Nier: Automata is a 2017 action role-playing game created by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. It follows Nier (2010), which is based on the Drakengard series. The game was first released for the PlayStation 4 and Windows through Steam. Later, it was made available for Xbox One in June 2018 and Nintendo Switch in October 2022.
The story takes place during a war between machines created by aliens and androids made by humans. It follows the actions of three characters: combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and rogue prototype A2. The game’s story is revealed through multiple playthroughs, with each one showing new details. Gameplay mixes role-playing elements with fast action combat. It also includes parts from other game types, such as shoot 'em up and text adventure.
Development began in 2014. Yoko Taro, the series creator, and others from the original Nier returned for this game. Akihiko Yoshida, known for work in the Final Fantasy series, designed the characters. The goal was to create a sequel that honored Nier while improving the combat system. PlatinumGames faced challenges in making the gameplay and open-world environment. Yoko Taro wrote the story, which explores ideas about finding meaning in life and why people choose to fight. The game’s text was translated by 8-4, the same team that translated Nier.
Nier: Automata was announced at E3 2015. It included stage plays, novels, and extra content like downloadable items and crossovers with other games. Critics praised the story, themes, gameplay, music, and characters but noted some visual and technical issues. The PC version had mixed reviews because of technical problems that were not fixed until 2021. Sales were higher than expected, and by February 2026, the game had sold over ten million copies worldwide.
Gameplay
Nier: Automata is an action role-playing game where players explore a large open world. In addition to walking around, the game includes scenes with flying mech battles and a special item that allows players to summon wild animals to ride. Characters you cannot control (NPCs) throughout the world give players tasks to complete, and shops in key areas sell items, including ones that help restore health.
Combat uses a real-time system where players attack enemies quickly using light and heavy strikes. Players can combine these attacks into different moves. They can also dodge attacks, which helps them avoid harm or gain advantages when fighting back. A flying "Pod" robot assists the player by firing attacks that can be customized, such as basic gunshots or strong hammer strikes. The first main character, 2B, uses two different weapons. The second main character, 9S, uses light attacks and hacks into enemies. The third main character, A2, can temporarily increase her strength by losing health. Four types of weapons are available: short swords, long swords, bracers, and spears. Players can charge and release attacks with different weapons to deal more damage.
Players earn experience points by fighting enemies, which increases their health, defense, and strength. Customization is done using items called chips, which change the game's interface, add new abilities, or give temporary boosts. Each character has a limited number of slots where chips can be placed. Chips can be bought in shops or collected from defeated enemies. If the player's character dies, they return to the last save point. They can then find their original body and either repair it or collect items and experience from it. If the repair is successful, the body becomes a temporary ally. If not, it becomes an enemy the player can fight. When online features are enabled, players can also find and revive other players' bodies where they died.
At certain points, the game changes style to match other types of games, such as shoot 'em up or text-based adventures. These changes are shown by switching from a normal third-person view to a top-down or side-scrolling view. Some areas require players to jump between platforms or avoid obstacles. The game has 26 different endings: five main endings labeled A to E, and 21 extra endings labeled F to Z. These extra endings, which act like game over events, happen when players perform certain actions, fail to progress the story, or lose battles. Players can choose from four difficulty levels at any time. The "Easy" setting gives access to chips that automatically handle actions like attacking, dodging, and firing the Pod.
Synopsis
Nier: Automata takes place thousands of years after the events of the original game, Nier. It is set in an alternate timeline within the Drakengard series. While it shares the dark atmosphere and multiple story paths of Drakengard, it does not directly connect to other games in the series. The story happens in the year 11945 AD and focuses on a war between human-made androids and an invading army of alien-made machines. Although the androids are not allowed to feel emotions and do not have real names, each one has a unique personality. The YoRHa androids are controlled from the Bunker, a space station orbiting Earth. They fight alongside older androids called the Resistance to stop the machines.
