Nier...and FAR. Nier: Automata Review

I've finished my first playthrough of Nier:  Automata ("finished" is a bit of a technical term, but I will get to that) and it's time to reflect on my experience.  For a game that I had been extremely hesitant to buy, I had a good time and am impressed by the ability of Platinum Games to make enjoyable games with unique mechanics and gameplay features.  If you're someone who's reading this and has felt on the fence about purchasing Nier, I would recommend giving it a go.

Nier:  Automata follows a pair of androids as they are directed to investigate the behavior of hostile robots that currently occupy the Earth.  As you play through the story, you learn that the aliens attacked the Earth and drove all the humans to space (and eventually to a hidden base on the moon).  Androids, developed by the humans, serve as a sort of protection force for humanity (they seem to be tasked with attempting to drive the robots off the Earth so humans can return--this is a bit unclear though).  The story gets much more complicated as you progress and there are aspects that are particularly foggy (purposefully so).

2B and Pod face off against a boss.

Pros:
+ Combat is fluid and enjoyable.  I was hoping for something much like Bayonetta, but it's not quite that developed.  There are fewer fighting game-esque aspects (like stringing together combos using different abilities), but many of the enjoyable parts of that system are still present--for example, well-timed dodges unleash powerful attacks.  One fun aspect of combat is the fact that players have the ability to use melee attacks or to use ranged attacks (through your floating, robot companion--the Pod).

One of the other fun aspects of combat is that some fights require you to use a "flight unit" which is a bit like being in a fighter jet.  The style is bullet-hell/old-school spaceship shooter and requires dodging, shooting, and timing special attacks at waves of enemies.

+ Boss fights.  In true Platinum style, you will face off against some bonkers bosses.  These bosses are gigantic (or sometimes normal size and very agile) and present tons of challenging mechanics--bullet hell-like projectile attacks that require insane dodging abilities, multiple-phases with changing mechanics, waves of smaller enemies to contend with, etc.  These fights are extremely fun and very satisfactory to complete.

+ Semi-open world design.  There are many large zones spread around the map with different aesthetics.  This allows for a bit of exploration and some environmental changes to keep things fresh.  A ruined city full of empty skyscrapers, an arid desert full of sand dunes, a towering forest...there's a bit of everything.

+ Multiple playthrough mechanic.  One of the most interesting things about Nier is the fact that the story really can't be completed in one playthrough.  Essentially you finish one piece of a larger puzzle when you finish a chunk of the story (it took me about 19 hours to reach the end of my first playthrough).  When you start a new game you play through the story, but through the eyes of a different character.  The main story remains very similar, but there are pieces that are different and reveal more of the story.  In reading about this mechanic, it appears that you need to play through the story four times to fully reveal all its details.  I really like this mechanic because it gives the game a strong replay value.  (And yes, it's like New Game+--you keep your items and continue levelling up).

+ Skill system that allows for customization of playstyle.  Throughout the game you are able to find and loot "chips" which can be used to grant your character different abilities.  Your character has a certain number of chip slots (which can be upgraded to a max of 128) and you can customize them to exactly what you want--there are chips which grant offensive abilities like increasing attack power; defensive chips might reduce the amount of damage you take; support chips can give you special abilities like faster movement speed.  The nice part is that you can upgrade abilities and customize chipsets for certain situations.

+ Great soundtrack.  If you're a fan of Japanese games and their soaring soundtracks, this one is fabulous and will scratch that itch.  Each zone has its own theme and they all sound great.

+ 2B and 9S (the main characters) have a very cool look.  I don't understand the blindfolds at all, but I like the strangeness of their outfits and the whole black and white aesthetic.

+Optional side quests and challenges.  They are sprinkled around the map and provide more tasks to complete.  Some are quite grindy/fetch-y but there are some that do provide a smidgen of story.  The challenges are mostly combat oriented and can be completed at different tiers with varying reward value.

+ Plenty of very cool, stylish weapons to loot, upgrade and experiment with.  Small swords, large swords, spears, and axes.  Each weapon has a set of special abilities and part of the fun is figuring out what works best for you.

Cons:
- Not an ideal PC port.  This is extremely well documented and is the main reason why I waited for over two years to buy it.  There have been problems since the game was released on PC in 2017.  The game was patched one time (which fixed some MAJOR problems) and hasn't been patched since.  There is a lot of anger over this fact (and it's very obvious that the PC port was definitely not a priority) and as a practice, it's particularly galling that a developer would seem to willfully ignore trying to fix glaring problems.

Fortunately, the modding community jumped on these problems and the game is stable if played with a third-party mod (the FAR mod, which is easily accessible through the Steam workshop).  There's a definite moral argument about not supporting a developer who blatantly refuses to fix a dysfunctional port.  I would strongly caution anyone who is thinking about buying Nier to read the reviews and to be very aware of the Steam return policy.  I used FAR and had only one crash.

