Aylah Lofthouse

NieR Gestalt is one of the best pieces of art I've ever experienced but also one of the hardest games to recommend to others. People who play games purely for the gameplay will probably find it a bit lacking, and people who have little patience for poor graphics or sub-optimal controls will also struggle to enjoy this game at first. The strength of Nier comes in it's writing and character interactions, and its clever use of game mechanics and how they relate to the player and characters within the game to create emotional experiences that wouldn't be possible in any medium other than video games. The characters in this game are beyond excellent, they display a wide rnage of emotions and are all incredibly likable and have genuine interaction with both each other and the world around them. The interactions between these characters, and how their stories develop is the primary force that pushes the player to go forward and see how the story resolves, with each consecutive ending revealing more about the world and its characters. The world is a beautiful, but also tragic one which works perfectly with the stellar OST to amplify the emotions that the game so brilliantly evokes in the player, creating an experience that leaves a lasting, potent mark on those who experience the game in it's fullest. Anyone who has played the sequel, Nier:Automata and thought the writing was good will easily be blown away by the story of it's predecessor. The game is not without its faults however. The combat can at some points be tiresome and quite repetitive on subsequent playthroughs, and the quests, fishing and weapon system, along with the "words" system that the game introduces quite early on can result in an almost intolerable amount of grinding although for those who don't care to 100% the game that is entirely optional. It's difficult to put into words the impact of this game without flat out spoiling many aspects of it. But suffice it to say that this game put me into a several month depressive episode with how well written and soul crushing its world and story is and I'm grateful for every aspect of it.