Nier Automata is still regarded as one of the most story-rich RPGs ever created and as a game you need to beat multiple times to even get the full story, it is an RPG you can get lost in for awhile.
Nier is also an RPG story that could really benefit from being told more cohesively in anime form. However, the Nier Automata anime is similar to the Nier Automata game, but definitely not exactly the same.
The full title of the Nier anime is Nier Automata Ver1.1a, which is extremely fitting because there are a lot of moments from the Nier Automata game in the anime, but they do change how and when events are told, with the changes growing even larger in the second half of the first season.
Some of the differences are the kind that you would expect. Changes made because an anime is not a game, so thus it does not need to do things specifically to keep a story/gameplay balance.
The story that the Nier anime is telling is the same story from the game. In fact, the way it has been organized actually helps the story make a little more sense. In the game, the story is fed to you in somewhat out of order pieces. You have to beat the game three times to even get the full tale.
That said, some of the changes are curiously arbitrary, like switching Adam with Eve and the final form of that fight, even though that smacks of “budget-saving” measures. However, notoriously eccentric Yoko Taro, director of the original game, does enjoy surprises, so who can say if they will end up arbitrary in the second cour.
In my personal opinion, if you watched some of the Nier anime or even have a interest in the story, you should go play the game. The anime, because it does change some things, is an interesting treat for people who have played the game, but it is ultimately spoiling an interesting story. The way the game delivers the story is much more impactful, and that is lessened if you know that basic events.
Essentially, if you want to play the game ever, probably don’t watch the anime until after.