The main character at the beginning of the game is 2B, a calm combat android from the YoRHa group. She is joined by 9S, a male reconnaissance android who shows more emotions than other YoRHa units. Later, the player can control A2, an older attack android who often works alone. The androids are supported by Pod 042 and Pod 153, floating robots that act as ranged weapons. The main enemies are Adam and Eve, twin leaders of the Machine Network, and the Red Girls, a group within the Machine Network. Other characters include the Commander, the leader of YoRHa; Anemone, the leader of the Resistance; Pascal, a peaceful machine; and Devola and Popola, early androids who face discrimination. Emil, a character from the original Nier game, also appears but has lost his memories.
The story is told through multiple playthroughs and different character perspectives. The first two playthroughs follow 2B and 9S as they fight the machines. They help the Resistance by clearing threats and discover that the machines are copying human ideas. They work with Pascal’s peaceful group and battle Adam and Eve, who reveal that their creators were destroyed long ago. 2B kills Adam after he captures 9S. During recovery, 9S finds a glitch in YoRHa’s system and learns that humanity is already extinct. The last humans are stored in a Moon-based server, and YoRHa spreads a myth about their survival to give the androids purpose. After Adam’s death, Eve becomes unhinged and causes chaos. 2B and 9S kill Eve, but 9S is infected with her logic virus, forcing 2B to kill him. 9S’s consciousness survives in the Machine Network.
The third playthrough begins with YoRHa launching a full-scale attack. A logic virus, enabled by 9S’s earlier discovery, infects all YoRHa units except 2B and the restored 9S. 2B and 9S are separated, and 2B becomes infected. A2 finds 2B, who asks her to take her place. 9S, unaware of A2’s actions, vows revenge. A tower built by the machines divides them. Later, the story splits between A2 and 9S. A2, who survived an early YoRHa test, begins to understand the machines after witnessing Pascal’s village destroyed. Pascal asks A2 to erase his memory or kill him. 9S investigates the tower and learns it plans to attack the Moon server. Devola and Popola sacrifice themselves to open the tower, allowing A2 and 9S to enter. They discover YoRHa was designed to lose and that the machines use the war to evolve. A2 learns 2B was actually "2E," an android meant to kill 9S if he uncovered the truth about humanity.
9S, now infected and insane, challenges A2 to a fight. The player can choose to save 9S and let A2 destroy the tower, or let both androids kill each other. If 9S dies, he is offered a chance to join the peaceful Machine Network. After both endings are completed, Pods 042 and 153 refuse to delete YoRHa’s data, leading to a final shoot ’em up section. The game ends with the option to sacrifice save data to help others.
Returning characters like Emil, Devola, and Popola have their own optional storylines. Devola and Popola were punished for their model series’ role in humanity’s extinction and work with the Resistance. Emil lost his memories after copying himself to fight aliens. A group of his copies, now lost, become a secret boss battle. After defeating them, Emil remembers his dead friends and dies.
Development
After the release of Nier, director Yoko Taro and Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito wanted to create a sequel. Saito talked to assistant producer Yuki Yokoyama, who was not interested because Nier had low sales. However, after fans gave positive feedback for Nier, both Square Enix and the main team from the original game wanted to continue the Nier series but wanted to make a game with more action. They contacted PlatinumGames, a company known for making high-quality action games like Bayonetta (2009) and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013). The two companies agreed to work together on the sequel, as long as Yoko Taro was the director and helped with production. This required Yoko to move from Tokyo to Osaka, where PlatinumGames was located. At first, Yoko was nervous about the collaboration, but he felt confident in PlatinumGames because they were excited to work on a Nier game and promised to stay true to the original. Designer Takahisa Taura also joined the team because he had always wanted to make a Nier sequel. PlatinumGames handled most of the game development, while Square Enix supported the project with extra staff and sound design.
At first, Yoko said they planned to make a game similar to FarmVille (2009) for mobile devices or the PlayStation Vita. However, the team decided to focus on the PlayStation 4 instead. Saito and Eijiro Nishimura co-produced the project. Development began in 2014 and included six months of planning. At first, Yoko and PlatinumGames staff had some difficulties working together, mainly because Yoko worked as a freelancer and had different daily schedules. To fix this, the team created a system where Yoko had "free time" to work. The team studied fan and critic feedback for Nier and decided to improve the gameplay, graphics, and character designs. They also kept parts of Nier that were well-liked, such as the music and story. PlatinumGames worked mainly in their offices in Osaka and Tokyo, and they were helped by outside staff, including Yoko.
