Baxspookwave
2015
I don't know what to say about this game, it's perfect in almost every way possible, and it has one of the best art direction I've ever seen in any media.
2010
This game proves how hard the medium of videogames can hit you if the Creator(s) behind it understand how to use it.
This review contains spoilers
As its sequel and its old version, Nier: Replicant 1.22... is a videogame that wants to push the medium further, not through its Gameplay, but by the experience it wants you to live.
It seems strange to me that a medium that is 50+ years old still struggles to find Creators that understand fully what Videogames can be, but this is a prime example of what kind of stories can be told.
Without going too deep on the story as to avoid spoiler, the whole premise is nothing too deep: you have a sister, she gets sick, and it's up to you to search for a cure.
Even the writing of the characters that surround you isn't something to write home either, but not bad either.
The point in Nier is that it can be used as an examples of how Videogames allow you to live in a certain world, to be fully immersed in it, for the good and the bad parts.
And, as much as the story isn't a masterpiece by writing itself, it does what very few games will have the courage to do, as it puts you in the position of the loser, and there is no win in the end: you lose, the entire human race loses, and it is your fault.
Is the wish of the individual, of yourself, more important than the fate of humanity itself?
It even brings up another question: is winning defined by ending the game? Because in the end, you can say that you won, you finished the game. But did you, even if you know that now the world is done for?
That can be the strength of a story told in this kind of medium.
As for the gameplay, it's definitely better than its old counterpart, and it can be fun, but it is nothing too deep; it serves its purpose.
Quests are, for the most part, badly designed: boring, repetitive and dull, but there are a few that are so good (lady in the lighthouse, for example) that they cancel each other out.
The new parts are really good, and they feel different from the rest of the game: you can see the growth of Yoko Taro in terms of designing an experience.
As a whole, Nier: Replicant 1.22 is, for me, one of the most important games I've ever played.
It seems strange to me that a medium that is 50+ years old still struggles to find Creators that understand fully what Videogames can be, but this is a prime example of what kind of stories can be told.
Without going too deep on the story as to avoid spoiler, the whole premise is nothing too deep: you have a sister, she gets sick, and it's up to you to search for a cure.
Even the writing of the characters that surround you isn't something to write home either, but not bad either.
The point in Nier is that it can be used as an examples of how Videogames allow you to live in a certain world, to be fully immersed in it, for the good and the bad parts.
And, as much as the story isn't a masterpiece by writing itself, it does what very few games will have the courage to do, as it puts you in the position of the loser, and there is no win in the end: you lose, the entire human race loses, and it is your fault.
Is the wish of the individual, of yourself, more important than the fate of humanity itself?
It even brings up another question: is winning defined by ending the game? Because in the end, you can say that you won, you finished the game. But did you, even if you know that now the world is done for?
That can be the strength of a story told in this kind of medium.
As for the gameplay, it's definitely better than its old counterpart, and it can be fun, but it is nothing too deep; it serves its purpose.
Quests are, for the most part, badly designed: boring, repetitive and dull, but there are a few that are so good (lady in the lighthouse, for example) that they cancel each other out.
The new parts are really good, and they feel different from the rest of the game: you can see the growth of Yoko Taro in terms of designing an experience.
As a whole, Nier: Replicant 1.22 is, for me, one of the most important games I've ever played.
2003
As for every ps2 games, nostalgia tends to cloud my judgements, and this game is not an exception.
A pretty faithful journey, this game tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, and it does with a really good art direction in all levels; every level seems crafted with a precise intention in what it tries to convey, and that is something that can't be taken for granted, even in today's game landscapes, where there is often an almost absurd search for photorealism, without even considering art direction.
The combat is the weak spot of this game: as much as I liked finding all the scrolls to power up Sting and throwing rocks, it's pretty much just press square and do some jump attacks when someone with a shield appears.
In general, the gameplay is good enough, and the "stealthy" sections are pretty good for what they are.
As a whole, this videogame is good: the art direction is really good, and it helps when the gameplay is not that tight or good.
A pretty faithful journey, this game tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, and it does with a really good art direction in all levels; every level seems crafted with a precise intention in what it tries to convey, and that is something that can't be taken for granted, even in today's game landscapes, where there is often an almost absurd search for photorealism, without even considering art direction.
The combat is the weak spot of this game: as much as I liked finding all the scrolls to power up Sting and throwing rocks, it's pretty much just press square and do some jump attacks when someone with a shield appears.
In general, the gameplay is good enough, and the "stealthy" sections are pretty good for what they are.
As a whole, this videogame is good: the art direction is really good, and it helps when the gameplay is not that tight or good.