PixlBit

I've seen plenty of games facing an identity crisis throughout my many years of gaming, but Nier is definitely one of the worst. A jack of all trades, but master of none, Nier features subpar implementation of concepts from the RPG, action-adventure, platforming, SHMUP genres, as well as several others. The end result is a sloppy game whose concepts feel forced together, with pieces that just don't match up.

The game begins by introducing players to the main character, Nier, who is trying to save his daughter, Yonah, from an unknown devastating disease. After a very confusing, yet quite cinematic scene that will please any die-hard RPG fan, monsters known as shades begin to appear and players get their first taste of combat within the game.

Before being introduced to the magical capabilities they will eventually wield, players are schooled in melee combat. Initially players will wield a sword and with it players can perform simple one button mashing combos that are not only boring to execute, but visually underwhelming as well; players would likely derive more satisfaction smacking a tree with a rock. Since the combat had been compared numerous times to being God of War-like, I found no merit in this comparison. Anyone who has had the opportunity to play God of War will know that Kratos' movements, though a bit crazy at times, are fluid and quick, not choppy and slow as they are in Nier.

After learning how to push the "X" button several times in a row and block, players are then given their first go at using magic. Within the prologue they will experiment with several different magical spells, all of which are very devastating to nearby enemies.

Combine devastating magical spells that can take out many enemies within a wide range with relentless melee attacks and the player is left with nothing more than a far too easy, lifeless combat experience. Had this complaint merely applied to the prologue/tutorial, I wouldn't even bother making it. However, the boring and redundant combat spills over into every part of the game. Even the boss battle difficulty is laughable.

After tutorial completion, the story picks back up again a number of years in the future where Nier and his daughter have settled into a small community within a world where the human population is dwindling. That's about all I will say concerning the story as it becomes incredibly confusing and convoluted as more main characters are added - people get kidnapped, individual's forgotten pasts get dredged up, and more twists and turns than I care to discuss are featured.

The community is divided into vast sections with the residential area at the heart. As players begin to explore, they will encounter many expansive areas that are sadly empty. Perhaps the emptiness was done intentionally to create a lonely and desolate world, however the effect merely comes across as lazy and boring. Add a music track to the background that, while beautiful, loops every ten seconds, and it's hard not to feel as though Nier was a bit thrown together.

Throughout the game, players will be concerning themselves with two main goals: exploring areas and performing fetch quests. One positive thing I can say about Nier, is that many of the areas explored are very well-crafted. Unfortunately, the gameplay to go along with the areas is anything but. Most times players will simply find themselves battling multiple shades, doing some straightforward 2D platforming, battling more shades, solving incredibly easy puzzles (block pushing ones are their favorite), fighting some more, and then finally battling a boss. In short, the gameplay is just incredibly mundane.

It's just so hard to compliment anything concerning Nier's gameplay, as it just feels so terribly average and never goes anywhere. Sure, the main character levels up, he gets new weapons, makes some powerful friends, and learns better magical skills, but what good is any of it if the difficulty level never changes?

As if journeying through some potentially interesting areas that go nowhere wasn't enough to dissuade players, Nier goes one step further by forcing players to perform mindless fetch quests that take hours-upon-hours to complete.

With that, I've said about all I care to say about Nier. I could get into the minute details regarding combat and gameplay, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter, because even if they were left out, the experience wouldn't be affected at all.

Most likely the only type of gamer who will be able to truly appreciate Nier, is one for whom an ambiguous story full of plot holes and twists trumps any other facet associated with a good game. For the average gamer, there just isn't anything compelling enough to keep them hooked. Nier had the potential to be something great, but its lack of direction and exhausting monotony strangled any chance it had.