That "bosses embodying personal demons" motif reminded me of how bosses in Nier: Automata would reflect certain aspects of the human condition (though that's probably more because Nier was already on the mind). Interestingly, most major characters are named after famous philosophers, and the game in general is quite philosophical, despite the main character not really bothering with that kind of stuff. I don't know whether you'd enjoy this game, given that it's a hack-and-slash open-world RPG type thing, and it is a fair bit pricier than indie games (and also represents a major time commitment- a full playthrough clocks in at around 40 hours), but from a story perspective, it certainly is thought-provoking, especially if you've had some experience with existentialist philosophy beforehand. That "Haggird" boss reminds me of a particular boss in Nier: Automata, actually- even the "cage" aesthetic as part of her design! And I certainly like it when games delve into the "psychological" side of things!
2
Tobias 1104~4Y
I watched a full longplay of NieR: Automata (and the original NieR, neither of which I'd ever heard of before they randomly appeared in my recommendations) a couple of years ago, during a very dark period of my life where I was seriously considering suicide... which isn't particularly relevant, but it's true. Surprisingly it's a warm memory rather than a terrible one, in the way that a lot of things can be turned warm just because they're remembered. The game seemed a bit erratic in terms of story and characterisation, though that was likely due to watching it rather than playing it. Maybe I should at some point. I like the soundtrack a lot!
1
Ampersand68~4Y
I think the characterization might seem "erratic" because the player is not privy to a lot of information about the characters beforehand (for example, 2B's true nature), which informs their actions. Though that said, Yoko Taro (the game's director) also does love to explore the extremities of the human condition- his Drakengard series (of which Nier is a spinoff) is even more extreme in its characterization and dark in its content matter than Nier. I definitely do think that there are aspects of Nier: Automata that are better appreciated by playing it (especially the ending), and the gameplay itself is quite slick (especially when compared to the original Nier or Drakengard), though it does suffer from balancing issues later on in the game after you've completed many of the sidequests and upgraded weapons.