- Opening sequence.  The opening sequence on your first playthrough of the game serves as a tutorial of sorts.  You get experience with the flight combat controls and navigate a chunk of the story on the ground.  The entire thing can last from 30-45 minutes.  The truly irritating part is that there are absolutely no saves throughout this sequence.  If you die...you have to start over from the beginning.  I would recommend starting the game on the lowest difficulty and then changing to a higher difficulty once you've finished the entire tutorial.

- No tutorial system for other gameplay mechanics.  The only way to learn about certain gameplay mechanics is by talking to certain people who offer advice or information.  There isn't much explanation about the chip system and it takes some trial and error (I accidentally killed myself by removing my OS chip on my first playthrough--I thought the [2] meant I had two rather than that number indicating the number of slots it was taking up--this isn't explained anywhere).  There's quite a bit of just figuring things out on your own or Googling them.

-Some side quests are quite grindy or are very fetch in nature.

-Game is playable with mouse and keyboard, but I would recommend a controller.  If you're dead set on playing with mouse/keyboard there are mods that allow for customizable controls.  The default control mapping can't be changed.  I played with a controller (which I like for fighting games) and it felt great.

Final thoughts:
Nier is a really fun game with the unfortunate record of being a less than ideal port.  I think calling it a "masterpiece" is some very lofty praise (and on the console side of things, I think it is quite good.  On the PC side...I think there are better games out there).  It's definitely worth playing.

UPDATE 5/19/19:  I'm going to add to this as I play through the remaining endings.  I've played through two and they've only managed to make me want to play even more.

UPDATE #2 5/25/19:  I've played through 3 of the 4 main endings and they've each managed to reveal just a sliver more of the story.  Each ending makes you want to start right over and work toward actually revealing the veiled story of the androids and machines in Nier.  As a mechanic, it's interesting.  It makes me think of Dragon Age II and how that game has been traditionally maligned for using a tactic that is somewhat similar (same areas, but the story changes).  It works well in Nier because there are different playable characters/mechanics in some of the stories--this manages to make the gameplay feel new-ish even though you are tromping through the same zones.

UPDATE #3 5/25/19:  It turns out there are only 3 playthroughs and then you unlock a "chapter selection" option that allows you to go back and replay any quests that you missed.  I am a fan of this option and did go back and unlock two more of the endings. 

Recommended for:
+ Fans of Platinum Games.  Nier continues the trend of innovative game design and genuinely fun combat.
+ Gamers who like fighting games and anime-style characters.
+ Gamers who want a weird story and even weirder bosses.

Not Recommended for:
- Hardcore PC moralists.  Yup, the port never was fixed.  Yup, you definitely want a controller and it clearly wasn't designed with PC players in mind.  You should skip it if you're unwilling to accept those facts.
- People playing on toasters.  It's very possible you will have some serious performance issues.  My PC is 5 years old (but I did upgrade the GPU) and I had minimal issues but I am still probably closer to the recommended specs than the minimum specs.  I've read about some issues with lower-end PCs.

Two Entries Shorter

My wishlist on Steam had sat at a comfortable 24 games for quite awhile--possibly 2 years or more.  Due to a recent sale on games made in Japan, it now looks oddly short (yeah, it's not...it still has 22 games on it).  I shortened my list by adding Nier:  Automata and Valkyria Chronicles 4 to my library (...and my pre-summer backlog which also includes plans to re-play the ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey with all the DLC).  I'm absolutely looking forward to playing all these games (and, hopefully on my new self-built PC!).

NieR:  Automata is full of robots to destroy.

Nier:  Automata was an agonizing purchasing choice.  It was on my wishlist for well over two years.  I spent a lot of time pouring over reviews and and waffling.  The main reason has to do with the fact that the PC port is not great and has some very well documented issues.  On the other hand, the majority of the reviews were glowing; many used the term "masterpiece."  Ugh...I don't want to miss out on a great game, but I also don't want to waste money on a game that constantly crashes or runs like a pile of hot garbage.  I finally decided that I would bank on Steam's return policy and give it a go.  I also decided to play it safe and follow advice from some other PC players who recommended downloading and installing a third-party mod (the FAR mod by Kalaiden), which fixes many or the graphical and crashing issues found in the PC port.

The good news is that the mod seems to have fixed any problems--I've only had one crash (it happened during the first 30 seconds of my very first game, so it was very minor).  So far I've been having fun (I do think the "masterpiece" moniker might be a bit off the mark...but that remains to be seen).  The combat isn't as fun as Bayonetta, but it is still very stylish and cool.  The thing I've enjoyed the most are the boss battles with some absolutely whacky (and HUGE) baddies.  I will write up a full review when I've finished, but my early impressions are mostly positive.

