Xbox 360 PS3

NieR

ShooterRole-playing (RPG)SimulatorStrategyAdventure

Time to beat: about 19.3 hours
Plays offline: Yes

Overview

Nier is a 2010 action role-playing game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In Japan, the game was released as Nier Replicant for the PlayStation 3 with a younger main character, while an alternative version titled Nier Gestalt with an older main character was released for the Xbox 360; Gestalt was released outside Japan as Nier for both platforms. A remaster of the Replicant version called Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... was released internationally for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows in 2021.

The game is a spin-off from the Drakengard series, following the fifth ending of the first game, the events of which have left Earth in ruin. Set over a thousand years later, the story follows the player-named protagonist attempting to find a cure for a terminal illness afflicting a young girl named Yonah. The gameplay borrows elements from various video game genres, occasionally switching between them and the main role-playing-based gameplay.

Beginning production in 2007, the game was directed by Drakengard creator Yoko Taro, who was given a lot of creative freedom with the project. Its storyline drew inspiration from the September 11 attacks and the war on terror, while its gameplay was partly inspired by the God of War series. Due to feedback outside of Japan, multiple versions of the protagonist were created. The music was composed by Monaca, a music studio founded by Keiichi Okabe, with several albums being released.