Nier Automata Retrospective - 6 Years Later, Still One of a Kind 

Yeah, it really awesome to know the game developers did all that. The only sad thing is that servers must be up for anyone to access ending E. If you are not online (play a pirated version) you never get help...at least you can use cheats and never die but you loose the purpose of the ending.

@@LeoFalcon he literally said that in the comment

All of this doesn't sound right to me, both how they had to complete the game themselves (who doesn't have access to their own servers?!) and the fact that for each new player running through the credits who may or may not delete their save, 5 or 6 others are lost. So each run of ending E produces maybe 1 new data and loses many more, which would obviously drain the pool of available data if the data was actually deleted. I don't think they actually delete the data, they just let pretend that way to make it that much more emotional for you.

I don't know if this is true but it sounds true and that's good enough for me

@@arshiaa001 yeah I don’t really buy it. The logistics don’t really work out like you said, and it doesn’t make sense for them to have to rush to beat the game when they could’ve just added themselves in development. I *do* believe this is something yoko taro would say even if it isn’t true though lol. That scamp. Edit: weird how the comment put your name in the middle of the sentence like that… Edit2: oh maybe it didn’t put your name in the middle of the sentence, it may have just put your name on the right hand side. 🤷‍♂️

Trust me, when the chorus entered- 😭

Ending E is that special :)

Tear up,? I was full on sobbing by the first sign of the credits

@@tylerb5764 I got misty-eyed when the credits arrived. Good stuff.

I think Ending E also hits differend when you delete your save without a PS+ Backup back then. My whole journey is gone all i have left is my Memories on this amazing Masterpiece. I really wish i could help someone with my Data.

@@DantoriusD yeah, from a gameplay standpoint, ending e makes you feel empty, like you don't know what to do after deleting your save files. And it depends on your actions that you'll feel a bit satisfied for sacrificing your save data afterwards or you'll feel meh for not sacrificing the save data.

This game should have received Game of The Year Award back in 2017. I like Breath of The Wild, but its story was too simple. And no games have ever done anything like Automata's ending E. But I digress, Automata will always be a special game in my heart.

@@hieioni3354 Nier Automata is literally "textbook" philosophy for middle school. Its not really that deep.

My steam review for this game reflects that. "Came for the cute robot twink and thicc robot waifu. Now I'm crying."

@@yourdude9942 a lot of people don't think about the concepts explored in this game. It's a great way to jump into these philosophical questions.

@@sckshakex4308 I already played the whole thing.

She was always on the verge of tears whenever she sang it at the concerts. I was lucky to see her break into tears singing the Japanese version of Weight of The World on a video on youtube once.

You can hear that well before the last few words of the song. As a reasonably well-trained singer myself, I am amazed by the amount of control she has over her voice despite almost crying. She powers through that like a champ, and I’m glad they chose this take because it is hauntingly beautiful. It’s so hard to even breathe right if you start choking on tears, let alone hitting notes (hence the note drop in the last portion of the refrain), but man does it hit you like a bus.

@@Speckmantelmade Yeah, she's an amazing singer. The Japanese have so many amazing artists. I respect them a lot.

Meanwhile haters: the crying ruins the song and breaks up the flow, song would have been great but the singer ruined it

Are we the same person?, I played it for the first time during a super hard time for me, quarantined from all the people important to me, some close family died, I couldn't hold on but I couldn't break I was simply existing, this game just made me feel all those emotions at the same moment. As a history/philosophy nerd I was super excited with all the references this game had, its music, its themes. After experiencing all this characters and crying a lot after ending E there was one thing I was certain about, I was still human. We still have worth even if it all seems meaningless. What makes us humans isn't simply existing, it's not thinking, it's feeling. That was what made me fall in love with this game, the one that broke me and rebuilt me. Quoting you: So yeah. Automata is special.

