nier automata: in process
a confession: i never finished “nier: automata” when it launched in that cold february of 2017. while i did enthusiastically enjoy the demo in 2016, i did not end up making much process because the hotly anticipated “legend of zelda: breath of the wild” came out the following month and.. well, we don't remember much as a society, collectively, from that period in time because of “botw”.. so, i rest my case.
that being said, yesterday (april 2nd, this website posts everything a day in the future.. the price of my desire for a minimalistic medium) i sat down for 8 uninterrupted hours with “nier”. it was bliss..
notes
i believe this is my favorite game to maneuver a character avatar in. developer platinum games has done phenomenal work in the past with their character action games (“bayonetta,” “metal gear: rising revengeance,” “vanquish,” “wonderful 101,” and most recently “astral chain” (also on this backlog)), and one thing they all have in common: the characters move, just, real good. from the fluid gaits of 2b, 9s, and a2, to the clunky and visceral grinding (...pun intended, sorry) of the machine lifeforms, the game shimmers from its careful gloss and polish.
i have completed the “first” story arc, or collected the first “ending.” (i also ate the mackerel for ending “k”... it was worth it.) this game has an interesting way in which the story unfolds by replaying the game from different perspectives of the cast. at first i was wondering how this would keep my attention, but it fits well within the topics of interpersonal relationships between androids, machines, and men brought up throughout the game's narrative. not to mention fun changes to the gameplay—i went from being a combat android with some slick moves on the battlefield, to the gangly tech (assistant whom i love dearly) who can tackle foes from a distance via hacking (y'know, the uh, computer kind..).
the story is very good so far, and i'm having a feeling its only going to get denser (which is even better for lore-heads like me). initially, some of the beats (“friendship and love are what separate us from the beasts/machines/what-have-you!”) seemed a little cheap or cliche, but giving the game space to unfold through its side-quests, which unpack more of how this world operates and the characters play their parts, has shown me that there is much more going on beneath the surface of this well-loved game.
