The NieR series has long subverted traditional story conventions, working to the many strengths of games as an interactive medium. The twenty-six different endings of NieR: Automata are just a small testament to this, as there is so much to unravel in how the series puts narrative design at the forefront of its experience. Intertwining story and mechanics in a way that breaks player expectations is a complicated task, but one that its games consistently revel in. From the diegetic use of music that considers player timing and execution in Automata's Simone boss fight, to the literal text adventure that NieR: Replicant springs on players, the ability to oscillate in both genre and tone shows how the titles work to the inherent creativity that games can offer.