Nier...what a beautiful game you are.
You don't need a game of ''OMGWTFASDGDFYJE'' graphics to amaze a true gamer.
Nier has got one of the most touching, dark and melancholic story this gen.( It's written by Yoko Taro, so duh? A soundtrack that's at least worth a place in The Top 3 Best OSTs of All Time.
You really feel connected with the main character and his friends/allies and the game presents a father daughter relationship like no other game has done before, even after.
Side missions don't feel like a big burden and some even have a touching story with them *sniff* poor doggy *sniff* ).
And another thing that Nier does differently than the rest...Endings.
All four endings of Nier delivered.
And as you expect from Yoko Taro, be prepared for NG+.
The more you play and you slowly start to unlock the other endings, it starts to get more depressing and more and more and more... I've never ever felt such an empty feeling in my chest ever unlocking every ending. You'll get warped back at the beginning of Act 2 when doing NG+, so you don't start all the way at the beginning).
But there were only one and a half things that bugged the hell out of me: The lack of more locations and some lack of polish and detail of the existing levels.
Nier is a gem in every way. From the changing gameplay to the OST.
If you can forgive it's technical shortcomings and you want a story with an explosive climax or a change of scenery in the JRPG scene, then please try this game out.
You can only imagine what Cavia could've done with a bigger budget and a little bit more time.
Mos def a 9/10: EPIC!!!
( Forgive me if my English sucks. I'm still learning … Expand

One of the very few games I actually played until I had everything the game has to offer, including the platinum trophy. Despite the heavy grinding necessary to do that, the soundtrack managed to keep me motivated all through the process.

Nier is a fantastic game. It may not be able to compete with the graphics of the latest Call of Duty or the combat of earlier Devil May Cry installments, but this is one of the few games that has a real "soul". It's hard to explain. You have to experience it yourself or you will miss what is one of the greatest gaming experiences I've had in the past two decades.

Even over a year after finishing it, I still listen to the soundtrack every now and then and check some of the best cutscenes on Youtube. I can't wait for Drakengard 3.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A hidden gem of its times, greatly under appreciated by many. One of the best game I have ever played in my entire life, while combat may be clunky and repetitive, NIER makes up for every single bit of it with the immensely good story and lovable characters and the whole feel of the post apocalyptic world. (SPOILER) The dialogues of all the bosses you encounter on your second play through brings tears to your eyes, never before I was torn between sympathizing more with the main character or the bosses, never (SPOILER)… Expand

Some expert reviewers have called it 'boring' others called it 'ugly', but against these criticisms fans still openly think this game is a classic. I just cant fathom why the poor reviews! As a game the controls and combat are fluid and intuitive, the voice acting is great, and the story is one of the best i've seen to date. Its an unusual mix of Western and Japanese RPG / Action adventure, and anyone interested in either should give this game a shot. No doubt it has its shortcomings - some of the side quests are a little tedious, and the grinding involved in achieving the trophies is beyond masochism. Regardless of these slight problems NIER is a joy to play, its characters are endering, and the end play is spectacular. I hope the poor reviews dont stop this fantaastic game becoming the cult classic it deserved to become!… Expand

I avoided this great game because of the bad reviews it got, I picked it up cheap and I must say that I do not know wtf the "pro" reviewers were playing but all I know is this game is good. The graphics aren't that good but the game itself is a masterpiece. How can you give this game a bad review and give Call of Duty good scores for the same game every year. Give me a break. I bet I have played more video games in my life then you "pro" reviewers and I collected every system (just missing the jaguar) and I have thousands of games so I know what the hell I'm talking about. This is a good game, don't listen to these so called idiot "pro" reviewers who no nothing about video games.… Expand

Interesting premise. But drags on for too long. The middle could have been shortened a lot.

Nier isn't perfect. It's a game with mediocre gameplay and graphics. However, it really shines in both the soundtrack and story. This game made me feel things that I haven't felt since I played Silent Hill 2 for the first time. If you enjoy a good story and music, check this out. But make sure you at least get the second ending!

