Finished the game, everyone was right.
Finished the game 2 Sundays agoall the way to ending Eand I still am floored. It took me about a week to process and write up all of my thoughts from the game. It's a long read and I'm not the best writer so the TD;LR is that the game became as good as says it is despite my rough start with it, with a heart-wrenching ending to its painful meaningless world. There are some questions at the end if any of you are willing to stick it around and help me navigate this new universe with me.
MY EXPERIENCE
First Playthrough:
For 7 years I had heard of how life-changing this odd game from 2017 was, which was a hard sell for me initially looking at the anime thighs on the cover. But in 2020 with the start of the pandemic, I saw a video of my favorite owl YouTuber talking about their favorite games of 2017. Shammy's videos are few and far between but always a great ride with commentary I vibed with, so I considered it my lucky day and distracted myself from the ongoing global situation. The owl shouts out some good games like Senua, A Night in the Woods, Darkwood, and even Hollow Knight, but ends on the white-haired, blindfolded android I’d been seeing for years. It was one thing to release a video on the best games of 2017, 3 years late, but another to how Nier was chosen and justified as Shammy's best game of 2017, reinforced by their insistence that, despite it being an anime-style game in its character designs and voice acting, and not a usual recommendation that Shammy would make, the story, philosophical intrigue, and meta interactions in the game are what placed it at the top of 2017, and I was convinced Nier was worth a play.
A couple of months later, I saw it on Game Pass, fired it up, and was not hooked. I found the bullet hell flight section strange and not my cup of tea, the melee combat wasn’t satisfying to me, and I found myself frustrated by the first arm fight. Everything so far was... okay to me; I knew Japanese action games had a different feel than the ones I usually enjoyed playing, so I chalked it up to cultural differences and put the game down by the time I stared into space.
Another 3 years go by and I decide it's worth another fair shake. The second time around was a little smoother. With an amateur musical background, I was surprised and impressed by many of the tracks that seamlessly presented themselves in their environments,and I was particularly surprised by the amusement parkjuxtaposed to the remains of human society being overtaken by nature. But I felt inundated by all the side quests and my need to accomplish everything consumed me. And once again the combat was... okay. I understood it a little better but I just didn't enjoy it that much. I only realize now looking back, Shammy, mentions combat being discussed as a weak link, but its rather likely the case of misunderstanding. The depth of combat isn't immediately evident even a couple hours into the game, and they let the player figure things out on their own for better or, in my case, worse. I wasn't used to the Platinum Games style, and I only started experimenting more with all the weapon type combos, each of which have unique movesets, and non-standard chips at the final stages of the game. My only recommendation to my past self is to experiment with all of the combos and chips given to me. Still, after getting stuck on the Parade Escort sidequest,I put the game down yet again.
Another couple months passed and after finishing Resident Evil 2 Remake, I was thinking of playing its sequel next. My eye was then caught onto the Nier game tile thought to myself, "Maybe I can give it another shot after enjoying RE2R and Armored Core, and Japanese games can be for me." I rearranged some chips, upgraded my weapons, found myself surviving, and busting through my roadblocks. I also, unfortunately, realized that I was actually one quest line away from finishing the game and locked myself out of completing my remaining side quests. I just shook it off and continued, eventually finishing the game feeling a little underwhelmed. It wasn't the emotional, thought-provoking, life-changing masterpiece I heard so much about. Once again the combat was... okay. I'd said I'd gotten the hang of it by then, I could beat all the enemies, my chips and evades kept me alive and I never died since then, but I felt like was either missing something, or maybe no one talked about the combat because it was the least impressive part of the game. The story got more interesting near the end, I felt more invested in the relationships that I got to see,with the relationship of Adam and Eve, 9S dying once again and regenerating into a machine, and 2B actually crying and showing the emotions she steeled herself against for the whole route, but it felt like the game ended just as it got started. Even after the credits rolled by I felt positive but not ecstatic about the ending theme despite how much it's moved everyone to tears. I'm personally a big fan of the tracks I heard throughout the game, searching up music theory analyses and reactions to City Ruins, Memories of Dust, Pascal, and Voice of No Return. After the credits, I got a thank you from Square Enix and urging me to try out multiple playthroughs or routes. It was curious to me that I only got about 40% of the quests by the end of the game, and after some googling, I discovered I would be able to pick up some of the side quests I missed out on my next playthrough, so I started Route B.
