I missed out on playing the Drakengard series and other NieR titles before, but even then, the game didn’t make me feel alienated from the franchise, though most likely I’ve missed out on some recurring characters? Terms? Or Easter eggs? But Nier Automata: End of Yorha still offers a full experience in my opinion.

Character design and weapons

Characters 2B, 9S, and A2 are perfectly made, their personality, appearance, voice, and movement were just perfect, I couldn’t ask for anything more. The “Pods” are also the perfect companion, much like animal pets in other games, but these shoots bullets with unlimited ammo.

The weapons, oh the weapons, just thinking about it hypes me up. They went with traditional JRPG weapon system, with different with class/types to choose from, they even have a blacksmith in the game. My favorite pick is the “Engine Blade” from Final Fantasy XV, yes, they made this one available here, and you get the “warp” ability as well. Talk about OP.

An ode to retro Shmups

What surprised me in this game was the incorporation of retro shoot’em ups like “R-Type”, “Gradius”, and those spaceship arcade shooting games like “Galaga”; instead of feeling intimidated by those levels in the game, I’m excited whenever I enter into those modes.

Memorable Music

The music. The music here is incomparable, it’s very immersive and moving; and it plays a big role in letting you feel the ambiance of your current location, whether you’re in the jungle, the desert, or even in the amusement park. I’d say it’s the best collection of game music I’ve ever experience. Uncharted 4 also has banger music gameplay.

Whopping 26 Endings

Nier Automata: End of Yorha had a whopping 26 (letters of the alphabet) different endings (I’m not a fan of numerous playthroughs, so I took the YouTube route). Some of it were worth doing because you didn’t have to do much to get a different one. Aside from the 26 endings, 5 of those (endings A-E) are the game’s main endings and are require to do to experience Automata’s full story.
Ending E however, is the ending of all endings, I don’t want to spoil this, as my experience was very emotional and memorable. A bitter-sweet ending, and a very satisfying one.