I also decided to snap up Valkyria Chronicles 4.  I enjoyed the original Valkyria Chronicles (moreso for the story and characters than the combat) and am really hoping that it is as good or better.  My goal is to finish Nier first and then give it a go.

Happy weekend gaming! 😄

It Changes!

My stealthy adventures in Dishonored 2 are continuing and I have to admit that the second time around feels great.  I also have to admit to some extremely shameless save scumming to maintain my ghostly status (so far, I've only been spotted twice--not good enough for the achievement aaand to cap it all off, it happened on the first level of the game.  I regret not immediately going back and reloading my save--oh well, too late now.).  It's always interesting to me how my opinion about a game can change quite a bit with subsequent playthroughs.  I enjoyed Dishonored 2 the first time around, but am finding that I'm liking it more this time around.  (Spoilers ahead for the Dust District/Aramis Stilton's Manor level!  If you haven't played it before, avoid like the rat plague!)

Paolo and the Howlers?

Byrne and the Overseers? ...or

One of the levels that I absolutely hated during my first playthrough was the combo Dust District/Aramis Stilton's Manor.  This level presents a scenario with many choices that can impact the story--Emily/Corvo can choose between two warring factions--the Howlers; a local gang that enjoys extorting shop owners and robbing people--they are led by the mysteriously powerful Paolo, a guy who supposedly can't be killed (unless you kill him twice in one day).  Option B is to leave the district in the hands of the Overseers--a zealous religious sect that is determined to eliminate any traces of witchcraft and/or connection to the Outsider (a semi-deity who grants Corvo/Emily their powers).  At face value, both choices have their downsides--the Howlers are thugs and criminals who only have their own best interests in mind and the Overseers don't care how many innocent people they harm in their quest to seek out any magical influences.  Luckily, a third option presents itself as you progress through the level--one of the Howlers was making some side cash by drugging people and shipping them off to the mines to become laborers.  It turns out there are exactly two crates available...just waiting for the morally questionable leaders of both groups!  It's perfect :D

The first time I played through the Dust District section I was irritated by the fact that the solution presented itself in a very simple fashion, but then turned out to require a lot more work.  In seeking out the solution to unlock the extremely tricky riddle lock to Aramis Stilton's Manor, you learn that one of the Howlers carries the solution to the riddle.  So, you sneak your way through the Howler base....only to find out that the aforementioned Howler has been nabbed by the Overseers and is being held in their compound.  Now you have to sneak across the other side of the level and through a base that is crawling with Overseers.  With some skillful sneaking into the office of the Vice Overseer, you learn that the Howler has expired while in custody (not surprising given the track record of the Overseers), and the code is actually locked up in the Howlers base (you get the key with the note).  It's back over to the Howlers base to find the location of the office and riddle solution.

Having played through this section twice now, I actually like the narrative and design.  Rather than simply seeking out the most obvious and quick solution, players are presented with an initially unavailable third option that requires some patience to discover.  There's also the option of completely avoiding the entire thing by puzzling out the solution to the Jindosh lock (it's a particularly nasty logic puzzle).  To me, solving the riddle would mean skipping all the bonecharms/runes and the design of the entire level, so I usually give it a cursory glance and then head off to find the solution (and all the runes/bonecharms in the process).  It's kind of genius though.

After you've chosen your desired path and found the riddle solution, you enter the dilapidated manor of the mining baron Aramis Stilton.  At one time Stilton was one of the elite in Karnaca, but now he is nothing more than a broken man trapped behind crumbling walls.  I was initially irritated by aspects of the manor level--it's one of those levels where they decide to take away your powers and I always kind of hate that.  With a little bit of exploring you are able to find the location of Aramis Stilton and learn that he's incapable of telling you anything about the circumstances around Delilah Copperspoon's immortality.  Instead, the Outsider appears and presents you with a unique object that allows you to shift between the past (three years prior) and the present time.

The timepiece allows you to view and shift between timelines.

Navigating the level involves shifting between timelines--much of the manor is blocked off in the present.  The past timeline presents a much more accessible manor...the downside is that it is chocked full of guards and staff who don't appreciate strangers sneaking around.  The magic of the level is figuring out how to manipulate the timeline to avoid guards, to alter the layout of the manor (your actions in the past can impact the condition of the manor in the present), and to locate the various runes and bonecharms scattered between them.  It's like two different levels packed into one.

At first I hated the manor level--it took awhile to get used to the time changing mechanic and the past manor has A LOT of guards.  Now that I've played it twice, I have found that I enjoy the time changing mechanic and that it is very useful for avoiding guards and moving stealthily through the level.  The level is great and offers a refreshing change from the rest of the game.