I watched the first episode of the Nier: Automata anime, and I have to say, it wasn’t half bad. I enjoyed what I watched, and I didn’t feel like I was getting left behind as someone who never played the game, or watched a Let’s Play of it. But while watching, I kept having this nagging feeling in the back of my head saying, “should I play the game first before watching this anime?”.

Anime is notorious for trying to adapt a video game, usually a long JRPG, into a 12 to 24 episode anime and failing. Examples of this are DanganRonpa, The World Ends WIth You and the Persona series. Everytime those anime are done airing, you hear fans yelling that the anime ruined the video game, and you should just play the game instead. So, does that mean Nier: Automata is going to fall into the same cycle?

Like I said, as someone who never played the game, I enjoyed the first episode, but I also felt like I would have enjoyed it more if I played the game. I’m starting to think that these video game adaptations of anime are not to get people into the series, but for the fans of the games, to experience the story in anime form. I felt like if I played Nier: Automata, and watched the anime, just reliving and remembering the scenes from the game that I’m now seeing animated, I feel like that would be a cool experience. I know that you play the game as 2B, and the story follows her journey, but I also know you can play as 9S after beating the game. There was a scene in the beginning that focused on 9S, as the primary character. While watching that scene, all I could think about was if it was a scene from 9S campaign segments of the game. So combining the two stories into this one anime.

"Play the game to find out."

And my last question, how do they plan on adapting this series? Nier: Automata is known for its multiple endings, which all come together to complete the story. These ends aren’t just different endings based on the choices you make, and only one ending is the true ending. No, these endings help complete the story, and bring you closer to the complete story. There all true endings in a since. So how do A-1 Pictures plan on putting all those storylines into just 24 episodes? It seems like a huge undertaking, which I can already see the fans not being happy with the results. But I guess we may never know since the Nier: Automata anime has been said to be on indefinite hiatus.

But, I feel like after watching the first episode, I made my decision. I feel like I do want to watch the anime, but I feel like I want to play the game first. I don’t think I want my first complete Nier: Automata experience to be from the anime, based on video game anime adaptation horror stories I’ve heard. I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to play it, but I do want to play it…one day.

I guess I'm playing the game to find out.

Are you watching the Nier: Automata anime? Did you play the Nier: Automata game? Do you think the anime adaptation of Nier: Automata is going to be good or ass? Tell us in the comments.