Nier: Automata has been available on Steam for more than four years, launching almost simultaneously with the PS4 version, but the game’s recent inclusion on Xbox Game Pass for PC has drawn controversy. It appears to be a far superior version compared to the Steam release, with little explanation given for why there isn’t parity. Steam customers aren’t too happy about this, and they’ve taken to review-bombing the Steam page in frustration.
Though Nier: Automata’s total review average still sits at “very positive” on Steam, recent reviews have been much more negative. They call out the poor quality of the PC port that has been available on Steam–players have even created their own modes to simply fix it–when a much better version was released on Game Pass for PC. Some of the players advocate for newcomers to just get it from the Microsoft Store, while others are pushing for Square Enix to release the same fixes on Steam.
What were those fixes? Port developer QLOC said the Xbox Game Pass for PC version includes HDR support, 4K UI textures, FidelityFX, and borderless video settings. According to Eurogamer, the last of those fixes addresses a resolution issue that had been affecting the PC version since launch. A mod released shortly after the game’s initial launch called “Fix Automata Resolution” addressed that resolution issue as well as stuttering during cutscenes. If you do have the Steam version, you may want to try the mod before jumping to the Xbox Game Pass for PC release.
PC players are certainly hoping the next Nier game, a remake of the original titled Nier: Replicant, will fare better. It’s releasing April 23 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and offers gameplay improvements from PlatinumGames that bring the combat more in line with Automata’s. It also includes new and updated music, and it should be a good starting point for those unfamiliar with Nier at all, as it takes place thousands of years before Automata. Both of these games are technically spinoffs of another game, Drakengard, which first released in Japan in 2003.
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