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    Nier

    Game » consists of 8 releases. Released Apr 22, 2010

    Nothing is as it seems. Nier must travel the world in search of a cure for his daughter who has been infected with the deadly "Black Scrawl" virus. How far will you go to save someone you love?

    ニーア ゲシュタルト (Nier Gestalt/Nier, Square Enix, 2010)

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    RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

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    Edited By RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

    Nier Gestalt is an action role-playing game created by now-defunct developer Cavia (the folks responsible for the Zegapain games on the XBox 360, as well as the Drakengardseries on PlayStation 2). This was, in fact, the last game by Cavia before it was disbanded, and thus serves as a sort of swan song for a company behind some of the quirkiest games of the past two generations. But Nier Gestalt(known in the US simply as Nier) is not just an object of interest because it was the last project by a minor studio with a small but avid fanbase. It is also an excellent game. I'm trying to moderate my praise here, but what I really want to say, what I really feel about Nier is that it's not simply one of the best games on 360, it's one of the absolute best games I've ever played in my long history as a gamer, and is absolutely worthy of standing on any list of classic RPGs next to all-time greats like Panzer Dragoon Saga, Chrono Trigger, and Persona 3.

    Before I go any further and devolve into a quivering mass of praise, some quick background info regarding the development of Nier might be necessary. Nier began as a PlayStation 3 title whose protagonist was a young man in a post-Apocalyptic future (a lot of games seem to have that sort of setting recently) seeking a cure for a terminal illness killing his young sister. At some point early in its development, it was split off into two versions. The 360 one was created to target American gamers and the protagonist was changed to an older, much burlier man, protecting his daughter instead of his sister. Other than this change in protagonist, the two games are almost identical (one has to wonder why the developers didn't simply institute a character select at the beginning of the game, letting you choose between the older and younger protagonists). The PS3 version with the younger protagonist was released in Japan as Nier Replicant. The 360 version was titled Nier Gestalt. The other major differences are that the 360 version is entirely dubbed into English, even in its Japanese version (and if your language settings are set to English, you can play the game entirely in English form, which is how I played through it), while the PS3 version is dubbed into Japanese and has no English option. Confusing matters further, when it came time to give the game an international release, the international PS3 version replaced the young protagonist with the older male, with the idea that this character would be the more appealing archetype to Western audiences. As such, unlike the Japanese PS3 and 360 versions, the international editions all feature the older male as the lead playable hero. Thus, Nier Replicant really is a Japanese "exclusive" game in every sense of the word.

    Onto the game itself. As an action RPG, Nier has been compared to everything from Zelda to God of War. What it most resembles, however, is a mix of traditional action RPG mechanics mixed with a bullet-hell shooter, especially in its boss fights, where you'll see boss characters spamming projectiles which you'll have to dodge, duck, and weave through. Nier himself fights with a sword (at the game's midpoint you also get access to two-handed weapons and spears) as well as magic he receives from a sentient grimoire, thus being able to do a bit of "bullet hell" magical projectile shooting himself. The game is a smorgasbord of pure gameplay. Some dungeon sections play like classic 2D vertical shooters, while other dungeons are set up to look like classic isometric platformers like Land Stalker. Through it all, Cavia's love for playing with video game tropes shine through (there's even a "haunted mansion" that's all fixed camera angles deliberately meant to echo Resident Evil, and even text-only portions of gameplay that remind one of ancient PC games such as Zork). These geeky, knowing winks and plays on genre and modes of play, all streamlined and perfectly executed by the very talented developers at Cavia was probably missed by the majority of reviewers who judged the game solely on its (serviceable) graphics and focused on the optional sidequests available early on in the game (which admittedly can drag the game down if you focus on solely doing sidequests for hours on end instead of actually playing through the game's main story).

    I've focused so far on the gameplay, which is excellent (I have actually seen people point to games like Bayonetta and complain at how "limited" or "shallow" it is in comparison - thus absolutely missing the point as the games are two wholly different genres), but a special note also has to be made for the game's art design (which is suitably creepy and perfectly appropriate for the setting), music (easily the best music of any current-gen game other than possibly Mass Effect 2), and voice acting (in a word, perfect - perfect casting, perfect performances, and so good that it makes me cringe when I think of bigger-budgeted games such as Star Ocean 4 which feature such subpar voices that they actually manage to bump the game down several notches).

    I haven't even started talking about the story yet, and for good reason. The way Nier's story unfolds (and you will want to watch it unfold and replay through the latter half to get the multiple endings) is a perfect example of storytelling discipline (giving players only the necessary information instead of inundating them with pointless encyclopedias of useless factoids that do nothing but distract). All you really need to know, all you really shouldknow, is that Nier is a father desperate to save his daughter's life. Let the story take you to its ultimate destination and marvel at the fantastic world Cavia created.

