What are you currently playing?

[BrawlMan]

Nier: Automata. I played it for about 10 minutes before uninstalling it. Don't know what I expected, but it failed to appeal to me in record time. It's got a weird, I dunno, cheap vibe? Like plastic, too clean, juvenile, arcade-y? I really didn't like the opening vertical-scrolling shooter sequence, then the transition to the cheap hack-n-slash stuff just wasn't doing it for me either. I'm curious how it got so many rave reviews, but not curious enough to find out by playing it.

I played the game out of curiosity and Platinum games were working on it. Once I got all of the main endings, I was done by that point and traded it in. The story I did enjoy, but there are a lot of game design issues I disagree with it, which makes repeat playthroughs very annoying. This should give you an idea why a lot of people were raving about. The fact that this was Yoko Taro's most successful game in a long running franchise (Drakengard) with poor sales, but the crazy, out there, story, game concepts, and ideas really became a break away hit. Automata further funded the idea that games are and can become art.

If you're interested.

Also, a bonus.

​

 

[Worgen]

Nier: Automata. I played it for about 10 minutes before uninstalling it. Don't know what I expected, but it failed to appeal to me in record time. It's got a weird, I dunno, cheap vibe? Like plastic, too clean, juvenile, arcade-y? I really didn't like the opening vertical-scrolling shooter sequence, then the transition to the cheap hack-n-slash stuff just wasn't doing it for me either. I'm curious how it got so many rave reviews, but not curious enough to find out by playing it.

Its got a truly amazing story and sound track. If you don't like the gameplay I don't know what to tell you, I liked it and its one of my top 10 games easily... although not for the gameplay, kinda like Spec Ops the Line.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I played the game out of curiosity and Platinum games were working on it. Once I got all of the main endings, I was done by that point and traded it in. The story I did enjoy, but there are a lot of game design issues I disagree with it, which makes repeat playthroughs very annoying. This should give you an idea why a lot of people were raving about. The fact that this was Yoko Taro's most successful game in a long running franchise (Drakengard) with poor sales, but crazy, out there, story and game concepts and ideas really became a break away hit. And further funded the idea that games are and can become art.

If you're interested.

Also, a bonus.

​

Its got a truly amazing story and sound track. If you don't like the gameplay I don't know what to tell you, I liked it and its one of my top 10 games easily... although not for the gameplay, kinda like Spec Ops the Line.

Sorry, I don'y care if the story is the greatest ever told, if the gameplay is more of what I just experienced, gonna be a hard pass for me. It reminds me of Devil May Cry, a franchise (and genre) I've never liked. I know that's not a popular opinion, but it's mine.

 

[BrawlMan]

Sorry, I don'y care if the story is the greatest ever told, if the gameplay is more of what I just experienced, gonna be a hard pass for me. It reminds me of Devil May Cry, a franchise (and genre) I've never liked. I know that's not a popular opinion, but it's mine.

Fine by me and I can't blame you. Once I completely finished the game, there was nothing else for me there. I still have my save files backed up physically and on cloud just in case. I highly doubt I am going back to play, other than survival/arena mode. That is a big stretch though.

 

[happyninja42]

Nier: Automata. I played it for about 10 minutes before uninstalling it. Don't know what I expected, but it failed to appeal to me in record time. It's got a weird, I dunno, cheap vibe? Like plastic, too clean, juvenile, arcade-y? I really didn't like the opening vertical-scrolling shooter sequence, then the transition to the cheap hack-n-slash stuff just wasn't doing it for me either. I'm curious how it got so many rave reviews, but not curious enough to find out by playing it.

Yeah I got super bored with that game about as quickly as you did. People keep saying 'but it's so good!" but, honestly that just falls into the "the game gets good 12 hours in" thing I hear with FF 13 and other games. Sorry, if I'm that bored of your mechanics that quickly, I'm not going to want to slog through it. And that is contrary to my usual stance on the "story good/game bad vs story bad/game good" preference, but the aesthetic of the game just isn't my thing. I have very low tolerance for the hyper sexualization of Japanese stuff. The zooming camera pans to close ups of people going 'Uhh!" or making other monosyllabic noises in reaction to something. The hyper drama and over the top voice acting. The really bizarre spirituality, and their insane interpretation of christian mythology/lore. Which I feel is bullshit regardless, but seeing christianity, through the lens of a Japanese, non-christian, is like trying to read something that's been through google translate a few too many times. The game just, really doesn't speak to me, on any level. Which is sad, because I've actually watched a story breakdown of it, and the theme of the game, transhumanism, is very close to my heart. But the framework, both narratively, and mechanically that it's presented in, just turns me off, hard.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Yeah I got super bored with that game about as quickly as you did. People keep saying 'but it's so good!" but, honestly that just falls into the "the game gets good 12 hours in" thing I hear with FF 13 and other games. Sorry, if I'm that bored of your mechanics that quickly, I'm not going to want to slog through it. And that is contrary to my usual stance on the "story good/game bad vs story bad/game good" preference, but the aesthetic of the game just isn't my thing. I have very low tolerance for the hyper sexualization of Japanese stuff. The zooming camera pans to close ups of people going 'Uhh!" or making other monosyllabic noises in reaction to something. The hyper drama and over the top voice acting. The really bizarre spirituality, and their insane interpretation of christian mythology/lore. Which I feel is bullshit regardless, but seeing christianity, through the lens of a Japanese, non-christian, is like trying to read something that's been through google translate a few too many times. The game just, really doesn't speak to me, on any level. Which is sad, because I've actually watched a story breakdown of it, and the theme of the game, transhumanism, is very close to my heart. But the framework, both narratively, and mechanically that it's presented in, just turns me off, hard.

