NieR: Automata’s Philosophical Flair

An exploration of the game’s themes and ideas

13 min readDec 20, 2020

I don’t often play a game that immediately prompts me to write. At times, I might force myself to push out something for the mere feeling of productivity. With that being said, there are other times, such as now, which exist solely when inspiration and passion flow through from a specific source. More often than not, these streaks of expressiveness are started by an inspirational piece of media. With this excitedly written article, PlatinumGames’ Japanese Role-Playing game NieR: Automata is the catalyst.

As many, many other humans, my thoughts wander around, dancing on controversial and subjective topics. These contemplations can end up being harmful, leading me into a depressive or pessimistic view of the world. This, of course, is a very fitting introduction for a theme of philosophy. It’s pieces of media like NieR: Automata that help me feel understood in those trying times, giving me an answer, an unlikely answer, to the burning questions that plague my mind.

The first few lines of the game, spoken by the first of the three protagonists, 2B, sets the tone for the entire story. A nihilistic view of life is one that has taken grasp of 2B. Why, though, does our questionably sexy android protagonist harbor such a view of the world? To understand that question, one must understand the general plot of Yoko Taro’s (the main director of the game) cleverly written story. At this point, the majority of the remaining bit of this article is spoiler heavy, so if that bothers the reader, avoid continuing forth. If not, a summary of NieR: Automata awaits.

The Genius of NieR’s Story

NieR: Automata is actually a sequel to an original NieR game, which, in itself, is a spin-off Drakengard. The story is that of a proxy war spawned by, as the game tells us, humanity and mysterious “aliens”. The player takes control of three protagonists, 2B, 9S, and A2, all members of an android unit known as “YoRHa”. Unbenknownst to a majority of YoRHa members as well as the player, the YoRHa unit wasn’t actually created by the remnants of humanity. YoRHa, was in fact, created as a shroud to hide a daunting fact. Humanity has become extinct.

The existential crisis that the androids face amidst this extinction of humans is clear, once the player realizes the truth of Project YoRHa. Androids were created by humans, for humans. To serve them. A set and defined purpose, one that makes the androids happy to dutily serve. When humanity went extinct, this purpose was lost, and morale among androids quickly diminished. Elite androids recognized this loss of purpose and, as such, created a false narrative. One that portrays the lie of a colony of humans still existing on the moon. As such, Project YoRHa was created to “take back Earth”. In actuality, this elite team was created to reinforce the false narrative and give purpose to every android.

Yoko Taro’s theme of existentiality is clearly at play here. The theme itself isn’t only present within the game’s central plot, but throughout the story as well. 2B, 9S, and A2 all come across machines and androids who are doing their best to find purpose in a world without one. Rather than discussing each and every example, it’s best to provide one that portrayed an example of purpose.

Simone is a machine located at the Amusement Park. She is a boss that 2B and 9S fight, ultimately resulting in her demise. Simone lures androids and machines into her amusement park, where she “consumes” them to adorn herself with their parts. These cannibalistic atrocities do not happen out of pure malice. Simone, like many machines in the world of Nier: Automata, yearns for purpose. She finds it in her unrequited love for fellow machine Jean-Paul. Before decorating herself in corpse ornaments, Simone was a basic machine, akin to the ones players come across throughout the world. It was only through her intense infatuation of Jean-Paul and the adamant goal to gain both his attention and affection did Simone find purpose. This purpose was later elevated into becoming as beautiful as possible, through any means necessary.

Simone’s intense desire to be beautiful in the eyes of the machine she revered drove her down a path of madness and destruction. While this isn’t necessarily something that happens today, an obsession with beauty and conventional attractiveness is a clear aspect of society. Regardless of this allusion, a question is posed. Why are machines and androids looking for meaning?

Humanity as a State of Being

Yoko Taro’s work presents multiple non-human characters with human-like characteristics, essentially personifying them. One thing that struck me as genius as I played was this particular trope, simply because of how well done it was. While attempting to tell a story about humanity and the absence of purpose, NieR: Automata uses non-human characters. The androids and machines alike mimic humanity, envying the evident drive they had to live, love, and more. This provides the audience with an empty slate to observe androids and machines alike struggle with purpose, failing again and again. When Simone eventually perishes, Adam and Eve’s quest for knowledge falls through, and the robotic cult who aims to commit suicide to “become as Gods” crumbles, the player slowly recognizes the inevitable fate of those who struggle for purpose.

To harbor such thought-provoking concepts, NieR: Automata draws from various philosophical and psychological sources, providing a historical corroboration to the ideas being portrayed. Through my time playing the game, it was made apparent to me that Yoko Taro drew from the philosophical view of nihilism through the works of German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s central argument is that “God is Dead”. Rather than speaking of an actual God, Nietzsche is hinting at the idea that we, as humans, have reached a point where science and analytical thinking effectively rationalized God out of plausibility. This, in turn, removes the purpose of humanity when looking to religion.

Nietzsche’s ideas are scattered through NieR: Automata, mainly through the aforementioned androids and robots searching for their purpose. As with any philosophical message, debate is commonplace, so the application of these ideas isn’t shy of conflict among those who discuss it. Luckily, NieR: Automata provides a simple explanation, one that I couldn’t agree with more. Arguing this seems nearly counter-intuitive and begs a question: how does a game so depressing shine through with hope?

