Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    NieR:Automata

    Game » consists of 13 releases. Released Feb 23, 2017

    NieR: Automata is an action role-playing game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows and Xbox One.

    Dreading the Nier talks during GOTY

    • 68 results
    • 1
    • 2
    Avatar image for sahalarious
    Sahalarious

    1085

    Forum Posts

    12

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    To preface, I played Nier. I didn't just play it, I beat it. Then i got the rest of the main "playthroughs" under my belt for good measure. My 30 hours with Nier this year were some of the most laborious and unpleasant moments I've ever had in gaming. The atmosphere and message that apparently justifies this as everyones GOTY never really came to fruition, and I have a few gripes with the love for this game.

    The story: I understand the melancholia and moral ambiguity of this sentient robotic future, but I did not find a single moment of dialogue or writing to be even remotely engaging. I wish I was a native Japanese speaker so I could enjoy the writing as it was originally written, because this localization, while functional, has given me zero emotional involvement with any of the characters, and every cut scene, while revealing information, was very much information dispersal instead of character development.

    Gameplay: I guess i could play a really simplistic Bayonetta with a robot on the right stick, but they never truly made it necessary to use ANY of the many systems available to you, and playing on hard, I had only a few real tough moments throughout this slog.

    Graphics: While clearly games do not need AAA graphics to be successful in the indie revolution, games with an open world that feel as empty as this could do with a different format I think. I'd have preferred a stage based game to get through faster that either looked better or had a defined art style, but this game just went for "pretty real looking stuff" with really low res and low population environments.

    Audio: Ok the audio is amazing. I dont enjoy JPop so much but they really went above and beyond, the audio was lovingly crafted from start to finish.

    I dont really know why I felt the need to post this, if you enjoy the game then I am happy for you, and don't hold dear any smug entitlement due to my opinions, which are just that. I just had such a roller coaster of a year, like most of us in 2017, and felt like the community was forcing me to play a game that I did not find to even remotely live up to its reputation. Was hoping to hear some arguments against, and hopefully some like minded skeptics.

    Avatar image for viking_funeral
    viking_funeral

    2881

    Forum Posts

    57

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 6

    User Lists: 5

    Which talks? Are you going to be involved in these talks? Are you unable to just say, "It wasn't my thing?" and leave it at that? Do you feel like you are going to be pressed on the issue and need moral support?

    I mean, I really disliked Hitman, but I could see what others liked about it. I wasn't worried about being different in this one regard. The game wasn't for me, despite being everything I should like on paper. So it goes.

    I also don't like french fries, ketchup, or especially the combination. It rarely comes up because I just don't make a deal of it and move on with my life.

    Avatar image for mike
    mike

    18011

    Forum Posts

    23067

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: -1

    User Lists: 6

    #3  Edited By mike

    @viking_funeral said:

    I also don't like french fries, ketchup, or especially the combination. It rarely comes up because I just don't make a deal of it and move on with my life.

    You mean you're not going to go on some french fry forum and completely lose your shit because one of the editors didn't like a particular french fry?

    Avatar image for teddie
    Teddie

    2222

    Forum Posts

    20

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Not gonna dispute your non-enjoyment of gameplay and story, because I've run out of ways to say "yeah but I liked it" in response. Your complaints are extremely common, even on these forums, so if you don't get enough of the discussion you're hoping for here, there's plenty of similar comments/threads to this one sprinkled throughout.

    In regards to the world, it's thematically supposed to feel empty. It's a post-apocalypse, and especially when route C starts and you're stuck down there alone to deal with all the horrible things the characters are going through, it really worked for me. In my case I never had an issue with the open map, the entire mass is packed with side quests, and the music tracks always make the areas feel peaceful and pleasant. I know a lot of people have a point with the "it's bad gameplay, it's boring, it's tedious" arguments, but I never got tired of running through that city with that amazing track playing in the background. I also don't really know what to say about the knock against its graphics, I thought it looked beautiful at best and average at worst... but I also like the way the original Nier looked and apparently that game is butt-ugly.

    Oh, and I'm sorry you're dreading the GOTY talks because you can't enjoy other people being passionate about something they enjoyed... I guess?

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7498

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    We can agree on one thing.