^Everything this guy said. I couldn't peg it myself, but yeah, the game feels very "Japanese" and dated. Probably would have blown my nips off in the '90s when I was a horny teenager and into anime, but as an adult, it just feels cheap, cheesy and dumb.

 

[Dalisclock]

Nier: Automata. I played it for about 10 minutes before uninstalling it. Don't know what I expected, but it failed to appeal to me in record time. It's got a weird, I dunno, cheap vibe? Like plastic, too clean, juvenile, arcade-y? I really didn't like the opening vertical-scrolling shooter sequence, then the transition to the cheap hack-n-slash stuff just wasn't doing it for me either. I'm curious how it got so many rave reviews, but not curious enough to find out by playing it.

I think a lot of how much you enjoy it depends on how much you dig the whole feel of it, including the gameplay changes from SHUMP to Hack and slash to bullet hell and back. There's also a existentialist storyline there under the ANIME! heavy aesthetic. If you're not feeling it though after maybe the first sequence(where you fight the crane boss) then yeah, the rest of the game probably isn't gonna do it for you either.

 

[happyninja42]

If you're not feeling it though after maybe the first sequence(where you fight the crane boss) then yeah, the rest of the game probably isn't gonna do it for you either.

Yeah that's about where I bowed out. It was just emphasizing too many of the traits I don't like in anime/japanese culture to really get invested in it.

 

[Dalisclock]

I really enjoyed it. The wifey and I went to that content before finishing the main story, as the gear it offered was REALLY good. Like every armor/weapon type, but with 3 slots, which included the stealth armor, so I could slap even more stealth mods on it, and thus become basically invisible. And I love me some sneaky times.

But yeah, it was a good bit of additional lore, and given what happens in it, you might find it interesting, as if you know the plot of the end of the main story, I'm pretty sure it changes some of the dialogue, as it's contextually relevant. Not hugely, but Aloy knowing The Truth, does sort of color her interactions, compared to not knowing you do that stuff before finishing the game. But yeah, if you liked the main game, it's more of that, but with harder enemies, and better gear. More good plot, good voice acting, interesting characters. Just, more of the same, but it's a good "same".

I'm pretty sure it was because there was some other game I was itching to try and after finishing the main story of HZD and the difficulty bump of the DLC, I was ready to shift gears by that point. When I'm ready to jump into another open world game, I'm sure I'll go back to it.

Granted, my schedule for the near future is filling up fast, once I finish DS3(DLC included), so who knows. I know I'm gonna do Breath of the WIld at some point this year because I finally got s Switch but anyway......

And in case anyone is wondering, Afterparty, LoZ: Majoras Mask and Ace Combat 5 are all on the short list for Post-Dark Souls 3 games.

 

[meiam]

Automata gameplay never evolve pass the first few hours, so if your not into it then you'll never get into it. Honestly the story isn't that great either, its good by anime/video game standard but that's a pretty low bar. The weird stuff are fun, but it actually is pretty tame compared to some of the stuff that happened in drakengard and the first nier (to a lesser extend). Although the large open area are fun to explore a bit (kinda like shadow of the colossus), so if you still have the game you might want to play a few more hours just to experience that part.

But if you sometime listen to music I'd give the soundtrack a shoot, it's easily the best part of the game and can be fully enjoyed without playing it.

 

[Dalisclock]

Yeah that's about where I bowed out. It was just emphasizing too many of the traits I don't like in anime/japanese culture to really get invested in it.

