Yeah thats the main issue i had with automata is i didnt find the plot surprising in any way and paying minimal attention to ingame text and hints pretty much spells it out. Its a nice story but it didnt leave me surprised in any way.

The pods were a let down and i only used them in sections where i had to. Magic in Replicant i switch out for different situations and the fist plus whirlwind are my favourite to combine with melee combat