Nira

 Switch
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. TouchArcade
    Oct 19, 2021
    70
    If you’re on the hunt for another crafting/survival game and dig low-fi vibes, you might want to give Nira a look. A mysterious talking totem pole dishes out quests to complete, and you have to go forth and do whatever needs to be done in order to gain experience and level up. The game is played from a top-down perspective where you explore procedurally generated islands. Gather resources, battle enemies, and craft to your heart’s content. It seems very simple at first, but it ends up being surprisingly complex. As an affordable alternative to the likes of Terraria and Minecraft, I think it has a place.
  2. Pure Nintendo
    Nov 24, 2021
    60
    Nira is a delightful survival, crafting game with charming pixel art and relaxing tunes. However, there’s quite a learning curve to play, and it may grow old quickly.
  3. Gaming Age
    Feb 7, 2022
    50
    If you want something to take over a Minecraft- or Don’t Starve- or Terraria-shaped hole in your life, Nira isn’t it. It aims high, and clearly has some great influences, but it can’t seem to meld them all together into something worthwhile.

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  1. NindieSpotlight
    Dec 17, 2021
    5
    I’ll freely admit that survival games don’t tend to be one of my favorite genres, but having played several that even I have found compellingI’ll freely admit that survival games don’t tend to be one of my favorite genres, but having played several that even I have found compelling and agreeable (for a number of reasons) I wouldn’t say I have an inherent bias against them either. In the case of Nira, which really heavily pushes on the minimalist button in terms of its look and structure, in many ways my play time with it left me gobsmacked. Thinking its talking totem pole was plain weird, struggling to identify what many objects around me (including those that could kill me) were, having difficulties with the controls needed to complete a quest… they led to some moments that actually left me laughing, but more in frustration and being baffled than being amused. Trying to trade with what I assume was a lady, since there wasn’t feedback for success, I kept trying different R buttons, which ended up having me attack and kill her. Not long after that a different humanoid-looking thing arrived and promptly attacked, making me kill it too, it was all a weird bit of chaos. I think this may be a game where going too far into the retro vibe really hurt it. Yes, with time and some repetition you’ll understand what different things are, but in the early going it really saps enthusiasm, and with the general style of play being very ordinary and rote at best it’s hard then not to reflect on the fact that there are better representatives of the genre out there you could be playing instead.

    https://www.nindiespotlight.com/2021/10/mini-reviews-october-14th-edition.html    … Full Review »