This game is a true gem. It is made by people who love games, not by people who wanna maximize profit. You feel that each moment you play this game. The characters are true, you really care for them, environments are beautifull,, soundtrack...well it's the best I have ever heard in a game (and I have been playing games for 30 years now). Story is original and encourages you to play on. It has four! different endings. Buy this game. you will not regret it.â… Expand

bought this game free along with the sims 3 ps3 any ways i played thru first 10 min it was so boring now it same like final fantasy but final fantasy series way better


this game i got it collecting dust now

I love this game. i got hooked from the beginning, don't get me wrong, there is a lot of leg work and if you are going for 100% completion you better have a spare 100 hours or so. The reason this is an 8 instead of a 10 is because of the enemy design and the camera angle. The camera angle is completely adjustable. This would normally be a good thing, but there is so much adjusting it is completely ridiculous. just frustrating. Next is the enemy design, this does seem really lazy but you notice less and less as the game goes on. Oh, and you better play it on a big screen or HD TV because the subtitles are small and important in parts of the game.… Expand

Many JRPGs get lined up against the wall for daring to be too stale, but Nier has nearly been forgotten for being exactly the opposite; bold, brash and brilliant. It's as if someone in Square Enix got a hold of whatever Suda51 plays with and they just went to town with it. An enjoyable cast, non sensible but interesting plot, and fantastic boss battles all delivered with a no thrills but very functional combat and game play system. This game gives so much, it's just a shame we didn't pay it its when it mattered. I thoroughly enjoyed Nier, and I recommend it to anyone else looking for something just that much more different from the uniform.… Expand

Nier it's amazing in almost everything, the story it's freaking awensome, the character are really good, and the music it's soo good!, people, BUY this game, it's very good!
Final: 10, a pure masterpiece.

This is an excellent game. It has one of the best soundtracks ever heard in a video game. The graphics aren't amazing but are good enough. There is so much variety in the game and many different styles come together brilliantly. This game is a love letter to many different rpgs from text-based adventures to Secret of Mana. The story in Nier is one of the strongest and unique I have come across. There are numerous side quests that when completed deliver emotional impact with a simple speech bubble filled with text. The game encourages multiple playthroughs, but this never feels like a chore thanks to some narrative trickery. I spent so many hours playing this game and it saddens me that I cannot play in again for the first time.… Expand

Story:
US Version: You are a father looking for a cure for your daughterâ

This game is one of the best games i have played. If you like Kingdom Hearts and God Of War, you will LOVE this game since it is a combo of both games. There is no other way to describe it. The story is beautiful accompanied by some beautiful music that just enchants the player. I dont know why people start hating on the graphics of this game but they are not as bad as they say. This game looks pretty good. The biggest problem i encountered with this game is its minor repetition having to do with traveling back to the same places but all is worth it as the story continues. i give it a 9/10! Great game… Expand

Picked Nier up for $20 new, and wow, I'm amazed, it's now one of my all time favorites. I had a tough time putting it down after I started playing, mostly in part due to the freakingly amazing soundtrack, great use of cinematography, well written and voice acted dialogue, and addictively interesting and sometimes frustratingly painful sidequests/extras. The plot is simple, however, the story delves much much deeper, hinting a number of underlying tones which keeps you interested. The characters are memorable and engaging, and the game demonstrates good character development/degradation. Nier's pacing and use of cutscenes' is effective, and the save point system is interesting, logical, and intelligently placed. Very well featured with plenty of things to keep you occupied. Maybe it's too well featured, it attempts to do A LOT of things, and sometimes, you just want to stick to a certain weapon/magic/technique/style of gameplay, and be more time efficient and just get the job done. Art style and quality can definitely be improved for some parts of the game (like Nier's head), however, little things like changing the camera control in certain levels to change the atmosphere of the gaming experience is commendable. Other preferred improvements would be having more art assets and level environments to add more to the world experience and lessen some of the repetitive nature of the game. Regardless of the repetition, I give props to the development team for making extensive use of their assets/levels, and creating a unique, mature-themed Action RPG. If you're into 10- hour games, Nier probably isn't for you. To have a complete experience, be prepared to invest a good amount of time, at least 40 hours or more for sidequests, extras, trophies, and the multiple playthroughs to complete all scenarios. Anyways, just wow.… Expand

Nier suffers from subpar graphics, subpar story/presentation, and a lot of repetition; doing dungeons for the third time except with different enemies is rather boring and the combat, while passable, isn't anything to get excited about. The one standout point is the beautiful, if somewhat repetitive soundtrack.

