I love when people bitch about trivial shit....

" @Jeust said:

" @Arjuna said:

" I can't believe you're playing this game.  It's been critically panned. "

that doesn't mean it's bad. Something even most of the most critical reviews say is that it has a good and fresh story, something that is missing in most of the critically acclaimed games. It just generates polarizing views.  "

  I pay attention to Joystiq, especially their podcast.  Justin McElroy is calling it one of the worst games he's ever played.  I have yet to see a review from a reputable reviewer that is even remotely positive.  Here is a funny video he posted about the fishing minigame in Nier:   http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/03/nier-review-fail/     In their last podcast he explained that the only way someone could like this game is if they spent enough money and time on it that they can't bring themselves to realize how bad it is. "

 Wesley Yin-Poole of videogamer.com  explained of Nier that “… the wonderfully designed characters and intriguing plot do just enough to elevate NIER above much of what is coming out of Japan these days. It is, in many ways, the kind of game critics of the Japanese RPG have been calling for: different, fresh, and in parts distinctly un-JRPG. Not all of it works, but it's a commendable effort, and a memorable experience.” Yin-Poole gave Nier a score of 8/10.    

  I pay attention to Joystiq, especially their podcast.  Justin McElroy is calling it one of the worst games he's ever played.  I have yet to see a review from a reputable reviewer that is even remotely positive.  Here is a funny video he posted about the fishing minigame in Nier:    http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/03/nier-review-fail/     In their last podcast he explained that the only way someone could like this game is if they spent enough money and time on it that they can't bring themselves to realize how bad it is. "

Considering the alternative, I'm the opposite of insulted.

I knew he looked far too manly to be the main char in a Square game....guess that explains it.

Two words, Gears of War.

Every character in that game is ugly as shit, are you offended by that as well?

The Japanese release of Gears of War II has you play as a high schooler out to stop the aliens using the power of friendship.
 
And Dom is a catgirl.

" The Japanese release of Gears of War II has you play as a high schooler out to stop the aliens using the power of friendship.  And Dom is a catgirl. "

I find the number of people claiming being able to relate to Old Nier better than Young Nier simply because the guy is Old to be kind of funny.  From the sounds of it, emo young Nier is unrelatable because his physical appearance isn't realistic while ugly old Nier is relatable because...why?  His physical appearance is hardly realistic.  A father saving his daughter is admittedly less cliche than brother saving sister, but fresher doesn't exactly equate relatable either.  Both are thrown into a world full of mystical munbo jumbo, so it's not like the actual plot is somehow profoundly different.
 

@Brodehouse

" The Japanese release of Gears of War II has you play as a high schooler out to stop the aliens using the power of friendship.  And Dom is a catgirl. "

I really don't care either way because they both seem completely uninteresting. A unique look or personality will go a long way towards me liking a character, regardless of their general age and manliness ranking.
 
I'm not saying I don't love and respect the Golgo 13 mold of manly, but the unstoppable badass trope gets tiresome after a while. If a game can make me sympathetic towards the protagonist and his/her crews plight, then I'll generally be more involved in the story and the game as a whole.

Yahtzee said he looked like a guy wearing his undies on his head. 
 
 
Oh so, so true.