NieR Automata, was an Indie based game that grew into a Platformer, almost over night. Their success was not just from their supporters and Square Enix, but from their beautiful music, well crafted open world, and fantastical story telling. I could tell you that character designs really sparked my interest in the dark aura of the game. However, has anyone wondered why they found themselves immersed into this game? The plot seemed simple at first but I can declare from experience, there's a lot more to it than that. So, I encourage you to read this all the way to the end (or possible end). 

When I first discovered this gem, I was amazed on how detailed the story line became as I played it. Before the release, there was a teaser trailer, and a playable demo that gave you a tiny taste of it. This made the game all the more tempting to purchase. The Android you begin with is this dazzling silver-haired girl with a mask over her eyes, named 2B. She's the assassin type android, that is tasked to kill enemies. the game controls were easy and packed with powerful attack modes. There was thankfully no turn-based actions, which made the attacks flow better in the gameplay. Also, 2B's character was very well developed, especially with her personality archetype. I actually liked how she was the Android with all the strength, and her partner 9S, was the one with the high intellect, and hacking skills. And it's nice how this game started with 2B, because when you play the second part as 9S, you can feel the difference in their combat skills as well as their character traits. 

9S and 2B had an interesting situation with their love story, and I liked the way it was written to lead into the main plot. I won't go into a lot on this because it wasn't just their story in this game. The androids you meet all had secrets to uncover, within the game's multiple ending simulation. Honestly, many action rpg games, didn't used to have this kind of storytelling, making NieR one of the first games to have it implemented successfully. The fact that the choices you make for 2B and 9S, cause the story to branch into these multiple endings, made the game more interesting. And since there were about 11 endings total, players could poor over 100 hours into this game, which was great playability at the time. However, even now, this idea was very unique to NieR because the goal was to find out the "true ending" of the story for 2B and 9S. 

Besides the dark romance of the game, the art and music were supremely executed. The music was so hauntingly gorgeous, and orchestrated perfectly to give you a serene and mystic feel for the game environment. So, you can believe me when I say, NieR Automata OST sold out very quickly. Also, the art of the game really sparks the imagination. This world under siege by robots, still seemed to maintain beautiful natural landscapes among the demolished buildings. Certainly a lot of work went into the scenery, character designs, and overall game environment for the open world, that you can almost get lost in it. I even bought the art book; first the Japanese version, and then the long awaited English version, in order to see the detailed designs myself. And for an artist like me, these books are ultimately priceless.

If I were to try and put it into words, I would say the success of the game was achieved by the developers, game artists, and writers working in complete harmony with each other. They were so passionate about the vision for NieR Automata, and I feel that each player can definitely see that in their work. This game is available on PlayStation 4 and PC. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it yet because there may be a potential sequel. And if that is true, I will be ready to buy it in a heartbeat.