NieR Automata is a masterpiece, plain and simple. There is no angle that this game can be viewed upon in which its unending perfection is not crystal clear. It is the embodiment of a video game, and yet, one of the most thought provoking pieces of media I have ever had the joy of experiencing. It's equal parts hack and slash, bullethell, twin stick shooter, and open zone RPG yet it holds itself together effortlessly forming one of the most coherent experiences to date.

The combat is fluid, and each of the three playable characters differentiate themselves in such a way that experiencing every route just for more gameplay worth it. However, do know, that once those credits roll for the first time, you are all but required to go back and experience Endings B through E. Never have I seen alternate endings enhance an experience to such a degree, and never have those endings kept exceeding even my wildest of expectations.

The game contains expertly crafted meta-commentary on everything from minor aspects of the games industry, to thoroughly crafted examinations of the human experience, life, and love lost. It's story is engaging from the very beginning, and will only sink its teeth in deeper as time progresses.

Lastly, from a technical standpoint, this game is a marvel. Every issue lamented regarding the PC port appears to have been ironed out, with stellar visuals that have aged like a fine wine. Steam Deck support is stellar at a near locked sixty frames per second, without compromising on visuals. When playing at the desktop, the game supports Ultrawide resolutions flawlessly.

I cannot sign this games' praises enough, do yourself a favor. This is a piece of high art that everyone should experience.

Where do I even begin on this game- it's unbelievably good. Guess I'll begin with the TL;DR so here it goes. While a bit of a challenge, Elden Ring gives you a beautiful landscape worthy of exploration, and expansive underground and hidden world to explore. The wide variety of bosses encapsulates and challenges you while rarely reaching a point where you'd consider it unfair. The game gets harder as you get more skilled, encouraging innovation and adaptation regarding your play style especially towards the middle of Act II. This game is everything I could have asked for, and more.

Across my 3 playthroughs (NG++) and 100% achievement completion, I have never found a boss fight or area that didn't immediately captivate my attention. The underground areas such as Nokstella or Deeproot fascinated me, and the rewards for venturing into the more challenging areas match the difficulty expected. Graphics were stunning too, as all areas are visually distinct.

In regard to narrative, there's a lot you need to discover yourself. The lack of a quest log is a generally good thing, as it really makes it seem like you are venturing totally independently. I mean, I beat the game three times and I am still left thinking I missed incredibly large chunks of the game (which is by no means a negative, as it gives me every the reason to play even more than I already have, and leaves discovery for every subsequent play-through).

This game is truly a work of art, and is one of the best games shipped in years. I cannot stress how badly everyone looking for a beautiful world, amazing story, or immense challenge needs to play this game.