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[Clear]

I'm so happy that a year on, people are still talking about Nier.

Quite remarkable really considering how poorly it performed outside of Japan, and the absence of any review outlet really championing its culty charms.

Brilliant, brilliant game especially if you can overlook flaws in execution and admire the thought underlying it.

What most impresses me -and the angelic script spelling ATGC is a good example of this- is that Nier is so conceptually tight. Despite how things look, its rarely if ever weird, just for the sake of it. Every element has a function within the story that's being told. Its all meticulously planned out.

If you consider the journey the game takes you on, and what kind of reaction its trying to elicit from you at points along the way, you can't avoid recognizing quite how ambitious it is as a piece of game design.

 

[EatChildren]

Quite remarkable really considering how poorly it performed outside of Japan, and the absence of any review outlet really championing its culty charms.

Such is the nature of a cult game . On one hand it sucks that many of these games go by unnoticed by most, but on the other hand their lack of mass market appeal is a product of quirky design that we love.

It's close to being my Killer7 for this generation. Not in gameplay similarities, but in cult quality.

 

[Shalashaska161]

I still love the soundtrack in this game. I still listen to it all the time. In fact I've been learning a couple of the songs on piano these last few days since I found the sheet music online. Really awesome to be able to play a couple of these myself.

And holy shit at the whole language thing. Awesome sleuthing skills Dunan. I love it when games go above and beyond like that.

 

[Coldsnap]

Mind is blown. Nierogaf BELIEVE

 

[Ninjimbo]

I bought this game a month ago because of all the praise it received from GAF.

The game has flaws and I'll readily acknowledge them, but I don't give a shit. Nier is one of the best games I've played in this generation simply because of the feeling it left me with. I don't know what's so charming that has me loving this game as much as I do. It could be the art-style. It might be the music. It might be the story. It could be the combat. I don't really know. I just love Nier.

It's a special game. I'm glad I played it and it sucks that the studio went under. There's a creativity to this game that I feel only a Japanese studio could come up with. It's unfortunate.

 

[Prophet Steve]

I bought this game a month ago because of all the praise it received from GAF.

The game has flaws and I'll readily acknowledge them, but I don't give a shit. Nier is one of the best games I've played in this generation simply because of the feeling it left me with. I don't know what's so charming that has me loving this game as much as I do. It could be the art-style. It might be the music. It might be the story. It could be the combat. I don't really know. I just love Nier.

It's a special game. I'm glad I played it and it sucks that the studio went under. There's a creativity to this game that I feel only a Japanese studio could come up with. It's unfortunate.

It's probably the characters and dialogue for the most part. And perhaps the music yes.

 

[GrandHarrier]

So. I'm like an hour into the game. Everyone is saying how amazing the game is, but its just... boring. Fucking boring. I want to like it. I want to believe it is amazing as everyone says. But the combat is just... meh. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Prophet Steve]

So. I'm like an hour into the game. Everyone is saying how amazing the game is, but its just... boring. Fucking boring. I want to like it. I want to believe it is amazing as everyone says. But the combat is just... meh. Am I doing something wrong?

You are now still at the fetch quests, the game picks up later on. If you don't like the story tradeof for the side quests just skip them. When you get in the second part of the game (you'll know), things really get fun. But yeah, the game is one of the most boring games I've ever done, and also one of the greatest.

 

[Baloonatic]

If you don't like it then you don't like it.

We certainly don't love it for the combat!

 

[ShockingAlberto]

So. I'm like an hour into the game. Everyone is saying how amazing the game is, but its just... boring. Fucking boring. I want to like it. I want to believe it is amazing as everyone says. But the combat is just... meh. Am I doing something wrong?

Not everyone likes every game.

 

[Gravijah]

Not everyone likes every game.

But if someone doesn't like something, obviously it is a giant piece of shit. How do people even like ________?!

 

[Shalashaska161]

Finally finished the D ending today. I love how the game

Spoiler

deletes all your saves

at the end. It gives such a great feeling of closure.

Now I just need the PSN store to come up so I can try out the DLC. Hopefully it's worth it.

 

[1stStrike]

Finally finished the D ending today. I love how the game

Spoiler

deletes all your saves

at the end. It gives such a great feeling of closure.

Now I just need the PSN store to come up so I can try out the DLC. Hopefully it's worth it.