    If you haven't already noticed, I love Nier, and I think, if you like video games at all, that you will love it too. One of the very best games of this generation. I give it my highest possible recommendation and hope you give it a try.

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    RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

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    #1  Edited By RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

    Nier Gestalt is an action role-playing game created by now-defunct developer Cavia (the folks responsible for the Zegapain games on the XBox 360, as well as the Drakengardseries on PlayStation 2). This was, in fact, the last game by Cavia before it was disbanded, and thus serves as a sort of swan song for a company behind some of the quirkiest games of the past two generations. But Nier Gestalt(known in the US simply as Nier) is not just an object of interest because it was the last project by a minor studio with a small but avid fanbase. It is also an excellent game. I'm trying to moderate my praise here, but what I really want to say, what I really feel about Nier is that it's not simply one of the best games on 360, it's one of the absolute best games I've ever played in my long history as a gamer, and is absolutely worthy of standing on any list of classic RPGs next to all-time greats like Panzer Dragoon Saga, Chrono Trigger, and Persona 3.

    Before I go any further and devolve into a quivering mass of praise, some quick background info regarding the development of Nier might be necessary. Nier began as a PlayStation 3 title whose protagonist was a young man in a post-Apocalyptic future (a lot of games seem to have that sort of setting recently) seeking a cure for a terminal illness killing his young sister. At some point early in its development, it was split off into two versions. The 360 one was created to target American gamers and the protagonist was changed to an older, much burlier man, protecting his daughter instead of his sister. Other than this change in protagonist, the two games are almost identical (one has to wonder why the developers didn't simply institute a character select at the beginning of the game, letting you choose between the older and younger protagonists). The PS3 version with the younger protagonist was released in Japan as Nier Replicant. The 360 version was titled Nier Gestalt. The other major differences are that the 360 version is entirely dubbed into English, even in its Japanese version (and if your language settings are set to English, you can play the game entirely in English form, which is how I played through it), while the PS3 version is dubbed into Japanese and has no English option. Confusing matters further, when it came time to give the game an international release, the international PS3 version replaced the young protagonist with the older male, with the idea that this character would be the more appealing archetype to Western audiences. As such, unlike the Japanese PS3 and 360 versions, the international editions all feature the older male as the lead playable hero. Thus, Nier Replicant really is a Japanese "exclusive" game in every sense of the word.

    Onto the game itself. As an action RPG, Nier has been compared to everything from Zelda to God of War. What it most resembles, however, is a mix of traditional action RPG mechanics mixed with a bullet-hell shooter, especially in its boss fights, where you'll see boss characters spamming projectiles which you'll have to dodge, duck, and weave through. Nier himself fights with a sword (at the game's midpoint you also get access to two-handed weapons and spears) as well as magic he receives from a sentient grimoire, thus being able to do a bit of "bullet hell" magical projectile shooting himself. The game is a smorgasbord of pure gameplay. Some dungeon sections play like classic 2D vertical shooters, while other dungeons are set up to look like classic isometric platformers like Land Stalker. Through it all, Cavia's love for playing with video game tropes shine through (there's even a "haunted mansion" that's all fixed camera angles deliberately meant to echo Resident Evil, and even text-only portions of gameplay that remind one of ancient PC games such as Zork). These geeky, knowing winks and plays on genre and modes of play, all streamlined and perfectly executed by the very talented developers at Cavia was probably missed by the majority of reviewers who judged the game solely on its (serviceable) graphics and focused on the optional sidequests available early on in the game (which admittedly can drag the game down if you focus on solely doing sidequests for hours on end instead of actually playing through the game's main story).

    I've focused so far on the gameplay, which is excellent (I have actually seen people point to games like Bayonetta and complain at how "limited" or "shallow" it is in comparison - thus absolutely missing the point as the games are two wholly different genres), but a special note also has to be made for the game's art design (which is suitably creepy and perfectly appropriate for the setting), music (easily the best music of any current-gen game other than possibly Mass Effect 2), and voice acting (in a word, perfect - perfect casting, perfect performances, and so good that it makes me cringe when I think of bigger-budgeted games such as Star Ocean 4 which feature such subpar voices that they actually manage to bump the game down several notches).

