Remember the games on the original playstation where the graphics sucked, but the gameplay was awesome? Square-Enix takes a step back to the days of Final Fantasy 7 and Musashi where great graphics aren't the major concern and instead focus on gameplay. I've recently played Final Fantasy 13 and was disappointed at how linear the game was, not many sidequests until the end of the game. With Nier, you get a bunch of sidequests from the start of the game. And wow, there are plenty of sidequests ranging from: fishing, gardening, delivering fragile packages, to killing large bosses. Although the graphics aren't as amazing as other Playstation 3 games, Nier is the best action-rpg I have ever played.The world of Nier is a dynamic world, meaning that things change based on time such as night and day. The plants that you grow depend on actual real-world time and enemies change depending on how sunny it is in game. Something unique about this game is the light and dark contrast. When you step into a patch of sun from the shadows, you will be momentarily blinded by how bright it is until your hero's eyes adjust. It does get kind of annoying at times, such as when you're riding a boar in the sun and you can't find an exit because it is darkened by the shadows. Nonetheless, I really like how creative Square-Enix got with this game.If you're the type of gamer who likes to rush through things, don't buy this game. If you ignore all side quests you can probably finish this game in under 10 hours, I think you even get a trophy called Lightspeed Warrior for doing so. This game is more suited for players like myself, who like to take their time to unlock everything and finish all the quests. It took me 60 hours to completely finish the game and unlock all trophies. By finishing the game, I mean you have to play through the game 4 times. There are 4 different endings to Nier, and you have to play through the game 4 times if you want to unlock each ending. I know that sounds like a chore, but it really isn't because the game changes after your first playthrough. Enemy magic changes, the loading screen animation changes, and the story itself changes. Your first playthrough will be you killing shades to save your daughter. But on your second playthrough, you get to hear the story from the shades perspective and you begin to wonder if you're really the hero...or the villain.In conclusion, this game is for action-rpg lovers who like to take their time to explore everything the game offers. And yes, this game offers much exploration of wide plains, a haunted manor, a robot factory, a desert civilization, and many more. The music is outstanding and perfectly fits with what's going on during the game. There was this one particular song so sad and beautiful that it almost made me cry. There are plenty of weapons and magic you can choose from and even downloadable content you can get from the playstation store that gives you access to new quests and weapons. If you love action-rpgs, Nier is a game you won't be disappointed with.