My best friend and grandpa died in 2019, then covid happened, this game and its music touches my soul, especially live in concert😭🎶 So yeah. Automata is special❤✌

Are we all the same person? I think it's quite impressive how this game made so many people live the same feelings. I recognize so much of what I went through in your comments. I too was going through a rough period when I played it for the first time, and I nearly dropped the game so many times, the worst part, was Pascal. I didn't know I could just walk away, I learned that way later, so in what I thought was mercy, I killed him. And while I didn't care for him when playing 2B and 9S, I really got attached to him while being A2, and it was hard. I was quite lonely in real life at the time, so seeing the few characters I grew to love, even if fictional, die one after the other, was really difficult, losing 2B, the operators, 9S becoming insane, killing Pascal.. the only thing keeping me from just quitting, was A2 herself, I wanted to see what she'd become, and so endings C and D happened, and it broke me. In the end, no one survived, is that the conclusion of this game ? That no one lives happily ever after? But instead everyone die in front of us ? Then what's the point ? Why make us love so many characters just to kill them and takes our hopes away from us ? But we were warned, weren't we, at the beginning, 2B told us how it would go. And I got to ending E. And I cried so much when I deleted my save, because I knew I was going to make another one to complete the game at 100% and I knew I'd have to live through it all again, but at the same time I cried because I understood that so many players before me made that sacrifice. I cried at the last scene, because this game, at one of the worst point in my life, showed me that for all the hurt and death in the world, there's always hope. So yeah. Automata is special.

I guess as a male ex-soldier who was beat as a child and raised on a farm, don't cry that easy...I guess Generation Z and WOKE SJW's would call me Toxic Masculinity. I have cried over real things though especially after I became a Therapist and worked with Abused children...also when I was homeless one time.

We have all been there. I still watch that 14:36 minute long video with the credits scene and Weight of the World all the time. This game was just brilliant. I have recommended buying this gem to anyone and everyone I know.

This game is something so unique... I really wish I could make everyone play this game

@@TiGGowichI came back to 2B in prep for Stellar Blade since she and Bayonetta inspired ShiftUp to create Eve. 2B broke me back then especially how we flow occasionally from Bayonetta to like Diablo perspective or Castlevania, and back. I found Replicant though so boring and slow in comparison with too many perspective shifts

Well this is incredibly sad.. I have up on second playthrough like "oh it's a game that makes you beat it over and over for for thirty seconds endings, dang industry had me jaded as I started playing in the NES era

A great game, to be sure. The way ending e was portrayed is thought-provoking and masterfully emotional.

Don't feel bad personally I feel bad wasting so much time on it its a horrible game so it may be lucky for you to have experience it

@@hieioni3354 But for others there lucky not to have wastes there time

​@@mp32298 Sounds like a you problem tbh, maybe pay more attention, or play the game past route b?

@@wolfi9180 or maybe they could just make a story that isn’t somehow even more pretentious than the first Neir, which this game’s plot seems to be completely disconnected from.

7 years later, they still haven't made one like it 😊

The game is important to me too. It's so groundbreaking that it opens up a lot more paths for future video games to deliver gameplay and storyline to the players (and Stray is one of them, even thought it doesn't have hack and slash gameplay like Automata). Also, the soundtrack is soooo good! Can't stop listening to the songs.

Happy birthday 🎉🎉🎉

Happy Birthday!

Happy belated birthday!

Hope you have fun playing it again! As for me, not sure when I'll be able to play it again :(

I want to ask; I've never played a "Yoko Taro" before Automata. I can say without hesitation it is in the top 3 best games ever created. So I'm really nervous to play replicant. Not because I think I'll dislike it, more that it's a game that was dated even at the time. Is the story as compelling? Or does it rely on nostalgia?