For the RPG fan. This game really makes you love all the characters, not in an over the top way like FFXIII either. graphics may be bad but if you want a good engaging RPG then this is definitely it. i bought this the same time i got darksiders (also a brilliant game) i played darksiders for an hour then turned on Nier. as soon as i saw the graphics in nier i wont lie i was eager to get back to darksiders.... however in actual fact darksiders stayed in its box for another month+. Nier has that "thing" that makes you go back for more, it has a brilliant story and cast and ending D is one of the best endings i have EVER seen in a game. if you doubt me that this is such a brilliant game just look at the user score, there the people who played it and got turned into fans. i bet the critics giving it a bad score diddnt even play it because the graphics diddnt look like it was COD.… Expand

Great game. This game reminds me alot of Illusion of Gaia. A different kind of RPG that is quirky, feels different and yet familar at the same time. Great soundtrack, I personally dont think the graphics are bad at all having grown up with the snes/ps1 and so on, and the gameplay keeps you interested.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best, if not the best, games of 2010. Nier is a deep, unique, artful, significant, Action RPG with a Bullet Hell twist and a tribute to Zelda and the likes. The story, music and the characters are among the best of its genre and the gameplay is refreshing.… Expand

amazing game. the soundtrack and story are what made this such an enjoyable game. main story line is fantastic. only issue i have with the game is the weak side quests that are ultimately a bunch of go fetch quests. i stuck to the main quest and avoided the majority of side quests and still had around 18 hours of great game play. if you're looking for more hours there are multiple endings that allow you to play through the game as a different character, and there are numerous side quests. i didn't even complete 1/4th of the missions and only played through the game once which led to me finishing under 20 hours. i definitely recommend this game to rpg fans.… Expand

Nier completely surprised me, no, shocked me. I thought I was buying a decent action rpg by Square Enix and I found an incredible rpg with a soundtrack that could easily compete for the best of the genre's history, a story that moved me to play the game multiple times just to get all the possible endings (the last one left me speechless) and the ability to use mechanics from many genres to differentiate its sections, ranging from survival horror to text adventure to shoot'em up. Its heroes were one of a kind, and I can guarantee that anyone who buy it will be blown away by the way this game handles its story.

It hasn't the best production values of a Ps3 jrpg (it's quite mediocre, to put it bluntly), but anyone willing to look over the polygon count is in for a great ride, something that more polished home console rpgs haven't been able to deliver in this generation.… Expand

It's one of the best games I have ever played!The atmosphere and story are incredible!The fighting is very addictive.Do yourself a favor and buy this! 9/10

Probably one of the most underrated games of all time. The game has it's flaws. The graphics aren't impressive at all, some mechanics aren't too polished or even fun but overall this game is an amazing experience. The story, the characters, the music... it's all over the top. I found myself playing this game nonstop so i could check the next ending as soon as i could. This game is a piece of art.

i cannot think of a reason as to why the critics have scored this game so low i mean the graphics arent as good as some games and at some points the story is a bit confusing but those may be the only things i could think of as to why they would mark it down. honestly this is an awsome game and pretty original in my opinion since you are a father who goes out to try and save his daughter from a deadly disease with the help of a foul mouthed hussy and a know it all book. the game play is also pretty solid with a pretty good fighting system and there is not that long of a load time in beetween places after you download it for the first time. also the voice acting is pretty nice as well and there are parts where it is genuinely funny and has made me laugh pretty hard. there is so much to do in this game as well because if you somehow get tired of the main story line you can help the villagers with thier own special little side quests and they usually give good rewards for the completion of them. this is defenatly a must own and do not listen to the critics they do not know what they are talking about on this one, i mean look at the ppl that whent out and bought the game most of us agree that this is an amazing game and is completely underrated… Expand

A surprisingly good game, Nier incorporates a standard fare hack and slash action-rpg combat system but keeps things incredibly simple. This works in their favour allowing for some excellent homages to other types of genres over the years, top down views, side-scrolling beat-em-ups and even text adventures! All get a nice slot in Nier and all work considerbly well.

The storyline can be slow but it's certainly intriguing and once the "big reveal" occurs the game allows you to re-play through for up to four different endings that equipped with the new information you've gained from your first playthrough allows you to look at your character's situation in the world in a completely new light. The main plot centers around Nier and his sick daughter Yonah and follows his quest to cure her of a deadly plague. It sounds like a standard-fare story but it is really well written and certainly avoids cheesy dialogue. Nier and his companion Grimoire Weiss have excellent banter over literally every subject matter in the game and other companions contribute in good fashion including motor-mouth Kaine.

A minor point of negative is the a-typical over-dramatisation of some cut scenes. There seriously no need for it. Some amusing 'that would kill anyone' moments abound as well but they can easily be overlooked unless you seriously hate that kind of thing.

