NieR: Automata
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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.
- Dead All Along: Thanks to the events of NieR, humanity as we know it is long gone. All that remains of mankind are the androids' "civilization" as well as human genome and memories brought to the Moon. While the aliens responsible for the invasion are also long gone by the time the game takes place, having been killed off by their own creations.
- Forever War: The war between YoRHa and the machine lifeforms has been raging for thousands of years by the game's start. And it's by design on the androids' part.
- 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: It's revealed that the "machine lifeforms" had long since killed their alien overlords.
- 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.