10 Best Sci-Fi RPGs Of All Time

6. Nier Automata

Cyberpunk 2077
Platinum Games

Yoko Taro has made some good games. Platinum Games has made some really good games. But Nier: Automata is, on no uncertain terms, the masterpiece of both. 

Nier Automata is a masterclass in science fiction storytelling, an emotional, thought-provoking tale of existentialism and the nature/value of life. You play as 2B, the latest in a long line of android soldiers designed to retake Earth from a planet-spanning army of robots. She and her partner 9S are sent to Earth to investigate a disturbing new development: the robots seem to be developing real sentience. They are not ready for what they will find. 

Nier Automata's story will twist your brain into funny balloon animal shapes, and then, while you're busy trying to disentangle your brain, reach into your chest and break your heart into tiny little pieces. And you'll keep playing because it's also sporting one of the most satisfying combat systems in gaming history. The frenetic pacing that Platinum Games have become famous for reaches its logical endpoint with Automata, resulting in one of the most fun RPGs to play since Kingdom Hearts 2.

If you haven't played Nier: Automata yet, then you should fix that asap. 

 
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Contributor

John Tibbetts is a novelist in theory, a Whatculture contributor in practice, and a nerd all around who loves talking about movies, TV, anime, and video games more than he loves breathing. Which might be a problem in the long term, but eh, who can think that far ahead?