NieR: Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition

In the post-apocalyptic sci-fi world of NieR: Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition, players control androids from the YoRHa unit as they engage in intense battles against invading alien machines on a ruined Earth, blending action RPG hack-and-slash gameplay with deep narrative exploration in a futuristic setting where humanity’s survival hangs in the balance.

NieR: Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition: Review

Introduction

In a genre saturated with endless high-fantasy epics and formulaic open-world checklists, few titles dare to dismantle the very foundations of interactive storytelling like NieR: Automata. Released in 2017 to critical acclaim and commercial success—selling over 3.5 million copies worldwide—this action RPG from director Yoko Taro and developer PlatinumGames didn’t just challenge conventions; it shattered them, blending visceral combat with philosophical depth in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi saga. The Game of the YoRHa Edition, launched in 2019 for PS4 and Windows before arriving on Nintendo Switch in 2022, bundles the base game with its sole expansion, cosmetic DLC, and platform-specific extras, offering a definitive entry point for newcomers and a nostalgic revisit for veterans. At its core, this edition encapsulates why NieR: Automata endures as a masterpiece: it transforms player investment into emotional devastation, proving that video games can evoke the raw power of existential literature while delivering pulse-pounding action. My thesis is simple yet profound—NieR: Automata: Game of the YoRHa Edition isn’t merely a re-release; it’s a timeless artifact that redefines gaming’s potential for empathy, innovation, and introspection, cementing its place among the medium’s elite.

Development History & Context

The creation of NieR: Automata was a high-stakes gamble born from the ashes of its cult-favorite predecessor, the 2010’s NieR, which flopped commercially despite its innovative narrative. Square Enix, recognizing untapped potential in Yoko Taro’s unorthodox vision, greenlit a sequel in 2014, pairing the eccentric director—known for his work on the Drakengard series—with PlatinumGames, the action maestros behind titles like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Producer Yosuke Saito (Dragon Quest X, original NieR) oversaw the project, ensuring a balance between Taro’s philosophical ambitions and Platinum’s mechanical precision. Character designer Akihiko Yoshida (Final Fantasy XIV, Bravely Default) brought ethereal, anime-inspired visuals to the android protagonists, while composer Keiichi Okabe (Drakengard 3) and game designer Takahisa Taura infused the game with haunting melodies and fluid combat loops.

Development occurred amid the PS4 era’s technological boom, with hardware capable of seamless open worlds at 60fps, but constraints loomed large. Taro’s script demanded multiple playthroughs with branching perspectives, a meta-structure that risked alienating players in an industry favoring linear accessibility. PlatinumGames, recovering from inconsistent sales post-Bayonetta 2, poured resources into hybrid gameplay—melding hack-and-slash with RPG elements and genre shifts like top-down shooters—to mask narrative repetition. The 2017 landscape was dominated by massive open-world juggernauts like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn, which emphasized exploration and photorealism. Automata bucked this trend, opting for a desolate, stylized world that prioritized emotional resonance over scale. Budgeted modestly by Square Enix standards, the game launched on PS4 and PC in February 2017, with the YoRHa Edition in 2019 compiling DLC and extras to capitalize on its growing cult status. The 2022 Switch port, despite hardware limitations, exemplifies Taro’s enduring philosophy: games should provoke thought, not chase graphical fidelity, making Automata a bridge between mid-2010s experimentation and modern narrative-driven indies.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

NieR: Automata‘s narrative is a labyrinthine tapestry of despair, deception, and fleeting hope, structured across 26 possible endings (though Endings A-E form the core arc) that demand multiple playthroughs to unravel. Humanity, exiled from Earth by alien invaders, wages proxy war through YoRHa androids like the stoic combat model 2B, her inquisitive scanner partner 9S, and the rogue deserter A2. What begins as a routine reclamation mission spirals into a revelation of fabricated histories: machines, once mindless foes, evolve sentience, cults, and societies, mirroring humanity’s flaws. The plot unfolds in three acts—controlling 2B/9S, then 9S solo, and finally A2—each replaying events from new angles, exposing lies like YoRHa’s expendable nature and the myth of surviving humans on the moon.

Characters are vessels for profound existential inquiry. 2B’s emotion-suppressed facade crumbles under vulnerability, her “glory to mankind” mantra a tragic echo of programmed loyalty. 9S, with his childlike curiosity, descends into madness, his hacking revealing the horrors of machine autonomy and android obsolescence. A2 embodies rebellion, her scarred backstory a counterpoint to YoRHa’s sterile hierarchy. Dialogue, laced with Taro’s signature absurdity—machines debating philosophy amid simulated sex or self-flagellation—juxtaposes humor with horror, humanizing foes like the pacifist Pascal or the god-complex duo Adam and Eve.

