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NieR:Automata Review

First I would like to say I never played any of the other nier games or drakengard games. I know they are connected. But for my gameplay experience it didn't effect me or I didn't felt like I needed to play other games to get the context. Also I want to keep this review spoiler free as much as possible.
Story
Story is basically you play the role of android 2B and her assigned partner 9S as humans try to take the Earth as they take shelter in Moon. Story on surface level feels really simple but the more progress in the game the more you start to see cracks on this premise. What NieR:Automata does very well is asking you philosophical questions and come to conclusions about the actions you make in the course of the game. Overall, the story was stellar and once of a lifetime experience I would say.
10/10
Setting and Environments
NieR has an post-apocalyoptic setting which has tinge of sad but haunting beauty behind it. While some areas can feel colorful and vibrant, some areas feel a bit empty and not as interesting as the other locations. Looking at you desert. Eventhough this is an open-world game it didn't have to be an open-world. In my opinion linear world would fit this game more because sometimes world can feel really empty like you are just going from A location to B location without anything interesting happening.
7/10
Gameplay
NieR might be a story heavy game but still shines in its combat thanks to PlatinumGames experience in this genre. Combat more revolves around weapons and chips(character upgrades basically) while different weapons offer you different playstyles while chips make you empower those builds or if you are struggling with the game help you in certain scenarios. Personally I'm not a fan of the Bullet Hell type of games and NieR has a lot of those still I throughly enjoyed it. Only criticism I can give is you have to finish the game 3 times to truly finish it. Second playthrough takes away a bit of your freedom and limits your playstyle. If you don't like the new mechanic it can be a bit dreading to play. Also eventhough second playthrough has an important part in the story it feels samey and gets boring real quick.
8/10
Graphics
Although this game isn't groundbreaking on it's graphics I would say it looks still beautiful. And it shows you with it's environments and characters. Overall nothing gorgeous but nothing atrocious. Also you can modify the graphics and models with mods to make it more beautiful
7/10
Music
If have to summarize the NieR's music I would simply say 'hauntingly beautiful'. Keiichi Okabe's work on this game elevates most of the areas and boss fight and sometimes even taking the spotlight I would say. Making it an unforgettable experience. I still listen to it this and never get tired of it.
10/10
Overall
NieR:Automata is a great game that I will not forget. It was an experience filled with happiness, anger and sadness. Especially the ending section. I would highly recommend.
9.5/10
Personal Note: I never reviewed a game before but was compelled to it and felt like NieR had to be first. Because of this game's impact on me. So even if you don't like story heavy games I would still recommend you to try because few games can offer you this experience.