izigame.me

Listen to me, this is the only review that you will need in order to decide whether or not you should buy this game.
Keep in mind that this game is not for everyone. Do not listen to the fanbase; In my opinion, the game is just a great excuse to tell a very good and intricate story.
I will try to avoid typing a wall-text, although it will be hard. Also the review is spoiler-free.

Setting Up

You can enhance your game experience by using the HD Texture Pack Mod and Special K. Also, this is a very personal preference but, YOU MUST CHANGE the voices to Japanese. Trust me, it is a huge upgrade (unless you hate Japanese).

Story

The game is set in the year 11945, where the humanity has abandoned Earth and fled to the Moon after it was invaded by aliens using a powerful machine-lifeforms as weapons. To reclaim our planet and fight against the machines, the Council of Humanity creates YoRHa, an elite military force of androids.
NieR:Automata™ has one of the best stories that I have ever seen, blending sci-fi with existential philosophy to create a thought-provoking narrative. It is totally worth playing just for that. However, I must admit that at beginning I had to force myself to play because the game didn't hook me at all. After reaching a certain point of the story, I just couldn't stop playing.
Most people will tell you that you must finish the game multiple times in order to enjoy it. Well, that's not true. A single playthrough is enough, just aim to reach lvl +50 while naturally playing.

Gameplay

The game is set in an open world full of secrets, enemies, resources and quest. The side-quest are a little bit repetitive and lacking in variety, also completing some of them may require a lot of backtracking at the beginning of the game, which can be a pain. Fortunately, at some point you will unlock teleports which make it much easier to get around and complete quests.
You can customize your character with unique weapons, plug-in chips and special pod skills.
The combat system is a great mix between hack-and-slash and bullet hell games. However, once you have a consistent weapon and plug-in chip loadout, it becomes extremely easy (in my case, I was one-shotting everything, even bosses! that's why I said that the game feels like an excuse to tell a story).
Just take note that many people complain that the game's scenarios are poor and empty. But let's be realistic: We are in a dystopian world with a well-crafted and well-told storyline, so it makes sense for the world to be like that. Perhaps they were expecting to play a different type of game, such as a musou game ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

DLC

The DLC is a great and fun addition that is totally worth playing.
It unlocks three different colosseums (each one with its own rules) that will test your strength.
As you complete the different levels, you will unlock special skins and items. Also, if you manage to complete the higher difficulties, you will unlock an extra ending.
If you are wondering about the DLC name 3C3C1D119440927 it means:
⟡ 3 Costumes
⟡ 3 Colosseums
⟡ 1 Dream
⟡ A date: 11944-09-27 (you must figure out ingame what this date means, just remember that the game starts at 11945-03-10)

Conclusion

I recommend this game if..
You are looking for an immersive and emotional storyline that explores philosophical themes.
You have recently watched the anime.
You like games with multiple endings.
You don’t mind pressing random buttons and still killing everything.
You enjoy completing collectibles such as monsters, items, fish, etc.
You love exploring and discovering the game's deep lore.
I don't recommend this game if...
You are easily bothered by camera issues that can be disorienting during combats or in tight spaces.
You are looking for a challenging game or with frantic action.
You don't like heavy anime-style character designs.
You expect a wide variety of sidequest and enemies.
You are looking for fanservice.
The game is not on sale.