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With the NieR: Automata anime set to premiere on the first full weekend of 2023, fans are incredibly excited to see the hit game’s adaptation come to the small screen. Even those who haven’t played the game before are excited to start the anime series, given how popular and widely praised the game itself is.
However, these fans may be missing out on some key facts and clues that those who’ve played the NieR: Automata game are otherwise privy to. While missing out on these does not necessarily mean that those fans will be lost from the start, having these tips will help to deepen the experience for first-time viewers.
Follow along as this article breaks down 7 key things fans should know about the video game before going into the NieR: Automata anime.
Cruel and unforgiving world, and 6 other things to know about NieR: Automata game before starting the anime
1) The characters aren’t human
Despite their humanoid appearance, the playable characters in NieR: Automata are androids created by humans to fight the invading machine lifeforms. While this is their purpose within the Automata game, they can serve different purposes in other installments in the franchise.
As a result, fans will likely see the anime take this fact to an extreme by showing the lead characters in all kinds of brutal combat situations. While it may be hard to remember considering their uncannily human-like appearance, these characters are indeed robotic beings after all.
2) A depressing and unforgiving world
The world in which NieR: Automata is set is regarded as one of the most vivid and unique in all of videogame history. A general use of gray tones in nearly every structure highlights the rundown structures that players progress through in-game. In fact, the majority of the color in the game comes from the designs of both players and enemies.
The world is also extremely cruel and unforgiving, with several characters meeting sad, unfortunate ends by the time one of the game’s five main endings is reached. Fans can expect the anime adaptation to communicate a similar message of cruelty and unforgivingness.
3) Multiple endings
One of the most unique aspects of NieR: Automata is the various endings that players can push themselves toward by the end of the game. Some of them are joke endings, such as how removing a character’s operating system (OS) chip or eating some mackerel will cause an instantaneous game over.
There are also five main story endings, some of which require specific actions beyond the main questline to be taken in order to be activated. While it’s currently unknown which ending the anime will go with, if they don’t choose to go with a completely original one, fans of the anime can at least play the game and get a new ending if they don’t like what the anime went with.
4) Multiple storylines to play through
Similar to how multiple endings can be reached by progressing through the game in various ways, replaying the game allows players to experience different narratives and perspectives. For example, the first time the game is played, players progress and finish from the perspective of 2B.
However, the second time it’s played, it’s done through the eyes of 9S, with the two playthroughs being from brand new perspectives and experiences. The anime could implement such a tactic by having the series’ first season be from the eyes of 2B, the second from those of 9S, and so on.
5) Players are recorded
At the beginning of the 2B’s playthrough, the first of the game, fans are taken through what appears to be a typical set-up and tutorial segment. However, NieR: Automata makes the absolutely unique decision to, on the second playthrough from 9S’ perspective, have 2B mimic the player’s movements exactly.
Despite being a unique moment in the game, Aniplex could choose to reference it by having a closed-captioned TV style filter used for the camera throughout the first season. This would also provide a unique twist on the series’ presentation which would also play into the core themes and narratives of the world at large.
6) Slice-of-life-like moments
While the NieR: Automata video game undoubtedly focuses on fast-paced combat and progressing the story, it gives fans time to relax and appreciate the game’s polish. Riding a moose or wild boar, hunting for animals with animal bait, and taking up fishing are all activities players can do in their downtime, as well as appreciating the unique scenery.
For as many fights and enemies as there are in the game, there are just as many optional activities to do which provide relaxing moments of normalcy. Aniplex could work this aspect of the game into their anime series by having sections of episodes focus on these slice-of-life aspects, possibly even by adopting some of the game’s less-adventurous fetch quests.
7) 2B’s personality and well-kept secrets
One of the most intriguing aspects of the NieR: Automata game is watching 2B struggle with her assigned role and her personal feelings towards those she fights alongside. She’s forced to safeguard certain secrets about the organization that governs 2B and her android comrades, even at the cost of her own companions' lives.
It’s presumed that she’s doing so at the behest of the remnants of humanity, who are said to be living on the moon in order to escape the machine lifeforms who’ve invaded Earth. However, things aren’t always as they seem, and the anime adaptation is likely to play up in various ways throughout its premiere season.