It's wierd, because most ANIME tropes turn me off hard(Harem anime, School based anime, magical girl anime) but NIer:Automata held my attention to the end, even if the open world was kinda meh and the side quests were shallow(but at least you don't have to redo them on route B or C), but I enjoyed the changeup between playstyles for different bosses and sections and even the silliness worked well enough for me here. So I'm in this strange spot where games like Persona 5 or Fire Emblem: Dating Sim don't interest me at all but Nier Automata clicked for me.

Also, loved the fucking soundtrack. The Opera Singer fight was particularly wonderful.

 

[BrawlMan]

^Everything this guy said. I couldn't peg it myself, but yeah, the game feels very "Japanese" and dated. Probably would have blown my nips off in the '90s when I was a horny teenager and into anime, but as an adult, it just feels cheap, cheesy and dumb.

Yoko Taro is a guy with gameplay philosophy from the early 2000s and it really shows. So he has dated ideas, because he rarely ever changes his design philosophies much. If you think that's bad, go and try playing the original Drakengard, it's him at his worse in terms of gameplay. It's also his most graphic, dark, and bat shit insane game in the franchise.

Also, loved the fucking soundtrack. The Opera Singer fight was particularly wonderful.

The soundtrack is outstanding. I got a strong Ghost in the Shell vibes from it. Especially "Possessed by a Disease".

​

 

[Dalisclock]

Yoko Taro is a guy with gameplay philosophy from the early 2000s and it really shows. So he has dated ideas, because he rarely ever changes his design philosophies much. If you think that's bad, go and try playing the original Drakengard, it's him at his worse in terms of gameplay. It's also his most graphic, dark, and bat shit insane game in the franchise.

I know NIER is getting a remake in 2021 but I'm hoping the gameplay gets some improvement. One thing that's kept me from going back to playing the olders games is hearing how the gameplay is....to put it nicely, a bit of a chore.

For some reason I thought I heard Platnium was doing the gameplay for NIER but apparently that's not true, because I would totally be on board if that were true.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Nier: Automata. I played it for about 10 minutes before uninstalling it. Don't know what I expected, but it failed to appeal to me in record time. It's got a weird, I dunno, cheap vibe? Like plastic, too clean, juvenile, arcade-y? I really didn't like the opening vertical-scrolling shooter sequence, then the transition to the cheap hack-n-slash stuff just wasn't doing it for me either. I'm curious how it got so many rave reviews, but not curious enough to find out by playing it.

Then you probably played the best part, since the opening has the best sense of structure compared to the rest of the game.

I've tried "getting" this game multiple times, but I've always dropped off. The gameplay is the most generic Platinum fair, though honestly I don't have too much of a problem with that. One of my biggest problems is having to run back and forth through a boring, grey open-world fighting the same boring looking enemies. And then you have to make your way through a boring 9 hour A-scenario before the game apparently actually gets interesting.

Music is pretty stellar, and the visuals have a certain charm to them, but I just don't get this world; Why do these combat focused androids dress like maids and school boys? Why are they wearing cloth blindfolds? Why do the alien machines look like wind-up dolls? Why do the regular resistance androids wear goggles and headscarves, or clothes at all? This isn't even presented as a mystery that you're supposed to figure out, it's just expected that you go with it despite it making zero fucking sense.

 

[BrawlMan]

Why do these combat focused androids dress like maids and school boys?

Because they're (the androids) interpreting or what they think humans' ideas of sexiness was. That's about it on that one.

For some reason I thought I heard Platnium was doing the gameplay for NIER but apparently that's not true, because I would totally be on board if that were true.

Platinum is involved with this one.

NieR Replicant Will Include Reworked Gameplay And New Characters, PlatinumGames Involved

gamingbolt.com

 

[meiam]

I know NIER is getting a remake in 2021 but I'm hoping the gameplay gets some improvement. One thing that's kept me from going back to playing the olders games is hearing how the gameplay is....to put it nicely, a bit of a chore.

For some reason I thought I heard Platnium was doing the gameplay for NIER but apparently that's not true, because I would totally be on board if that were true.

I think drakengard gameplay is a bit stronger than nier (at least 1 and 2, 3 was a major step back), if you like dynasty warrior game with a side dish of some star fox like segment.

Nier and automata are actually suprisingly similar in term of gameplay, automata is a bit more developed but not by much so I wouldn't hold on hope that platinum is a panacea. But some improvement would be pretty easy, nier has a like 20 diffreent magic spell that all do the exact same things and only differ in their appearance.

Also I'd say nier ost is slightly better than automata, definetly worth listening to.

 

[Dalisclock]

Music is pretty stellar, and the visuals have a certain charm to them, but I just don't get this world; Why do these combat focused androids dress like maids and school boys? Why are they wearing cloth blindfolds? Why do the alien machines look like wind-up dolls? Why do the regular resistance androids wear goggles and headscarves, or clothes at all? This isn't even presented as a mystery that you're supposed to figure out, it's just expected that you go with it despite it making zero fucking sense.