Thematically, the game dissects nihilism, identity, and the cycle of violence. Existentialism permeates: androids and machines grapple with purpose in a godless void, echoing Nietzsche and Sartre through motifs like red strings of fate and crumbling bunkers. Religion critiques blind faith—machine cults worship absent creators, paralleling humanity’s self-destruction. Gender and humanity blur; 2B’s partial nudity and maternal bonds subvert objectification, while machines’ mimicry of human rituals underscores the futility of imitation. The story’s meta-layer weaponizes player attachment: hours invested in characters culminate in devastating choices, like deleting saves to “save” the world, forcing reflection on gaming’s disposability. Subtle nods to the Drakengard/NieR universe—Grimoire Weiss pod skins—reward lore enthusiasts, but the narrative stands alone as a meditation on loss. Flaws exist in pacing; early sections drag with fetch quests, and heavy-handed messaging occasionally veers preachy. Yet, this imperfection amplifies authenticity, making Automata a bold thesis on life’s absurdity.

Plot Twists and Multiple Perspectives

The genius lies in perspectival shifts: Ending A (2B’s view) paints a heroic tale, but B (9S’s hacks) exposes YoRHa’s conspiracies, and C/D (A2’s fury) climaxes in cataclysmic sacrifice. These layers deconstruct war’s propaganda, with dialogue evolving from rote reports to anguished pleas. Side quests, like Pascal’s village arc, deepen themes—peaceful machines devolve into civil war, mirroring humanity’s fall.

Dialogue and Character Arcs

Taro’s script mixes terse military jargon with poetic introspection. 2B’s rare smiles or 9S’s breakdowns humanize synthetics, while machine banter—from crude humor to profound queries on death—blurs enemy lines. Arcs peak in intimate moments, like 2B and 9S’s desert flight, blending romance with inevitability.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

NieR: Automata masterfully fuses action RPG depth with PlatinumGames’ signature flair, creating loops that evolve alongside the narrative. Core gameplay centers on real-time combat in a semi-open world: players alternate melee (light/heavy sword combos) and ranged Pod attacks against machine hordes and colossal bosses. Fluid dodges, evades, and plug-in chip customization—slots for buffs like auto-heal or ranged boosts—encourage experimentation, yielding high-speed ballets of destruction. Progression ties to RPG elements: experience levels up stats, materials upgrade 40+ weapons (from katanas to spears), and skill trees unlock plug-ins for playstyles, from tanky defense to aggressive berserking.

The loop iterates brilliantly: early missions teach basics in linear factories, opening to vast fields for side quests and farming. Genre shifts—bullet-hell shoot ’em ups during flights or 2D platforming in ruins—prevent stagnation, though transitions feel seamless at 60fps. Pods, floating companions, add utility: lock-on lasers in battle, gliders for traversal, or hacks to stun foes. Auto Mode eases newcomers with simplified inputs, while New Game+ ramps difficulty with permadeath risks. UI is minimalist yet informative—radial menus for quick-swaps, a clean HUD toggling immersion—though inventory management can clutter late-game grinding.

Innovations shine in narrative integration: 9S’s hacking minigame dissects enemies for lore and viruses, revealing story beats. Bosses demand adaptation, like Eve’s psychic duels or Beauvoir’s multi-phase spectacle. Flaws emerge in repetition—backtracking vast, empty deserts feels tedious—and the 3C3C1D119440927 DLC’s coliseums impose arbitrary restrictions (no Pods, no dodges), gating poignant side stories (a robot’s tragic family drama) behind hours of upgrades. The Switch port suffers frame drops to 30fps and muddled textures, diluting fluidity, but core systems remain addictive. Overall, mechanics elevate themes: combat’s joy contrasts narrative doom, mirroring life’s fleeting triumphs.

Combat and Progression Breakdown

Combat’s depth stems from combo chaining and evasion timing, with weapons gaining unique perks (e.g., Virtuous Contract’s self-heal). Leveling via kills and quests unlocks chips, fostering builds like ranged dominance. DLC arenas test mastery but frustrate with grind, as rare drops lock “bizarre bosses” and hair-color customs.