The DLC is actually awesome, but you should be a high level before you go into it because it's hard as shit. You pretty much need to be geared to do it. I hope you made backups of your saves

 

[Gravijah]

The DLC is actually awesome, but you should be a high level before you go into it because it's hard as shit. You pretty much need to be geared to do it. I hope you made backups of your saves

Spoiler

Backups

are for

Spoiler

pansies.

 

[Shalashaska161]

The DLC is actually awesome, but you should be a high level before you go into it because it's hard as shit. You pretty much need to be geared to do it. I hope you made backups of your saves

I er um. Hmm. Well I'm sure I can find a save on the net somewhere :lol

 

[Dunan]

One more thing about the angelic writing and what it hides:

Look at the very first post on this thread, with the covers for Gestalt and Replicant.

Unlike the US, EU, and Asian covers, which contain gibberish on the big seal (you can see shin and tsade and mem and other letters even upside-down and backwards), the Japanese covers only contain four different letters:

The big seal with these letters spans both covers, which represent

Spoiler

the black Gestalt side combining with the white Replicant side. The link between the Gestalts and the Replicants (the Black Scrawl and White Chlorination) being the four bases of human DNA.

Those two covers, side by side, have the secret to understanding the game's story hidden right in them.

 

[ZephyrFate]

holy shit. that's awesome. I crossposted this over on SA so people who read the NieR LP over there can check it out, but I gave you credit!

 

[Dunan]

holy shit. that's awesome. I crossposted this over on SA so people who read the NieR LP over there can check it out, but I gave you credit!

Something Awful? Thanks man; I've hit the big time now! ^_^;

 

[Johnlenham]

Worth a punt at £9?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Worth a punt at £9?

Without a doubt, yes.

 

[1stStrike]

Worth a punt at £9?

Absolutely. It's worth it at that price just for the music alone. The whole game is a steal at that price.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Something Awful? Thanks man; I've hit the big time now! ^_^;

yeah. It's already impressing people over there.

 

[Dunan]

yeah. It's already impressing people over there.

If it doesn't break their rules, could you post come quotes? I can't see myself paying SA $10 just to look at a thread, but I really want to hear what other people think of this.

 

[ZephyrFate]

If it doesn't break their rules, could you post come quotes? I can't see myself paying SA $10 just to look at a thread, but I really want to hear what other people think of this.

This is also really interesting stuff. I really love little details like that in games.

See, I had a feeling that those characters had some meaning...stuff like that is why I still tend to gravitate towards JRPGs, as they (among other genres) tend to include random neat bits that aren't noticeable at first, but help draw you into the setting. They even had stuff like that in FFXIII; the two worlds were pretty damn well-detailed in the supplementary stuff, right down to their own alphabets. References and little nods to the background material were scattered throughout the game, despite how narrow a scope it gave you. It might be because I was looking for stuff like that that I enjoyed the game more than most.

The Angelic alphabet's an interesting choice for a game like Nier. If I play through that again I'm going to be on the lookout for other little things.

That's pretty awesome. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

that's all I found.

Turn A (a user from GAF on SA) also posted it in the Games thread for NieR over on SA as well. I posted it in the Drakengard 2 LP going on.

From where he put it:

Man I love little details like that in games. I really hope the NIER team is still together somewhere too.

There was almost discussion on the fact that perhaps the gibberish text fits in with the game's overarching theme of miscommunication.

 

[Relix]

Beat the game. Nice, nice. Then I read the Dunan posts. Fucking mindblown. So much I started replaying for Ending B, something I rarely ever do these days.

 

[Lard]

Waiting for my summer classes to be done so I can go for endings C & D.

Also holyshitmindblown, well done EatChildren!

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Beat the game. Nice, nice. Then I read the Dunan posts. Fucking mindblown. So much I started replaying for Ending B, something I rarely ever do these days.

Remember not to skip any old cutscenes.

 

[Relix]

Remember not to skip any old cutscenes.

Not not skipping anything =P

 

[Gravijah]

Remember not to skip any old cutscenes.

This times infinity.

 

[Cheska]

Holy effin shit. Just went back to read Dunans post about the Nier facts. That was INSANE! Great attention to detail, seriously. My mind is officially blown.

