Yes, Square Enix has announced a new edition of NieR: Automata, called Game of the YoRHA, which will launch next February. It will arrive with all DLC, pod skins, and fancy accessories.
No, the company still hasn’t fixed the damn PC port. Despite being out on PC since March 17, 2017, Square has released only a minor update or two, and to this day the game still suffers from bugs and a lack of proper resolution support. Much like Bandai Namco’s half-assed efforts with the PC port of Dark Souls, fans have had to rely on the efforts of the community to make the game remotely playable.
To make matters worse, from what we can gather from the press release, NieR: Automata: Game of the YoRHA Edition will include no updates, only content. That means we can’t even compare it to Dark Souls Remastered, which actually did provide some needed updates (even though it took Namco six years to do so). We speculate that this is basically just a repackage of what is already a busted game. Naturally, this makes the PlayStation 4 version more desirable. It’s bad that we PC gamers keep having to chalk up this practice as “business as usual.”
YoRHa Disappointment
It is disappointing, as an announcement such as this should make fans and newcomers happy. Instead, all it does is confirm Square’s somewhat apathetic response to the demands and concerns of its player base. As months passed, people were standing around like a confused John Travolta, wondering when the game they excitedly purchased would be fixed. The announcement of this new edition stands as a grim reminder that some companies don’t seem to care much about the PC as a viable gaming platform.
Well, at least game director Yoko Taro is taking things in his usual, cynically-hilarious stride.
Â
Attention all androids:
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with a special message direct from @yokotaro… pic.twitter.com/IE9seYUBzH
— NieR:Automata (@NieRGame) December 11, 2018
Gripes aside, the Game of the YoRHa Edition doesn’t bring anything substantial to the table. It comes with the DLC, which is nice, but the rest is trivial. Sure, you get to dress up your pod in new skins, but, oh hey, you get two wallpapers. TWO. WALLPAPERS.
- 3C3C1D119440927 Expansion DLC
- Four pod designs (Grimoire Weiss Pod, Retro Grey Pod Skin, Retro Red Pod Skin, and Cardboard Pod Skin)
- Machine Mask accessory
- Two wallpapers
- In-game Valve accessory
Regardless, I still feel the game is worth buying. NieR: Automata was one of the best games I’ve played in years. Its story is the kind that doesn’t end as the credits roll. The game encouraged multiple playthroughs, expanding its world and lore every time the story reached its supposed end. In all, there are 26 endings to see, one for each letter of the alphabet. Coming from notable action game makers Platinum Games, the combat was incredible and fierce. And hell, the soundtrack itself is almost worth a play on its own. I was really looking forward to this edition answering my PC port prayers, but sadly those have ended up unanswered. Unless, of course, I go the mod route.
NieR: Automata: Game of the YoRHA Edition launches on PC via Steam on February 26 for $39.99 USD. If you’re planning on picking the game up, I suggest you wait until we get some kind of confirmation that its issues are getting dealt with. Otherwise, be sure to check out the FAR (Fix Automata Resolution) mod at the Steam Community page.
