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For most first-time players, NieR:Automata is best started on Normal. It gives you the game’s action combat without Easy-mode automation, and you can change the difficulty while playing if it is not the right fit. Choose Easy if you want selected actions automated, Hard if you want more pressure, or Very Hard if you want the most punishing documented challenge.
What changes between the difficulty settings?
The game has four settings: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. The clearest documented distinction is Easy’s optional combat automation; the official material does not provide a full mechanical comparison of every setting.
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| Setting | What to expect | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Optional Auto Chips can automate actions such as attacking and evading. Chip choices let you adjust which behavior is automated. Square Enix | Players who want help with combat execution. |
| Normal | The straightforward starting point; no specific automation is identified for this setting in the official descriptions cited here. | Most first-time players and anyone unsure which setting to choose. |
| Hard | A higher-pressure option. The official descriptions cited here do not establish exact damage values or a complete Hard-versus-Very-Hard comparison. | Players comfortable with action games who want a tougher challenge. |
| Very Hard | PlayStation Blog’s launch-era description characterizes the hardest mode as one-hit-death play. PlayStation Blog | Players seeking a severe challenge. |
Which difficulty should you choose?
Choose Normal if this is your first playthrough
Normal is a sensible way to learn the combat as intended without Easy’s optional automation. You can get used to combining fast and heavy attacks with evasion, then decide whether you want more assistance or more pressure. Square Enix confirms that difficulty can be changed during play, so your opening choice does not have to be permanent.
Choose Easy if you want help with specific actions
Easy is not simply an all-or-nothing choice: Auto Chips can automate actions such as attacks and evasion, and selecting chips lets you tune the automated behavior. That makes it the clearest fit if executing those actions is getting in the way of enjoying the game. You can still engage with the chip system to choose what assistance you want.
#1 Best Overall
- Action-Packed Battles - Players will switch between using melee and ranged attacks in battle against hordes of enemies and challenging bosses across a variety of open field maps.
- Beautifully Desolate Open-World - The game seamlessly joins together hauntingly beautiful vistas and locations with no area loading.
- Masterfully Crafted Story and Characters - NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their ferocious battle to reclaim a machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful weapons known as machine lifeforms.
- Elements of an RPG - Players will obtain a variety of weapon types, level up in battle, learn new combat skills, and customise a loadout that caters to their playstyle.
- Utilise the Pod Support System to Assist In and Outside of Battle - Pods can attack the enemy in both manual and lock-on modes.
Choose Hard if you want more pressure
Hard is worth trying if you are comfortable with action combat and want a tougher experience than Normal. The official material cited here names the setting but does not spell out its exact mechanics relative to Very Hard, so avoid assuming a particular damage multiplier or enemy behavior.
Choose Very Hard only if you want a severe challenge
PlayStation Blog described the highest difficulty as one-hit-death play. That launch-era description is a strong warning about the level of punishment to expect; it is not a detailed specification of every combat rule.
Rank #2
- Developed by Platinum Games, the studio behind the action hits like Bayonetta, Vanquish and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Die Expansion DLC "3C3C1D119440927"
- Dynamic Design & PS4 15 PSN Avatare
- All digital content of the Day One Edition
How the combat and chip system affect your choice
NieR:Automata combines fast attacks, heavy attacks, and evasion. Plug-in chips customize abilities, and the PlayStation Blog says they can be changed at any time. On Easy, Auto Chips extend that system by automating selected combat behavior. Square Enix’s battle overview describes the attack and evasion basics; PlayStation Blog’s gameplay explainer discusses plug-in chips.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThink of the choice in terms of the experience you want: Normal for learning the action flow, Easy for configurable help, Hard for greater pressure, and Very Hard for the documented one-hit-death challenge. Because difficulty can be changed during play, you can adjust after seeing how the combat feels rather than trying to predict your preference in advance.
Rank #3
- NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition is the Nintendo Switch version of NieR:Automata, a multi award-winning post-apocalyptic action RPG that has achieved deep-rooted popularity around the world.
- Invaders from another world attack without warning, unleashing a new type of threat: weapons known as “machine lifeforms.” In the face of this insurmountable threat, mankind is driven from Earth and takes refuge on the Moon. As 2B, a member of the newly organized android military force YoRHa, players will immerse themselves in a ferocious battle to take back the planet.
- Experience a captivating story that goes beyond simple entertainment, inspiring a wide array of emotions as it unfolds through genre blending action in a beautifully desolate open world.
- Includes the content of the "3C3C1D119440927" DLC
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
What is not established about difficulty?
The official sources cited here do not establish a precise numerical scaling for enemy damage or health, a complete Hard-versus-Very-Hard mechanical breakdown, or whether difficulty changes story content, endings, or rewards. Treat specific claims about those effects as unverified unless supported by a reliable source for the relevant version of the game.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- A Good Smile Company import
- From the anime NieR:Automata Ver1.1a
- The unique reflection caused by the outfit has also been recreated using silver paintwork
- Includes an interchangeable face plate without a Visor
Rank #4
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