Info about NieR:Automata™:

Official game description:
NieR:Automata™ Game of the YoRHa Edition
========================================
The NieR:Automata™ Game of the YoRHa Edition includes the game itself and comes packed with DLC and bonus content for the full experience of the award-winning post-apocalyptic action RPG, including:  
*   3C3C1D119440927 DLC\*  
*   Valve Character Accessory  
*   Cardboard Pod Skin  
*   Retro Grey Pod Skin  
*   Retro Red Pod Skin  
*   Grimoire Weiss Pod  
*   Machine Mask Accessory  
*   Exclusive set of wallpapers in the following sizes: 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1600
\*To enjoy this content you will need to have progressed a certain way into the main story of the game. There are also some scenes during the progression of the main game scenario in which this content cannot be accessed.
Reviews & Accolades
===================
9/10 "Don’t miss this" – VideoGamer
10/10 "One of the best games I’ve ever played" – RPGSite
4/5 "Pure genius" – Trusted Reviews
9/10 "One of the most interesting and unique games you’ll play this year" – God is a Geek
9/10 "Classic Platinum action combined with a deep role-playing system" – Metro
About the Game
==============
NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines.  
Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on... A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.  
Key Features:  
*   **Action-Packed Battles** – Players will switch between using melee and ranged attacks in battle against hordes of enemies and challenging bosses across a variety of open field maps. The tight controls and incredibly fluid combat are simple to learn for newcomers while offering plenty of depth for more experienced action gamers. Players can perform high-speed battle actions—combining light and heavy attacks—and switch through an arsenal of weaponry while evading enemies with speed and style.  
*   **Beautifully Desolate Open-World** – The game seamlessly joins together hauntingly beautiful vistas and locations with no area loading. The environments are rendered in 60fps and contain a wealth of sub-events in addition to the main storyline.  
*   **Masterfully Crafted Story and Characters** – NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their ferocious battle to reclaim a machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful weapons known as machine lifeforms.  
*   **Elements of an RPG** – Players will obtain a variety of weapon types, level up in battle, learn new combat skills, and customise a loadout that caters to their playstyle.  
*   **Utilise the Pod Support System to Assist In and Outside of Battle** – Pods can attack the enemy in both manual and lock-on modes. They can also assist outside of battle, such as allowing the player to glide through the air. Pods can be enhanced throughout the game, with upgrades including new attack methods and variations.  
*   **“Auto Mode” Available for Beginners** – Novice players can elect “Auto Mode” for easy attacks and evasions.

Release date: Mar 17, 2017

Categories: Action RPG, Open-World Exploration, Character Progression, Multiple Endings, Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash, Branching Narrative, Post-apocalyptic