Subsequent PlayThroughs:
I was excited to play Route C and see how everything wraps up but also curious about how it'll be done through A2, but more importantly, what's going to happen when everyone finds out the humans are gone and they're fighting for no reason. But then I was presented with the new intro trailer and wondered, why was it written so that 2B doesn't know the truth before this huge operation, and why do the new combat suits look like nazis in gas masks, that kinda seems like we're the bad guys maybe? Doubt continued to creep in with the visibility down from the fog; the machines were vicious, rallied, and seemingly coordinated despite losing their figureheads in Adam and Eve. I thought things would be a cakewalk and everyone could go back to rebuilding Earth. Then the EMPs came out, and then the laughter. I should've known things were going too well for a game so critically acclaimed. Having to fight against 2B's sisters-in-arms was so tragic after I tried so hard to save them. Now they're just ashen remains from a black box reaction. Regenerating at the Bunker made me realize it was truly over, and after more explosions, loss, screaming, and betrayal, I crash land as 2B for one last time. The long walk as the infection took over 2B was unfortunately a bit of a miss for me as I took the wrong route multiple times making me feel like I wasted my time. I had to get up a take a walk after playing for 5 hours to process what was going on. I was so ready for a happy ending with a new android society when at the time I thought every android was a part of YoRHa, but with the loss of the bunker and everyone infected, for the first time in a while, I felt hopelessness for 2B and 9S. After clearing my head at the local park, contemplating life, and remembering why I hated heavy stories, I came back to the end of 2B's. I was still holding out hope that somehow she could get some logic vaccine, but her eyes shone red and it was too late, 2B offered up her sword and memories to A2. It switched to 9S, and I ran towards the bridge, seeing the end of 2B in the most misunderstood and tragic way.
I honestly still couldn't believe it. Again, I usually don't consume these types of stories if I know about them beforehand, and I either ignored or forgotten the aftermath that people talk about under the old YouTube trailer for the game, because after Route A, I just wasn't impressed, and my heart had to pay for that. I just didn't expect to lose 2B in here, the cover girl of the game and subject to all of the 'artful' interpretations online. I just didn't expect to lose her in the story, especially since we had the Bunker to regenerate at, until we didn't. And I didn't want 9S to see her fall like that after everything they've gone through. I still don't know how, but Route C is somehow the most collectively, well-guarded secret/plot point of any popular media I've ever come across. The utter respect the community has given to this story, WHILE effectively singing such praises for 7 years with a closed hand is something I must commend every one of you for. Or maybe I just lived under a rock.
The rest of the game up till the tower was a bit of a blur for me, the pain and deterioration in 9S, didn't help as his story progressed. A2's screen time was interesting learning about her relationship to the YoRHa, the resistance, and why she deserted gave the stories all the chances to develop the underside of the YoRHa. But playing through the fate of Pascal and his village tore me apart with his pain and the grim end to his people. I chose to wipe him as he requested and his final goodbye made me tear up. Later on, as 9S, I would visit Pascal in his village only to be greeted by a ghost in the ruins of the place he once called home and once was once again torn by what he sold. By that point, I realized that no one is safe in this story and I just had to see it to the end. The 9S experience kept my interest, despite the combat, as he discovers more and more top-secret files about the androids, machines, and the world they were born into. I took one final day-long break from the game to avoid being a wreck in front of my friends, but my thoughts were still consumed by the fate of the YoRHa and what the game had in store for me.
Finally, the Tower and so much happened here. In the 11th hour of the 3rd act, it felt like a quarter of the whole story was dumped onto my poor pea-sized brain. I can barely remember the sequence of information but just so much of the purpose of YoRHa, things connecting back to what you learn in the towers and route B. I was certainly piqued by the story of the medical droids and, while I was a little disappointed all they got were text logs for their exposition after the hinting done in Route C, I'm excited to see what their sin is with Project Gestalt in Replicant, or maybe for it to be touched upon in the anime. The library is apparently also a call back to Replicant so I'll have a good time seeing that area in the future while I learn about A2's past in the present and her connection to the E types I've been hinted about. I also discovered on Reddit about the cool weapon movesets I had been missing out on for 4 years, especially bracers and long sword combo. Eventually, the final fight comes and I'm left with A2 and 9S. I go with A2 first since I don't get his nihilism, especially with the truth about 2B's fate, but I guess the high emotions and a lack of clear communication can result in that. In the end, A2 saves 9S, brings down the tower, and joins her loved ones in oblivion. I felt utterly drained by every curve ball Yoko Tarou threw at me but I understood why Nier stood the test of time. With only the last 2 endings left and a few hours left in my Sunday, I decided I just wrap everything up. I took control of 9S fought A2, watched him impale himself and his final logs scroll across the screen as Vague Hope played. The ark gets fired off to space, I see Pascal one more time and got my 4th ending.
