Nier: Automata is a Japanese science fiction action RPG set in the far future were we play as three androids, namely: 2B, 9S and A2 on behest of humanity in its fight against machines apparently controlled by an alien entity from another world.


The setting

Not much is left of humanity and its cities lies in ruins, the humans have escaped to the moon and from this last bastion tries to re-conqueror Earth through their use of military androids. Not much of human culture seems to have survived outside military and strategic thinking, as humanity is pressed to verge of extinction. Though various "robots" are named after western philosophers and thinkers like Kierkegaard, Marx, Pascal and Jean-Paul Sartre, on a meta-level from which they are unaware. The robot Jean-Paul even quotes directly from Sartre's dumped downed lecture L'existentialisme est un humanisme.
Whereas the robot Pascal even begins to read old human books, he reads works by Nietzsche among things.

All the robots are one the on hand superior to human beings in their fighting capabilities and apparent learning speed, but they lack wisdom and while they're more or less sentient, they're not quite like human beings. Or perhaps more akin to humanities primitive forefathers.
Other robots picks biblical names for themselves in their apparent quest for finding increased purpose to their existence and perhaps in an effort to grow as an intelligent beings, seeing some use in being human while still acknowledging their differences, in this existence they've been thrown into.

These robots are borderline ironically enough the enemies of the player controlled androids fighting for humanity, were the androids are more like soldiers shaped and formed to be a tool for a specific task, namely that of reclaiming Earth from the alien machines. Though they do grow as lifeforms throughout the game.

We're also introduced to other "robots" as NPCs as we play through the games different endings, were the endings should rather be seen as continuous chapters on some level, most of the time.

Gameplay

We control and fight with the androids in combat a bit in the style of the Devil May Cry games, while we also occasionally gets segments of side-scrolling shoot-'em-up fights when for instance controlling flight units. 9S can also hack, among things, enemies that for instance prompts a "Pac-man" shooting mini game.

We take on simple quests in typical RPG fashion in mainly the ruins of an unnamed city and its close proximity like a forest and a desert in our fight against the machines. As we level up and gets stronger alongside a machine pod that fights and serves us to the best of its abilities.
We can buy and upgrade different weapons, chips and chip capacity, that enhance a wide variety of aspects about our android, like damage or defense buffs.


The soundscape and graphics

There are quite a few beautiful locations though it is apparent that the game lacks a huge budget, its ambiance is especially enhanced by its splendid soundtrack with many cool songs some of them with with vocals from a made up language.