Fans of action-orientated RPGs full of possibilities have been spoilt so far in 2017. Horizon Zero Dawn is a near-enough-future world of recognizable ruin, drawn with uncommon environmental detail, while Breath of the Wild has taken Zelda back to its roots of limited hand-holding and extensive exploration, wowing both series fans and absolute beginners in the process.
And now Nier: Automata presents a depiction of our world several thousands of years from now, cities reduced to hollow, haunted shells and Earth's human inhabitants replaced by rather-more-mechanical beings, many of which are out to destroy the "you" of the experience, an android by the codename of 2B.
Developed by Platinum and published by Square Enix, it's quite the collision of company characteristics. After two healthy play sessions with the game, I'm happy to say that its frenetic combat packs a punch akin to Platinum's own action classic Bayonetta, while also offering a great deal of central story depth and side-quest distractions reminiscent of so many quality JRPGs. I'm hooked right now—which is quite something, given the "competition" of that first paragraph.
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