    In that I also do not know why you felt the need to post this.

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    I had a lot of issues with Automata as well, but I just wrote about it in my GOTY list instead of... Whatever this is

    Avatar image for deactivated-5b85a38d6c493
    deactivated-5b85a38d6c493

    1990

    Forum Posts

    117

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    I haven't really seen that many people who hold Automata as their GOTY. Maybe I'm wrong but my impression has been that it's a game for a relatively niche audience who are really vocal about their love for it. Never felt like everyone on the internet is raving about it.

    Avatar image for sahalarious
    Sahalarious

    1085

    Forum Posts

    12

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    Didn't know I wasn't supposed to talk about liking or not liking videogames here. I'll delete soon.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7498

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Anyway you are going to get plenty of 'Nier is bad, actually.' out of Dan and maybe Abby?

    Avatar image for liquiddragon
    liquiddragon

    4314

    Forum Posts

    978

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 19

    It's kinda unfortunate some ppl got behind it like it needed to be played by everyone. It's not something I'd recommend to anyone, it's a niche game and it's not out there to make new fans. But also, ppl should know better. It seems like a ton of ppl went into this game expecting to like something they don't like and are now complaining that they didn't like something they already knew they didn't like. I don't think anybody claimed it would do that and nobody forced you to play it.

    It's weird ppl somehow need to be convinced that something is actually good. It's fine, you don't like it. No one is trying to convince you, need or want to convert you. We've seen similar threads forthe past few weeks: "Be Honest With Me: Why Do You...?", "When does it hook you?", and now this.

    It's not for everyone and anybody claiming it is is doing disservice to all involved.

    Avatar image for teddie
    Teddie

    2222

    Forum Posts

    20

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @gtb08 said:

    Didn't know I wasn't supposed to talk about liking or not liking videogames here. I'll delete soon.

    Tone and tact go a long way. It's hard to separate your arguments from the sentiment your thread title conveys, for example. People are responding in kind.

    Avatar image for poobumbutt
    poobumbutt

    996

    Forum Posts

    40

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 0

    I felt nearly identical to your feelings on Nier, but for Wolfenstein. I felt like THE BIG THING in that game was overhyped and led to my overall disappointment, despite thinking WS was mostly fine, all things considered. Just not... anything more. So, I'm guessing both of us have parts of the talks that we are preemptively bummed about.

    Unfortunately, I cannot be your partner in Nier skepticism; the moment I finished the last ending of Nier, I knew it was my game of the year, just because it was SO my kind of game.

    But I imagine you're tired of hearing the internet standard "Well I liked this game! Goodbye." So I'll just say I feel for you.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7498

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I felt nearly identical to your feelings on Nier, but for Wolfenstein. I felt like THE BIG THING in that game was overhyped and led to my overall disappointment, despite thinking WS was mostly fine, all things considered. Just not... anything more. So, I'm guessing both of us have parts of the talks that we are preemptively bummed about.

    Unfortunately, I cannot be your partner in Nier skepticism; the moment I finished the last ending of Nier, I knew it was my game of the year, just because it was SO my kind of game.

    But I imagine you're tired of hearing the internet standard "Well I liked this game! Goodbye." So I'll just say I feel for you.

    And I have no love for Mario so 90% of each episode is gonna just have me nodding along in silence.

    But that's okay.

    Avatar image for fear_the_booboo
    Fear_the_Booboo

    1228

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    I had a similar sentiment with it and I don't think your thread is THAT abrasive. Maybe a little bit hyperbolic but I've seen worse.

    I do understand why people like Nier that much, it does things differently and sometimes it's just enough to be hooked by it. I won't dispute anyone putting as their number one game this year. I really don't think it'll get that high on the GB lists, it'll make the top 10 for sure though. Maybe I'm wrong.

    The only thing that could annoy me is if they try to brush off the issues the game has like they're not to be talked about. The same could apply for any game though, Breath of the Wild is my favourite this year and it has a bunch of issues, but I think Nier has pretty glaring design problems that tend to be brushed off as not important by some.

    Avatar image for oldenglishc
    oldenglishc

    1577

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    NieR: Automata is the the Dark Souls of The Witcher 3 games.

