This is such a mixed bag for me, and is simultaneously a superb story experience mixed with a draining gameplay experience. Yet, even the story experience isn't enough to make the gameplay forgivable, but not bad enough where the game's strongest elements are completely overshadowed by it's faults.

Truth be told, I should've expected this form of storytelling considering I played Automata and yet it manages to be even more tedious & grating than Automata. The incessant requirement of replaying the game three times got so unbelievably draining (not to mention the full weapon collection requirement) that I ended up just save-swapping to save my time and my sanity. The side quests are boring, the gameplay loop is.. okay, but nothing too amazing to make me want to keep playing more of it, especially when I'm doing the same loops multiple times. I understand WHY its used but it doesn't take away from how frustrating it was to just do the same thing over and over again for minimal gain, especially Route C which felt like a slap in the face to play. The excessive tedium and unrewarding gameplay loop made this game a chore to play, and made me almost want to drop it a few times.

Yet on the other hand, the game's writing is fantastic. I'd say the first route is completely forgettable but moving forward the different narrative elements that are added upon each route and the exploration of the four main characters is fantastic. Their relationships & how they find their purposes through one another is beautifully done, the overarching idea of humanity amongst the inhuman, and what makes them human, is really well done. The soundtrack is phenomenal and amplifies each of these key moments and I found myself wrapped up in their stories especially by Ending E. I don't think it's as good as Automata though, not by any margin, but it still shows that Yoko Taro's ability to write compelling narratives is strong. I have to say I don't think I ended up liking Kaine because her dialogue was just eyeroll-worthy at times but her journey alongside Emil was fulfilling from start to finish.

NieR Replicant is something I'm completely torn on, I don't know whether I like it or I don't like it. The gameplay and story qualities couldn't be further apart and it's weird because the gameplay & the overall game design would be like a 3-4 for me, but the story is easily an 8 for me. It's a strange mix of the best parts of why video games can be considered art yet it shoots itself in the foot when it comes to the fundamental experience of playing a game.

For now, I'll give it the merit of its story and see how I feel about it overtime. A wonderful story & cast of characters with a powerful ending, rich in it's subtextual exploration of humanity/human nature, and yet weighed down so significantly by it's tedium.

[Fun fact, the entire time I was playing Replicant, I ended up appreciating Automata the more I thought about it while playing it... because it's gameplay isn't even remotely as annoying as Replicant's, and its story is far superior too. Shoutout Automata, I was too harsh on you.]

This is such a mixed bag for me, and is simultaneously a superb story experience mixed with a draining gameplay experience. Yet, even the story experience isn't enough to make the gameplay forgivable, but not bad enough where the game's strongest elements are completely overshadowed by it's faults.

Truth be told, I should've expected this form of storytelling considering I played Automata and yet it manages to be even more tedious & grating than Automata. The incessant requirement of replaying the game three times got so unbelievably draining (not to mention the full weapon collection requirement) that I ended up just save-swapping to save my time and my sanity. The side quests are boring, the gameplay loop is.. okay, but nothing too amazing to make me want to keep playing more of it, especially when I'm doing the same loops multiple times. I understand WHY its used but it doesn't take away from how frustrating it was to just do the same thing over and over again for minimal gain, especially Route C which felt like a slap in the face to play. The excessive tedium and unrewarding gameplay loop made this game a chore to play, and made me almost want to drop it a few times.

Yet on the other hand, the game's writing is fantastic. I'd say the first route is completely forgettable but moving forward the different narrative elements that are added upon each route and the exploration of the four main characters is fantastic. Their relationships & how they find their purposes through one another is beautifully done, the overarching idea of humanity amongst the inhuman, and what makes them human, is really well done. The soundtrack is phenomenal and amplifies each of these key moments and I found myself wrapped up in their stories especially by Ending E. I don't think it's as good as Automata though, not by any margin, but it still shows that Yoko Taro's ability to write compelling narratives is strong. I have to say I don't think I ended up liking Kaine because her dialogue was just eyeroll-worthy at times but her journey alongside Emil was fulfilling from start to finish.

NieR Replicant is something I'm completely torn on, I don't know whether I like it or I don't like it. The gameplay and story qualities couldn't be further apart and it's weird because the gameplay & the overall game design would be like a 3-4 for me, but the story is easily an 8 for me. It's a strange mix of the best parts of why video games can be considered art yet it shoots itself in the foot when it comes to the fundamental experience of playing a game.

For now, I'll give it the merit of its story and see how I feel about it overtime. A wonderful story & cast of characters with a powerful ending, rich in it's subtextual exploration of humanity/human nature, and yet weighed down so significantly by it's tedium.

[Fun fact, the entire time I was playing Replicant, I ended up appreciating Automata the more I thought about it while playing it... because it's gameplay isn't even remotely as annoying as Replicant's, and its story is far superior too. Shoutout Automata, I was too harsh on you.]