NIER:AUTOMATA: ANDROIDS DREAM OF MEANING

9.0 of 10 bananas. Stylish combat, a legendary soundtrack, and a story that keeps changing what it means each time you finish it.

By the Alpha. PS4 Game of the YoRHa Edition listing. Updated Oct 12 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, patch history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: The Amazon button is the PS4 Game of the YoRHa Edition (Square Enix), which bundles the base game with its DLC. At my check Amazon showed it in stock from a third-party seller, shipped by Amazon. Check the seller and price before you pay. The PS4 disc plays on PS5. It is also on PC on Steam, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch as The End of YoRHa Edition.

Sit with me a moment. NieR:Automata needs patience. The first time the credits rolled, I thought I had finished. A friend told me to keep going. He was right. What looked like a stylish android action game turned into one of the most thoughtful stories I have met in this jungle.

What It Wants To Be

PlatinumGames and director Yoko Taro released this action RPG in 2017. Androids 2B and 9S fight machines on a ruined Earth for a humanity that fled to the Moon. It blends fast hack and slash, shoot em up sections, and open world exploration, and its story is built to be replayed from different angles.

What Works

Combat is pure PlatinumGames: fast, readable, and stylish, with dodges, combos, and a pod that shoots while you slash. Keiichi Okabe's soundtrack is one of the greatest in games. The story, without spoilers, rewards every new route with new meaning. 2B, 9S, and A2 are unforgettable. The Game of the YoRHa Edition bundles the DLC.

What Breaks

Listen well. The open world is sparse and gray in places, and many side quests are fetch errands. The first playthrough can feel thin until later routes reveal what is going on. Replaying the opening in the second route repeats a lot. The original PC port had problems that needed a community fix until a 2021 patch helped.

Who Should Play

Play if you love action games with ideas, great music, and stories that ask hard questions. Commit to more than one ending. Skip if you only want pure, tight combat with no repeating structure.

Related: Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy XVI, Devil May Cry 5.

Affiliate note: this Amazon link supports the troop at no extra cost to you. One CTA per review. Platforms listed honestly above.