Great article and explanation on why Proton and its components are such a game changer. Thanks for sharing!
Ironically, Nier Automata is only listed as “playable” on Steam Deck.
That’s only because the game requires entering text with the on screen keyboard.
Is this one worth playing?
Need something for after the Witcher.
Nier Automata has, IMO, the best story to exist in game format. Gameplay itself isn’t anything special but it’s fun enough to keep you engaged, but the story is the real reason to play this game.
Can’t recommend this game enough.
Well that’s high praise.
And also justified praise.
There could never be a story like Nier Automata on any medium outside of gaming, and there probably is no story like Nier Automata anywhere else in gaming right now.
Also, clicking robots is pretty fun.
I’m going to be the contrarian and say no, I don’t recommend it. I found it both pretentious and superficial.
That being said, everyone has different tastes. If you’ve watched and enjoyed Neon Genesis Evangelion then you’ll probably enjoy it because it caters to the same crowd.
Another recommendation I have is to not let the fanbase pressure into playing more than you want to. If the game starts feeling like a slog then just move on to something else. My theory is that the game gets such high praise is because almost all of the people who didn’t like it just stopped playing when it got boring, so the fans have near total control of the narrative.
And before anyone tries to belittle my opinion: I got to the end of Route C before quitting. I got past the gimmick of “multiple endings” and it was clear to me that there was nothing the game could do that would make me change my mind. Please understand that not everyone has to like the things you like.
Great feedback. How many hours would you estimate it took you to make your conclusion?
Like, do I have to fully commit before I’ll be able to assess the game?
I spent about 40 hours on it. Within the first 12-15 hours I was already feeling pretty meh on the game overall. The combat was decent, but there was just a lot of traversal back-and-forth which made me really tired of the environment, even though there’s some areas that are fairly unique.
Plus there were a ton of game design choices that I disagree with, such as how flight sections were done and the hacking minigame (which becomes required for a lot of enemies in second and later playthroughs).
As for fully committing, the first playthrough is about 15 hours. The first playthrough was alright, and I’d have a much more positive opinion of the game had I ended it there.
