FIFA 19 vs NieR: Automata

When going for that goal-scoring power kick, there's an optional second button press at just the right time after your kick has been charged. If executed properly, it's very satisfying to watch the ball go flying past the goalie. If you mess up the timing, you will miss the shot. It's a simple, but effective risk-reward mechanic that gives you pause to whether or not the extra power in your kick is worth it. While it's definitely a skill that takes a little while to learn and master, scoring goals is definitely more powerful and exciting when you get the timing just right.

Ball handling and physics are more realistic this time around, making controlling the ball, kicking, and performing tricks much more rewarding. As the ball bounces and slides around you, you'll have to actively work to maintain control. This makes pulling off a tricky pass or getting through a wall of defenders require a bit of skill and finesse, and as a result, makes ball control much more engaging and requiring more input from you than previous titles.

There are many fine details which go into making this a truly great experience for soccer enthusiasts. For starters, the players are based on real league players, all with their own unique look and mannerisms, so you'll be able to play with and against all your favorites.

There are 16 stadiums to play in, and they are all modeled after their real-life counterparts down to every little detail. Crowds packed into the stands will realistically cheer for great plays which pulls you into the action, and helps to bring these stadiums to life.

During actual matches, ball physics are realistic, AI reacts intelligently to plays, and all the players have their own unique stats which helps the action to be varied and exciting. All of these small details (and many more) combine to make this one of the most authentic and immersive soccer games currently available.

An especially fun mode is House Rules, where you can turn toggle off various rules (such as fouls or offsides) which essentially means you can make the game as chaotic and hectic as you want.

You're also able to set a wide variety of custom rulesets such as the team who scores a goal loses a player for the rest of the game, custom win conditions, make long range goals count for 2 points, only goals scored by headers count, and more. It takes the base fun of a soccer match and turns the fun up since it lets you get as creative as you want.

The combat in NieR: Automata is fantastic. It has a hack-and-slash feel to it, with an emphasis on agility and showy acrobatics. With the fluid and responsive controls, you can switch seamlessly from using swift attacks with your weapon to devastatingly strong attacks as you combo them together. You also use customizable ranged missile attacks from your personal robot pod, such as powerful laser beams or a giant hammer attack. It can be difficult to win battles sometimes, especially on the harder gameplay settings, but it's worthwhile to keep at it and watch yourself progress and improve.

NieR: Automata's outlook on storytelling is incredibly special. To get the full experience, you have to run multiple playthroughs of the game, each of which offers a new experience and perspective. Your world view of the story events and characters expands drastically as you complete each playthrough, playing on your expectations to help you develop a deeper emotional bond with the protagonists and become invested in their plight.

Things take a real turn on your third playthrough, putting you on an emotional roller coaster all the way to the true ending. The plot twists and knocks on the fourth wall elevate the story to a truly unique place. Getting all the way to the very end can be a religious experience from how much heart and meaning you discover in the symbolism.

NieR: Automata is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape after Earth has been overrun by hostile machines, and the artists really nailed what that would feel like. Abandoned and overgrown cities litter the landscape along with old refineries, graveyards, and eerie forests. When you add the beautiful soundtrack to the experience, it fills you with a bittersweet mix of loneliness and hope.

NieR: Automata has different types of gameplay to keep things interesting. From the very start, you're on an on-rails bullet hell section, and then you switch over to the more traditional action RPG style of fast-paced combat. Things change up again not long after with some side-scrolling platforming from a 2D view. Later on in the story, there's a hacking mini-game where you navigate a tiny ship through a short puzzle, with the music changing to a charming retro sound to fit the theme and mood. This is a game that doesn't stay boxed in a single genre.

Outside of the main story, there's plenty of optional content to dive into. The side quests are the best way to get to know the characters and lore of the world, with some of them giving clever and subtle foreshadowing of the game's most critical events. There are also weapons to collect and upgrade, each of which offer nice little tidbits of lore after you get them to max level. And after reaching a certain point in the story, you get access to Chapter Select that lets you go back and replay whatever you want. You can easily spend 60+ hours exploring the world and still have much more to do.

NieR: Automata's music is out of this world. It's so stunning and elegant in a way that nothing else can really live up to. The soundtrack manages to emotionalize the game through music, from the action-packed tracks with hard-hitting wind instruments and percussion, to the softer, somber songs that encapsulate the hauntingly beautiful environments and story moments you encounter. Vocals in the lore's indescribable language makes the music even more memorable, adding to the ethereal quality of the sound. This soundtrack is definitely one that you can go back to again and again without getting sick of it.