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Deep and Philosophical Storytelling (weight 0.97): The narrative explores existential themes like humanity, free will, and artificial intelligence, delivering a multi-layered experience. Players praise its emotional depth, twists, and thought-provoking questions that linger after completion.
- Memorable Character Development (weight 0.84): Characters like 2B, 9S, and A2 are lauded for their complexity, relatability, and well-written arcs. Their relationships and personal growth drive emotional engagement and thematic resonance.
- Exceptional Combat Fluidity (weight 0.76): The game features fast, responsive, and stylish combat with seamless transitions between melee and ranged attacks. Players highlight the satisfying combos, weapon variety, and dynamic mechanics developed by Platinum Games.
- Genre-Blending Gameplay Variety (weight 0.71): The game blends hack-and-slash, shoot 'em up, platforming, and Metroidvania elements to keep gameplay fresh. Mechanics like hacking segments and arcade-style shooting add dynamic variety.
- Hauntingly Beautiful Soundtrack (weight 0.54): The music by Keiichi Okabe enhances immersion, emotional weight, and cinematic moments. Players describe it as unforgettable, mood-matching, and integral to the game’s discourse, with hidden messages in its composition.
- Polished and Bug-Free Experience (weight 0.53): The game is noted for its optimization, with few to no bugs reported. Players highlight its technical stability alongside artistic and mechanical polish.
- Multi-Playthrough Narrative Design (weight 0.41): The game’s structure encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover deeper layers of the story, with side quests and endings adding replay value. Each playthrough reveals new perspectives and emotional impact.
- Emotionally Impactful Side Quests (weight 0.4): Side quests contribute meaningfully to worldbuilding and character depth, often delivering emotional punches. They are cited as key to the game’s narrative richness.
- Flexible Customization Systems (weight 0.17): Players appreciate the chip upgrade system and weapon skills for tailoring their experience. Customization options like plug-in chips and build flexibility enhance replayability.
- Balanced Difficulty Curve (weight 0.08): While the intro may be challenging, players find the difficulty curve rewarding. The game is easy to learn but hard to master, encouraging skill development.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive and grindy side quests (weight 0.72): Players frequently criticize side quests for being repetitive, overly reliant on fetch mechanics, and lacking depth. Many quests feel like a waste of time due to their tedious or grindy nature, diminishing engagement.
- Empty and uninspired open world (weight 0.41): The open world is criticized for feeling sparse, monotonous, and lacking in meaningful content or activities. Players describe it as 'cardboard-like' and unmemorable, except for a few standout areas.
- Forced narrative and emotional engagement (weight 0.4): The game's storytelling is often described as heavy-handed, with predictable character decisions and cringeworthy emotional cutscenes. Players feel the narrative lacks subtlety and forces engagement rather than earning it.
- Limited environmental interaction (weight 0.31): The game's world feels static and underutilized, with sparse environmental interactions. This contributes to the perception of the open world as empty or barebones.
- Subpar PC controls and optimization (weight 0.27): PC players report poor keyboard and mouse controls, with many recommending a controller instead. Optimization issues, such as lag and black screens, further degrade the experience.
- Outdated and poorly optimized graphics (weight 0.25): The game's visuals are widely regarded as outdated, with visible texture seams, poor optimization, and performance issues like unstable frame rates. This detracts from the experience, especially given the game's age and price.
- Lack of Chinese localization (weight 0.22): Despite high demand, the game lacks official Chinese language support, requiring community patches. This oversight is particularly notable given the game's popularity in Chinese-speaking regions.
- Inconvenient fast travel and navigation (weight 0.16): Fast travel is either unavailable early on or poorly implemented, making exploration feel like a slog. The map is also criticized for being confusing and complicating quest navigation.
- Tedious gameplay mechanics (weight 0.14): Certain mechanics, such as hacking, weapon upgrades, and repetitive arcade segments, are described as tedious or confusing. These elements disrupt flow and add unnecessary frustration.
- Niche or minor gameplay frustrations (weight 0.11): Smaller issues, such as camera obstructions, underdeveloped backstories (e.g., A2), and annoying songs during encounters, add to the game's frustrations but are less impactful overall.
- Pacing and loading issues (weight 0.1): Players report frustrating pacing, including repetitive map traversal and slow loading screens. These issues disrupt immersion and contribute to a less enjoyable experience.
- Lack of auto-saves and progress risks (weight 0.08): The absence of auto-saves and issues like the unsavable prologue create frustration, as players risk losing progress due to crashes or other interruptions.
- Unresolved philosophical themes (weight 0.04): While the game explores philosophical themes, some players feel these ideas are left unresolved or underdeveloped, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction with the narrative's depth.

