NieR

[Nico87]

Game of the year. Punk ass reviewers scared of something new/anything not Call of Duty/Rockstar gave it all 6's and 7's.

DISCUSS.

[Skykid]

I played it, found it lacklustre and poorly conceived and not worth the time.

[Nico87]

/hate

[Rob]

Most satisfying roll ever.

[RNGmaster]

Bullet hell? In my Squenix? It's more likely than you think....

[Udderdude]

The soundtrack was pretty good.

[ZOM]

Haters gonna hate. Great game, even if the reflection maps are shifted a good 40 pixels to much to the side. lololol

Most satisfying roll ever.

Truly.

[ratlhead]

I didn't like it from what i've played (5-6 hours... maybe), it seems like poor man's Ys to me. While music seems good at first, it got on my nerves very quickly.

[Skykid]

/hate

Sorry man, I'm not really much of an RPG guy these days anyway, so I'm not fit to judge it. I thought it was an odd mix of styles that seemed to clash rather than gel and there were weird technical shortcomings in the landscapes and the controls (and unless I'm mistaken, panning the camera seemed particularly broken.)

Even though I found some of the concepts quite interesting and the whole paternal relationship/time-shifting thing pretty original, I couldn't hang with it long enough to properly persevere. I'd like to know what I missed out on if you'd care to share?

[Ed Oscuro]

"much more beautiful and rugged" :S

[Nico87]

/hate

Sorry man, I'm not really much of an RPG guy these days anyway, so I'm not fit to judge it. I thought it was an odd mix of styles that seemed to clash rather than gel and there were weird technical shortcomings in the landscapes and the controls (and unless I'm mistaken, panning the camera seemed particularly broken.)

Even though I found some of the concepts quite interesting and the whole paternal relationship/time-shifting thing pretty original, I couldn't hang with it long enough to properly persevere. I'd like to know what I missed out on if you'd care to share?

Well, I for one believe that the story is simply amazing. It's something different than every other JRPG (which NieR isn't by the way, it's an Action-RPG) which involves saving a fictional world. Also, the soundtrack is simply awesome. Some gameplay elements might be slightly broken, but it don't think it's any gamebreakers at all in NieR. The side stories with Kainé, Emil and the Lighthouse lady (optional) are amazing, and very well executed.

I dunno, the only part I didn't really like is that you have to revisit alot of places.

Also, I think alot of people have the same first opinion "oh cool, new Square Enix game, will check out reviews", then gets turned away by reviews like Gamespot's 5/10, 1up's C+ and IGN's 7.3 (not a bad score at all, but people seem to expect at least 9/10 from SE). I think many reviewers compared the game to the likes of God of War, which REALLY shouldn't be the case at all. GoW3 got 92% on GameRankings, and for what? Cool visuals when you mash buttons? Kratos being cool? Great graphics? Come on. Compare Cavia's budget to SCE Santa Monica Studio and it's not very hard to recognize exactly why GoW3 has such awesome graphics and visuals.

It might be worth reading other reviews instead, like from Famitsu, RPGamer, RPGFan and such.

Anyway, it's definitely a game every fan of JRPG's and hack-n-slashers should check out, if nothing else than a fast-paced break from long, turn-based JRPG's (of course, many people will choose the Ys games for that, and I don't blame you). Nier has gotten pretty cheap these days though (£12 if you're in Europe).

[Skykid]

/hate

Sorry man, I'm not really much of an RPG guy these days anyway, so I'm not fit to judge it. I thought it was an odd mix of styles that seemed to clash rather than gel and there were weird technical shortcomings in the landscapes and the controls (and unless I'm mistaken, panning the camera seemed particularly broken.)

Even though I found some of the concepts quite interesting and the whole paternal relationship/time-shifting thing pretty original, I couldn't hang with it long enough to properly persevere. I'd like to know what I missed out on if you'd care to share?

Well, I for one believe that the story is simply amazing. It's something different than every other JRPG (which NieR isn't by the way, it's an Action-RPG) which involves saving a fictional world. Also, the soundtrack is simply awesome. Some gameplay elements might be slightly broken, but it don't think it's any gamebreakers at all in NieR. The side stories with Kainé, Emil and the Lighthouse lady (optional) are amazing, and very well executed.

I dunno, the only part I didn't really like is that you have to revisit alot of places.

Also, I think alot of people have the same first opinion "oh cool, new Square Enix game, will check out reviews", then gets turned away by reviews like Gamespot's 5/10, 1up's C+ and IGN's 7.3 (not a bad score at all, but people seem to expect at least 9/10 from SE). I think many reviewers compared the game to the likes of God of War, which REALLY shouldn't be the case at all. GoW3 got 92% on GameRankings, and for what? Cool visuals when you mash buttons? Kratos being cool? Great graphics? Come on. Compare Cavia's budget to SCE Santa Monica Studio and it's not very hard to recognize exactly why GoW3 has such awesome graphics and visuals.

It might be worth reading other reviews instead, like from Famitsu, RPGamer, RPGFan and such.

Anyway, it's definitely a game every fan of JRPG's and hack-n-slashers should check out, if nothing else than a fast-paced break from long, turn-based JRPG's (of course, many people will choose the Ys games for that, and I don't blame you). Nier has gotten pretty cheap these days though (£12 if you're in Europe).