    Avatar image for planetfunksquad
    planetfunksquad

    1560

    Forum Posts

    71

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @mike said:
    @viking_funeral said:

    I also don't like french fries, ketchup, or especially the combination. It rarely comes up because I just don't make a deal of it and move on with my life.

    You mean you're not going to go on some french fry forum and completely lose your shit because one of the editors didn't like a particular french fry?

    The only good french fries are called chips, served covered in salt and vinegar and wrapped up in a bit of newspaper. I think it's fucking ridiculous that editors of a certain website even entertain the idea of any other fries being good, and quite frankly they should step down, there are a million people out there who would kill for their jobs.

    Avatar image for sahalarious
    Sahalarious

    1085

    Forum Posts

    12

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    I appreciate the responses, as a Mario lover that post in particular spoke to me. I just can't remember the last time a game received quite this much attention from the crew, its surpassed BoTW by a large margin as far as discussion time goes. I loved Pascals camp, and the music, but felt like as a whole the game could have been put together more cohesively. Its an argument I have often with anime fans, when they defend bad writing with interesting concepts. I am way more interested in the intaractions between individual characters than I am in a larger arc, so maybe I never should have played this. I think its a strong contender for GOTY given the sentiments on the team, and will at least be in the top 5. Sorry if I came off as hostile, I didn't realize the "what you liked about" thread was essentially a duplicate. I browsed through it to see overwhelming positivity and didn't read as much as i should have. Here's to a great year in gaming for all types.

    Avatar image for sahalarious
    Sahalarious

    1085

    Forum Posts

    12

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    @poobumbutt: I played Wolfenstein from launch and beat that weekend, so the buildup wasn't there for me, but as they spoke in such vagueries over the last few weeks I saw the potential for a disappointment. There are spoil-able moments in the game for sure, but the impact they suggested was impossible for the game to actually live up to. I will say as i saw the "BIG THING" for myself without any stigma attached to it, i was floored, sorry the game was spoiled in part for you.

    Avatar image for rubberluffy
    rubberluffy

    795

    Forum Posts

    128

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    Automata is one of the most meaningful experiences of my gaming career so far. It's almost like....

    No Caption Provided

    Avatar image for doctordonkey
    doctordonkey

    2139

    Forum Posts

    5

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 11

    Every year has a game that gets too much undeserved praise with people ignoring its countless flaws, Nier isn't unique in this regard. You don't have to feel forced to play something just because some people said it was good. If something doesn't seem like your cup of tea, just listen to your gut and ignore the praises. You know what you like, you don't need others to tell you. If the discussion of Nier on the podcasts bother you, you can always skip that section. I've done exactly that on GOTY podcasts in the past (Listening to Brad drone on about Minerva's Den back in 2010 was absolutely fucking insufferable).

    Avatar image for deactivated-5b85a38d6c493
    deactivated-5b85a38d6c493

    1990

    Forum Posts

    117

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    @rubberluffy: I'm not sure what heart is supposed to signify there.

    Avatar image for arbitrarywater
    ArbitraryWater

    16103

    Forum Posts

    5585

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 8

    User Lists: 66

    In regards to weird anxiety about Giant Bomb’s GOTY discussions, I get it. My tastes are pretty disparate from the GB crew at this point, and I’m probably going to roll my eyes a couple of times while listening to their debates this year (especially when PUBG inevitably wins everything.) Sometimes I just have to take a step back, take a deep breath, and remind myself that it’s okay that other people like/dislike the thing that I dislike/like.

    Avatar image for ripelivejam
    ripelivejam

    13572

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Avatar image for travisrex
    TravisRex

    819

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Avatar image for dray2k
    Dray2k

    884

    Forum Posts

    133

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #25  Edited By Dray2k

    *opens the door*

    *gets on the floor*

    *Hollow Knight has a better story than anything Yoko Taro ever wrote*

    EDIT: I find this thread in particular in general respectful to the thread creators criticisms and fears. People should be allowed to voice their opinions and even their pet-peeves I find. I mean we're still only talking about video game discussions here.

    I wouldn't enjoy myself listening to what could be a potential hours of praise about why Nier: Automata should be considered the best thing ever made but realistically I'm fairly sure that this won't be the case as having such a thing would just seem silly.