@@nottoday9182 I played the version of replicant that released 1-2 years ago so at least in my case it isn’t nostalgia speaking, if you’re expecting the same experience with automata you would be slightly disappointed because the games is set 1000 years before it so in terms of atmosphere it’s quite different, the story structure remains the same, gotta beat the game 3+ times to get the full story and if you liked automata i don’t think you would mind this one too. The story itself was absolutely incredible, amazing characters, very creative and smart writing and some moments really hit in the feels, I don’t want to mention any spoilers but if you liked automata then at least IMO you’ll like replicant as much or even more, hope you give it a chance and enjoy it, there aren’t that many of these kinds of experiences out there

@Nino Gaming & Variety thanks! That is all I needed. No one I know personally loves Neir even to my extent so it's good to hear from a fan. That'll be my next purchase for sure

@@nottoday9182 I wouldn’t call myself a fan of anything, I just appreciate quality art, whether it is games, tv shows, anime etc, but I’m glad I was helpful at the very least, hope you enjoy it, and just a word of advice, you shouldn’t care what people around you like or not, it’s important what YOU like, don’t try to force yourself.

@Nino Gaming & Variety that's fair. I don't mean to lump you in with "fans". I forget that's a word for weird incels and hateful people. Thanks for the input! You've 100% sold me on at least giving the wider Neir universe a go!

have you tried Tetris?

Man, I lost my physical copy of Automata and my PS4. Not sure when I'll be able to play Automata again.

Damn how con you handle the emotional distress every year?? I 'll probably play this game once every ten years because I was BROKEN FOR WEEKS when I finished the first time...

@@jpmarques5866 its been like 3 months and im still broken...

So True. You're not alone. I remember crying & wondering why. There is a lot of investment when you've worked hard to get your characters to where they need to go. The story is so heavy with morals & principles that it takes you to a whole new personal level. And ya, it was a game but it's not like any game I've ever played.

Yep. There are no other games quite like Nier: Automata. It's truly one of a kind and deserves love. Ending E was emotionally awesome.

Uh huh noob just copy your save so dumb this game yes

@@emesar5233 And that's were you are wrong other games and animal have done it better

@@hieioni3354 There plenty even more so when it comes to the anime this game copies

Me neither. Replicant and Automata were such great games. I love most of the characters in both games but my fav has to be Kaine and A2. Also, like you said, the music in both games was phenomenal :D

There's nothing quite like it. I am here after both Lies of P and Stellar Blade have been released, clearly both trying to tackle the same subject matter to different levels of success. But NA still feels like End of Evangelion, a very important milestine for the gaming industry. Then you got Lies of P which is like the Full Metal Alchemist brotherhood equivalent... I really can't put Stellar Blade in the same... Category in terms of story and execution, but even though it looks really good, it seems more like something I'd compare to Highschool of the Dead 😅 It's good, it's directed by Tetsuro Araki, it's just not like those two it's a different vibe/feel. It's not gonna give you an existential crisis for sure... But hey, you can still enjoy it for what it does right 😊

Nier👏 replicant 👏

Have you played Nier Replicant Remastered? If not, you should! They added a new ending to the game!

drakengard 1. if nier automota is yoko taro at his best, drakengard is yoko taro at his most.

@@alexamderhamiltom5238 At his most what?

@@hieioni3354 just his most

Gestalt/Replicant deserves sooo much more love.

I love replicant. I always knew automata was praised but I'm a lazy person when I comes to games. But I saw Kaine one day on a RU-vid video and she was hot enough to convince me to play replicant immediately. Love that game so much. Sadly automata didn't hit me in the feels like it did for other people. I think It's because I rushed straight through it for most of my playthrough, and also took weeks between playing (lazy when it comes to games). Now I feel like I'm missing out cuz the game just didn't hit me too much unfortunately. Im considering replaying and actually taking my time, doing sidequests and stuff

A2 is perfect.

I think he just compiled all the old videos and made it into just one.

