The Forest of Myth | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 4

-

"I'm really excited for this section. I think it's gonna be really cool." lolololOLOLOL

The Forest of Myth was disappointing. I can see what they were going for, and I can appreciate it. It was, as appears to be a pattern with Replicant, very meta. However, that does that not make up for the fact that I was hoping to see some cool sights and play some cool game and got absolutely none of that. Even with the decision to present the Deathdream as a text-based sequence, there could have been more effort placed into the presentation of the forest itself. Surely more than three people live here, right?

This session put me in a bad mood because when I look back, there was hardly any real gameplay in the span of three hours. In previous parts, the monotony of young Moog's compulsive errand running was broken up by combat-focused sections. To be fair, I was wrapping up side quests today before reaching the point of no return for this first half, so, whatever. But oh my GOD imagine if I tried to complete all of the side quests offered? What a genuinely miserable experience that would be.

I don't for a second regret reading online advice on what's worth doing and what can be skipped here. For this game, it is necessary. And I am now completely convinced that NieR Automata should be the entry point for new players. My love for that game is putting in overtime to keep me invested here. I still trust that the story will develop into something that makes this lackluster gameplay worth sitting through. But even as someone generally okay with annoying RPG quests, my patience wears thin.

Complaints aside, I enjoyed the lighthouse lady's story. This side quest provides a compelling example of player choice--not because the situation is particularly dire, but because it is emotionally effective and a strong case can be made for either decision. It feels implausible that Seafront's secret was maintained for fifty fucking years, but sure. Yet another quest that ends with an elderly person dying alone, yippee!

Other than that, what happened? Devola and Popola sang together, very pretty. Yonah got her ingredients and baked seven cakes. I did a few more side quests in Facade to earn money for shop weapons, which weren't great but paid well. The quest about the missing girl had a strange and abrupt ending. Will this ever come up again?

I'm still holding out hope for my return to the main quest next time. I choose to believe something interesting will happen. I beg!

Video link:


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1,412 Years Later... | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 1

-
Image
The original NieR released in 2010, with two versions that are nearly identical, save their titles and the protagonist's relationship to Yonah. The Japanese audience played NieR Replicant , featuring a teenage boy caring for his sister. Western audiences played NieR Gestalt , featuring an older man caring for his daughter. This 2021 remaster, titled NieR Replicant ver. 122474487139 ,  features the younger character, which was the originally intended concept. I played the 2017 sequel,  NieR Automata , a few years ago, and it earned a high position on my list of favorite games. However, I've forgotten many of the story details. Given that this game actually came first, I don't mind. I plan to replay Automata after this and enjoy the full context of both games. Today I experienced the opening flashback, familiarized myself with the village, ran errands for Popola, rescued Yonah from the Lost Shrine, explored the Aerie, and met Kaine. LIKES!  - The swordplay and magical att...
Read more

Rules Do Not Exist to Bind Us | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 3

-
Image
- The tedium of Facade broke my brain. What is the significance of the name? What is the purpose of this unbearably slow segment? How do I feel about it? Fyra run faster oh my goooooOOOOOOD - I survived the slowest boat tour in history and made it to the Barren Temple. The game pivots from non-existent gameplay to the most gamey of gameplay. Here is your reward for sitting through all that, it says with a smirk. This temple is a place for prospective kings of Facade to earn their title, completing a sequence of rules-based trials to earn the king's mask. By that logic, shouldn't young Moog be king? We did all the work, while the prince just needed rescuing. - However, I can't really blame the prince for acting like a dumb kid when he is  one. Here is yet another child with the weight of the world unfairly placed on his shoulders. Both young Moog and the prince have watched a loved one suffer from the Black Scrawl--but while we still have hope to save Yonah, the king of Faca...
Read more

From Seafront to the Junk Heap | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 2

-
Image
A couple developments on my initial dislikes: - The d-pad allows me to access healing items quickly. Yippee! - I learned my first "word" that is not simply a percentage-based stat increase. It adds a  paralyze  status to my attacks and magic. I combined this with another word that boosts the status effect by one level. When enemies are paralyzed, they show a blue lightning effect. Other thoughts: - The game is trolling? First, the game makes fun of its own fishing mechanic; I'm not even sure if it's real. Then, there is a cheeky conversation acknowledging how I have to run all the way back to the entrance of the Junk Heap area rather than the game providing a "warp." Then, Weiss snarkily comments on the Junk Heap boss's "obvious weak spot"--its big open mouth, of course. I shall give it an obligatory chuckle. - I fought a powerful shade outside of Seafront that I was clearly under-leveled for, as it one-shot me about six times. I stubbornly che...
Read more