever feel like discussing this game i'll always refer to your writing.
thanks a lot for the kind words! There's a lot of great reviews on this game if you dig a bit more, but i'm glad mine resonated with you. I would have loved to have written more about it, but the review was already long as it is.
wow hattori, your reviews are always good but this one is amazing!! your point of these characters being shmup characters reminds me of a brazilian article about this game that i like a lot -- telling that nier automata is the closer to a shmup world with all its logics etc. anyway pretty good!!!
yes i can!! here it is: http://dislu.do/jogo/nier-automata-deuses/
that was a very good read, he expresses the shmup interpretation so much better than I could ever. I'm glad i'm not the only one who appreciated the way that genre was incorporated into Automata, it really is one of the core pieces to understand it.
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PansyDragoonSaga
2 years ago
I feel like something a lot of people dont acknowledge about the referentiality/shallow armchair philosophy and its use is that imo literally the whole game wields the motif to say something about the insufficiency of dogma/performance--everyone is sort of shallowly parroting/performing these scripts in a way that is clearly making them deeply unhappy/distanced from their individual experience--irdt them monologuing about hegel etc is supposed to come across as deeply intelligent or thoughtful lol and its as cartoonishly surface as possible 4 a reason!!! the end is literally about killing authorial assumptions/prefab conclusions so people can live their damb messy ass lives on their own terms!!!! sry for the insane homosexual reach here but its like humorless people watching sex and the city and insisting every hetero-hell slogan the 4 women/philosophical ciphers blurt out is a 100% serious problematic endorsement to live your own life by and not like empathetic satire of what's part and parcel 2 their continued unhappiness and deep unfulfillment--no time 4 that boring ass reading sry!!!!!