REVIEW: ‘NieR: Automata Ver. 1.1a,’ Episode 4 – a mountain to [H]igh

Having survived their encounter with the new machine lifeforms Adam and Eve, 2B, 9S, and their Resistance compatriot Jackass return to the Resistance Base to regroup. But there is little time for rest as the duo is ordered out to investigate the disappearance of a fellow YoRHa unit. What they find will bring many questions about the nature of the machines they battle in NieR: Automata Episode 4.

Through its first three episodes, the team behind this series has done a great job of blending new elements into the original game’s existing story. NieR: Automata Episode 4 once again blends some new things into this episode, but a big one doesn’t land at all how I would want it to. Without spoiling anything for new arrivals to the franchise, all I will say is that things shown in this episode that, barring a massive divergence from the original, cannot happen. It is a moment that feels like it is there simply to trick the viewer. If the show does hit the narrative beats it almost has to in order to be called NieR: Automata then this scene will make no sense in retrospect.

Beyond this narrative hiccup, however, this episode brings nothing but glory to the series. 2B and 9S find themselves headed to an amusement park where all the machines seem to be far more interested in play than battle. NieR: Automata Episode 4 uses these slower moments of travel and discovery to allow the leading duo to have a couple of their smaller conversations fans will recognize straight from the game. While small in their immediate scope, these moments are great to see as they continue to build up the pair’s connections with each other.

As the duo discovers a theatre stage, they find themselves beset by a new form of machine lifeform. This machine seems more than a little unhinged as some of its key attacks, along with its surroundings can only be described as grotesque. The ensuing battle is everything I wanted it to be. The gorgeous onscreen action is timed perfectly to the game’s original soundtrack piece ‘A Beautiful Song’, allowing its perfectly adapted attacks by the machine to have all the same impact and thrill of the original experience.

While 2B battles the machine directly, 9S once again hacks into the enemy, much like he did back in the desert. The sequence that follows 9S’s journey through the machine’s thoughts delivers a low-level horror vibe I wasn’t expecting, but works beautifully. It balances out the action, while never allowing the tension to reside.

NieR: Automata Episode 4 continues to build into a fantastic narrative overall. Despite its first major plot mishandling, I was still thrilled to see one of the game’s most iconic scenes brought to life. Coupled with how it begins to slowly introduce larger character elements of the story, it still delivers an amazing entry into this series.

NieR: Automata Episode 4 is streaming on Crunchyroll.