Gameplay feedback:
- Fast-paced action combat with hybrid mechanics (weight 0.63): The combat system, developed by PlatinumGames, is praised for its fast-paced, responsive hack-and-slash mechanics, blending melee and ranged attacks. It incorporates dynamic elements like weapon-switching and environmental interactions.
- Branching narrative with multiple endings (weight 0.49): The game features a complex, fragmented narrative with over 20 possible endings, requiring multiple playthroughs to uncover the full story. Players praised the layered storytelling and shifting perspectives across routes (A, B, C/D, E).
- Multiple playable characters with unique styles (weight 0.49): Players can control different protagonists (e.g., 2B, 9S, A2), each with distinct combat styles and perspectives, enhancing replayability and narrative depth.
- Post-apocalyptic open-world exploration (weight 0.2): The game offers an open-ended, post-apocalyptic world with exploration-driven quests and side activities. Players appreciated the balance between action and quiet exploration moments.
- Hacking mechanics for combat and puzzles (weight 0.2): Hacking segments are integrated into combat, puzzles, and character-specific abilities (e.g., 9S's hacking minigame). These mechanics add variety and strategic depth to gameplay.
- Customizable chip system for abilities (weight 0.17): Players can enhance gameplay through a customizable chip system, allowing for ability expansion and difficulty adjustments. This system adds depth to combat and progression.
- Minimal grind with balanced progression (weight 0.08): The game avoids excessive grinding, making progression accessible without mandatory repetitive tasks. This design choice was well-received by players.
- Accessible difficulty with mastery depth (weight 0.08): The game is easy to learn but offers depth for mastery, catering to both casual and hardcore players. This balance was highlighted as a positive aspect.
- Quest design with varied tasks (weight 0.08): Quests include fetch quests, NPC interactions, and combat-heavy tasks, contributing to the game's exploration and narrative depth.
- Superficial RPG elements (weight 0.08): While the game includes RPG elements like role-playing choices, these are often criticized as superficial or underdeveloped compared to its action-focused gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Mixed PC optimization feedback (weight 0.15): Players report varying experiences with optimization, ranging from smooth performance with few bugs to frequent lag, frame rate drops, and black screens. Some users note the lack of official patches for these issues.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.11): The game is praised for its modest PC requirements, running well on older or low-end hardware. This makes it accessible to a broader audience.
- Modding limitations and dependencies (weight 0.08): The game lacks official mod support (e.g., Steam Workshop) and requires third-party mods like FAR for a comfortable experience, which may deter some players.
- Exploitable achievement system (weight 0.04): Achievements can be bypassed by farming gold, undermining their intended challenge and value for completionist players.
- Manageable game size (weight 0.04): The game's install size is considered reasonable and not overly demanding on storage space, which is a minor but positive note.

Recommendations:
- Narrative-driven masterpiece (weight 0.45): The game is highly recommended for players who value deep storytelling, emotional themes, and philosophical narratives. It is praised for its unique blend of stylish combat and existential themes, making it a standout experience for those prioritizing narrative over gameplay polish.
- Patience and persistence rewarded (weight 0.42): Players are encouraged to endure the slow start and initial frustration for a deeply rewarding experience. The game rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to explore all routes for the full narrative payoff.
- Not for action-only players (weight 0.14): The game is not recommended for those seeking purely action-focused gameplay or refined quest design. Combat balance issues and a lack of respect for players' time may frustrate those who prioritize gameplay mechanics over narrative depth.
- Arthouse experience with depth (weight 0.12): The game is described as an arthouse experience that transcends its surface appearance, offering a philosophical journey worth playing despite its flaws. It is not universally appealing but deeply rewarding for the right audience.
- Worth playing long-term (weight 0.11): The game is considered a timeless experience, worth trying even years after its release. It is also deemed a good purchase despite its age or lack of official language support in some regions.
- Spoiler-free experience advised (weight 0.08): Reviewers strongly recommend playing the game without spoilers or preconceived notions to fully appreciate its narrative and emotional impact. Completing the game from start to finish is encouraged for the best experience.
- Specific content highlights (weight 0.07): Players are encouraged to pay attention to specific elements like the song 'Possessed by a Disease' and follow a suggested order for experiencing the Yokoverso universe (Drakengard 3, Nier Replicant, manga, then Nier Automata).
- Moderate playtime and accessibility (weight 0.07): The game offers an average playtime and is described as having a workable size, making it accessible without being overly demanding in terms of time commitment.
- Temporary fixes suggested (weight 0.04): Players are advised to try the learning edition until official fixes are implemented, indicating some technical or balance issues that may impact the experience.