Honestly, the ending was kind of mid to me as I just didn't see things the way that 9S did, but the androids don't process emotions too well so I guess it's a not big deal. At any rate, I didn't have a lot of time to stew as the credits rolled again but this time Pod 153 and 042 announce the end of Project YoRHa, and the damn hacking shooting mini-game starts up. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the hacking mini-game, especially after the Soul Box and how late it was getting. But seeing the [E]nd of YoRHa pop up my screen I readied myself and started blasting. But Oh, My, Goodness, I didn't realize how long the credits actually were. The first time I died, I was sent back to the beginning of credits and started feeling exasperated. A couple more times and I felt my frustrations rising but by then everything about this section started getting to me. I just wanted to finish the game and I kept caught up in the bullet hell and dying, and the game kept asking me if I want to give up. Is this just a silly little game? Is all meaningless? My frustrations rose, "What's the point Yoko Tarou???? Why the hell did you lock away this "true" ending to your fantastic story behind an insufferable and impossible shooting gallery? Are you actually telling me to give up? What's your problem, making me go through this stupid mini-game that I have no possibility of preparing for or at this point winning???" By this point, I started memorizing the departments of Square Enix Inc. and the Weight of the World had imprinted itself into my ears and onto my heart. Despite my frustrations, the messages across the world kept me going so that I could see the end. I actually ended up calling and streaming the experience to my friend because I still wanted to show the meta interactions the game was made to me after experiencing such an incredible story. Eventually, I got an offer of help from Muzza, and I immediately realized what that one Reddit comment said about accepting any help, and help came. I started tearing up and almost sobbing to my friend on call, as the chorus and choir swelled. Everyone came in to help and I didn't realize what sacrifice they made until after it was all over. I kept losing it as data after data flew in to protect and support me, and my friend, while understanding what I was going through, didn't know the journey it took to get here. Eventually, the names stop coming and we fade to white to see another correspondence between Pod 153 and 042 reciting the intro monologue, talking about the salvaged data, and ending on the bodies of 2B, 9S, and A2, intact.
Finally came the last query, to me, the player about my data. I decided to give it up, (naïvely thinking it would just affect my current save and not all of them, and I can go back and 100% everything) and saw everything disappear, knowing my sacrifice can bring someone else to the finish line. And then I was brought back to the title screen, shellshocked, drained, with tears in my eyes and my heart. I logged off the call with my friend and left myself to stew and process what had been a 4-year journey for me.
MY THOUGHTS
The next 2 days after playing the game I was still shellshocked and drained as I tried to pull myself together at work. I was hesitant to actually play the game again, consume any media, or even THINK about the music because my body remembers how I'd gone with the music playing. Yet on the other hand, I developed a hyper-fixation on Nier just to learn more about the world and if everyone will be okay after the credits faded. After that, all I could do was read some fluffy fanfiction to ease a heavy heart. Again, I did not think much of Nier: Automata after seeing the cover and all the 2B fan art over the years. But to echo the comment of TheNobody-ru5xg on the PlayStation trailer "...don't expect a cute anime game. ... This is a game that does not care about how you feel. It will destroy you." This sentiment is something that you MUST take seriously by the time you hit the 3rd playthrough. While I missed out on the peak of the Nier train, I am glad I didn't play this game when it came out I was genuinely not ready for a story like this when I was younger, but I wholeheartedly believe it's a story worth experiencing at least once in your lifetime. This game has had such an effect on me that I've recommended Nier to everyone and their significant others if they play games with good stories, despite being relatively reserved about the games I play. Of course, I have a 3 minute disclaimer about the cover art and character designs but I follow that up with a 20 minute tangent of how good this game tells its story.