 

[Ignis]

Looks like a Nier tribute album will be released in September.
http://web.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/nier/tribute/

I'm officially excited.

 

[Lard]

Looks like a Nier tribute album will be released in September.
http://web.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/nier/tribute/

I'm officially excited.

So am I!

 

[Gravijah]

My insides are tingling.

 

[Nirolak]

That's a good start Square, but the real trick is to make another game.

 

[Gravijah]

That's a good start Square, but the real trick is to make another game.

a. for japanese cell phones

or

b. "we feel this franchise could use a western touch."

 

[ShockingAlberto]

That's a good start Square, but the real trick is to make another game.

Without Yoko Taro, I don't think I'd want another game.

 

[1stStrike]

Looks like a Nier tribute album will be released in September.
http://web.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/nier/tribute/

I'm officially excited.

So bought. I loved 15 nightmares, and I'm sure this will be great too. I can't get enough of Nier's music.

 

[Agent Cooper]

So... I finished the first ending a few months back, and before it got a chance to save, the PS3 turned off due to a storm. (Well all the power did...)
Is it worth it to replay through the first ending to get to all the others?

 

[ZephyrFate]

So... I finished the first ending a few months back, and before it got a chance to save, the PS3 turned off due to a storm. (Well all the power did...)
Is it worth it to replay through the first ending to get to all the others?

Yes.

You'll get to the see the other side of the coin with the second playthrough and ending.

 

[Gravijah]

So... I finished the first ending a few months back, and before it got a chance to save, the PS3 turned off due to a storm. (Well all the power did...)
Is it worth it to replay through the first ending to get to all the others?

Of course. The second playthrough is absolute must play material.

 

[Yoshiya]

So bought. I loved 15 nightmares, and I'm sure this will be great too. I can't get enough of Nier's music.

Same. By this point though, they're either milking every cent from the fanbase before they trash it for good or there's another game coming. Given it's Square, I don't have much faith in their respect for the consumer.

 

[JaskoX1]

Mhan, why was Nier never on PC? Such an awesome game with a great set of characters.

 

[thetechkid]

At what point(by which ending) should I look up and see how Nier is connected to Drakengard? Also about the second playthrough

Spoiler

is it mostly all Kaine flashback storytime like the beginning is?

 

[Dr. Ecco]

At what point(by which ending) should I look up and see how Nier is connected to Drakengard? Also about the second playthrough

Spoiler

is it mostly all Kaine flashback storytime like the beginning is?

I would play it safe and wait until you get all four endings, although I think after ending B is safe enough.

Spoiler

Not quite, let's say that you see the game from a different perspective, but not only from Kaine's. Your mind will be blown and maybe tears will be shed. By all means, get that ending B and remember not to skip any cutscene, they change from the first playthrough and are pure gold.

 

[Augemitbutter]

Looks like a Nier tribute album will be released in September.
http://web.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/nier/tribute/

I'm officially excited.

i hope they give it good direction and not just hire random, overworked composers who create a mishmash of tracks that don't fit together.

 

[Princess Skittles]

Hello my lovelies.

I will (finally) be starting this game this weekend. I am hype!

I shall stay spoiler free for the nows, but I may pop in and drop an impression or two (or a geek out over the music).

 

[Clear]

Anyone know what MONACA are working on next? After the success they've had with Nier I can't imagine they'd be short of commissions.

(I'm secretly holding out hope that they turn out to be FFXIII-2's unannounced composers for the Lightning/otherworld sections).


*EDIT*

Their website here shows a bunch of anime stuff since Nier, but not much gamesd work.

 

[0 HP]

Almost done with ending B, I didn't realize how quickly you could go through it. Do any of the endings start you at the beginning so you can do your uncompletable quests or do you need to start over? I don't mind since I was planning to do a speed run anyway, just curious.

 

[mattiewheels]

Mhan, why was Nier never on PC? Such an awesome game with a great set of characters.

Square's not too involved with PC ports, are they? I know Last Remnant was a really good port, but they don't seem too interested in PC otherwise.

 

[Phoenix_Apollo]

Almost done with ending B, I didn't realize how quickly you could go through it. Do any of the endings start you at the beginning so you can do your uncompletable quests or do you need to start over? I don't mind since I was planning to do a speed run anyway, just curious.

You restart at the same place in every playthrough after you get the first ending.