"A world where the truth is buried underneath agonizing lies."
Background:
NIER, an action RPG, was developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix in April of 2010. This particular game has received a cult following years after its release, but there were a few complications. First, the game was not marketed very well and flew under the radar compared to other RPGs being released during that time. It also received mixed reception on a few noteworthy claims. Some critics have praised the game for its compelling story and well-developed characters, but others have criticized its repetition in its side quests and poor execution with its many gameplay styles. However, was the overall game doomed with it's persistent issues? Let's find out.
Story:
In a world ravaged by plague, one father's only purpose in life is to protect his daughter Yonah, at any cost. In the prologue, your daughter succumbs to a disease known as the Black Scrawl, and you have to protect her from a group of mysterious entities known as shades. After completion, the game establishes a one millennium time skip, where you are the same character and show no signs of aging. As a single father, you accept whatever jobs are presented to you if it will benefit Yonah in any manner whatsoever. Over the course of the story, you will meet various characters, and travel across a few landscapes in search of sealed verses, which are magic spells belonging to Grimoire Weiss, a powerful book whose sole purpose is to defeat Grimoire Noire, an evil book said to plunge the world into chaos. Two other members who will accompany you are Kaine, a foul-mouthed teenage "girl" in lingerie and has an incredibly shocking past; and Emil, a young boy who is cursed with the ability to turn everything he sees into stone. With the dark and relenting tone that bellows over you across your entire playthrough, you will grow to love these characters as their relationships are strengthened and destroyed. The story is even more enjoyable as the masterfully created soundtrack entices you with each situation that is presented before you. The story evolves and questions are created as you dwell deeper into the world and find out what it really means to sacrifice.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in NIER presents a promising prospect, as this is an RPG with real time combat and other mechanics included to add variety. However, this department is also where NIER is hit or miss with most players. For most of your time, you are attacking groups of enemies who would love nothing more than to watch your lifeless body drop to the ground. The combat is fairly basic in terms of execution; you get 3 weapon types that are effective against certain enemies, 8 magic spells that can help turn the tide of battle, and the trivial jumping, dodging, and guarding. The magic you obtain are the sealed verses that are essential to the plot and each has its uses in battle. The combat is functional, but could use more variety; however, the game's style is something that changes frequently to keep players interested in the story. Over the course of the game, you can experience some pretty interesting segments that include side-scrolling platforming, puzzles, dungeons with bird's-eye view and isometric camera angles, text adventure, and the game is at it best with its boss battles. Each one is not too difficult, in the sense that is often sufficient to attack them in a straightforward manner, while other require more thought and is a rewarding experience indeed. The art style is quite interesting, with the character designs that truly stand out in an otherwise dreary and desolate world. However, as good as this all may sound, NIER does in fact suffer from some issues that can turn players away from its best moments. First, the game suffers in the graphical department, with the use of simple textures and recycled landscapes that can detract from the experience. Second, the game can become dreadfully repetitive due to its side-quests. It appears that the main storyline is most important, but it does not excuse the fact that the quest come down to nothing more than simple fetch and delivery quests. Finally, the prologue suffers in a terrible fashion. Within the prologue, there is no explanation of the story and you just play through a 15-minute segment with no clue as to what or why this is happening. In addition, the game spoils the entire adventure by showing you every spell in the game, essentially making you too powerful and not allowing you to carry over your stats. These are major problems in that section alone, but do not detract from the overall product.
Overall:
In spite of all its shortcomings, NIER is one of the most dramatic, depressing, and memorable games I have played as a gamer. It kept me interested in its tale by presenting you with various obstacles that lead you to question why you are on your journey. The story is excellent in the manner that it is told, in the fact that your questions will be answered with additional playthroughs. Since the narrative changes and you experience the story from another character's set of eyes, you get multiple endings, resulting in a story that never feels complete, but always exciting. Repetition aside, the story was my only motivation for playing, and was the first game to tug at my heartstrings and made me care about every single character. In short, NIER is a flawed masterpiece that should not be ignored by even the most curious of gamers. Should they avoid the needless and redundant side-quests, they will be presented with one of the greatest storylines to ever be crafted in the gaming industry. Square Enix should be commended with the job they did with enticing players with the feeling of despair and hopelessness that sticks with them long after the game ends, and I look forward to the day where I am able to play a game on the same caliber as this title, I can easily say that NIER is one unforgettable adventure worth playing.
* Editor's Note: This review was archived from my CGR contributor account, muramasa, on classicgameroom.com.