First, the problems :
- overall game-design as us doing the same things again way too often, and it could have been better handled (run C should not even exist)
- we get too many fetch-quests too early : the game does not seduce instantly. As the beginning of the game consists in a lot of round trips, some uninteresting things to do, as well a the pretty simple design of the dungeons, having a ton of fetch-quests added over all of this is makes everything way too boring/tedious. To keep interested in the game, I had to skip most of the fetch-quests and advance with the story.
- then at some point (when you start being really into the world) you discover that you cannot do these quests anymore... This is poorly designed overall. It should have been better balanced.
Despite these obvious game-design flaws, I found that it was a great game :
- technically speaking, the game is pretty, the picture is clean, and lighting is great. Also a very smooth framerate at 60. This is everything I like in my games. Nothing beats a clean presentation like this, and the game is not riddled with all those shitty special effects like fog or particles.
- art direction is great. The places are superb and very different, although they are not that numerous.
- english dub was pretty great if you ask me.
- characters are excellent and their discussions are a huge part of the enjoyment you get out of the game.
- battle system is good and serviceable. It does what it has to do, and does it well. It is simple, but well executed.
- soundtrack is godlike.
- the story is another high point of course.
- animation is great as well, and a pleasure to look at.
As for NieR Automata, you need to see all five endings. Quite a lot of effort went into the last one.