Nier: Automata has been playable as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service since March 18, 2021. However, the version from the Microsoft Store technically differs significantly from the Steam version: Players of the Game Pass version get numerous improvements, while users of the Valve platform have been waiting in vain for bug fixes for four years.
That’s why the alienated fans of the Japanese RPG are now giving free rein to their frustration in the Steam Reviews punish Nier: Automata with bad ratings.
That makes the Game Pass version better
In the Microsoft Store and Game Pass, players can get the technically revised “Become As God Edition” by Nier: Automata. This is not based on the PlayStation 4 version, but on the Xbox One port released around a year later.
According to developer QLOC, who is responsible for the port of the Microsoft version, stuck here following improvements inside:
- Frameless window mode added
- High resolution UI textures up to 4K
- Optical improvements such as HDR support and FidelityFX
- Better performance
- Numerous bug fixes
Steam version players have been waiting in vain for a patch for almost four years, which fixes a large number of bugs and porting problems that we criticized in our 2017 test. Since then, the game has not received a single one. Problems that still exist on Steam include resolution, lack of optimization, and tons of bugs.
You can get an impression of the technical condition of the Steam version in the following video:
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No Love for the PC – Video Column: A Shame Called Nier: Automata
Review bombing for lack of support
While Game Pass subscribers now get the much better product, Steam players have had to seek help from mods such as FAR – Fix Automata Resolution set to lift the issues raised.
Steam users are now showing their displeasure about the unequal treatment in the user reviews: In the Steam discussion forum called players to review bombing on. Since the release of the “Become as Gods Edition” in the Microsoft Store, fans have punished the version published in 2017 with almost 1,000 negative reviews, compared to only around 100 positive ones.
This is what the Steam users write
“I can’t recommend this version anymore because the Become as Gods Version is available on GamePass for PC and is a better PC port than this. Square Enix NEVER PATCHED the Steam version, even though we were the first to get the full price for Have paid for the game. Hopefully they’ll patch that too soon so that we can fix the stuttering here too. “
“The game is fantastic, but this is the worst version you can get. Get it instead on Xbox Game Pass for PC (or Windows Store), the superior version!”
“So now we have (platform) exclusive patches? Great.”
“This is a broken version of the game. The working digital PC version of Nier is unfortunately ONLY available on Xbox Game Pass. This is inexcusable and downright fraudulent in my view, Boo Squarepenis, BOOOO.”
It is currently unknown whether publisher Square Enix will publish the revised version on Steam.
On April 23, 201 appears with Nier: Replicant the next game in the series, the plot of which takes place 1,000 years before the events of Nier: Automata. PC gamers will certainly hope that the developers at Platinum Games deliver a better PC port here than they did with their last title.
