Really enjoyed my time with it. Most aspects felt improved but I unfortunately didn't find myself as entranced by Automata's story as I did with Replicant. I did really like it but Replicant and Automata are focused on telling very different kinds of stories, and I just liked the kind of story that Replicant had to tell more. Replicant is focused on punching you in the gut over and over again for 2/3rds of the game and I loved that it had the guts to do that to me.

Certainly not to say though that this game wasn't full of moments that blew me away. The secret Emil fight where he says Kaine's name absolutely destroyed me, the reveal of 2B actually being 2E, reading Pearl Harbor Descent, and the massive "holy shit oof" moment of realizing YoRHa was designed to die from the beginning. Incredibly impactful but I didn't find myself full on weeping nearly as hard as Replicant did to me.

Besides comparing the two I honestly have two say that these games very quickly became some of my favorites of all time. The stories they tell are so unique and they way they're presented (especially in the case of Replicant) has left me spinning thinking about narrative design. The gameplay isn't entirely my cup of tea but the accessibility options that I'm given to essentially turn any fight into a cutscene is awesome and I wish more games had easy modes that are that easy. And what hasn't already been said a thousand times about the music? Simply peak.