NIER


Not too long after the RPG giant Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIII in the States, the publisher released another RPG, NIER, and the two could not be more different. Where FFXIII is elegant, NIER is most decidedly not. FFXIII has very clean dialogue. To say that NIER has a foul mouth is grossly understating it. FFXIII is all about the party-based tactics and minimal bloodshed, whereas NIER is a bloody, gory mess and well, the party members don’t do that much in battle. In other words, NIER is everything FFXIII is not and seems to be very un-Square Enix in every way. And actually, this is what makes it a fantastic action-RPG.

The game will win no beauty contests with its graphics, and this will probably turn off many people upon first glance. However, this is definitely one occasion where one should not judge a book by its cover, or in the case of NIER, a game by its graphics. It may look like an ugly duckling, but NIER is a beautiful swan underneath. The swan consists of an emotional and well plotted out story, fun hack-and-slash gameplay, and absolutely hilarious dialogue often makes fun of the game itself.

Again at first glance, the story seems like it’s the typical random-hero-must-save-the-world plot, but players will soon find out how atypical it is. Instead of an angsty teenager taking the lead role, the main character is a middle-aged father. He’s not out to save the world from a crazy idealist, an evil mastermind, or hideous monsters, but from a deadly virus, one that has infected his seven-year-old daughter, Yonah. Nier (the main character who the player can rename) and his daughter live in the year 3349, a post-apocalyptic future. Everything has gone to waste, and the remaining humans of the world have had to start from scratch and live off the land. Ignore the fact that in 1300 years, surely they would have technologically advanced. It’s actually a huge spoiler to explain why they are still living in the Middle Ages. Yonah has been inflicted with the fatal Black Scrawl disease, and Nier will do anything to ease her pain and find a cure. When she runs off to find a flower that supposedly grants wishes, Nier meets a talking, floating book named Grimoire Weiss who says he thinks he can help Nier save his daughter. Weiss helps Nier learn magic to defeat monstrous Shades attacking the world as well as learn Words to apply to his weapons and magic to boost their stats. With Weiss and other companions, Nier links the disease to the Shades roaming the land and their master, the Shadowlord. When you learn the truth behind the Black Scrawl, more about Nier’s friends’ backgrounds, and what happened to the human race 1300 years ago, and it will blow your mind. Upon consecutive run-throughs to see all four endings, the mind blowing just continues with additional cut scenes and backstories of the characters AND the bosses.

While the story is emotional and often heart wrenching (especially during the additional playthroughs), the dialogue between Nier, his companions, and the NPCs is most often comical. For example, Weiss constantly calls Kaine, one of Nier’s companions, a “foul-mouthed hussy” due to her rather strange and um, revealing, clothing and her tendency to drop f-bombs like they’re going out of style. Weiss antagonizes everyone quite humorously, but his banters with Kaine are priceless. My favorite quip from her during one of these sessions is “Shove it up your index, book!” Most of the humorous dialogue is found during Nier’s many sidequests, and it’s really that, the extra backstories and the piles of gold earned that make the long list of fetch-quests worth the extra hours of gameplay.

In addition to the funny dialogue, the game also refuses to take itself seriously even during some of its most serious and emotional moments. For example, many instances of gameplay pay homage to popular games and game genres. It’s a typical hack-and-slash action game, and quite a bloody one at that. Nier says quite often that he just likes to go and kill things, taking a small nod toward the God of War franchise. The game also transforms into a sidescrolling 2D action game, a top-down brawler, and at a couple places, it’s a text-based game. NIER also has two extremely pointed references toward the Legend of Zelda, and both caused me to literally laugh out loud.

At other instances, the game calls attention to the fact that it is a game and some of these things that happen are ridiculous. After finishing the first text-based sequence, Nier says that he hates words and would rather punch things in the face. Even Weiss gets mad at the narrator for claiming that the book is doing things he’s not. During a consecutive run-through, a NPC will give Nier a sword and Nier asks Weiss why since he already has this sword. Weiss then says, “Hush. It’s how things are done the second time around.”

Aside from boss fights, the gameplay does not have much depth other than hack-and-slash, but really, what other hack-and-slash game is really deep? If chopping things to bits with sprays of blood is not appealing, NIER is not for you. Nier constantly learns new magic spells to shake things up, and he learns new attacks when he can wield two-handed swords and spears, so the fighting doesn’t stay stale for long. For those who enjoy the violent and at times mindless release of hack-and-slash, the gameplay will never feel boring. In fact, as Nier becomes insanely powerful, one can’t help but giggle as he slides effortlessly through three or four armored Shades.

The Rundown
Those who enjoy hack-and-slash, giant bosses, heart wrenching stories, endless sheep killing, and games that poke fun of themselves and other games will adore NIER if they can get past the ugly outer layer. If players give it a chance, at the very least a rental, they’ll discover how fantastic and funny this game really is.

And no one should listen to the countless Internet reports about NIER revolving around a fishing mini-game. Nier has to fish once, and if the player hates it, he or she never has to do it again. Remember, young grasshopper, only patience will reveal the swan behind this ugly duckling.