    @mike: I hope you don't take this the wrong way but French Fries are a specific type of food and a board dedicated to them are a whole different topic than a board which is dedicated for food in general.

    I mean its true, its certainly propper etiquette not go to a circlejerk forum to strongly bitch about the game but here there are all sorts of peoples and tastes combined. All I see here are French Fry haters and lovers all in one place <3!

    Avatar image for joey_ravn
    JoeyRavn

    5290

    Forum Posts

    792

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 3

    I don't think you have anything to fear, OP. NieR will unfortunately share the same fate as every other game that isn't PUBG. I have the feeling that everything that comes up during GOTY deliberations will be met with a "... yes, but PUBG!" and immediately discarded. And if something somehow gets past the cracks, someone will say "... yeah, but PUBG has vaulting!" and that'd be the end of it.

    PUBG has been their GOTY since, what? June? They've went from "Early Access games can't be included this year but will next year" to "We want this game to win so much that we're trusting that it's released this year". It's so unfair to other games, but what can you do?

    Avatar image for elmorales94
    elmorales94

    381

    Forum Posts

    11

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #27  Edited By elmorales94

    Hey there, I'm the guy who made that other thread that's kinda like this one. I actively dislike NieR: Automata, but I don't make it my aim to tear it down. It has clearly resonated with a larger audience than anyone could have expected, so I'm more interested in probing into people's impressions to understand what stuck with them and what games can learn from it moving forward.

    To some extent, I share your sentiments OP. I do not want to see a deeply flawed game get ramrodded up the list without sufficient reflection upon its holistic qualities. Of course, this belief applies to all games up for discussion, including PUBG, BotW, and Wolfenstein to name a few. At the end of the day though, all that matters for these types of lists/discussions is how the game makes people feel, and how those feelings translate into love and enthusiasm or their inverse. I believe that, as this list is representative of the opinions of the GB staff as a whole, it will not win the big award because for some staff members it utterly fails to elicit any positive emotion. As long as there is in-depth, nuanced discussion about how the staff feels about NieR, it really doesn't matter where it ends up.

    That being said, if Night in the Woods doesn't win GOTY I riot. /s

    Avatar image for boozak
    BoOzak

    2858

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 5

    I'm a huge Platinum fan who really enjoyed the original Nier and I was still disappointed. I wasnt a big fan of the characters or the world. I still enjoyed it though. Much like Wolfenstein 2 the game has a lot of cool moments but kind of drags on for longer than i'd like and the side missions are tedious and unrewarding. (literally in Wolfenstein's case)

    But I think you're taking GOTY talks too seriously. Theres no need to dread them, it's all opinion based and even if you disagree with their choices (and I generally do) it's still cool to hear how they came to them.

    Avatar image for genericbrotagonist
    GenericBrotagonist

    486

    Forum Posts

    2898

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Story: I completely disagree with the idea there's no character development and I absolutely had an investment in them. I'm not even that good at analyzing these things, but at the very least 2b and 9s go from being completely loyal to their mission to living and dying for themselves and those they care about.

    Gameplay and Graphics: While I agree with this, I guess I'm just used to it since most arpgs are about the same. In fact, I would argue that the empty open world in this case is exactly what they were aiming for for better or worse.

    Music: agreed, but I wouldn't call anything in there jpop which is probably why it didn't bother you. More soul-y than pop-y.

    Avatar image for socuteboss
    Socuteboss

    258

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @gtb08:

    What's there to worry about? You'll almost certainly have Dan and Abbey on your side during the deliberations, and even ignoring that, what dose it matter if someone else puts a game you didn't care for on their GOTY list? I totally get that the game is not for everyone, but I thought it was far and away the best game that came out this year, nothing else has even come close.

    Avatar image for theht
    TheHT

    15998

    Forum Posts

    1562

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 9

    Sounds like it's one of those games that you're just super not into. I'm generally good with "hey, you like what you like and I'll like what I like," but of course there are still some things that I look at and am just so completely baffled by seeing someone else exuberantly praising. Stuff where the gap between my impression of it and someone else's is so large that I instinctively raise my arms is disgust and shriek "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?"

    lol don't sweat it duder. Take it in stride. Part of the fun with these podcasts is that kinda reaction.