Yoko was the main writer of the story. Writing the script was the most challenging part of his career so far, and it took nearly five months longer than expected to complete. Yoko was helped by sub-writers Yoshiho Akabane from Highestar and Hana Kikuchi, who worked on Nier and Drakengard 3 (2013). When creating Nier: Automata, Yoko was unsure about including characters Devola and Popola from the original game but later decided to add them. Yoko wanted the story of Nier: Automata to be more "dry" than the emotional story of Nier, focusing on themes like fighting prejudice and unfairness. He also wanted players to interpret the story themselves, as he felt the original game’s antagonists were too humanized. Saito said the team spent a lot of time making the story and character interactions match those of Nier.
Like the original Nier, Nier: Automata has multiple endings, but the conditions to reach them were less strict. Yoko wanted the game’s ending to be happy, which surprised some team members. The final, happy ending was the fifth and last one, which Yoko created only after the characters’ motivations logically led to it. The ending included a shooting sequence during the credits, symbolizing the characters breaking free from a system to find hope for the future. The team also added a feature where players could sacrifice their save data to help other players during the credits, a mechanic inspired by a Coca-Cola campaign in India and Pakistan. This idea made an impression on Yoko, who included messages of encouragement from players around the world in the game.
The team described the game’s central theme as "agaku," a Japanese word meaning "to struggle out of a bad situation." Saito also said the story is about love, which he felt was unusual for a story about robots, who are usually written as non-emotional. Yoko used the androids’ and Machines’ respect for extinct humanity to show how people’s sense of self depends on believing in something else. The negative influence of human history on the factions reflects Yoko’s belief that people often fight and create boundaries even as they advance. A common theme in Yoko’s earlier work is exploring why people kill and how killing affects others. He noticed that people enjoy killing enemies in games, which he believed showed something missing in them. Yoko said the story’s darkness reflects the reality of the world. The narrative includes references to philosophers and thinkers, such as Pascal (Blaise Pascal), Simone (Simone de Beauvoir), and Jean-Paul (Jean-Paul Sartre). Yoko used books by Will Buckingham and Nigel Benson, which explain philosophy and psychology in simple language, as a guide for the story.
Nier: Automata was Taura’s first role-playing game (RPG), as his previous work focused on action games. Taura managed the action-combat system, and designer Isao Negishi created the RPG elements. Negishi and lead programmer Ryo Onishi said making a game that stayed true to Nier was difficult and required changes from their usual style. For the combat system, the team used systems from Nier and added elements from other PlatinumGames titles. Taura’s goal was to improve the combat system and connect it to the story. The basic battle system was completed in two months and then expanded during development. When designing the RPG elements, the team was inspired by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), especially its high-quality side quests. Some parts of the game used a side-scrolling perspective, inspired by the Castlevania series, which Taura liked. For the final boss battle where players choose between 9S and A2, the developers considered removing character abilities based on the choice but decided against it.
To make Nier: Automata easier for new players, the camera automatically adjusted to "comfortable" angles during combat. The developers also included mechanics that let both casual and experienced players enjoy the game. This was the studio’s first open-world game, unlike their earlier linear, story-driven titles. Negishi noted that the game had fewer enemies than their previous titles because of its open-world design, allowing players to enjoy the beauty of the desolate world. The shooting elements were based on "bullet hell" games, and the combat included multiple camera perspectives. The plug-in chips were an updated version of the Word.
Release
In January 2014, after the release of Drakengard 3, Yoko Taro expressed interest in creating a second spin-off from the Drakengard series but did not say if it would be connected to Nier. In December 2014, he confirmed he was working on a new game but did not share more details. Nier: Automata was first announced at Square Enix's press conference at E3 2015 under the temporary title Nier New Project. Later, staff confirmed the game was 10% complete. At the 2015 Paris Games Week trade show, Square Enix announced the game's official title and a planned release date, and showed a gameplay trailer. Square Enix partnered with the Japanese rock band Amazarashi. Hiromu Akita, the band's lead singer, was a fan of Nier and helped create a promotional song called "Inochi ni Fusawashii," which was inspired by the game's world. Yoko Taro supervised the music video for the song.
