Nier Automata – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Nier Automata

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

game2017

82%

WISE Score

90%

IGDB

Existential philosophy meets high-speed robot combat in a game that will break your heart and then ask you to save a stranger.

Nier Automata

game

2017

82%

WISE Score

90%

IGDB

Existential philosophy meets high-speed robot combat in a game that will break your heart and then ask you to save a stranger.

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Where to Play

PlayStation

PC/Steam

Screenwise Verdict

Nier Automata is a rare bird: a big-budget action game with a massive brain and a bleeding heart. It’s beautiful, weird, and deeply depressing in a way that actually feels productive. If you have a teen who likes to think deep thoughts while smashing robots, this is the gold standard.

Just be ready for the 'fan service.' The creator, Yoko Taro, is open about his eccentricities, and that includes some eye-roll-worthy character designs. If you can get past the short skirts, you're left with one of the most profound stories ever told in a digital space.

Age Fit

This is strictly for the 15+ crowd. It's not just the violence or the outfits; it's the fact that a 10-year-old is going to be bored by the existential dread and confused by the meta-narrative. It’s a masterpiece for mature teens and adults.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The tone is relentlessly melancholic and explores heavy themes of nihilism and genocide. While it has moments of profound empathy, it is definitely not 'light' reading.

Imaginative

Yoko Taro is a mad scientist of game design. It constantly shifts genres—from 3D action to side-scrolling shooter to text adventure—and uses the medium of video games to tell a story in a way a movie simply couldn't.

Safe

No predatory microtransactions or loot boxes here. However, it contains significant stylized violence and the main character's design is heavily sexualized, which might be a 'no' for some families.

Enriching

It is essentially a Philosophy 101 course disguised as a hack-and-slash. It tackles Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Nietzsche, forcing players to grapple with the definition of consciousness and purpose.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Deep philosophical questions about what it means to have a soul or a purpose in a dying world.
Incredible genre-bending gameplay that keeps things fresh by switching perspectives and mechanics constantly.
A world-class soundtrack that is widely considered one of the best in the history of the medium.
Multiple endings that aren't just 'bonuses' but essential chapters of a much larger, mind-bending story.

⚠

What to Watch For

The protagonist, 2B, wears a very short skirt and the camera often frames her in a sexualized way. There is also a 'self-destruct' mechanic that removes part of her clothing.
The story is emotionally draining. If your kid is currently struggling with 'the big questions' or feeling particularly down, this game might lean a bit too hard into the void.
The game requires 'multiple playthroughs.' Some kids might get frustrated thinking they finished it when they've actually only seen about 30% of the real story.

Conversation Starters

"If a robot can feel pain and protect its friends, is it really different from a human?"
"Why do you think the machines are trying to mimic human behavior like religion or family?"
"The game asks you to make a huge sacrifice at the very end to help a stranger. Would you do it?"
"How does the music change the way you feel about the 'enemies' you're fighting?"

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