There's plenty of mini games such as fishing and farming. Both are decent additions but the time constraints on farming (it can take fourty hours of real time for a plant to grow for example) makes you wonder if it's really the right sort of mini-game for those who perhaps aren't going to play on a daily basis to tender to their crops. But this is a minor complaint and easily gotten around through either planning or exploiting the system clock.

A negative to note; if there is any intention to platinum the game then Nier will take a while due to it's collectathon nature. You need to collect tons of rare resources to gain some of the loftier trophies and there's plenty of time-based challenges which require skipping a sizeable amount of cutscenes. These really shouldn't be here because really the storyline needs to be played through as-intended and not rushed for the sake of a few trophies. Definately get this game, it's an excellent game with a wonderful charm and an excellent father-daughter tale.… Expand

i really like this game in a very dragon age lite kind of way. i reviewed it better because the action is quicker hack n slash, but the repetitive music got to me in areas i had trouble advancing through. definetly a overlooked square enix gem.

This game is a truly compelling story with solid gameplay, somewhat hampered by a repetitive nature and less-than-great environmental graphics. However, all sidequests but three have no bearing on the story, which has multiple endings for those who play the New Game +, meaning that for those more interested in seeing all the game has to offer, most of the fetching and collecting can be skipped over. In a time where many JRPGs are going for style first and substance later, this game is a very nice change of pace.… Expand

The best story and best soundtrack prizes for a game since 2000 must be awarded to this game. Altough game play mechanics are a little messed up, there is no game in 2008-2010 segment had achieved the quality of this title in its genre. Any review that scores this games music lower then 10 is sided, I can say that easily. At first I was afraid of platform gaming in rpg will not bode well, but carefully aligned difficulty levels makes it enjoyable. Also the primary element of rpg gaming has returned with this title back after years of waiting. It is creating burst of emotions in the player. This game really creates emotions (and can make you cry, can make you angered, can make you wishing for a good revenge) which was a lost but most important aspect of RPG gaming. I really can't understand the reviews it was taking. The revievers at major game magazines must have not played this game. If so, they really missed a great game even it wasn't for their taste. I wasn't full filled with any game released in last 5 years, but have full filled with this title. It's much much better then FFXIII, much better then star ocean and better then the lost odyssey. A word of advise go get it however you can. If not, know that you are losing the greatest story, greatest sound track and greatest emotions that a rpg game can offer...… Expand

A highly original action-RPG that adds all sorts of wild ideas into the mix, from 2D platforming to bullet hell shooters. Dreamy musics, good characters, and an interesting story but on the other hand, it's a bit short, looks bland, has monotonous combat, and is lacking in compelling side content. Still well worth a playthrough or two, though.

2010 greatest gaming hidden gem. This game is one of the best, if not the best game to come out this year and deserves to be in ANY gamers collection.

(SPOILER FREE!!!)

Wow what can I say! This game really is one of the best games of 2010. The story and characters are really great and touching. The graphical art style is fantastic.

The combat is very fun.

There are lots of optional sidequests throughout the game and there all different.

The game probably has one of the most amazing beautiful ost's ever.

NIER is the surprise of the year. Incredibly engaging, boldly weird and consistently fun. Take a chance and you may be rewarded with one of the most unique, bizarre and worthwhile experiences this generation. For a medium whose proponents constantly deride a lack of innovation and yet consistently reward that lack with huge sales and glowing reviews, I am relieved that a little weirdie like NIER can slip through the wall of mediocrity and be amazing and strange despite many critics' wish to kill it with fire. It is not for everyone, and thank god.… Expand

Nier is a awesome game. I give it 10/10.

It is unique, dark, interesting, and insane. It is truely unique. I love this game. The soundtrack is so beautiful. How anyone can score this any lower than 10/10 is beyond me. The graphics are fine. It never slows down. That is something to say. It is a amazing story. A dark, intelligent and unique game. Brilliantly and well written. I love Nier. :)

While to be honest i did'nt have very high expectations for square enixs latest title and sometimes i'am wrong and get blown away, unfortunatly this was not one of those times. Nier's story is the reason to stick around for 30+ hours of gameplay, thats assuming you can live through some of the most bland and simple combat in an action rpg. The combat feels empty and spamming magic attacks usually means the end of any non-boss encounter. As if that was'nt disheartning enough, the game is filled with huge enviroments with nothing to do but monster hunter like gathering quests. If your looking for a truly unique story and world nier may have your answer but ask your self is it really worth it? the answers up to you but for me the answer is a definitive no!.… Expand