NIER

A game with split-personality disorder, aiming to please everyone with elements drawn from a raft of sources, but in the process it never excels in any one area.

NIER might not the revolutionary title that it inspired to be, but it has some moments that make the downtime worth the effort. The cast, sorrowful fable, and boss battles are some of these moments that makes NIER stand out from the current crop of role-playing games.

NIER is a kind of strange name for a game in our language, but the game itself isn't strange at all. It's pretty nice actually. It has a great atmosphere, brilliant audio and pretty cool enemies to fight against. But it's sad to see the graphics are more like a PlayStation 2 game then a PlayStation 3 game, so it could have been a lot better. But if you are looking for a great hack and slash game with RPG elements, then NIER wil be a nice game to play or add to your collection.

A bizarre mix of influences and a great script still can't save this inventive but flawed role-player.

Nier is a game that at first may alienate some. If you're seeking a classic RPG, then it is not for you.

When you take its parts separately, it isn't a very good game. The gameplay mechanics are simplistic and unpolished, the graphics are bland, and the only real standout element is the audio. Yet there is something intriguing about the entire package

It's like an ugly puppy: it's not appealing to look at and it sometimes makes a mess, but it's got a special quality that makes you love it regardless.

Not exactly original, but then it doesn't pretend to be. Despite being clumsy, old-fashioned and bumpy, it's still a charming RPG with a great story that is sure to please fans.

The ideas that Nier was built on are extremely solid -- the execution just falls short.

If you're one of the many who've grown tired of spikey blonde protagonists and thirty hour corridors, then maybe it's time you let Nier convince you that there is room for change.

Nier can be surprisingly rewarding, but learning to appreciate its bizarre charms does require patience. [July 2010, p.78]

JRPG blended with platformer, hack'n'slash and shooter surprises with some clever ideas but disappoints with story and dull side mission. Good game but not a smash hit. [Issue#191]

Production wise, there's little reason why this couldn't have been on PS2. With a little patience and a lot of forgiveness, you will have fun with Nier and it's very easy to get into, but there are far richer experiences elsewhere. [June 2010 p79]

Nier could have been something if more thought was put into the actual gameplay and leveling system, rather than making it a linear path through mediocrity.

It's just made to look pedestrian by other JRPGs, most notably FFXIII. [June 2010, p.98]

Provided you can make it through the disappointing introduction and swallow your outrage every time Kaine makes a show of bending over, Nier is a classic action RPG with some refreshing elements and a reminder that streamlined gameplay need not mean a restrictive experience due to its minimal but innovative weapon and ability upgrade system.

A well written story and some good gameplay gimmicks combine with an overall context that lacks coherence. Some issues in the control system and old-gen graphics utterly spoil the fun. A shame, especially for the waste of some good ideas and the well designed supporting characters.

With so many genuinely good action/RPGs that aren't riddled with archaic missions and gameplay, I have trouble recommending Nier solely on the basis of a decent (but unevenly executed) story.

In the time spent playing this, I really wanted to enjoy NIER as an intricate game but it suffers largely from an identity crisis.

NIER is a game that will undoubtedly appeal to a handful of RPG enthusiasts because of the story being told. For others, myself included, the game is a slapdash effort that fails to make good on its promise and it ultimately ends of falling into a pit full of worn-out RPG conventions.

The story is rich and engaging, but gameplay is little more than a chore.

Nier is an average game trying to blend RPG with hack&slash. Unfortunately, it fails. The storyline is averagely delivered and the game starts out slowly. Gameplay-wise not much is there to entice you and that's without having to face mediocre graphics. Luckily, the dialogues are funny sometimes, otherwise there would not be much to enjoy in this game.

Thanks to a strong narrative and a relatively good concept, Nier is to be considered a decent addition to the PS3's and 360's RPG catalog. Although its visuals aren't surely breathtaking and its gameplay doesn't excel in terms of depth, the game will in fact manage to guarantee a likable experience to any fan of the genre.

A peculiar game, which should mostly fascinate Drakengard fans and appeal to the most inquiring minds.

NIER is far from perfect – in fact, it's decidedly below average at times – but for every sloppy design decision or hackneyed rehash there are charming and often unique aspects that are worth the investment.

Nier is a missed opportunity. There are moments when the storytelling shines, but those are few and far between in a pretty drab quest-laden game with boring missions and fetch quests.

You can call it feature creep or over-ambition, but it's the surfeit of content that almost buries the game's achievements. [June 2010, p.100]

When NIER dares to take risks and deviate from the norm it really manages to find its own voice. The boss fights, changes of perspective and parts of the story shine, but the experience is sullied somewhat by the uninspired graphics, repetitious gameplay and the slow tempo.

Nier is very difficult to dislike, even as you curse the quality control that lets the game oscillate wildly between the fiercely inventive and the utterly generic. Yet while it's hard not to admire a game that dementedly throws so much at the player in an attempt to make something stick, Nier's faults are too many and too severe to wholeheartedly recommend.

Overall, Nier has its ups and downs. There are brief moments where you can see the influence from more brilliant games, such as Zelda and Bayonetta, shining through, but the overall experience is lukewarm at its best moments.

Nier spends hours being impressively boring as you plod through the drab overworld, but the smart progression saves its blushes. [Issue#192, p.86]

This dreary action role-playing game has its worthwhile moments, but they're separated by countless hours of fetch-quest tedium.

Nier is a complete mess. To mix up action rpg and 2d scrolling shooter is a weird idea, and the results are very disappointing. The clumsy plot and the ugly graphics do the rest.