Other player notes:
- Post-apocalyptic android theme (weight 0.05): The setting features a conflict between androids and machines in a post-apocalyptic world, providing a unique narrative backdrop and thematic depth.
- Expanded universe connections (weight 0.05): The game ties into the broader NieR/Drakengard universe through references to other media like mangas, books, and games. This enriches lore for existing fans.
- Encourages deep exploration (weight 0.05): Players are motivated to explore novels, documents, and in-game items to uncover additional context and lore, enhancing immersion and replayability.
- Broad age appeal (weight 0.05): The game is praised for being suitable across multiple age groups, from children to older adults. This inclusivity expands its potential audience and accessibility.
- Narrative-driven save deletion (weight 0.05): The game uses save file deletion as a narrative device, which is a bold storytelling choice that reinforces its themes but may frustrate some players.
- Characters embody human psyche (weight 0.05): The characters are designed to represent different facets of the human psyche, contributing to the game's philosophical and emotional depth.
- Shippable character dynamics (weight 0.05): Specific character pairings (e.g., A2 and POD 042) are highlighted by players, indicating strong fan engagement with relationships and interactions.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Players frequently cite repetitive gameplay elements, such as grindy side quests, generic missions, and an empty open world, as major sources of frustration. Additionally, technical and accessibility issues—including poor PC controls, lack of Chinese localization, and performance problems—compound the negative experience, particularly for beginners.
- Admiration (weight 0.09): The game earns admiration for its high-quality storytelling, voice acting, and artistic direction, with many describing it as one of the best gaming experiences ever. Players also praise its ability to blend genres seamlessly and deliver profound narrative depth and symbolism.
- Awe (weight 0.09): The game's world design, atmospheric music, and emotional storytelling evoke awe, particularly in its later routes and philosophical themes. Players highlight the lingering impact of its narrative complexity and the beauty of its thematic exploration.
- Curiosity (weight 0.08): Philosophical themes about existence, identity, and humanity drive curiosity, along with the game's reputation for multiple endings and layered storytelling. Players are also intrigued by its fandom and the depth revealed in subsequent playthroughs.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): The responsive and fluid combat system, high-quality audio, and narrative depth contribute to player satisfaction. Many also express fulfillment from the game's emotional payoffs, such as the E Ending, and the overall polish of its mechanics.
- Gratitude (weight 0.07): Players express gratitude for the game's transformative impact, including its well-earned endings and the community-driven Chinese patch. Some also credit the game with providing personal support or even life-changing experiences.
- Reflection (weight 0.06): The game's exploration of existential themes—such as humanity, identity, and purpose—prompts deep personal reflection. Players often describe its characters and narrative as mirrors for philosophical questions about life and society.
- Disappointment (weight 0.03): Disappointment stems from the game's prioritization of narrative over interactivity, perceived lack of respect for player time, and outdated mechanics given its price. Some players also criticize the lack of depth in certain character arcs and visual design.
- Attachment (weight 0.03): The game's complex and memorable characters foster strong emotional attachment, with players frequently highlighting their depth and relatability.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): The post-apocalyptic world design, atmospheric music, and impactful storytelling create a deeply immersive experience for players.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Anticipation for the game's story, multiple endings, and unique moments—such as the E Ending—generate excitement. Players also describe surprise and emotional impact as key drivers of this emotion.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Unexpected narrative twists and the depth of the story exceed player expectations, leading to moments of surprise and revelation.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Engaging gameplay, a memorable soundtrack, and meaningful character interactions contribute to feelings of joy and enjoyment.
- Emotional turmoil (weight 0.01): The game's existential crises, plot twists, and heavy themes provoke intense emotional turmoil, leaving players grappling with its philosophical and narrative weight.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Players develop strong affection for specific characters, such as Emil and Pascal, due to their depth, relatability, and emotional arcs.
- Contemplation (weight 0.01): The game's heavy philosophical themes—such as the nature of life, society, and ethics—prompt prolonged contemplation and introspection.}