NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata (Japanese: ニーア オートマタ) is an Action RPG developed by Platinum Games and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. The game released worldwide in 2017: it released in Japan in February, and it set for a March release in the West. It's a sequel to the 2010 video game NieR, and thus a spin-off of the Drakengard series. Set in the year 11945, in the midst of a proxy war between "machine lifeforms" created by otherworldly invaders and YoRHa, androids fighting for the remnants of humanity on the Moon, the story follows YoRHa No. 2 Model B, or "2B" for short, a female-model YoRHa android whose main traits are being calm and composed. Other major characters include "9S" (YoRHa No. 9 Model S), a reconnaissance android who displays more emotion than other YoRHa units, and "A2" (YoRHa Model A No. 2), an obsolete prototype android of 2B's line with a taciturn personality who often chooses to act alone.

Gameplay combines role-playing elements with action-based combat and mixed genre gameplay similar to that of NieR. Notably, series creator Taro Yoko, producer Yosuke Saito, and composer Keiichi Okabe returned to their respective roles in making the game, with Atsushi Inaba acting as co-producer for Platinum Games and regular Square Enix artist Akihiko Yoshida designing the main characters.


 * Action Girl: 2B and A2, on account of them being combat-ready YoRHa androids, who are all shown to be female.
 * Actionized Sequel: Befitting a Platinum Games production, there's decidedly more action and generally more refined combat. On the other hand, it also preserves the RPG elements, story and exploration aspects of the previous games.
 * Believing Their Own Lies:
 * Crazy Prepared: It's strongly suggested that YoRHa
 * Dead All Along:
 * Fling a Light Into the Future:
 * Forever War: The war between YoRHa and the machine lifeforms has been raging for thousands of years by the game's start.
 * From a Certain Point of View: The whole spiel about humanity living on the Moon is correct
 * Genre Shift: It's much more Science Fiction than Fantasy this time around, especially given the virtual nonexistence of magic and how every character is non-organic.
 * La Resistance: There's still a Resistance on Earth that cooperates with YoRHa and continues to fight the "machine lifeforms."
 * Nintendo Hard: The game is noticeably more difficult than NieR, even during the opening prologue.
 * Ragnarok Proofing: The ruins of advanced civilization have held up pretty well for thousands of years. Also somewhat justified in that enough time had passed for technology to have advanced, not to mention that some (be it the "machine lifeforms" or the androids) have maintained some infrastructure to a degree.
 * Turned Against Their Masters:
 * Unexpected Gameplay Change: Continuing the trend from NieR but goes even further, incorporating even more overt Shmup elements (complete with Bullet Hell) into the gameplay.