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This game introduced me to the works of Yoko Taro, and it is an experience that changed me, for this game is truly a masterpiece. I cannot pretend being able to translate everything the game taught me with mere words, but here is what might get you, who doesn't know of this game yet, to play it :

One word : fluidity. Combats are fast-paced and allow great mobility at no expense, attacks connect easily on targets, combos get running flawlessly, for a pleasant, if classic, hack'n'slash experience. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the game, you'll switch from 3D Hack'n'Slash to 2D Brawler, Shoot'en Up, and Dual-Stick Shooter seamlessly. Never the game feels slow, and that's something few games can brag about. Also, you will never see a loading screen in the entire game. Know that the game is split into 3 "routes", the first 2 ones being the same story seen from different perspectives. Don't stop after ending A, you'll have seen nothing.

Now to the most interessant part, the story of Nier: Automata is a heart-breaking tale of androids and machines, at war for millenias, searching for the meaning of life. At a complete opposite to most mainstream games and movies nowadays, where you have an epic story of a group of people fighting the greater evil and winning triumphantly, the story of Nier: Automata lays more in its characters' developpement through the events of the game, and is more of a psychological thriller than anything else. It forces the player to think about its own humanity, and never provides clear answers to existancial questions : at the end of the game, you'll know yourself better than ever, and that's not something that happens often in modern media.

"Yet another open-world". The map itself is not immensely big, but all zones are very distinct and interesting on their own, and everything somehow connects flawlessly. No two places feel the same, but all of them will catch your interest in some way. Some zones also changes dinamically following the events of the game, so they are entirely different depending on when you cross them. Though route B is mostly a rerun of the first part of the game, seen from a different point of view, a lot of secondary content only unlocks there, and while the main story is the same, the new informations you possess makes it a very different experience. Don't go rushing it because "you've done it already", you would miss on a lot of developpement.

First thing first, the PC port is of poor quality, but a few things can improve your experience a lot : the FAR mod and a controller.
Graphics : The game looks like it could have been released 5 years ago, though by all means, games were already pretty at the time. Just don't expect photorealistic textures and lifelike animations.
Controls : You should play it with a controller, not only all genres this game falls into play better with a controller, but the poor port make M+KB really painful. Every movement is extremely fluid, for a smooth and pleasant gameplay.
Performance : The port is awful, and Square isn't willing to do anything, so you will have to download and install FAR, a fan-made patch to basically every problem the game has. With it installed, I never experienced a crash, or anything looking like a bug during my playtime.

The soundtrack is a true masterpiece, in and out of the game. Nothing more to say.

If you play games for their stories, make yourself a favor and buy this game. If you have any interest in human psychlogy or philosophy, buy this game. If you like hacking and slashing your way through hordes of robots, buy this game. If you want to know what all the fuss is about this game, buy it. And once you're done playing it, don't hesitate to die deep into the rest of Yoko Taro's universe, for it is one of the best piece of post modern fantasy Japan (and the world) has to offer.