Traditionally Yoko Taro games have had weak gameplay and strong story. Nier auto was the first one to actually have some decent gameplay due to it being done by platinum. I think compared to other Platinum games, the Nier's game mechanics is roughly average Platinum. The strength of Nier auto is that it has good enough game play to not distract from the great story telling told through gameplay that Yoko Taro has been trying to do since Drakgengard.
The story of Nier auto is about breaking the cycle of fate and how to find meaning in "life" for androids and machines. A lot of what makes Nier auto's story great is the execution of story telling through gaming. Nier auto does everything it can to lead you into thinking its a traditional story with a standard gameplay loop and building you up as the key hero against the machine invasion after the first 2 endings/chapters.
Then the game really begins. And thats where you break with all the preconceived notions of what the game seemed to be about up until that point, along with probably a dozen other gaming tropes, and you feel the helplessness both in game and in story at that moment. Everything that was set up as a comfy gameplay loop is tore away and desperation just to survive takes over.
Afterwards, there are major shifts in tone, gameplay, environment, story, characters, etc. The remaining game's story builds to a climax that is probably of one the best payoffs in gaming history and is why this is considered a master class example of the gaming medium as art.
Nier automata is one of the most subversive games I've ever played over 30 years of gaming. The fact you played like 1-2 hours and dropped it doesn't qualify you talk about the game not having a unique story.
I can get you don't like gameplay or whatever and find it boring. But formulaic and predictable are the least descriptive words for this game.
The story of Nier auto is about breaking the cycle of fate and how to find meaning in "life" for androids and machines. A lot of what makes Nier auto's story great is the execution of story telling through gaming. Nier auto does everything it can to lead you into thinking its a traditional story with a standard gameplay loop and building you up as the key hero against the machine invasion after the first 2 endings/chapters.
Then the game really begins. And thats where you break with all the preconceived notions of what the game seemed to be about up until that point, along with probably a dozen other gaming tropes, and you feel the helplessness both in game and in story at that moment. Everything that was set up as a comfy gameplay loop is tore away and desperation just to survive takes over.
Afterwards, there are major shifts in tone, gameplay, environment, story, characters, etc. The remaining game's story builds to a climax that is probably of one the best payoffs in gaming history and is why this is considered a master class example of the gaming medium as art.