    Avatar image for ajamafalous
    ajamafalous

    13992

    Forum Posts

    905

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 9

    @gtb08 said:

    I dont really know why I felt the need to post this, if you enjoy the game then I am happy for you,

    Ah,

    Avatar image for bladededge
    BladedEdge

    1434

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #33  Edited By BladedEdge

    I think plenty of people either didn't like nier or simply didn't think it was as good as others. That's bound to happen. I happen to thing Danganronpa V3 was one of the best mystery stories I ever played through. Its 'minor' twists were excellent, the big ones explosive and the ending one really great. But..then most people though the exact opposite, or couldn't stand the anime stereotypes, or the visual-novel format or the message the game was ultimately trying to express. And..that's fine? Like I sure am gonna miss being able to hear the opinions of the staff talk about what's sitting in the top 1 or 2 spot for game of the year for me personally, at all. At least I am sure we will get some talk of Persona 5 in passing (though unless there is an rpg-only category I don't expect it to win any awards from GB). But, that's ok? Its not like they are beholden to my personal tastes in games. Just as you shouldn't be beholden to theirs..or anyone but your own.

    Like I am right there with you in not liking Nier. But then, I played the opening tutorial and bounced off every aspect of the game so hard (from story to gameplay) that I just could not see myself enjoying it at all. Gameplay was actively unappealing and, since I already had the general concept behind the last big spoiler for that games final ending, I felt like all the big messages the game's opening hinted at exploring..I'd already seen done better in other games, and didn't care to see repeated.

    Am I wrong about that? Maybe, quite possibly. But I didn't feel the need to play through the whole game to see if I was. I just accepted I was not likely to enjoy it, and moved on. Nothing wrong with bouncing off a game that most other people liked.

    I've had the exact same reaction with a number of 'games of the year". I only got 3 or so hours into Last of Us before, having called every single plot-twist and again, seeing the kind of story they were going for, and knowing I'd already seen it before..and better..just read the whole plot-spoiler for myself, so I had context for listening to game of the year stuff on here as I recall, and moved on with my life. I've been on the side of "Last of Us was not an amazing story" which is such a minority opinion I'm not even sure anyone else would admit to feeling that way. But Nier? Sure people love it...but its not universal.

    And thus, I think this is over-blown. Take it as a lesson not to have to follow the crowd. You'll get more enjoyment out of only playing games your actively having fun with, and knowing when your own tastes buck the trend. Its done wonders for me. And if I can survive holding such a shocking minority opinion as "I don't like the Last of us" and never have suffered worse then "Ok then.." from the community here..I think your gonna do just fine having bounced off Nier.

    Avatar image for donchipotle
    donchipotle

    3538

    Forum Posts

    19

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7498

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #35  Edited By Efesell

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    Or like.. Man I really like Nier I wish someone who was better at making games helped out.

    Avatar image for humanity
    Humanity

    21858

    Forum Posts

    5738

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 40

    User Lists: 16

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    I dunno I thought it was a better playing Nier for people that enjoyed Nier, and there was also enough of a game there where the rest of the gaming public could dip their toes in it without instantly flinching away. If Nier was an ice-cold olympic pool, then Automata was like a lukewarm pool that starts at the shallow end, but lets you move on to deeper water if you so desire. The worst thing about Nier Automata at this point is the hype, because people talk it up, others get their expectations equally revved, but at it's core Nier Automata is still a very esoteric, niche, Japanese video game with all the quirks that classification carries with it. This isn't an experience for your fair weather fan, in a sense that it requires a bit of dedication from the player to get to a lot of the good parts, and even when you get there it's not an especially great game either. If you're into this sort of stuff you can forgive a lot because you inherently enjoy the core experience - you like this weird, anime Japanese stuff. But man if you're not, then not only will you not enjoy playing it, you won't enjoy anything it has to say either, and all the people that have talked it up as some GOTY master class experience might possibly embitter you towards it.

    Avatar image for poobumbutt
    poobumbutt

    996

    Forum Posts

    40

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 0

    @gtb08: Maybe this clarification is irrelevant but it wasn't that I watched the event in WS2 just thinking "man, this scene isn't cool/impactful at all". It was.

