Close to Superiority- NIER Review

With the Legend of Zelda being an elevated entry in the canon of gaming, it’s surprising that there aren’t more now-gen console diversions which draw inspiration from the classic Nintendo title. While both Darksiders and 3D Dot Game Heroes carefully ape Miyamoto-san’s conventions, they represent a microscopic fraction of the Xbox 360’s and PS3 expansive library. Clearly, the market has changed; long gone are the days when SNES adventures cautiously combed the worlds of Secret of Mana, Soul Blazer, Secret of Evermore, Illusion of Gaia, and Mystical Ninja.

Unmistakably, Square-Enix’s NIER adeptly recalls the enduring franchise as players are tasked with traversing dungeons teeming with sealed ingresses and block-pushing puzzles. Conquered bosses augment the game’s protagonist with formidable abilities, but not before a shrouded strategy is gleaned. Large open grasslands are scattered with both factions of foes and innocuous hoarding creatures, while waterways are filled with fish- waiting to be caught and brought to market.  Yet, NIER is more than a mere tribute to Zelda; elements evoke bullet dodging-shmups, the unnerving camera perspective of the early Resident Evil game’s and even a text based adventure.

NIER opens in the year 2049, in a realm ravaged by a rancorous plague and persistent snowfall. Players are introduced to the game’s eponymous protagonist, who is isolated in a decaying building with his ailing daughter and an enigmatic book. With a modicum of narrative impetus, gamers are shown how to attack and move against the Shades- the title’s ubiquitous adversaries.

To vanquish these ethereal villains, players have a handful of basic moves at their disposal. A tap of the “X” button initiates a routine strike, while a protracted press unleashes a circular assault able to take out an encroaching flock of foes. While initial antagonists lash out languidly, later antagonists with compel gamers to use the triggers to block and dodge attacks.  The top buttons of the controller are reserved for the increasingly powerful magic loadout endowed by the aforementioned book Grimoire Weiss. One of the early abilities is the Dark Blast, which fires a steady stream of projectiles, evoking the ballistic barrage of a classic shmup.

The talking tome is more than just a tool to supplement NIER’s melee abilities. Both Weiss, and later in the game- Kaine, become the player’s bantering sidekicks. The former skillfully ‘breaks the fourth wall’, referring to the monarch of each dungeon as a “boss”, and even conversing about their weak points.  While Kaine is drawn with the stereotypical brushstrokes common to gaming, her demeanor is superbly unconventional, as she releases a steady string of expletives when addressing Weiss.

The amusing exchanges serve as NIER’s incentive for the game’s often monotonous side-quests. Nearly all the people in the title’s realm need something- a monster slayed, a rare item procured, or fruit gathered. Some of the additional missions are habitually tedious, but they offer two benefits-players are often rewarded with dialog between the dueling party members, as well as experience points.

Although NIER valiantly attempts to maintain a player’s interest with a variety of gameplay mechanics, the title’s visuals don’t offer a similar amount of diversity. While the title’s framerate is generally steady and its draw distance sporadically impresses, the game’s palette lingers in the brown and gray tones, conveying a drab graphical experience.   Players accustomed to the fluidity displayed in Bayonetta or God of War 3 will have to adjust to NIER’s modest animations; the title doesn’t have the visual allure of straightforward action titles. Sonically, the game has some exquisite compositions that skillfully complement the title’s action and exploration.

NIER is an easy title to dismiss; screenshots and short videos do little to convey the game’s diversity. While the title does have a few niggling faults, it is also delightfully compelling as hours evaporate with each subsequent dungeon. Those yearning for a Hyrulian-inspired adventure should commence their expedition with an earnest examination of NIER’s virtues.