Yoko originally wanted to name the game Nier: Android, but Square Enix rejected the title because it might conflict with Google's Android operating system. In trailers, some details about 2B's story and A2's role were unclear because footage of A2 with short hair was used for scenes where she was supposed to appear with long hair. To reduce competition, the team delayed the game until late 2016 or early 2017, giving them more time to improve the game. Yoko Taro supported the delay to allow the team to finish the game properly.
Nier: Automata was released in Japan on February 23, 2017, in standard editions and a Black Box Collector's Edition. The PS4 version was released in North America on March 7 and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on March 10. It also had a limited Day One edition and another version of the Black Box Collector's Edition. The game received many negative reviews in April 2017 from Chinese players who wanted a Chinese translation.
The game was released for Windows PCs through Steam on March 17, 2017. Square Enix and PlatinumGames worried about piracy, which might have delayed the PC version. Fans created an unofficial patch to fix graphical and performance issues, but an official patch was released in July 2021. Saito, a developer, said an Xbox One version was considered but later canceled due to low Xbox sales in Japan and a focus on one console. An Xbox One version was later released worldwide on June 26, 2018, with the subtitle Become as Gods Edition. QLOC later ported this version to Windows for the Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass on March 18, 2021.
A Nintendo Switch version was released on October 6, 2022. Saito requested the Switch port to celebrate the game's fifth anniversary after being impressed by Astral Chain (2019), which Taura directed. The port's developer, Virtuos, aimed to keep the game as close to the original as possible but limited the frame rate to 30 fps and made a racing-based side quest easier. Saito accepted the lower frame rate because Astral Chain worked well at that speed. The team optimized sound and graphics to fit the Switch's hardware. Developers compared scenes to ensure the final product matched other versions. At Yoko's request, more costumes and items were added, some inspired by the mobile game Nier Reincarnation. The subtitle Become as Gods Edition refers to the game's final ending.
A downloadable content (DLC) pack titled 3C3C1D119440927 was released on May 2, 2017. It includes extra costumes and accessories based on Nier, hair customization options, new battle arenas, and boss fights with Square Enix and PlatinumGames presidents Yosuke Matsuda and Kenichi Sato. The DLC was unlocked in-game from the chapter-selection screen and required data from a completed playthrough. It was included in the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions and in the Game of the YoRHa Edition, released for PlayStation 4 and Windows on February 26, 2019.
Reception
The original PS4 version of Nier: Automata received "generally favorable reviews" on Metacritic, based on 107 critic reviews. The PC version also received favorable reviews, based on 14 reviews. The Xbox One version earned "universal acclaim," with a score of 90 from 30 reviews. The Switch version received favorable reviews, scoring 89 based on 35 reviews.
Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave Nier: Automata a near-perfect score, praising its themes, gameplay, and other aspects. Janine Hawkins of Polygon praised the game's large scale and how it made players feel small. Nintendo World Report’s Melanie Zawodniak gave the game a perfect score, calling it one of the best ever made due to its story and gameplay. Mollie Patterson of Electronic Gaming Monthly said it was a highly enjoyable experience. Destructoid’s Chris Carter called it a well-made mix of action and RPG elements. GamesRadar+’s Sam Prell praised the story, gameplay variety, and quality. Sullivan described the game as a "crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey" with creative ideas and strong gameplay.
Miguel Concepcion of GameSpot praised most parts of the game, calling its gameplay "the closest thing to a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance." Matulef called it "the most captivating game I've played in ages," despite some flaws. Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life liked the game’s presentation but noted some gameplay elements were not as deep as expected. Game Informer’s Joe Juba said the story and gameplay had enjoyable parts but were sometimes hard to understand. PC Gamer’s Andy Kelly praised the game but criticized the PC version for technical issues at launch.
