8 Fatal Flaws That Stop Nier Automata Being A Masterpiece
4. The Never-Ending Hacking Is Such A Grind
Although the hacking mini-game featured in Nier does fundamentally break the flow of Platinum's signature combat, by the time it's introduced after the title's lengthy first act it does somewhat add a bit of variety to repetitive enemy encounters.
For the first hour or so, anyway.
But once the gameplay starts becoming more and more centred around this twin-stick shooter hacking it completely drains the fun out of encountering new enemies at all. Seeing a group of robots in the distance is no longer met with an adrenaline rush but a whimpering sigh, as you know you're going to be forced to play through yet another frustrating hacking challenge in order to progress further in the world.
To their credit, the devs at Platinum probably made one of the best hacking mini-games ever, it's just that after being forced to use it over and over and over again it more than outstays its welcome. Nier already has a problem with repetition, and the reliance on this mechanic in the late game makes the final hours of the title a tortorous slog.