MUSIC
For all of the fantastic story beats and philosophical dives, I would be remissed if I didn't talk about the first thing I fell in love with Nier, its music. I've heard none of Keiichi Okabe's work before Automata, but now I am a huge fan and can't wait for what Replicant will have in store for me. As for Automata, I was impressed by the music that first played in the factory, its vocals set the game up as something I had never experienced before. But City Ruins truly places itself as a musical nexus that I returned to countless times as I traveled to my next fetch quest or to progress the story. The implementation of the music is just so effective as you enter the city, with a quiet, and subtle intro by piano or other instrument, ramping up as the vocalist takes center stage. But each time the verses and chorus repeat, something new is brought in or changed, from small adjustments in the lead instrument, a bridge accompanied by a chord progress change, and new flourishes by the vocalist. City Ruins and Memories of Dust become such adventurous songs by the time you hit the center of the zones, speeding along on a full sprint or friendly animals, naive to your fate in the story. EDIT: I started a new save and it seems like portions of the tracks are omitted until you progress certain amounts in the game! I think that's really cool that the music develops along with the players' experience.
Pascal's village theme, while less grand in comparison, was another point where I was impressed by the tonal flexibility of the game and especially the music. Its energy starting with the different percussion instruments, a nice entrance chord by the guitar, followed by the chimes as they make way for the machine voices and youth choir. I love how the guitar accents itself as a response against the choir part ways through the song and everything about it feels so creative. This is all coming off of the heels of one of the most unique environments in the game punctuated with a boss gruesome yet sorrowful fight. Pascal's village became a nice palate cleanser along my journeys as I considered it one of my safe spaces along with the Resistance Camp.
Then there are the slower or vocally focused tracks like Peaceful Sleep, Treasured Times, Vague Hope (kinda), and my favorite Voice of No Return. Starting with Peaceful Sleep, this song is so bittersweet to me as I always ended up camp for one reason or another. At first, it was a peaceful place to have at the start of the game and to turn in side quests, but after each painful turn in the story, it became a refuge I took solace in to upgrade my equipment before hesitantly running out to chase our heroes' fate. The other 3 tracks I often heard at the end of different side quests but I got attached to the songs as the subjects of the side quest became more human to me after completing them and this dying world felt more alive with its inhabitants. Treasured Times's vocals share some similarities to Pascal but take it in a more innocent and child-like direction, also sounding bittersweet for the world this played in and the hearts of those experiencing its story. Vague Hope was a strange track for me to process depending on when it plays. Most notably it comes up near the end of the game in certain cases, but I swear I heard it after a few side quests. This was truly a bittersweet song between the focused vocal on the somber vocals picking up in measured intensity and passion as the orchestra comes in, switching before hopeful and heavy chords, never letting the listener settle until the end of the song. Unfortunately for the character this song plays for I wasn't as attached to them so this song doesn't hit me as hard, but for everything that it sets out to do, it accomplishes it without a still heart (well except in a few cases) Voice of No Return I think musically communicates how I often felt about the game and is a fantastic choice for just about every moment it pops in. This song is special to me out of my picks because of its sorrow and grief voiced through the main singer. Every song's lead vocalist did an amazing job, but Voice of No Return just stands on its own for her amazing performance. But the singer is not alone as background the vocalists introduce themselves and everyone does a call-and-response version of the chorus in game. This song felt so special to me in its emotion and I would just sit in my current zone until I'd experienced everything in the song before moving on since this wasn't a track tied to a particular area.
All of the tracks I mentioned do at least something small that sets themselves apart from any other music I've listened to. Something like that little run in the chorus, or a chord progression, key change, the entrance of the background vocalists in Voice of No Return and Peaceful Sleep to accompany the main singer and just expanding the musical space that you experience, or the gradual build-up in City Ruins as the piano picks up its melodies and the orchestra eventually comes in. I struggle in understanding music composition and how to support and emphasize certain voices and instruments. So I'm in awe and inspired by how each of the tracks are composed and how voice plays its own role in the music but no instrument was ever overbearing or overstepped in its role toward the whole direction of the music.
