Initial Thoughts:

If there's any game I've come across in my life that has peaked the epitome of life, this would be the closest bet to it.

Normally, video games tend to deliver a theme of pacifism, meaning, idealism, and purpose in life.

To take the philosophical elements of humanity and then to implement them into an anime-esque cult classic gaming franchise may not be rare. However, to elevate the level of depth with philosophy in video games, especially in reference to real life philosophical arguments and figures is a next level type of execution. It could have failed so badly, but it didn't.

Nier just keeps challenging the player for the search for actual meaning rather than trying to inflict some form of meaning. The whole game's theme is based around existentialism and nihilism- similar to Dark Souls' theme.

I'll update my review in a few months, once I'm done playing the game myself. However, for now, I just want to leave my initial thoughts on this masterpiece.

I'd say this game deserves to be in the same category as Dark Souls, Metal Gear and Silent Hill.

Yoko Taro is one crazy mate.

UPDATE:

I just finished Ending C & D for Nier Automata and am on hold for Ending E. I've yet to touch this game on PC but, I'm still looking forward to playing this game another time. It's probably going to be the same as PS4 since optimisation still sucks for PC.

Afore that, I must say that the story was wonderful, I mean it's Yoko Taro that we're talking about. Let me just put one spoiler out - a very important one for me -.

SPOILER ALERT START:

I did spoil myself a lot of what happens in Automata; however, I'm quite glad that I didn't spoil myself the backstory of Devola and Popola. I loved their characters in the first NieR game and thought they were only doing what they were assigned to do; but in Automata, the novel straight up spills out that there were multiple D & P models and that only one pair's mistake lead to the mistreatment of others. I literally gaped at my screen when met with that epiphany. There are a couple of other spoilers that are very significant to me but, I won't be talking about them here- especially a lot of the side quests.

SPOILER ALERT END.

I don't think I can present an ideal or satisfactory review for this game. There are tons of things that could be said about it, like from the obvious giveaway that Pascal's Village/Amusement Park was literally a humorous depiction of France, or how Hegel's whole design was an antithesis (I'm definitely not making any Hegelian Dialectic puns) to a certain major character from the first NieR. I believe those are points that make up NieR Automata's essence and without them an analysis/review would be incomplete.

I truly don't know how to give a proper verdict to a game as profound as this: I stand by what I said in my initial thoughts. It truly stands up to be in the same category as Dark Souls, Metal Gear, Shadow Of The Colossus, and Deus Ex ( some new additions here). While it may not provide any absolute solution to contemporary human issues, it does attempt to pose stability within our current matrix.

If you've re-read this or reading it for the first time, just know that I may update my 'review' every now and then.

TL;DR - I didn't speak about the gameplay, visuals, or soundtrack. Just fangasmed over how profound the plot and theme are set up. In my opinion, NieR Automata is one of 'The Games Of The Century'.