There is no doubt, it is an improvement over the original title. The extra content and the visual and combat improvements make this the definitive way to experience the title. It is a more responsive and enjoyable game to play. On the other hand, the core of the game has not been changed and this has resulted in a series of questionable decisions from the PS3 era being carried over to this edition.
The combat disappoints by sinning through the form of variation. Games of the same genre usually offer different combo variants that depend on the mix of weak attacks with strong attacks that bring new possibilities to clean the screen of enemies. Nier offers a very limited range of options in this regard, having only ONE variant. No matter when the player mixes his weak and strong attacks, the result will always be the same. However, here is a compliment: the mix of genres characteristic of Yoko Taro breaks a lot of the eventual bummer and renews things here and there.
In the second part of the game, options open up with the introduction of the weapon exchange system. Each weapon has a purpose in battle and brings a unique moveset, but still presents only one variation option. Grimoire Weiss as a mechanic adds decision making and is visually stimulating. There are a lot of magic options for different situations that can complement your choice of weapon or reduce your disadvantages.
The range of normal enemies is very low and offers little substantial difference between them. There are those who are resistant to magic, there are battleships, small and more agile and so on. In general they are very basic, but from time to time the game plays with its perspective of the camera by changing the angle of the battles, a very welcome trick that gives new air to the fights without substantially altering the combat.
Boss battle - on the other hand - brings the difference to the table. Each fight is supported by a big emotional factor - conferred by the cutscenes - and has its own core of ideas that define its gameplay. I listed the main ones below according to my perception just to illustrate the point, avoiding boss-spoilers:
Hensel and Gretel are double combat with a focus on physical attacks;
Hook requires you to follow him around the stage. Wendy is similar;
Shahriyar requires segments to aim and shoot;
Number 6 is immune to physical attacks;
Roc is the combat most focused on facing a horde;
Goose is immortal;
Still there is repetition between them and dodging shock waves on the floor or an onslaught is more common than I would like.
The player is allowed to change this feature at any time in the game menu, so it is up to the experimenters to experiment. Hard is the only segment that required me to use all the mechanics available, but it prolongs the repetitive combat sections. The normal trivializes much of the fighting experience but allows for faster progression. Easy is really for those who don't want to play the game.
My biggest problem with this part is the feeling that there should be another difficulty between Normal and Hard that doesn’t make the combat dysfunctional but that also doesn’t prolong battles so much. It is as if the Easy mode were Super Easy, and Normal was the real Easy. There is a gap for a Normal mode that provides the player with a balanced experience.
The locations are scarce even when we take the setting and ambiance into account. There is no fast travel for artistic reasons, so the player will find himself running between locations for a long time.
Side quests are similar to those of the MMO genre, involving locating NPCs and grinding for unnecessary items. Most of them are terrible and are not worth the investment. It is debatable how optional they are in view of the fact that they are the main source of resources for the game in addition to a few rewards with weapons (necessary to reach a certain end of the game). Rare are those that stand out and do so through narrative. The story of the lighthouse lady is my favorite in this game, especially due to the end of the quest and the choice associated with it.
The second half of the game consists of revisiting places already known to the player. The absence of effective fast travel (because yes, there is fast travel) and excessive backtracking break the experience in terms of fun. It is important to note that this will be the part that players will return to if they wish to reach the optional endings of the game and, therefore, it will be something that they will need to deal with multiple times. Fortunately, there is a navigation system by boat that acts as a substitute for fast travel. It is useful, but not as much as it would need to be, as it does not take you directly to the localities and still requires you to walk a little. In order to improve, it would be enough that the ports were always within the cities or localities of importance.
A brief commentary on the finals, without spoilers:
The ending A purposefully appears to be incomplete.
Final B complements the first final and enriches the experience.
The finals C and D are basically the same thing and could easily be integrated with other endings, giving no reason to exist.
The ending E is interesting and satisfying, mainly because it is an entirely new section with a very short duration. It is a little different from the others and justifies its existence.
Playing the second half from scratch to get these finals makes the experience tiring and not always rewarding. A chapter selection system would easily help to break this feeling, but integrating the finals C and D into the previous ones would be a big improvement, since it would eliminate one or two playthroughs from the player. Still, greater variety between each route would be a factor that would benefit the process and interest in playing the game again (instead of continuing with a structure so close to that of the first route)
Despite everything described, Nier is definitely worth the experience. It is a unique game that justifies all its merits in its history, soundtrack and mainly characters. The main quartet is very well built and each has its own style of play and contribution to the overall story.
Taro's experiments mix well and yield rich and curious experiences, either when he is mixing segments of (bullet hell, visual novel, etc.) or when he makes reference to other titles (the Mansion is a direct reference to the first Resident Evil).