    It was that I saw that without realizing that yes, THAT was the thing everyone was talking about. After, I was just waiting for a big, huge cool thing that never came. Maybe that's still "overhyped", but I honestly feel that even if I went in blind, I'd still be disappointed with the endgame pacing.

    Avatar image for deactivated-6321b685abb02
    deactivated-6321b685abb02

    1057

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Hey dude, if you wanna gripe with others love for this game go ahead. I'm also dreading the talks as it's gonna be awkward listening to Alex try and make a stand for it while Vinny/Others politely shoot him down and Dan rags on it incessantly. For what it's worth, I enjoyed my time with it and that's enough for me.

    Avatar image for pyrodactyl
    pyrodactyl

    4223

    Forum Posts

    4

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Pretty silly to ''Dread the Nier talks during GOTY'' since like half the staff agrees with you. Dan and Abby didn't get anything out of this game. Jeff and Brad thought the gameplay was terrible. No way it wins game of the year so I'm not sure what you're so worried about.

    Avatar image for sambambo
    Sambambo

    3173

    Forum Posts

    1009

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 9

    @efesell said:
    @donchipotle said:

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    Or like.. Man I really like Nier I wish someone who was better at making games helped out.

    And yet, Nier: A isn't a good game to actually play.

    Avatar image for pyrodactyl
    pyrodactyl

    4223

    Forum Posts

    4

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @efesell said:
    @donchipotle said:

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    Or like.. Man I really like Nier I wish someone who was better at making games helped out.

    And yet, Nier: A isn't a good game to actually play.

    It's a way better game than Nier. Not every game needs to be Bayoneta. People can get other stuff out of a game even if it doesn't have the best combat system. Hell, I got more out of Nier:Automata's clunky combat system than I ever did with Bayoneta. The bullet hell twist on character action was way more enjoyable to me than complicated combo strings and a deeper (impenetrable) combat system.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7498

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #42  Edited By Efesell

    @efesell said:
    @donchipotle said:

    Nier: Automata is Nier for people that didn't care about Nier.

    Or like.. Man I really like Nier I wish someone who was better at making games helped out.

    And yet, Nier: A isn't a good game to actually play.

    If you compare it to Nier it is the tightest goddamn gameplay ever seen.

    Avatar image for kblosnack
    kblosnack

    385

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    J-Pop?

    Avatar image for hugobossk
    HugoBossk

    18

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    Your complaints are reasonable and common, and I suppose it comes down to personal preference. I really enjoyed the story, for instance but I can see why it wouldn't land for some people. That being said, I think the complaints about the combat are strange; sure it's easy to mash your way through the game but you don't have to. I've seen people do some pretty incredible stuff with Automata's combat, so I think it's a bit unfair to say the gameplay isn't engaging when you're choosing the path of least resistance i.e mashing the same combos again and again.

    I dunno, I thought they did a good job rewarding experimentation and creativity. But I'm not gonna bash you for having opinions, that's not appropriate internet etiquette right?

    Right? :(

    Avatar image for pyrodactyl
    pyrodactyl

    4223

    Forum Posts

    4

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #45  Edited By pyrodactyl

    @hugobossk said:

    Your complaints are reasonable and common, and I suppose it comes down to personal preference. I really enjoyed the story, for instance but I can see why it wouldn't land for some people. That being said, I think the complaints about the combat are strange; sure it's easy to mash your way through the game but you don't have to. I've seen people do some pretty incredible stuff with Automata's combat, so I think it's a bit unfair to say the gameplay isn't engaging when you're choosing the path of least resistance i.e mashing the same combos again and again.

    I dunno, I thought they did a good job rewarding experimentation and creativity. But I'm not gonna bash you for having opinions, that's not appropriate internet etiquette right?

    Right? :(

    Now that you mention it, it seems to me the real problem is with the RPG mechanics, not the combat system. The healing mechanics to be more precise. I, for one, had the intention of playing the game on hard to force myself to get good at the combat and sample its full depth. Unfortunately, hard mode was impossibly hard as a lot of things just kill you in one hit. I think they balanced it that way because you can store basically infinite healing items, apply them instantly and at any time so anything not killing you in one hit might as well not be doing any damage. Doing away with healing items and relying on another mechanic for healing would've done wonders for the gameplay experience. They could've made it so you have to damage enemies to regain health. This way you can tune the enemy damage output way lower as players don't have infinite instant healing and the game rewards the aggressive playstyle it was already going for. Win win.

