Nier: Automata review: Role-playing game takes satisfying twists and turns

Nier: Automata takes place far into the future of our planet, one where the real action has already happened. Aliens attacked Earth with an army of machines, forcing humans to flee to the moon, leaving behind androids to fight off the invaders in their place. You play as 2B, a member of an elite android unit called YoRHa, whose goal is the eradication of the aliens and machines, for the glory of mankind.

Of course, this is all merely surface-level story. Venture inward and you’ll find yourself taking twists and turns that never seem to stop. The game features multiple endings, five of which are imperative to the plot. This is a game that will first show you its credits just 15 hours in, but won’t truly come to a close for another 10. You can’t stop when you reach ending A. Or B. Don’t worry though, you won’t want to. Each time you reach an ending, something new is introduced to keep you going. Without spoiling the events of the game, suffice it to say you’ll know when you’ve really reached the end.

The intricacies of the battle system aren’t quite as complex as expected, but the plethora of different systems in play here make up for it. There are five types of melee weapons and you can have two configurations on demand, each consisting of one weapon set to your light attack and one to your heavy. Combine this with semi-customizable ranged combat and a surprisingly deep character customization system and you’ve got the recipe for a great role-playing game.