Nier

Platforms

• PlayStation 3

  Apr 27, 2010

  ---

  7.4

  playscore

  6.7

  15 Critics

  8.5

  2.59K Players
• Xbox 360

  Apr 27, 2010

  ---

  7.2

  playscore

  6.5

  18 Critics

  8.2

  1.17K Players

23 critic reviews · 2 community reviews across all platforms

Critic Reviews

• 

  The Escapist

  6.0

  Nier delivers all of the facets that make up a successful action role-playing game: fun combat, diverse characters, good voice-acting, and addictive quest mechanics. It just doesn't do any of them excellently. Fan of Square-Enix, action RPGs or chicks swearing while wearing underwear? Buy Nier and be amazed. Otherwise, pick it up on a down week or from the bargain bin.

  Reviewed on X360

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• 

  IGN

  7.0

  Nier is ugly and it can get really repetitive, forcing players to backtrack multiple times across familiar locations. But for every frustration I encountered in Nier, there were surprising gameplay twists, unsettling aesthetics and intriguing characters to meet. The ideas that Nier was built on are extremely solid -- the execution just falls short.

  Reviewed on PS3

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• 

  Destructoid

  5.5

  The most brutally upsetting thing about Nier is how much I desperately tried to love it. The game earns so much merit for the enchanting story and the endless potential, but it willingly and insultingly spends all of its credit on terrible pacing, unforgivably inconvenient gameplay and the fact that it repeats all its dungeons at least twice. Every time I started falling in love with Nier, it swiftly and violently battered that love out of me, seeming to do its utmost to be as unlikable and exhausting as possible.

  Reviewed on X360

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• 

  RPG Site

  6.0

  Diverse is a good word to describe Nier in general – or perhaps eclectic. On the surface from the opening sequences or perhaps if you merely watched somebody else play the game might seem mediocre and boring – and it is in places – but the interesting mixture of multiple gameplay styles, bizarre but delightful story and superb soundtrack more than make up for the issues and, yes – pushes Nier to be above average.

  Reviewed on

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• 

  Game Trailers

  6.0

  The voice work for the main cast is exceptional, though the same can't be said of the supporting roles. The soundtrack is solid, though it could use some more variety. Nier is definitely an ambitious game that tries to break away from Square Enix's traditional style, but it ultimately isn't up to the task. It's an acquired taste that doesn't go down easy. Combined with the subpar visuals, it's hard to make a case for investing your time and money into this adventure.

  Reviewed on X360
• 

  PS Lifestyle

  5.0

  When it comes down to it, Nier is a decent game that has some very cool ideas behind it, but overall falls short of what it could have been. The unique word system to upgrade your weapons, fun magic spells and well designed bosses are overshadowed by the many glaring issues to be found in the game. A bit more time enhancing the overarm presentation, fixing issues and fine tuning pieces of the game and Nier could have really been something awesome.

  Reviewed on PS3

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• 

  Game Informer

  6.5

  This level of repetition effectively kills the narrative momentum, bringing down the one thing Nier does well. With so many genuinely good action/RPGs that aren’t riddled with archaic missions and gameplay, I have trouble recommending Nier solely on the basis of a decent (but unevenly executed) story.

  Reviewed on PS3, X360
• 

  GameSpot

  5.0

  Unfortunately, great music and a couple of entertaining hours aren't reason enough to slog through this leaden dirge. You get the impression that 10 hours of promising content was mercilessly stretched into a 30-hour marathon of fetch quests and squandered potential. If you're famished for something off the beaten path, Nier might seem like an attractive proposition, but be warned: this unfocused action RPG is less than the sum of its parts.

  Reviewed on PS3, X360

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• 

  Cheatcc

  6.4

  Nier is a game that will undoubtedly appeal to a handful of RPG enthusiasts because of the interesting story that is told. But, for almost everyone else, this is a slapdash effort that fails to make good on its promise and falls into a pit full of worn-out RPG conventions.

  Reviewed on PS3, X360

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• 

  Video Gamer

  8.0

  Still, the wonderfully designed characters and intriguing plot do just enough to elevate NIER above much of what is coming out of Japan these days. It is, in many ways, the kind of game critics of the Japanese RPG have been calling for: different, fresh, and in parts distinctly un-JRPG. Not all of it works, but it's a commendable effort, and a memorable experience.

  Reviewed on PS3, X360

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Community Reviews

About the game