    Avatar image for hugobossk
    HugoBossk

    18

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @pyrodactyl: I think a Bloodborne style healing system would have been neat, but you attack so many enemies in Nier that you would never die which leaves you back where you started. In the end, I think I'm okay with Automata's balance. I actually appreciated that it was easy, because running around for 50 hours would have been much more tiring if the enemies put up a fight.

    Also, I played the first Nier which has awful combat and still loved it to death. That being said, that bit where as 2B you have to run from the seaside area all the way to the other side of the world while you're malfunctioning was absolute fucking garbage. Trying to run past enemies was just annoying and dying sent you all the way back to the start. A blight on an otherwise awesome game.

    Avatar image for imhungry
    imhungry

    1619

    Forum Posts

    1315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 3

    User Lists: 3

    @pyrodactyl: A system similar to that, where you get health for attacking enemies, is literally in the game already! The flexibility of the plug-in chip system let me get a lot out of the otherwise mediocre combat because it allowed for so many different styles of play and switching between chips and chipsets was really easy. Personally I ended up almost never using healing items after about 5+ hours into the game because I tended to include either the health on kill or health on hit chip in my sets and playing around that worked well enough.

    Avatar image for theoriginalatlas
    Atlas

    2808

    Forum Posts

    573

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 7

    User Lists: 19

    Y'know, you can make the choice to not take part in or listen to any GOTY discussion. That is an option.

    I'm being totally serious, btw. It's sometimes not helpful to be told that you could just turn something off or choose not to engage in it, because what you're often actually upset about is the fact that your enjoyment of something you would otherwise enjoy is being affected by something like this. You want to enjoy GOTY discussion and be part of it, but nobody has to feel like they need to be involved in it, like it's some big important thing that you'd otherwise miss out on. None of this stuff matters that much and is totally harmless, and I think most people know that, but if it's something that you are going to get emotionally invested in you have to weigh the affects of that and decide if you can manage it. if it's something that's going to cause you more anguish or discomfort than enjoyment and mirth, then it's time to think about stepping aside and taking care of yourself. Maybe take some time to write about the games that you did really enjoy this year.

    I've managed to disengage enough from stuff like this that I know I'm probably not going to listen to much GB GOTY stuff, because I don't care that much. I'll read the lists, and I'll have opinions on those lists, but I can't bring myself to actually go through the whole process of them sorting it out, and deciding all the minor category stuff. My tastes have diverged enough from the tastes of the GB staff that even though I trust them as reviewers, I don't actually put that much value in what they loved and didn't love in a year.

    Don't know if this made much sense, but I picked up on a certain tiredness and sadness in the OP that I very much can relate to, and thought it'd be worth sharing my thoughts. Let's all take care of ourselves this year, whether or not we listen to GOTY.

    Avatar image for shivermetimbers
    shivermetimbers

    1740

    Forum Posts

    102

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 5

    User Lists: 2

    #49  Edited By shivermetimbers

    I'm always in the minority that I enjoy dissenting opinions (edit: on games) and hearing their reasoning. It might not make sense to you if someone found the story engaging or the combat finely tuned, but enjoyment comes in many flavors. People who like Nier and are passionate about it are likely not doing so to be pretentious and they're certainly not forcing you to play it. I think maybe you should keep an open mind about it.

    Avatar image for tobbrobb
    TobbRobb

    6616

    Forum Posts

    49

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 13

    Yeah it's a little rough. My love for Yoko Taro games has always been hard to explain and put into words, because a lot of it is bad. And I don't think anything in Automata is terrible, but maybe a little dull or repetitive. Anyway, there are things that are easily quantifiable as bad in his games. And the things that are good rely more on like "atmosphere" and "feeling". Which is much harder to quantify and pretty much entirely subjective. This makes the games extremely hard to discuss since I would be "defending" it with words that doesn't correctly transfer the information I want, against very easy to comprehend enemy ammunition like: The environmental design is PS2 quality, the enemies are Dynasty Warriors tier in intelligence and challenge, e.tc.

    But goddamit if don't love these things.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.