Nier is something of a departure for Square Enix. Alright, it has the gameplay elements of a hack and slash game like God of War, with the kind of levelling up system you'd expect in one of its more cartoony Kingdom Hearts games. However, the overtly gothic theme and almost bondage-esque display of the main characters is something beyond the publisher's usual output.
The biggest shock after loading the disc is the opening cutscene, in which you see nothing but a black screen with a female voice telling you to “Get up off your fucking ass and save us!” You'd be forgiven for responding with a wide-eyed, slightly scared look. I know I did.
Events begin in Nier's story during the Summer of 2049 – if you can call it that. The decimation of civilisation as we know it has polluted the world so much, that the clouds sprinkle snow-like ash (quiet you The Road fanboys at the back) across the landscape. So, no point going to the beach, then. But there's a bigger problem – namely a disease called the Black Scrawl, which attracts demons to those who contract it. As of yet, there's no cure.
But that's the goal of Nier, a hardened warrior in these dark times whose daughter Yonah is forever suffering with the Black Scrawl illness. Yonah has only survived until now because Nier is one rock-hard bastard, with a punch that could knock out a horse and a dulled, bloody sword that carves up his demon foes real nice.
He's achieved these superpowers by trading his soul with a book of black magic called Grimoire Weiss. The dark tome doubles as Nier's chatty wingman, offering smarmy quips and combat tips in a voice that sounds an awful lot like Stewie Griffin. At the start of the game, only a few of Grimoire's pages are available to Nier, but as you level up, more abilities and spells will appear.
In a vague similarity to the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts, this is a hack and slash with RPG elements (albeit a rather basic one). Moves and abilities can be assigned to the Triggers and Bumper buttons in any combination you like, but the default includes defending and dodging. Spells that you can equip include huge claws slashing groups of enemies and black blades that slice surrounding foes. Each has a unique battle purpose.
After the introductory scene, set in an abandoned storefront and ending with an ominous fadeout, I was shown a point in the game set 1000 years into the future. You would think that Nier and Yonah would be dead of old age at this point but nope – our protagonist channels a bit of Christopher Lambert in Highlander, ageing only slightly throughout the passing years.
Yonah is still sick, and her father is on the brink of discovering a cure at long last. Civilisation seems to have been reset to a feudal time, according to the medieval clothes that the village townsfolk wear – a stark contrast to the office blocks and business suits of centuries prior.
This neo-ancient stronghold, and its surrounding area, looks to be where you'll spend the bulk of your time in Nier, with a myriad of side quests waiting to be taken. In a similar vein to Final Fantasy XIII, I was told that side quests will be the chief source of longevity in the game, with tasks ranging from fetching items to slaying various beasts.
In particular one of the locals, Popola, has run out of ingredients for Yonah's medicine, so it's up to Nier to go outside and go plant hunting. Along the way, his village gets attacked by an army of demons, bent on snatching Yonah. Apparently, the enemy never attacks the village, but there's barely any time to ponder the reasoning as a monstrous beast stomps towards the human stronghold.
I watch tactics come into play, as Nier approaches this boss. Using various magic powers to create an offensive shield, it seems like a few well-timed hits will expose its arms. The targets couldn't have been easier to spot if they screamed at you – taking the arms out will disable it slightly. Before getting pissed off and charging towards the house that Yonah's holed up in. It's looking rather bleak.
Enter Kaine – a battle partner of Nier and, interestingly, a hermaphrodite. Yeah, apparently being possessed by dark forces gave her both lady and man parts; fancy that. It also gave her a penchant for turning the air blue (hers is the voice you hear at the start of the game, mentioned earlier). Here, she steps in and offers to help stop the huge demon. And then...
My sneak preview ended. Apparently, I'm not allowed to see how the boss battle ends yet. Boo. I look forward to being able to play the game, if only to quell my concerns of the game's somewhat uninspiring game mechanic. Nier looks visually competent, and the dark themes is certainly an admirable departure from the norm. I'm just not sure how it's going to offer a different and more engaging experience to games like Darksiders, Bayonetta and God of War.
Nier is hitting our shores in April, so if you're intrigued by Nier, there's still more to come yet.
Events begin in Nier's story during the Summer of 2049 – if you can call it that. The decimation of civilisation as we know it has polluted the world so much, that the clouds sprinkle snow-like ash (quiet you The Road fanboys at the back) across the landscape. So, no point going to the beach, then. But there's a bigger problem – namely a disease called the Black Scrawl, which attracts demons to those who contract it. As of yet, there's no cure.
He's achieved these superpowers by trading his soul with a book of black magic called Grimoire Weiss. The dark tome doubles as Nier's chatty wingman, offering smarmy quips and combat tips in a voice that sounds an awful lot like Stewie Griffin. At the start of the game, only a few of Grimoire's pages are available to Nier, but as you level up, more abilities and spells will appear.
After the introductory scene, set in an abandoned storefront and ending with an ominous fadeout, I was shown a point in the game set 1000 years into the future. You would think that Nier and Yonah would be dead of old age at this point but nope – our protagonist channels a bit of Christopher Lambert in Highlander, ageing only slightly throughout the passing years.
This neo-ancient stronghold, and its surrounding area, looks to be where you'll spend the bulk of your time in Nier, with a myriad of side quests waiting to be taken. In a similar vein to Final Fantasy XIII, I was told that side quests will be the chief source of longevity in the game, with tasks ranging from fetching items to slaying various beasts.
I watch tactics come into play, as Nier approaches this boss. Using various magic powers to create an offensive shield, it seems like a few well-timed hits will expose its arms. The targets couldn't have been easier to spot if they screamed at you – taking the arms out will disable it slightly. Before getting pissed off and charging towards the house that Yonah's holed up in. It's looking rather bleak.
Nier is hitting our shores in April, so if you're intrigued by Nier, there's still more to come yet.