Gloomy isn’t strong enough of a word to describe the setting of Nier: Automata. Playing this game, at times, is simply depressing. The color palette, while strangely beautiful, is dull. The world is dead, destroyed, and dangerous. Almost all of the turn of events left me unsatisifed, or sad. NieR: Automata presents a dejecting world, but without this disconcerting setting, the overall message of the game doesn’t land nearly as well.

The aforementioned quote by 2B doesn’t come out of pocket. 2B’s given purpose by YoRHa is to execute 9S the closer he gets to discoverying YoRHA’s treacheorus secret. 9S then returns to the Bunker with a fresh body and memory, starting this cycle of murder over again. 2B grows to resent her position, but accepts it as reality. She develops hidden feelings for 9S, while he develops an obvious crush on 2B, making the situation a lot more emotional and complicated. Everytime 2B is forced to kill her closest friend, he completely forgets about her, while all of his memories remain with 2B herself. This turns 2B into a stoic and distant android, an apparent product of the trauma she is put through over and over. 9S eventually learns the truth of 2B’s job around the time of her death, which leaves him emotionally distraught. It’s up for interpretation whether he loves or hates 2B, but his feelings for her are much more complex than simple definitions.

Romantic tragedy is the crux of 2B’s indisposition. She hates God because of the torture she is put through, ending the life of her love time and time again. It’s only upon her death does 9S recognize the truth. Depressing, right? It gets better. 9S is effectively blinded by his hatred for A2 for the rest of the game, simply because A2 ended 2B’s life per her request. The game ends with the two protagonists facing off. Choosing either grants different endings, both of which are subjectively dissatisfiying.

Not All for Naught

The true ending, however, is acquired by experiencing both endings. Ending E, [E]nd of YoRHa. Each android is accompanied by a “Pod”, which is essentially a personal assistant robot. The two pods that accompanies 9S and 2B convene within the credits of the game, asking the player to perform a data check. Project YoRHa dictates that all units’ data must be deleted, but Pod 042 denies 153’s request to delete all data. After some debilitation, Pod 042 convinces Pod 153 to go through with protecting the data of the protagonists, explaining that they experienced emotion. The pods recognize how irrational this claim is. Emotions among artificial intelligence creates a paradox in itself. It is irrational for androids and robots to experience emotion, but denying that they do is also irrational, as you are essentially arguing against a fact presented in the story.

What transpires following this conversation left me, and many other gamers, inspired and emotional. The player is put into a strenuous bullet hell mini-game reminiscent of the various hacking mini-games that players experience throughout the story. This time, though, the game is particularly difficult. So difficult, in fact, that it isn’t expected for the player to win. They lose continually until the player is prompted with questions. “GIVE UP HERE?” “DO YOU ACCEPT DEFEAT?” “IS IT ALL POINTLESS?” “DO YOU ADMIT THERE IS NO MEANING TO THIS WORLD?” these questions pop up each time you are defeated.

Screencap of ending [E] via u/Bait_Za_Dusto.

Eventually, the game states that a “Rescue offer was received”, giving the player the option to accept or deny it. As inspirational messages that players themselves have chosen appear on the screen, the cursor that is controlled becomes surrounded by more. Each time you take damage, the game states that “player’s data was lost”, culimnating in the loss of many friends, all so the ending can be received. This, on top of a beautiful song named “The Weight of the World”, creates a suprisingly emotional scene.

Following the triumphant success of the player, the pods are seen flying through the world. They state the following: “Everything that lives is designed to end. They are perpetually trapped… in a never-ending spiral of life and death. However… life is all about the struggle within this cycle. That is what we believe.” Personally, this is what I interpreted as a direct message from the directors of this game. A simple answer to a question that fills people with angst. What is our purpose?

The game ends with scenes of 2B, 9S, and A2 seemingly alive, reconstructed by the pods as a direct effort of the player and the sacrifices of other players. Finally, you are given the option to delete your save data as a sacrifice to help other players who are struggling to finish the game.

NieR: Automata’s answer to an absence of purpose is simple. Not everything needs to be explained. Purpose is found through little things, through the struggles we go through in our day-to-day lives. Purpose is found through compassion and love. This straightforward and uncomplicated meaning is something that moves many who play the game, yet the idea itself is not profound; it is elementary. The execution of said idea, the true impact of it, is extraordinary.

NieR: Automata presents a daunting world of death and destruction, a depressing story of an android who is forced to kill the one she loves countlessly, and a sad conclusion where all of our heroes who struggles so very much to find purpose fail and die, but wraps it up in a comforting little blanket of hope through love. The beauty of this storytelling makes playing video games that much more rewarding and places NieR: Automata in a well-deserved position as one of my favorite games to date.

With video games growing and changing over the years, it’s becoming more apparent that “entertainment” isn’t the only purpose these cleverly decorated lines of code provide. From 16-Bit arcade titles, all the way to bombastic cinematic pieces of art, video games today can be looked at as pieces of inspiration. Games like NieR: Automata shine as fruitful examples, celebrating humanity through their novel storytelling and dynamic, wonderous worlds.

NieR: Automata’s Philosophical Flair

An exploration of the game’s themes and ideas

The Genius of NieR’s Story

Humanity as a State of Being

Not All for Naught

Written by Bsalardoh