I would like to especially shout out the use of guitar throughout the OST. My musical background started with classical guitar, but I rarely get to hear it in OSTs alongside strings or orchestral music in general, and I feel I like I usually only hear strumming or chords rather than something more involved with finger picking. Noticing the guitar in tracks like City Ruins, and Pascal was something I smiled at, but as I listened closer to music, I started learning a lot more in how to use guitars in an ensemble. The guitars, like the rest of the instruments and voices, have their own place in the music and are expressed distinctly in the tracks, they can bring their own energy as a contrasts to the other instruments, like in Pascal, or accompany the rest of the voices, like in City Ruins or Voice of No Return of course. The power chords and strumming in tracks like Memories of Dust and others isn't something I'm unappreciative of, all of the instruments in each track of the game's music sing with their own voices, and I hope to be able to learn from the fantastic pieces made for Nier.
My only gripe with all of this music is that it's hard to find a good game rip that captures all the little extra flourishes and mixes that you can hear in game, and unfortunately, the official tracks do not include all of those things either, making it hard for me to hear all of the details while I'm out and about. This is especially true for Peaceful Sleep and Voice of No Return. And I must talk about how different the experience is hearing the music in game versus on YouTube or streaming it. I felt like in game, music would play and it's always good, but I was busy running around, fighting, picking up loot, or planning my next route. It wasn't until something catches my ear and breaks through my focus of the game that I'm drawn into the music. I felt like this really developed my relationship to the tracks as I attached my memories and experiences to the music. I just feel like that's a really special dynamic that happens between music and playing games. Still, each track in the game is incredible in its own right, and the music team, especially Okabe, produced what feels like a modern masterpiece. I guess it only makes sense to have concert tours dedicated to the OST every other year.
This game is truly inspiring to me. It inspires me to write my own stories, it inspires me to make my own games, and it ESPECIALLY inspires me to try and make music after being blessed by Keiichi Okabe. I had trouble writing all of my thoughts because it hurts to remember the game and what happens to our heroes. Every single time I listen to each track I get REAL shivers to me because my body remembers my emotions from when they played. This game has driven me to write my first long-form Reddit post, after not critically writing about anything for years, because that is how much I want to talk about this game and its world. After 7 years of its existence, video essays and guides that are still being made today, and ALL of the damn fan art that won't die, I now understand why it's stayed relevant as long as it has, and how much I had been missing out on Nier. This game is the best example of art in this interactive medium (disclaimer: I reiterate, I usually avoid heavy or impactful due to how they affect my day-to-day.) Starting with the music that drew me in and started the game's relationship with me and its melodies, to the mystery that unfolded as we struggled against the machines, just until we were given the truth about everyone's existence.
QUESTIONS
Despite all of my accolades for the game, I can tell that I missed out or just didn't pick up some things the first time I was playing so I hope some of you have some answers or guidance.
1. How long have the YoRHa actually been in existence as opposed to androids and machines as a whole? Is there a definitive timeline?
2. What is 2B and 9S's history before the game? How long have they existed and have they been assigned to each other in the past?
Are there any other things that would be helpful to know/get clarified that you misunderstood after your first playthrough?
While I've been hesitant on actually starting my second full play through, what advice would you give me or what things should I look out for? This could be trivia, small details, story themes, or it can be gameplay advice so I hack and slash properly this time.
I'm completely drawn into this world but I'm not sure where to go next. Should I listen to the stage plays from the concerts? Are there books I should read? Do I need to play Replicant before watching the anime or should I just join the rest of you sorry souls? (Especially after the A2 episodes)
THANKS
So to those who made it this far into the post, thank you for trudging through my writing and letting me join you in singing this game's praises. Thank you to all of the netizens and content creators who have ever recommended this game. Your praises are no overstatement, and this game is truly worth experiencing. Thank you Yoko Tarou for once again creating many a masterpiece in video games and doing so much in Nier. Your efforts, especially in the unforgiving world of game development, have been recognized and is now immortalized in my heart. Thank you Platinum Games for working with Yoko Tarou in executing his vision. The work and polish needed to bring his world to life was no easy feat, yet it stands on its own as a solemn and tragic existence. And thank you all for taking a chance on Yoko Tarou. I've heard his games before Automata were not the smoothest to play, but for the most part, Nier: Automata does not carry that legacy. Thank you Keiichi Okabe for your continued dedication to the Nier series. I could never say all of the praises your music deserves, but its breadth, depth, and everyone's efforts in producing this music truly shines through. Lastly thanks Muzza on Xbox, or wherever you are, for your data and paying it forward. I could not have done it without you and everyone else, and I hope mine will do the same.