SYMBOLISM! Also METAPHOR!

Though what Brawlman said carries some weight as well. There's a scene where Adam and Eve are wearing clothes, sitting at a table and eating apples and one of them asks "We're machines. Why are we doing this?" and the other picks up a bible, read a verse and says "That's what the book says"

Basically, they're doing stuff without understanding why(there's a scene early on where a bunch of machines are humping each other trying create babies despite not having the ability to do so), which is still kinda cheesy but does give a bit of insight to the ideas behind what's going on. Kinda like the fact that the entire war is a sham and has been for a very long time. Both the Humans and Aliens are long dead and Machine and Andriod higher ups(and near the end you find out the same entity is controlling both sides) keep the war going because it gives everyone purpose. No side ever wins or loses for real because then then war can't be kept going in perpetuity and the the machines/andriods would have to find their own purpose in life

 

[happyninja42]

the entire war is a sham and has been for a very long time. Both the Humans and Aliens are long dead and Machine and Andriod higher ups(and near the end you find out the same entity is controlling both sides) keep the war going because it gives everyone purpose. No side ever wins or loses for real because then then war can't be kept going in perpetuity and the the machines/andriods would have to find their own purpose in life

The thing I find interesting about that is

That it's completely idiotic. Their lives have no meaning BECAUSE of the lie they are propagating about some "war from the creators". And that if they could just you know, stop doing it, they could find all kind of ACTUALLY fulfilling things to do with their lives. they could literally do ANYTHING ELSE. But no, because religion thinks that without their bullshit framework of reality, those who don't believe in it, will just, I don't know, act crazy, hump in the streets, fight endless, pointless wars. except that's exactly what the robots are doing in the name of their religions. And I would think it was intriguing, if it wasn't so fucking accurate to what a lot of religious people think about those of us without faith. So when I see it I don't think "wow, what an interesting idea." I just think "oh, yeah that's the 15 fuckwads I spoke to last week, who literally think I'm a minion of satan because I don't believe in their invisible sky daddy. I wish I could say this kind of crazy was restricted to scifi robot/android wars in the near future. But no...it's just Tuesday."

 

[Drathnoxis]

Finished my second playthrough of Pyre. Did the exact opposite of the first and lost every rite. Surprisingly little changed. I did see a couple character dialogues that I missed the first time, but on the whole the game seems laid out that you can pretty much see them all in one playthrough if you do it right, and always focus on the characters you are going to liberate first. There are a couple minor differences in the epilogues of characters depending on the combinations of who stays and who gets liberated, but the differences don't feel that consequential. It really was pretty weird how everybody always kept their faith in the Reader despite the horrendous track record. Volfred called me out on it one time saying it didn't even seem like I was trying to win, but that was the end of it. Really, you would think everybody would have been a bit more ticked at me by the end.

The worst thing was that in the end none of it even mattered for the revolution. Despite not having a single Nightwing liberated the harpies swoop in and decimate the Commonwealth anyway, leading to the creation of the exact same government that stops sending people into exile and revokes the ban on literacy. Just made Volfred's plan feel kind of meaningless.

All in all I still liked the game, just does not have nearly as much depth as it appears it might on the first playthrough. Also, you spend a lot of the game watching the wagon slowly move from one place to the next, the skip dialogue button is not nearly fast enough, The introductions to rites take too long, and some teams just have a lot of trouble just putting the stupid ball in the fire, on the highest difficulty, with all the titan stars activated. Come on, what are you even doing? It's wide open! Stop trying to banish all my teammates over and over! No! Why did you just throw it in for 5 points, gaaah just end it already!

 

[Casual Shinji]

SYMBOLISM! Also METAPHOR!

Though what Brawlman said carries some weight as well. There's a scene where Adam and Eve are wearing clothes, sitting at a table and eating apples and one of them asks "We're machines. Why are we doing this?" and the other picks up a bible, read a verse and says "That's what the book says"

I like Evangelion, but this makes even me groan. Anime can sometimes have such a huge boner for Christianity that it would even make a fundamentalist christian go 'Would you just relax, it's not that big a deal'.

Because they're (the androids) interpreting or what they think humans' ideas of sexiness was. That's about it on that one.

But they're made to fight, right? So why would sexiness be necessary in the context of battle? Or is the story that they're refurbished pleasure models?

I wouldn't have as much of an issue with this if this was set in a Fantasy realm, like Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, but this is a sci-fi setting set on a future Earth. It's trying to tickle my brain with science fiction concepts, but that's kinda impossible when characters are running around in clown shoes (not literally, but you get my point).