Tell me about it, I had it on sale here in the forum for £8 in new condition and no-one wanted it so I took it to the local store.

I do find the angle of any non-turned based RPG to be appealing and I did like the fact that you could slaughter livestock
It didn't light my fire in terms of pacing and direction, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game (I didn't review it or anything), it just takes a lot to motivate me with a lot of modern releases and I clearly didn't spend enough time with it. I could see that it was 'different' at least, which is always a good thing.

[sjewkestheloon]

I have it in my 'to play' pile, probably when I've played through Alpha Protocol a few times. It definately looks interesting and I'm a sucker for this sort of thing.

[Taylor]

You can powerslide pigs.

[ZOM]

You can powerslide pigs.

/thread

[Ganelon]

FYI, Nier is now only $15/17 (PS3/360) at GoGamer. I'll still pass though. RPGs that focus on battling aren't my cup of tea.

[Nico87]

You got it wrong then, it focuses on story.

[Khan]

Im so getting this when I get paid next didnt even know about it.....

[Square King]

I loved the art design and color choices in what I saw -- and the story looked pretty fantastic -- but I have loads of games to go through first. So it's kinda on the furthest back burner and the burner's not on.

[Cthulhu]

I picked this up for cheap - $30, not $15 (didn't know it went down that much!) - but haven't played it yet. It looks pretty good.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Too soon for me to spread any cult hype, but I'm playing Nier at the just right moment of my life. Much like Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure was just what I needed when I could only play games with one hand.
Nier is a bit like games by late Neverland in that it's not trying too hard to be funny (and - not unlike Deadly Premonition - reminds me of the PS2 "cult classics"* days).

*) Say, Steambot Chronicles, Way of the Samurai... I'm just glad to see last gen had those too.
...
Is Drakengard series the new King's Field? Some video game things just go on like that. And on. And... on. Heck, Platinum Games are developing the latest Drakengard spin-off. Having just developed a Metal Gear (Solid) spin-off. We're not in Kansas anymore, are we?

[CIT]

I just played through this game as well, as it's become a bit of a cult classic in the meantime, and a number of people whose opinion I value recommended it.

The narrative is great stuff, but only really gets going towards the end of the game and during the second playthrough (which is highly recommended), so don't let the meandering storytelling in the first half turn you off. I also really like the eschatological atmosphere and the aesthetic of ruin in the game.

The other huge appeal of this game comes from the mix of different genres. Apart from it's usual hack 'n slay gameplay, you'll encounter some sokoban, danmaku shooter, text adventure, and 2D platformer elements. Somehow this all comes together and makes sense, as the game and its world are already strange enough that your disbelief is sufficiently suspended.

The fighting engine is simplistic, but well executed and fun. If you're into Ys, you'll feel right at home here.

Apart from the superficial criticism of the graphics, the only real weakness of the game are the superfluous quests and upgrade opportunities. Just playing through the main plot linearly will be enough to see you through to the end without much trouble.

Since Platinum is developing Nier 2, I'm confident they will improve the game in all the right areas and give the combat a bit more depth. Top of my watchlist for upcoming titles, for sure.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Whoever's responsible for the narrative of Nier needs to be on board this time as well, or else why bother?

[iconoclast]

I thought it was impossible to praise Nier without mentioning the god-tier OST. It helps so much with the atmosphere, and the music on its own is fantastic as well.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I can't remember a single tune. Not all video game music must be memorable, but I also think some of the battle tunes don't become a voiced game. This kind of soundtrack would do its job better in a game devoid of voice acting. Speaking of Ys, has Falcom ever utilised any voice acting in their games? (Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys and Sega CD Popful Mail are not by Falcom, I think.)
At least some of the English voice acting in Nier isn't bad, if sometimes lacking in the supervisor's guidance (too many lines sound like read without even an actor knowing its context).

It helps so much with the atmosphere, and the music on its own is fantastic as well.

The latter may very well be! Just like the SotC OST worked better as an album for me than used in game.

[iconoclast]

Falcom used voice acting in Ys: Memories of Celceta, at least.

The scene with Devola sitting by the fountain and singing the Song of the Ancients left a really strong impression on me, above all else. I thought most of the music fit each area perfectly and really helped set the mood, though. Hills of Radiant Wind, City of Commerce, Temple of Drifting Sands, & Kaine/Escape are my favorites. The DLC has some good remixes too.

[CptRansom]

I can't remember a single tune.

I'm so sorry.

Nier is one of my all-time favorites because of the OST and story. It is definitely worth playing through 1.5 + .5 times to get Endings A/B/C (watch the D ending on YT or something, trust me on this). There's a document that makes for some decent reading once you've seen all the endings as well.

My personal favorite tracks: Shadowlord, Kaine/Salvation, Blu-bird, and The Ultimate Weapon (not only a misleading track title but also one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the game; good times!).

There's a good chance I'm going to end up getting a new console just to play Nier 2.

[Specineff]

Speaking of Ys, has Falcom ever utilised any voice acting in their games?

Ys Book I and II for PCE. (Waiting for PC Engine Fan X to comment in 3... 2... 1...)

[Obiwanshinobi]

My, I did even played fan-translated Chronicles with the US voices hacked in.

[evil_ash_xero]

I've never played it. I only heard of it, when I first saw the teaser for the sequel.