Nier (computer game)

Kidney
Studio	Cavy
Publisher	Square Enix
Erstveröffent- lichung	April 22, 2010 April 23, 2010 April 27, 2010
platform	PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360
genre	Action RPG
Game mode	Single player
control	Gamepad
medium	DVD , BD
Age rating	USK PEGI
PEGI content rating

Nier is an action role-playing game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix in April 2010 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 .

In Japan there are two different versions of Nier , which differ slightly from each other. The Xbox 360 version is called Nier Gestalt ( ニ ー ア ゲ シ ュ タ ル ト , Nīa Geshutaruto ) and the Playstation 3 version is called Nier Replicant ( ニ ー ア レ プ リ カ ン ト , Nīa Repurikanto ). The difference is that Replicant caters to the Japanese market and its audience, while Gestalt was developed with the Western market and its tastes in mind, which may be the case. a. is reflected in the age of the main character Nier and his relationship with the character Yonah . Outside of Japan there are no differences between the two platform versions - both are based on Nier Gestalt.

In March 2017 and June 2018, Nier: Automata, the sequel to the first part for PlayStation 4 , Xbox One and Microsoft Windows, was released .

Gameplay

The player controls the character Nier through a largely open game world. The player can use various melee weapons and magic skills to assert himself against the opponents in the game world. In the course of the game you can develop and improve these skills. The battles are very action-heavy and take place in real time directly in the game world without a separate battle screen (such as in Final Fantasy ) being displayed. The story of Nier undergoes a number of twists - not least because of the four possible "endings" A, B, C and D - and awaits new revelations after every major progression. In the meantime, three free comics by DC have been published on the game's website , which shed some light on the prehistory of Nier and thus clear up a number of questions.

action

The game is set in the year 2049 in a destroyed and snow-covered city. Nier and his sick sister Yonah are haunted by evil creatures called shadows. To protect his sister, he sells his soul to a magical book that can fight the shadows. At this point the game takes a leap and a few years later reveals that Nier is still looking for a cure. He tries to get to the city of Aerie , hoping to kill strong shadows and so help his sister. There he met Kainé , who then supported him in his mission. In the further course of the game it is difficult for Nier to find a cure and he repeatedly experiences setbacks. While trying to open a shrine that is said to have contained a valuable key, Kainé is petrified and Nier accidentally blows up the whole city. In the city of shadows, they finally find the cause of the mysterious disease. The shadows are separated from their original bodies. It is from these bodies that the disease originates. In the end, the Shadow Lord Yonah puts soul back into her body and she becomes human again.

There are different endings to the game: First, the game ends with Nier and Yonah sitting in a field. When the player plays the last section again, the second ending comes out, where you can see the Shadow Lord and the true form of Yonah . As soon as the player has experienced end one and two and all weapons in the game have been collected, comes the third end, where Kainé loses control and the player can decide whether to sacrifice himself so that she can live.

Characters

The Japanese spokesman apply only to Replicant , in shape that are also in the Japanese version, the English used.

• Kidney

(Speaker: Kōji Yusa )

The main character of the game. He is a grown man (in shape ) or a youth (in replicant ). His daughter ( in shape ) or his little sister (in replicant ) Yonah was attacked by a mysterious disease called "runic plague", which is why Nier has devoted himself solely to the search for a cure.

• Kainé

(Speaker: Atsuko Tanaka )

A young woman with a mysterious background, which is revealed in the game variants for the endings B, C and D. She meets Nier very early and accompanies him from then on. This character gained particular attention by the fact that he was introduced as a hermaphrodite ( futanari ) and by the way of expression, which consists largely of strong expressions.

• Grimoire white

(Speaker: Shinnosuke Ikehata )

Grimoire Weiss is a floating magical book found by Nier early in the game . From then on, it serves as an inventory and logbook, among other things, and enables Nier to use magic and improve weapons. Weiss stands out primarily because of his arrogant attitude, which repeatedly creates amusing situations.

• Emil

(Speaker: Mai Kadowaki )

A boy who only joins the group around Nier later in the game . Emil is cursed for turning everything he looks at to stone. For this reason he has been blindfolded for as long as he can remember and is looked after by a butler ( Sebastian ) in a villa. The game provides an explanation for this curse relatively quickly after the first encounter with Emil, who then undergoes a transformation, but continues to accompany the group.

reception

Overall, Nier received rather moderate ratings. The game achieved a rating of 81 among the readers of Spieletipps , while most of the trade magazines rated it rather average and, for example, only achieved 70 points out of 100 for 4Players . Among other things, the "like a PS2 title in HD graphics" ( GamePro ) looking graphics and the associated often lifeless game world were criticized in specialist circles . On the other hand, however, the thrilling story of the game and the creative design of the weapons and the combat system are positively emphasized. From Euro Gamer also has the black humor of the game praised.

Web links

• Official site (USA / EU)
• Official Site (Japan)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Q&A: Square Enix's Nier Combines Fighting, Farming. In: Wired . March 3, 2010, accessed July 8, 2010 . 
2. ^ Nier (Game). Retrieved May 23, 2019 . 
3. ^ Nier Shows Square Enix's Foul Mouthed Side
4. ↑ Exclusive: Going deeper into the world of NIER
5. ↑ GamePro 06/2010 (dead)
6. ↑ Test at 4Players.de
7. ↑ Test at videogameszone.de
8. ↑ Review by Eurogamer