    I haven't even started talking about the story yet, and for good reason. The way Nier's story unfolds (and you will want to watch it unfold and replay through the latter half to get the multiple endings) is a perfect example of storytelling discipline (giving players only the necessary information instead of inundating them with pointless encyclopedias of useless factoids that do nothing but distract). All you really need to know, all you really shouldknow, is that Nier is a father desperate to save his daughter's life. Let the story take you to its ultimate destination and marvel at the fantastic world Cavia created.

    If you haven't already noticed, I love Nier, and I think, if you like video games at all, that you will love it too. One of the very best games of this generation. I give it my highest possible recommendation and hope you give it a try.

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    xyzygy

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    #2  Edited By xyzygy

    The only thing I disagree with here is the ME2 music... ME1 was so much better :P

    But yeah, Nier is indescribable. The story alone makes me recommend it to anyone who is looking for a really thrilling, psychological, and adult experience in a game. No other game made me ever feel like this when all was said and done. And the music was just out of this world good. I am going to play through it again in a few years, when the smaller details of the story will be forgotten on me and I can attempt to get as close to that initial playthrough as I can. Just everything about that game is perfect in my eyes.

    It's a shame about Cavia, I would have loved to see what they did next, but I would also love to see where those members went so I can follow their current projects.

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    RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

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    #3  Edited By RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

    I ended up picking up some of their other stuff based off of Nier (both Drag-on Dragoon games, their Zegapain spin-off titles, holding off on Bullet Witch for now). You can tell they had incredible ideas and with each title, they were slowly improving and polishing their technical skills. I love how Nier plays, how each section of the game functions as a tribute to a different game genre, how they're actually managed to credibly mix "bullet hell" shooter mechanics into an action RPG...all of that layered onto an incredible world.

    I'm sure I'll go back to it in a few years as well, maybe play the Japanese PS3 version the next time around.

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    xyzygy

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    #4  Edited By xyzygy

    @RX_78_2_Ver_Ka: I had no idea that Bullet Witch was them. I might have to try to find that game now!

    I thought as well of trying out a PS3 copy but to me a huge part of the story and it's charm is the fact that you're playing as the Father, a much older man, something so different and you almost never see it in RPGs. It was so different and effective, that the prospect of playing as yet another punky-looking teenager made me glad they decided to use the Father instead of the Brother for the NA release. I feel that the connection between Yonah wouldn't be as strong playing as the Brother, and that connection is such a huge part of the game.

    I don't know, I hold this game so close to my heart that I simply can't see the Brother taking up that role.

    (PS Welcome to the forums!)

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    ESREVER

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    #5  Edited By ESREVER

    Nier is such a fantastic piece of game. The Nier OST is one of my absolute favorites, and I adore the characters. Kaine<3

    I'm glad the international version ended up being the father protagonist rather than the brother/sister scenario. It just seemed more fitting to me.

    @xyzygy said:

    I feel that the connection between Yonah wouldn't be as strong playing as the Brother, and that connection is such a huge part of the game.

    I don't know, I hold this game so close to my heart that I simply can't see the Brother taking up that role.

    This is pretty much how I feel.

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    RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

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    #6  Edited By RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

    I totally agree with you guys that the "father/daughter" relationship in the game is something very different from what we usually see, and a huge variation on the generic defiant teenage protagonist that a lot of Japanese RPGs have. 
     
    I'm nevertheless still interested in Nier Replicant because it was the first version produced...it's interesting to me how the Japanese versions are so different and distinct from each other (the Japanese 360 version is fully voiced in English, the Japanese PS3 version only has a Japanese language track, the intros are different in both, etc.). I also recall reading that the producers' original vision was the "brother/sister" story, and I'm curious to see if the Japanese PS3 version has the disturbing undertones regarding the "brother/sister" relationship that Drakengard did. 
     
    By the way, thank you for the welcome! :)

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    donchipotle

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    #7  Edited By donchipotle

    I wrote a ten page essay on Nier and Cavia. For an actual class. Nier is probably one of my favorite games. As in ever. As in of all time. I fell in love with that game hard. Harder than hard. The way a lot of people here gush over stuff like Persona 4, I am towards Nier. I love Nier so much that I slogged through Drakengard just to get the context. I think you and I can get along, duder.

    My favorite thing about Nier, though? How much it spoils in the intro video. Like, come the hell on. But since it is from Cavia I figured it was intentional. They do love fucking with their customers.

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    RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

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    #8  Edited By RX_78_2_Ver_Ka

    The great thing about that intro video is that it spoils a lot, but does so without context, so once you get to those scenes, you go "Aha! So THAT'S what that was all about!" 
     
    The Japanese PS3 and 360 versions have completely different openings as well, which I thought was interesting. I think 8-4 actually collaborated on doing the 360 one.

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