I must say that I certainly expected more on a personal level. An extra touch on the quests and combat / locomotion system is required. I haven't tried automata yet, but Drakengard 3 came out a few years after the original Nier and already brought improvements implemented in combat (weapons of the same type with different movesets, more combos, yada yada).
The combat disappoints by sinning through the form of variation. Games of the same genre usually offer different combo variants that depend on the mix of weak attacks with strong attacks that bring new possibilities to clean the screen of enemies. Nier offers a very limited range of options in this regard, having only ONE variant. No matter when the player mixes his weak and strong attacks, the result will always be the same. However, here is a compliment: the mix of genres characteristic of Yoko Taro breaks a lot of the eventual bummer and renews things here and there.
In the second part of the game, options open up with the introduction of the weapon exchange system. Each weapon has a purpose in battle and brings a unique moveset, but still presents only one variation option. Grimoire Weiss as a mechanic adds decision making and is visually stimulating. There are a lot of magic options for different situations that can complement your choice of weapon or reduce your disadvantages.
The range of normal enemies is very low and offers little substantial difference between them. There are those who are resistant to magic, there are battleships, small and more agile and so on. In general they are very basic, but from time to time the game plays with its perspective of the camera by changing the angle of the battles, a very welcome trick that gives new air to the fights without substantially altering the combat.
Boss battle - on the other hand - brings the difference to the table. Each fight is supported by a big emotional factor - conferred by the cutscenes - and has its own core of ideas that define its gameplay. I listed the main ones below according to my perception just to illustrate the point, avoiding boss-spoilers:
Hensel and Gretel are double combat with a focus on physical attacks;
Hook requires you to follow him around the stage. Wendy is similar;
Shahriyar requires segments to aim and shoot;
Number 6 is immune to physical attacks;
Roc is the combat most focused on facing a horde;
Goose is immortal;
Still there is repetition between them and dodging shock waves on the floor or an onslaught is more common than I would like.
The player is allowed to change this feature at any time in the game menu, so it is up to the experimenters to experiment. Hard is the only segment that required me to use all the mechanics available, but it prolongs the repetitive combat sections. The normal trivializes much of the fighting experience but allows for faster progression. Easy is really for those who don't want to play the game.
My biggest problem with this part is the feeling that there should be another difficulty between Normal and Hard that doesn’t make the combat dysfunctional but that also doesn’t prolong battles so much. It is as if the Easy mode were Super Easy, and Normal was the real Easy. There is a gap for a Normal mode that provides the player with a balanced experience.
The locations are scarce even when we take the setting and ambiance into account. There is no fast travel for artistic reasons, so the player will find himself running between locations for a long time.
Side quests are similar to those of the MMO genre, involving locating NPCs and grinding for unnecessary items. Most of them are terrible and are not worth the investment. It is debatable how optional they are in view of the fact that they are the main source of resources for the game in addition to a few rewards with weapons (necessary to reach a certain end of the game). Rare are those that stand out and do so through narrative. The story of the lighthouse lady is my favorite in this game, especially due to the end of the quest and the choice associated with it.
The second half of the game consists of revisiting places already known to the player. The absence of effective fast travel (because yes, there is fast travel) and excessive backtracking break the experience in terms of fun. It is important to note that this will be the part that players will return to if they wish to reach the optional endings of the game and, therefore, it will be something that they will need to deal with multiple times. Fortunately, there is a navigation system by boat that acts as a substitute for fast travel. It is useful, but not as much as it would need to be, as it does not take you directly to the localities and still requires you to walk a little. In order to improve, it would be enough that the ports were always within the cities or localities of importance.
A brief commentary on the finals, without spoilers:
The ending A purposefully appears to be incomplete.
Final B complements the first final and enriches the experience.
The finals C and D are basically the same thing and could easily be integrated with other endings, giving no reason to exist.
The ending E is interesting and satisfying, mainly because it is an entirely new section with a very short duration. It is a little different from the others and justifies its existence.
Playing the second half from scratch to get these finals makes the experience tiring and not always rewarding. A chapter selection system would easily help to break this feeling, but integrating the finals C and D into the previous ones would be a big improvement, since it would eliminate one or two playthroughs from the player. Still, greater variety between each route would be a factor that would benefit the process and interest in playing the game again (instead of continuing with a structure so close to that of the first route)
Despite everything described, Nier is definitely worth the experience. It is a unique game that justifies all its merits in its history, soundtrack and mainly characters. The main quartet is very well built and each has its own style of play and contribution to the overall story.
Taro's experiments mix well and yield rich and curious experiences, either when he is mixing segments of (bullet hell, visual novel, etc.) or when he makes reference to other titles (the Mansion is a direct reference to the first Resident Evil).
I must say that I certainly expected more on a personal level. An extra touch on the quests and combat / locomotion system is required. I haven't tried automata yet, but Drakengard 3 came out a few years after the original Nier and already brought improvements implemented in combat (weapons of the same type with different movesets, more combos, yada yada).