Released in 2017, Nier Automata launched to a fair amount of praise thanks to its engaging main narrative, stylish combat and blend of gameplay genres. There was no real indication that it was coming to the Nintendo Switch until the official announcement in June this year. It’s been just over three months since then but it has certainly been worth the wait. Nier: Automata: The End of Yorha Edition is one of the best ports on the platform.
The narrative is set far into the future and focuses on androids 2B and 9S, who are part of an elite android military force called Yorha. The Yorha forces are commanded from the Bunker, a base that orbits above the Earth, and fight alongside the Resistance to drive back the Machine invaders from another world. This is all done on behalf of the remaining humans stationed at the Bunker.
For fear of spoiling the plot, I’m not going to reveal too much as it’s best experienced first-hand. It branches off in a number of directions, tackles themes of Existentialism and features nods to the real world and its history. Nier: Automata also requires you to play through the story multiple times and it explicitly tells you this, however, these subsequent playthroughs bring about new changes and twists. Initially, it does start off a bit slow, but once it gets going it showcases some fantastic storytelling.
In terms of gameplay, Nier: Automata – The End of Yorha Edition features a blend of different genres. From the outset, it’s presented as a fast-paced action game with some RPG elements but continues to evolve over time, yielding some nice surprises. There’s a nice balance of hack and slash, puzzle solving and even ventures into some bullet-hell type gameplay. It’s quite a satisfying experience, especially since it keeps changing things up. It’s also incredibly cinematic while being a bunch of fun to play, something that Platinum Games does very well.
As mentioned before, Nier: Automata also indulges in some RPG elements. This extends from gaining XP from each kill to taking on side quests and upgrading your weapons. As you defeat enemies, you’ll level up after earning enough XP and this will allow you to take on side quests you may discover when exploring one of the many environments the world has to offer. It should also be noted that side quests are presented as a blip with a question mark on the map and don’t provide you with a suggested level, so it’s worth noting it for later if you stumble into a fight with some high-level enemies.
Aside from levelling up the characters, you can also increase the damage output of your weapons by taking them to a shop and using materials to upgrade them. Additionally, you can install Pod Chips on the androids, which provide buffs to health or movement speed and can even enhance attacks to do more damage or siphon off health from defeated enemies. There is a limit to how many chips you can install at a given time, but it’s nice to have the ability to customise the loadout based on your play style.
Nier: Automata – The End of Yorha Edition comes to the Nintendo Switch and not only comes with the full game, but also all previously released DLC. Three battle arenas and additional costumes are included, in addition to some new costumes and cosmetic items that are exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version.
Of course, one of the biggest questions that pop up when porting a game such as this is, “What is the performance like?” Well, to be completely honest, it’s actually great. Nier: Automata – The End of Yorha Edition runs at 30 frames per second but it is consistent. During my time with it, I never saw any instances of it slowing down, and for a game that showcases some pretty fast, stylish combat, it’s quite impressive. It’s also absolutely beautiful both in handheld and docked mode, however, the former definitely looks a lot prettier. There are some noticeable visual concessions, namely when it comes to some textures, but other than that, it runs well enough to feel like it was made for the Switch.
While playing, there are also some situations where the camera dynamically switches to a side or bird’s-eye view for a different perspective of the action. It’s something that works pretty well in some situations while feeling a little awkward in others. It’s a minor gripe though since it rarely stays that way for long.
The sound is also pretty much up there with the visuals. The voice acting is top-notch and the sound effects are quite satisfying to hear during combat. The soundtrack also stands out and truly suits the theme of the game. There are even some moments during boss fights where the music coincides with a boss attacking in a certain way and this really feeds into the cinematic nature of these battles. It’s excellent.
Nier: Automata – The End of Yorha Edition is a fantastic port and it’s really telling just how much care has been taken when adapting it for the Nintendo Switch. The narrative is memorable and the gameplay features just the right amount of challenge and variety and executes this to great effect. While there are some noticeable visual sacrifices here and there, it performs amazingly both in handheld and docked mode. If you are yet to experience Nier: Automata or just want to replay it while on the go, this is the perfect way to do so.
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