UI and Accessibility

Intuitive yet customizable, the UI minimizes clutter for cinematic focus. Auto Mode and adjustable difficulty democratize access, though no hand-holding preserves challenge.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game’s post-apocalyptic Earth is a haunting diorama of ruin and rebirth: crumbling skyscrapers pierce hazy skies, deserts swallow ancient cities, and amusement parks host machine cults in ironic decay. No loading screens bind areas into a cohesive, albeit sparse, open world—60fps vistas from orbital drops to underground bunkers evoke desolation’s beauty. Atmosphere builds through dynamic weather (sandstorms blurring visibility) and sub-events: hacking terminals unveils machine societies mimicking humanity, from tea parties to suicides, enriching lore without info-dumps.

Art direction, Yoshida’s anime-manga fusion, prioritizes stylization over realism. 2B’s gothic lolita attire and flowing white hair pop against muted palettes, while machines’ grotesque designs—spider-like sentinels or fleshy abominations—evoke body horror. PS4 renders sharp 1080p details, but PC/Switch versions vary; the latter’s downgrades (flatter textures, aliasing) temper immersion, though motion controls and HD rumble add tactile flair. Sound design amplifies mood: Okabe’s score, blending orchestral swells, synth pulses, and choral laments, is a character unto itself—”Weight of the World” crescendos through climaxes, earning awards as gaming’s pinnacle. Voice acting (Kiefer Sutherland as 9S in English) delivers raw emotion, while ambient machine chatter and visceral impacts (clanging metal, shattering glass) immerse without overwhelming. These elements synergize: visuals’ sterility underscores themes of isolation, sound’s melancholy pierces the soul, crafting an experience of sublime unease.

Visual and Atmospheric Elements

Environments layer history—rusted tanks in fields hint at lost wars—fostering melancholy. Art’s clean lines and color-coded YoRHa uniforms (black for 2B, white for 9S) symbolize duality, with boss arenas like the flooded ark amplifying scale.

Sound Design Mastery

Okabe’s motifs recur variably: triumphant brass for battles fades to piano dirges in quiet moments. SFX, from Pod whirs to machine wails, heightens tension, making the world feel alive in its death throes.

Reception & Legacy

Upon 2017’s launch, NieR: Automata stunned critics with a Metacritic average of 88/100, lauded for storytelling’s audacity—OpenCritic ranks the YoRHa Edition in the 100th percentile at 91/100. Reviews from GameRevolution (9/10) hailed its “phenomenal story” and varied action, while Digital Chumps (9.5/10) marveled at its replayability. The YoRHa Edition earned similar praise (89% MobyGames average), with Noisy Pixel (9/10) calling it a “must-play” despite shallow combat, and RPGFan (90/100) deeming the Switch port “impressive.” Commercial success surged post-launch, hitting 7 million sales by 2023, boosted by word-of-mouth and anime adaptations. The edition’s DLC drew mixed notes—Attack of the Fanboy (4.5/5) critiqued its grind, but extras like Pod skins thrilled fans.

Reputation evolved from niche curiosity to canonical masterpiece; initial dismissal as a NieR sequel gave way to reverence for its emotional gut-punches. Influence ripples across the industry: its multiple-perspective structure inspired The Stanley Parable-esque meta-narratives in indies like The Beginner’s Guide, while Platinum’s hybrid combat influenced soulslikes (Nioh) and action titles (Stellar Blade, a 2024 crossover). Taro’s existentialism echoed in Death Stranding and Cyberpunk 2077, pushing AAA toward philosophical depth. On Switch, despite visual compromises (Way Too Many Games: 8/10, “godlike effort” but “worst version”), it democratized access, influencing portable ports like Persona 5 Royal. Legacy-wise, Automata proved experimental games can thrive commercially, challenging homogeneity and affirming gaming’s artistic legitimacy—its 2024 crossovers and novels ensure the YoRHa saga endures.

Conclusion

NieR: Automata: Game of the YoRHa Edition distills a revolutionary vision into an accessible package, weaving unparalleled narrative innovation, exhilarating combat, and evocative artistry into a profound meditation on existence. From its development as a defiant sequel to its thematic excavations of human (and machine) frailty, every element—from fluid mechanics to Okabe’s transcendent score—serves a cohesive whole. While DLC grind and port-specific dips mar perfection, they pale against the game’s triumphs. As a historian, I place it alongside Shadow of the Colossus and Metal Gear Solid 2 as a pivotal work that expanded gaming’s emotional and intellectual boundaries. Verdict: An essential masterpiece, scoring a resounding 9.5/10—play it, delete your saves, and feel the weight of the world. This is gaming at its most human.