The story and themes were widely praised, though some reviewers found the pacing and presentation less engaging. Meghan Sullivan of IGN and Eurogamer’s Jeffrey Matulef said it was hard to connect with the android characters. Most reviewers liked the gameplay, but some felt the combat was less deep than previous games from PlatinumGames. The visuals were generally praised, though some noted occasional poor environments or lack of visual detail. Technical problems, such as graphics appearing suddenly, slow frame rates, and long loading times, were common complaints. The music received universal praise. The Switch version was called one of the best third-party ports for the system, despite some expected performance issues and lower graphics quality.
Nier: Automata sold over 198,500 copies in its first week in Japan, reaching number one on the charts and selling more than Nier did in 2010. By April 2017, it had sold over 500,000 copies in Japan and Asia. In March 2017, it ranked ninth in overall sales and sixth on the PS4 chart in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number six on the general software chart. By May 2017, it had sold 1.5 million copies on PS4 and PC. Most sales came from overseas, surprising many because Nier had sold fewer copies. By May 2019, the game had sold 4 million copies worldwide, with an additional 500,000 sold by March 2020, partly due to a special edition release. The game far exceeded Square Enix’s sales goals and helped make Nier a franchise. PlatinumGames said the game’s success, along with its positive reviews, helped the company recover after earlier poor sales. As of February 2026, all versions of Nier: Automata have sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Additional media
During the six-month time before making Nier: Automata, Yoko created a musical stage play named YoRHa, which was performed in 2014. This play takes place in the same world as Nier: Automata and provides background information about the characters A2 and Anemone. Although the stage play was created before Nier: Automata was revealed, the play's writer, Asakusa Kaoru, said it would not exist without Yoko's ideas for the Nier: Automata world. Yoko designed the basic story, and Kaoru wrote the script. For later performances, Yoko revised Kaoru's script to make the plot easier to understand. Asakusa described the play as a side story connected to the larger Nier universe. The team also created more stage productions, including a version with only male characters, a musical version, and an updated version of the original play.
Several books based on the Nier universe were written by Yoko and Jun Eishima, a frequent collaborator who creates extra materials for the Drakengard series. The Black Box Collector's Edition included a novella that retells events from Nier from the perspectives of characters Devola and Popola. Long Story Short is a book that tells the main events of the game, with added comments from characters through monologues. Short Story Long is a collection of earlier short stories in the Nier series, along with new stories about characters from Nier: Automata. These two books were published in North America by Viz Media. YoRHa Boys, based on the male version of the stage play, was written by Eishima and overseen by Yoko. It follows a group of male YoRHa units participating in an experiment to collect data about their behavior.
The stage play was turned into a manga titled YoRHa Pearl Harbor Descent Record, which started being published online by Square Enix's Manga UP! service. Megumu Soramichi drew the manga, and Yoko supervised the story. Square Enix released the first volume of the manga in North America on December 13, 2022. During the fifth anniversary live event for Nier: Automata, an anime television series based on the game was announced. This series, called Ver1.1a, was produced by Square Enix and Aniplex, and animated by A-1 Pictures. It aired from 2023 to 2024 in two parts.
In October 2018, 2B was introduced as a playable guest character in the fighting game Soulcalibur VI by Bandai Namco. The DLC, released on December 19, includes special weapons, abilities, and an alternative white version called "2P." The name "2P" comes from the color scheme used when 2B plays as a second player, and Yoko Taro suggested the "P" stands for Panasonic. Characters from Nier: Automata were added to a content update for Shadowbringers. The story, titled YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse, was planned by Yoko and shared with other writers. It includes three episodes: "The Copied Factory," "The Puppets' Bunker," and "The Tower at Paradigm’s Breach." Additional costumes and appearances based on Nier: Automata characters have also appeared in other video games.
In March 2026, Blizzard Entertainment released a collaboration for the game Overwatch featuring characters from Nier: 2B, 9S, A2, Adam, and Commander White as special outfits for characters in the game. This collaboration was available from March 10, 2026, to March 24, 2026.