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"You're a WHAT!?" Nier Gestalt|Replicant |OT|

Volcynika

Member
:lol I was more just joking around

"Hey water, let me jump in there!"

slkjfkdsflkflks *gets put back on shore*

Being able to swim is such a rarity for protagonists in games :p Just thought it was silly, but this doesn't really have any bearing on my impressions thus far!
 

RevenantKioku

PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
schennmu said:
Check the media create thread. Was on top spot in Japan last week. Too early to comment on Europe or US, but it has a hard time I guess. And seriously, this masterpiece deserves your money, do it!
That's the exact issue. I don't have the money. :p If I did, I'd have bought it day one.
 
john tv said:
Story is exactly the same -- the *only* differences between Replicant and the others are A) the main character is a boy instead of a man, and B) the voices are in Japanese instead of English. Some of the dialogue is slightly different because the main character is Yonah's brother rather than her father, but it's nothing major, and nothing you'd understand unless you were super fluent in Japanese anyway.


It's totally overblown is what it is. :) It does come up in the story briefly (maybe not on the first playthrough, I honestly forget), but it's not a major aspect of the game at all. If they didn't mention it in some of the pre-release PR stuff, most people wouldn't even know about it.

Ah, I see. I might just pick up the western PS3 release.
 
sarcoa said:
Have any other North American outlets received a review copy? SquareEnix PR is usually pretty on time with getting those out, but I don't even see any NA reviews on metacritic.

Regardless I think I'm going to pick it up today. I honestly wasn't expecting much from Nier, but the impressions in this thread are relatively awesome.

It's going to be the sort of game that gets rave reviews from GAF and mediocre reviews from the media.

JRPG 7/10, etc.
 

sarcoa

Member
Freyjadour said:
It's going to be the sort of game that gets rave reviews from GAF and mediocre reviews from the media.

JRPG 7/10, etc.
I write for a small outlet, but we do get picked up by Metacritic.

We'll see if I fall in line :lol
 
sarcoa said:
I write for a small outlet, but we do get picked up by Metacritic.

We'll see if I fall in line :lol

I only played the first 2-3 hours and so far I'm loving it. It has some immediate flaws that will no doubt cost it several points from most reviewers at a first glance. They aren't flaws I particularly care about in this case, though.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I dunno why but despite the graphics being a bit shoddy, I love this game and is one of my favorite JRPGs this gen. I felt "connected" with the characters even with the
old lady of the lighthouse

also in that part
I felt sad regarding the old lady of the lighthouse's final say plus the music was awesome
.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Agreed, that ARS review is horrible.

Its a really good game, with a real sense of character about it. And to be honest, the graphics aren't *that* bad, Cavia are trying some unusual stuff here. On the whole Nier is quite polished, its definitely not the train wreck that its being made out to be.

Whats interesting is that it takes exactly the opposite philosophy of FFXIII, in that rather than stripping the graphical components down to the absolute basics then polishing the hell out of them, Cavia have kept everything in even when the cracks show. Its what I think gave me the PS1-era JRPG feeling- there's a very old-school attitude at work in that its not obsessed with being visually flawless - the idea is enough, you don't need an animation for everything.

Interesting that he mentions his monitor is 1080i though, didn't someone post early in this thread that they were suffering from horrible blurryness until they forced the game into 720p?
 

Kyoufu

Member
The game isn't a blurry mess for me, and I'm running it at 720p.

The graphics are not impressive by any means but the game excels in every other department. Sound, story, gameplay...its great.

I don't think I've played an RPG as varied as Nier, ever.
 
Ridley327 said:
:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol @
the Zelda reference at the end of the sand dungeon.
That whole dungeon from start to finish was great.

Nier borrows quite a bit...
Crossing the desert with a guide? Riding the boar across the fields? Even the structure of the game in general. Of course, Zelda isn't the only game. How about that Resident Evil mansion rip-off, or that lab under it later on that screamed Final Fantasy VII opening area?
 
Kyoufu said:
The game isn't a blurry mess for me, and I'm running it at 720p.

The graphics are not impressive by any means but the game excels in every other department. Sound, story, gameplay...its great.

I don't think I've played an RPG as varied as Nier, ever.

