NieR: Automata Become as Gods Edition review for Xbox One

Reviewed on: Xbox One

NieR: Automata tells the story of the androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to retake a dystopia led by powerful machines.

Humanity was driven from Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to retake the planet, the human resistance sends a group of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now a war between machines and androids is being fought. A war that may soon reveal a long-forgotten truth about the world.

CAMPAIGN

In a very distant future, aliens invaded Earth with their machines, killing everything that moved. The humans who survived fled to the moon; a few centuries later, they launched counterattacks with YoRHa androids. A combat unit, 2B, and a reconnaissance unit, 9S, are among them. They are sent to Earth to scout, but on arrival they witness something unexpected. Hundreds of robots left on Earth have begun to imitate human life and customs, such as having sex, raising children and everything humans do. This sounds very strange to our robots 2B and 9S. Even though they have been turned into perfect images of their creators, they really haven’t seen any human being, since all the orders the YoRHa units receive are transmitted from the dark side of the moon. This mockery of life created by machines is completely alien to the android duo, but at the same time closer to humanity than anything they have ever experienced.

GAMEPLAY

In NieR: Automata, as you advance through the story, the world gets more free areas, and you run between them doing missions and side missions. So the game never gets tiresome at any moment. Whatever each mission may dictate, it usually involves combat. That’s when NieR: Automata shines the most.

As a combat unit, 2B moves very fast: somersaulting between enemies and slicing them with her katana (or any other weapon you wish). There are no recovery frames in her agile dodge, as it is followed by instant movement, allowing a continuous flow of action. The game doesn’t tell you how to play, since you can create your own fighting style and accent it with plug-in chips, offering abilities like passive self-healing and increased damage. Even HUD elements can be decided by the androids’ customizable chip sets. If you happen to die, a new copy of the character is made at the nearest save station. It’s very handy being an android, but a corpse run to recover your precious installed chips is recommended. The POD, a kind of guide, offers you long-range support and protective character shielding, and can also be customized, strengthening your offense.

The “Boss Battles” are fantastic, worthy of a good hack and slash, with bosses of all kinds, with hundreds of attacks, giant health bars, and practically a battle showcase, sometimes some don’t even fit on the screen.

The game has no autosave function. But if you happen to die, don’t worry, you don’t lose everything if you find your old android. When you die, just make your way to your dead body and pick up your equipment to get it back. 2B can be upgraded with the use of chips. These can be found in many places in the game or bought from vendors. They influence speed, attack and so on.

AUDIOVISUAL

Graphically the game leaves nothing to be desired; they aren’t graphics like we see in Gears of War 4 or The Witcher 3, but it delivers great graphic and sound quality, with a great soundtrack placed perfectly at every moment of the game. We can also highlight the game’s art direction, which is incredible. Each character and each distinct location stands out in its own way, constantly making you explore their beauty and secrets. On the Xbox One X, where this version was tested, the game runs at 4K 60fps with HDR, and it will undoubtedly please the eyes.

CONCLUSION

One year after the PS4 release, NieR: Automata Become as Gods has arrived on Xbox, with all the DLC and a 4K update. For JRPG lovers, and even for those who aren’t fans of this style, myself included. Nier can surprise you, with great visuals, a good story, captivating characters and incredible gameplay. With intense battles and plenty of challenges, NieR: Automata Become as Gods is an almost obligatory purchase for lovers of the genre, and a good buy for those who want to get to know it.

Narrative: 9
Audiovisual: 8
Gameplay: 9