NieR is a game with noticeable problems: its graphics aren't the best, the main combat is simplistic and lacking, most of the sidequests are tedious and not very fun, and it's overall lacking polish in various areas. It's very obviously a low-budget game.
But all that proves is that you don't need a ridiculous amount of money to make something amazing. Even in spite of its flaws, NieR shines through and through as a breath of fresh air in the JRPG genre, and really most games in general. The true strength of this game lies in its plot, characters, music, and localization.
The plot of the game centers on a widower trying to care for his ill daughter. He is opposed by "Shades", mysterious monsters that plague the land. Eventually he teams up with what is pretty much the best JRPG cast ever and uncovers some pretty sinister things. The plot and characters in this game are unlike anything you have ever seen in other RPG's, I absolutely guarantee it. And what's more the game uses an ingenious way to unveil it all to you through its use of the New Game Plus, revealing various pieces of information that completely change how you view the story and your actions in it.
This is helped by the fact that the game has an absolutely stellar localization; the script for the english game was actually written separately from the japanese, which means that the localization team had a lot of freedom. Perhaps as a result of this the voice acting for this game is also fantastic, and I actually prefer the english dub to the japanese one, which almost never happens with me. There are a few missteps here and there when it comes to the script, but overall it's fantastic.
And that music oh my god. Easily one of the greatest videogame soundtracks of all time, I was hooked on it from the first track I heard. Even people who don't like the game all that much usually admit the soundtrack is baller.
There is more I could say about the game but the 400 words limit means I have to keep it short. To sum it up, Nier isn't a perfect game but is amazing at what it tries to do. Just be warned that it is an incredibly dark, depressing and oppressive game; in my opinion that is part of what made it so great, but I know not everyone is into that. It goes by for cheap now so if you want a good JRPG, this is easily one of the best to come out in recent years.
VideoGame Flawed, but Amazing
NieR is a game with noticeable problems: its graphics aren't the best, the main combat is simplistic and lacking, most of the sidequests are tedious and not very fun, and it's overall lacking polish in various areas. It's very obviously a low-budget game.
But all that proves is that you don't need a ridiculous amount of money to make something amazing. Even in spite of its flaws, NieR shines through and through as a breath of fresh air in the JRPG genre, and really most games in general. The true strength of this game lies in its plot, characters, music, and localization.
The plot of the game centers on a widower trying to care for his ill daughter. He is opposed by "Shades", mysterious monsters that plague the land. Eventually he teams up with what is pretty much the best JRPG cast ever and uncovers some pretty sinister things. The plot and characters in this game are unlike anything you have ever seen in other RPG's, I absolutely guarantee it. And what's more the game uses an ingenious way to unveil it all to you through its use of the New Game Plus, revealing various pieces of information that completely change how you view the story and your actions in it.
This is helped by the fact that the game has an absolutely stellar localization; the script for the english game was actually written separately from the japanese, which means that the localization team had a lot of freedom. Perhaps as a result of this the voice acting for this game is also fantastic, and I actually prefer the english dub to the japanese one, which almost never happens with me. There are a few missteps here and there when it comes to the script, but overall it's fantastic.
And that music oh my god. Easily one of the greatest videogame soundtracks of all time, I was hooked on it from the first track I heard. Even people who don't like the game all that much usually admit the soundtrack is baller.
There is more I could say about the game but the 400 words limit means I have to keep it short. To sum it up, Nier isn't a perfect game but is amazing at what it tries to do. Just be warned that it is an incredibly dark, depressing and oppressive game; in my opinion that is part of what made it so great, but I know not everyone is into that. It goes by for cheap now so if you want a good JRPG, this is easily one of the best to come out in recent years.