Yeah, this game has little bits of everything. Also I think it does them fairly well unlike some reviews or comments have stated about them. I stopped playing for now (little over half way) but damn must say I can't wait to get back to it and finish it! Damn life getting in the way.:D
 

eXistor

Member
I just finished it. I have to say this is probably gonna turn out to be the biggest surprise in 2010 for me. The game has some problems;
having to do the same dungeon 3 times, not counting the optional quests you can do there? Not cool
. Also, the quests are pretty crap. I did 60% of them, but I really don't feel like doing another damn fetch-quest where you have to farm materials a long time. I would have liked to see one or two more large environments, the game is fairly small as it is. A few areas, or at least dungeons, more would have helped a lot I think.

That aside, you won't find a more unique rpg this year. The music is great, very memorable. I liked the story a lot as I did the characters. The whole atmosphere is very well done as were the designs (technically the game migt not be that special, but it sure leaves an impression). I like how it switches genres like it's nothing and it even manages to feel perfectly natural.

All I can say is I did not expect this to be any good, in fact I actually thought this was SE's misguided attempt at a DMC clone. There was always something the game did that attracted me to it and I'm glad I decided to give it a go. It probably won't win any awards, but it's most definitely one of the most if not the most memorable title of 2010 so far.
 

sarcoa

Member
I went and bought it and then like ten minutes later I got a call saying a review copy arrived :lol

I'm an hour or two in and I'm really digging it. I read a few posts praising the music but didn't spoil it by listening to those youtube links and, wow, it's damn good, albeit in a way I didn't expect (given the bloodlust in the screens I thought I was in for crunchy guitars, so the softer, mellow pieces are quite a surprise). From the technical standpoint the visuals aren't the best around, but they don't exactly grate either. Anxious to see what else it has to offer.
 
eXistor said:
in fact I actually thought this was SE's misguided attempt at a DMC clone.

This. Nier isn't too much like Devil May Cry at all. Maybe the combat system (which is nowhere near as complex as DMC) is reminiscent of it, but the rest of the game is more like Zelda to me than anything else. And yea, I beat Nier as well (Ending A only), and was more surprised than disappointed at the end. If only this game came out like, in 2005 on PS2.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
I guess I'm a bit over an hour in, and still in what must be the slow, boring, tutorial areas. Then again, it is my fault since I'm sitting here farming fucking sheep until I can afford that 17K sword the blacksmith is selling in the first town...

The music is as beautiful as the graphics and animation are hideous.
Action seems like it'll be fairly engaging once I really get into things, but that introductory sequence was totally awful. No idea who thought starting a game off like that would be a good move...
 
Ars Technica guy is testing on a 1080i TV? Wow, what a tech expert... This game outputs in SD when forced to 1080i, idiot. And yeah, even without SD the game is intentionally blurry at times because they overuse a crappy depth of field effect.

Also to the people who beat the game once ... Start the second playthrough, there are so many surprises, it's amazing. (You have new game+ and start at the
middle of the game.

To the person unhappy with the quests: You get some amazing quests short before the end that demand much more than just collecting materials.

Also DON'T FARM, it's really not necessary.
 

Ricker

Member
Wow, the game was awesome and probably will be after this part but man,what a downer on the Temple after the Facade,jesus,and there isn`t even a save after you follow Fyra through the desert and those awful puzzles in the temple...I had to stop playing and now i`ll have to redo all that desert part following her slowly...why,why do they do stuff like this...
 

Volcynika

Member
LocoMrPollock said:
Saw a couple of friends playing this. Hadn't even realized that it was released. Game has some weird status updates :lol

I love the status updates when I see someone playing it on PSN. Lots of em to see!

Also, here's me

"Hey, take care of this boar"
"Ok!"
*later*
"Hey there's that boar, attack!"
*gets gored*

".........FUCK"

:lol
 
Ricker said:
Wow, the game was awesome and probably will be after this part but man,what a downer on the Temple after the Facade,jesus,and there isn`t even a save after you follow Fyra through the desert and those awful puzzles in the temple...I had to stop playing and now i`ll have to redo all that desert part following her slowly...why,why do they do stuff like this...

I don't understand why people have problems with the temple. Not really difficult.
 
Volcynika said:
I love the status updates when I see someone playing it on PSN. Lots of em to see!

Also, here's me

"Hey, take care of this boar"
"Ok!"
*later*
"Hey there's that boar, attack!"
*gets gored*

".........FUCK"

:lol


The boar is easy. He gets downed for an extended amount of time every 3 times hit hits a rock. When that happens, you jump over to him and use guard + attack to do the finishing move and it takes off a nice chunk. You can usually get in like 3 hits during the extended downtime. Pelt him with magic in between.
 