I don't think I did tbh

@@BrandoSP yeah, I've watched all your nier stuff, you definitely didn't, just didn't think homie deserved the response

Yoko said once they finish up a project, NieR is returning. He also told us to buy Stellar Blade xD but yes- NieR returns in a couple of years to us

I don't really get it. The english voice actors are so good in this game. Especially the ones that speak 2B and 9S are doing quite the peformance. It might be just a subjective thing or an age thing. To me Japanese females always sound to high pitched and males like they make their voices artificialy deeper. But i m not trying to tell anyone what and what not to like. Just wanted to give Credit to the english speaking actors.

@@highroller6244 I'm not saying the English voices are bad, and they put tons of effort into translating the game in a way that's as close in meaning and emotions to the original as possible, but still, it's a translation. No translation will ever be as good as the original; if you know the original language, that is. I watch lots of anime and play lots of games. The one and only time I didn't quite enjoy Japanese VO was when watching Cyberpunk Edgerunners which, surprise, the world was originally written in English.

@@highroller6244 I was the same as you for most of the video, but then I got it when he was describing the Pascal outcomes, and how the specific word chosen in Japanese has a very specific connotation that the English localization/translation couldn't quite convey, at which point I understood. Now, since I don't know Japanese, I'll go English every single time, it is genuinely absolutely amazing, but I can understand why someone who knows Japanese would consider it better, because of things like that.

@@gunnarschlichting9886 Well Yeah, as i said: I am not trying to talk anyone out if his personal preferences. Just wanted to point out how good the english dub actually is. 2B's voice fits her perfectly in my book. 9S is awesome at transporting his emotions to the Player. Even the Pods are really cool. The english cast deserved a mention here. And english isn't even my native tongue.

@@highroller6244 Oh yeah, the English voice actors rock, they are a huge part of why the story works so well. I would always play in English myself even if I did know Japanese (which I don't) just because I like them so much.

Any negatives playing this on the Switch? Have you played on PS4 as well, if so how did they compare?

@@Apesedits I have experience with both, and, the Switch is definitely fine. There are visual downgrades (A few textures are lower res and certain effects - like the way the sand responds when you slide on it - aren't as well done), but nothing that I would say compromises the experience, and performance is good. Still certainly no less of a beautiful, powerful, and evocative work, and generally a well done port.

Nier and drakengard music is magical.

I agree. I liked the original NieR 's story and characters a lot more, too. Though honestly, I liked Gestalt as the father a bit more than replicant personally. Gameplay wise, Automata was miles ahead, but I really feel music and writing wise the original edges it out, just slightly. And I'm right there with you with Automata' announcement. I was very excited, but having dragged most of my friends through the game to its completion, they were able to share in my excitement.

It's wild that your comment is so buried. Anglicizing the way a Japanese person pronounces a preexisting English word just because it's in the title of a game made in Japan is kinda dumb. It would be one thing if it was being used as a new word with a significant pronunciation difference (like how Evangelion, with a hard G, is used as a proper noun in NGE), but in this context it's just functioning as the word automata which is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable. Japanese has a fundamentally different relationship with syllable stress, and so it makes since that a Japanese person speaking Japanese wouldn't pronounce it like we would in English. I'm all for rejecting the linguistic status quo and using language however you personally want to, but this just comes off as pretentious and ignorant.

amen

if i had to power to erase memories from my mind, i would erase my memories from playing this game, so i could experience it as i did the first time again ;-;

@@itsdokko2990 This comment literally made me tear up.. Well said..

Species* . Also, I hope Yoko Taro has new ideas for a new Nier game, a game like Automata. Maybe a sequel even. I'd love to see the android and the machines help each other build a great global civilization as successors to humanity.

@@hieioni3354 thanks for the correction, English is not my 1st language and i totally agree with you

@@airchangel3680 Oh where are you from? And thanks for agreeing with me.

@@hieioni3354Yoko, whilst encouraging everyone to buy Stellar Blade which a huge fan of his was inspired to create - said he has a project in the works currently but not to worry, NieR is returning once that project is completed so we are getting more of that world to dive into

@@claudijatzandrapova3347 Season two of Nier: Automata is confirmed for 2024. Is that the new project?

(Also, you should change your PFP now :)