Nier Automata's Newly Discovered Secret Cements It As A Timeless Masterpiece
Nier Automata is one of my favourite games ever. That declaration isn’t uncommon. Ever since its release in 2017, Yoko Taro’s masterful RPG has gained a following that dwarfs the majority of its contemporaries, with even Final Fantasy and Persona failing to command the cultural relevance of 2B and 9S when our favourite androids walked into our lives.
Its poignant narrative exploring the meaning of humanity and finding value in your own existence combined with its now iconic aesthetic helped to create a melancholic adventure without rival, and one fans are still enamoured with to this day. I’m right there with them, with not a month going by where the idea of replaying it on a new platform doesn’t enter my mind. The game demands further introspection and a place alongside the medium’s greatest achievements. Now, a new secret has ignited discussion once again.
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Automata is already renowned for subverting player expectations. Like much of Yoko Taro’s previous work, it takes the concept of a video game and uses it to tell stories that wouldn’t be possible anywhere else. 9S and 2B are androids outfitted with a number of chips that represent otherwise pedestrian gameplay mechanics. The user interface, combat system, and even life itself are determined by equippable chips you can remove at any moment. Doing so might even trigger one of the game’s many endings, showing that even the smallest of choices have consequences amidst its post-apocalyptic world.
This is just surface level business though, with specific moments in the game playing with the passage of time and the medium’s dependence on interactivity in ways so marvellous that I
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