Volcynika said:
I love the status updates when I see someone playing it on PSN. Lots of em to see!

Also, here's me

"Hey, take care of this boar"
"Ok!"
*later*
"Hey there's that boar, attack!"
*gets gored*

".........FUCK"

:lol
Would get a few chuckles if I kept seeing the same updates about the boar >_>. Getting 2 shotted isn't fun. I can take this! Ram, oh crap!! Ram... dead.
 

Volcynika

Member
pancakesandsex said:
The boar is easy. He gets downed for an extended amount of time every 3 times hit hits a rock. When that happens, you jump over to him and use guard + attack to do the finishing move and it takes off a nice chunk. You can usually get in like 3 hits during the extended downtime. Pelt him with magic in between.

Well it was more that I had no idea he'd one shot me and kill me :lol
 

Median

Member
pancakesandsex said:
The boar is easy. He gets downed for an extended amount of time every 3 times hit hits a rock. When that happens, you jump over to him and use guard + attack to do the finishing move and it takes off a nice chunk. You can usually get in like 3 hits during the extended downtime. Pelt him with magic in between.

I am an idiot and forgot to do finishers on it. I just used normal attacks after it hit a rock. Took a while, but he went down. Now I'm enjoying drifting boars :D
 

matmanx1

Member
Alright I need a little pointer. It's late and I'm tired so I'm sure I'm missing something obvious but here goes:
I'm in the junk heap looking for the boys mother. I've found the elevator to 2f but can't seem to go any further down than that. I also have some doors on the first and 2nd floor that I can't open. What am I missing that will allow me to progress past this and find the boys mother?
 

Ridley327

Member
A lot of the quests are pretty much shitty fetch quests, but some of them have insanely twisted aspects to them, like the ending to The Runaway Kid. Totally did not see that one coming. :lol :lol :lol
 

Brofist

Member
I took the recommendation of this topic and picked it up. Got the Japanese 360 version, cause I wanted the tough guy version (plus PS3 version was sold out).

Haven't given it much play time, tring to finish Splinter Cell, but I like what I see. Definitely my first surprise game of 2010.
 
matmanx1 said:
Alright I need a little pointer. It's late and I'm tired so I'm sure I'm missing something obvious but here goes:
I'm in the junk heap looking for the boys mother. I've found the elevator to 2f but can't seem to go any further down than that. I also have some doors on the first and 2nd floor that I can't open. What am I missing that will allow me to progress past this and find the boys mother?

Yeah, I had the same problem, we are just blind. You're going for the wrong elevator. There's another one at the beginning of the dungeon.

firehawk12 said:
Dude on the Joystiq podcast ripped it to pieces. Something about being forced to do a fishing game 20 times.

What an asshole. The game introduces the player to fishing, but you're not forced to succeed. I fucked it up two or three times and then got the fish automatically. Took like three minutes. And fishing is actually pretty funny if you get the hang of it.
 

tokkun

Member
I am definitely intrigued by this game, but I fear that this is another case of GAF hype like The Last Remnant, where people convince themselves that a sub-par game is really great just because it seems to have an experimental, underdog aspect to it.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Haven't played TLR yet, but Nier doesn't seem to have all that many experimental elements to it yet. Seems to hew pretty close to relatively standard Action-RPG conventions, yet perhaps stands out because unlike many ARPGs, it doesn't suck miserable amounts of ass.

I am curious about TLR though.
 

Alucrid

Banned
tokkun said:
I am definitely intrigued by this game, but I fear that this is another case of GAF hype like The Last Remnant, where people convince themselves that a sub-par game is really great just because it seems to have an experimental, underdog aspect to it.

I wouldn't call TLR sub-par, it was good, nothing more nothing less.
 

RevenantKioku

PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
tokkun said:
I am definitely intrigued by this game, but I fear that this is another case of GAF hype like The Last Remnant, where people convince themselves that a sub-par game is really great just because it seems to have an experimental, underdog aspect to it.
You insult me, sir. I only pumped TLR because I believed in it.
 

ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
Only a couple of hours in to Nier, but I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying it. I profess a distinct fondness for Drakengard, but I think it's a game better enjoyed in retrospect. Actually playing it is a bit brutal. Nier doesn't suffer from that thus far.

tokkun said:
I am definitely intrigued by this game, but I fear that this is another case of GAF hype like The Last Remnant, where people convince themselves that a sub-par game is really great just because it seems to have an experimental, underdog aspect to it.

The Last Remnant is very much in the vein of the SaGa games, and you can probably at least get a feel for whether you'd like it based on your feelings toward that series. I can't think of such a direct analogue for Nier based on what I've played so far.
 
firehawk12 said:
Dude on the Joystiq podcast ripped it to pieces. Something about being forced to do a fishing game 20 times.

He probably didn't notice the red X you were supposed to fish at. Once you get the hang of fishing there really is nothing to it.

Killed the boar, but now trying to kill Mr. One Shot Shade in the Southern Plains. He is an ass.
 
Mejilan said:
I guess I'm a bit over an hour in, and still in what must be the slow, boring, tutorial areas. Then again, it is my fault since I'm sitting here farming fucking sheep until I can afford that 17K sword the blacksmith is selling in the first town...

The music is as beautiful as the graphics and animation are hideous.
Action seems like it'll be fairly engaging once I really get into things, but that introductory sequence was totally awful. No idea who thought starting a game off like that would be a good move...

the snow-supermarket intro? I loved that. engaging, creepy, intense
 
FateBreaker said:
the snow-supermarket intro? I loved that. engaging, creepy, intense

I enjoyed it too. Not so much the second time after I realized that you could name Nier anything at the beginning and it wasn't just a file name or what not :(.

Started getting what I assume are little snippets on what happened to the world in the loading screens (normally Yonah's diary). Very cool.
 
So you have to upgrade every weapon to the max for a trophy/achievement. This is insane, some of the rare items have such low drop/spawn rates. Good luck getting more eagle eggs after the one that is easy to get in a quest. I still might do it at some point XD

I think it is in the same ballpark as FFXIII treasure hunter and might even take longer.
 

matmanx1

Member
I think there are enough strong points in Nier to recommend it to most any action rpg fan. The gameplay holds up quite well and the combat is actually fun once you start incorporating all of Nier's arsenal.

The fact that you can hold to charge ANY step in Nier's combo string for a more powerful hit means you can vary your combo timing and get some additional effects like knockdown and more damage. Being able to throw in the little elbow charge move (triangle button on the PS3) for a knockback, jump and triangle for a ground slam and a variety of dodge rolls and sidesteps mean that the combat is much deeper and more fun than I first gave it credit for. And of course Grimoire Weiss's magic attacks are pretty much all awesome and fun.

Fishing did take me about 10 minutes to wrap my head around and there were alot of failures and retries in that 10 minutes before I figured out what the game was trying to get me to do. Luckily I got the shaman fish pretty quickly after that and unless you are going for the Platinum trophy / 1000 score then you really don't have to mess much with the fishing.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Just reading the comments below the ARS review makes my blood boil.

The reviewer admits he didn't even finish the game once, and judging by some of his comments his whole attitude was antagonistic from the outset.

I mean if you look at his response to a poster called "Fyelow" who mentions that he felt the game improves once Weiss joins the group you'd imagine from reading that its something that happens deep in the game, whereas the reality is that its at the end of the first proper dungeon in the game!

Part of the fun is that Weiss and Nier are chatting pretty much constantly, and not just during mainline story events, but also sidequests where a lot of sardonic comments arise from their banal nature.

But anyway, question to the GAF:

Do you think its acceptable for critics to write reviews of narrative-bound titles like JRPGS without finishing the story at least once?

Personally I couldn't care less how much they hate the experience, or whether or not they think it would change their final review if they played it through to the end - its their JOB to review the complete work ESPECIALLY if they have issues with it.

I find it wholly disrespectful of both the creators and their readership to do this, what do you guys think?
 
He did NOT play until Weiss joins the party? Wow, another example of "professional" gaming journalism. This guy should be fired.

You can't judge Nier if you haven't finished it at least once.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
He says he played the PS3 version for 13 hours, and the 360 version for 3... but honestly it really doesn't read like he got very far into the story at all.
 

Sacha

Member
Nier's story gets more and more powerful as you progress in the game. It's absolutely mindblowing near the end of the game when
you get the project Gestalt documents
and when you start your second playthrough to get ending B.
 
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