When the unique Nier got here out within the forgotten yr of 2010, one of many extra widespread complaints have been the facet quests: they have been lengthy, usually grindy, and never notably participating, making it extra irritating that a few of them have weapons hidden away inside them that have been essential to get the entire endings.
Fortunately, its 2017 sequel Nier Automata improved upon that by offering tales that flesh out the world and its inhabitants in ways in which felt elementary to completely appreciating the primary story. And I can not consider a sport whose facet quests match higher on the moveable console that’s the Nintendo Swap.
The hook of the Swap is that you may play it on the go or at house, although we are able to all most likely admit that we largely both lean in direction of one or the opposite. However the good thing about enjoying on the go is having the ability to match in brief snippets of playtime right here and there: if you’re commuting, if you’re travelling or (God assist us) if you’re on the john. And with that comes the pliability of participating with video games in several methods relying on whether or not you are at house or out and about. Or in any other case engaged.
One factor RPGs, notably JRPGs, are recognized for is that they’re lengthy. Very lengthy. Stupidly lengthy, in some instances. Nier Automata is not truly that lengthy by typical JRPG commonplace – with a median of roughly 21 hours playtime – however if you wish to totally full it, and get all of the endings, you may anticipate to take a position about 60 hours of your life into the title.
So, clearly plenty of these bonus 40 hours will come from the facet quests, which I often discovered to be extra participating than the primary story. If you have not performed Nier Automata, the final idea is that you just play as three totally different androids as they navigate what existence means to every of them, and there is some poetic stuff concerning the soul in there, too. Perhaps. Oh, and in addition you are combating a warfare towards a seemingly endless military of machines – all of that are supposedly innately evil, however after all issues aren’t so easy.
For probably the most half, the primary storyline is profitable in masking these themes, but it surely’s the facet quests that made me really feel actually invested on the earth: the sport encourages you to determine what you are combating for, notably as a result of there are some twists and turns that power the protagonists to query their motives. And you do not actually see the world by all of the lenses, from all of the relevent views, with out participating within the non-essential content material and wandering from the important path.
In fact, alongside the best way you meet quite a lot of attention-grabbing characters, like Pascal (the chief of the pacifist machine village), or Anemone (the chief of the resistance). Their tales are partially explored in the primary quest, however facet quests involving the supporting solid is the place issues actually get attention-grabbing. And it is right here that the writing comes into its personal, too – the place the ragtag bunch of characters within the sport are elevated from merely NPCs to truly thought-out entities with their very own hearts, souls, and motivations. Personally, I really like the thought of microdosing on emotional, sometimes-uplifting-sometimes-depressing tales whereas I am on the transfer. Do not thoughts me, crying on the bus – Pascal simply stated one thing heart-wrenching that’d have even Schopenhauer dabbing at his eyes.
As a result of you may play the Swap wherever, the perfect RPG expertise for me, personally, could be to sort out the primary story whereas docked at house. After which sort out all these facet quests whereas I am commuting someplace, so I can totally admire every thing the sport has to supply. And stage my Androids after I’m ready for the bus.
I do not at all times love to do facet quests, notably if they do not supply any attention-grabbing narrative beats. However the world of Nier is such an attention-grabbing one I picked up each single one I may on my final playthrough.
Take this one facet quest involving A2, the third protagonist, and the pacifist machine village. Out of the three participant characters, A2 doubtlessly hates the machines probably the most – spending most of her time killing them with no rhyme or cause. For plot causes although, she is dropped at the machine village, a lot as she won’t wish to be there.
The facet quest in query, referred to as Play With Us, sees some machine kids asking A2 to construct them one thing to play on. Gameplay-wise, it ends in probably the most uninteresting factor {that a} online game could make you do (it is a fetch quest), however I wasn’t fussed as a result of the sport itself is enjoyable to play, and the straightforward however necessary payoff is price it.
When you get every thing you want, one of many machines builds a slide for the kids to play on. In flip, they’re extremely grateful, and provide you with a gift as thanks. With Pascal additionally coming in individual to thanks himself, he remindes A2 to not overwork herself.
That is all rounded off with A2 speaking to herself, culminating in her musing on the character of “a gaggle of pacifist machines, huh?” There is a spark of realisation in her, the gestation of one thing necessary – one thing that does the groundwork for a significant narrative beat, afterward. It isn’t a mission it’s important to do in any respect, but it surely feels such as you ought to simply so as to add to that character growth.
One among my favorite facet quests – sure, as soon as once more, a easy fetch quest – entails the character Operator 6O. Whereas 2B, our first protagonist, will get to discover earth in all its dilapidated magnificence, 6O is mounted to her spot in an area station, by no means getting to go to the house rock we name house, regardless of her fascination with it.
On this specific quest, she asks 2B to seek out her a specific rose. When you try this, 6O is extremely grateful, and imagines the entire nature that may nonetheless exist on the planet, cataclysm nonwithstanding. It isn’t till later, throughout the primary story, the place this pays off.
At a sure level, just about the entire androids are taken over by a virus, together with 6O. For those who managed to seek out her the rose – regardless of her gradual and upsetting corruption that eats away at every thing that she is – she thanks 2B. A second of readability within the fugue. And holy shit is it such a tragic second.
However. Neither of those facet quests may match into your common routine. All of us solely have a lot time within the day, and generally we do not have the chance for facet quests – regardless of them providing some lovely items of storytelling, some neat gear, or only a contact extra EXP.
The Swap, nonetheless, permits you to discover time in methods PS5 and Xbox Sequence S/X simply cannot. Positive, I can admit that the gameplay features of the quests talked about above aren’t probably the most thrilling on the earth, however they’re price searching for out and wrapping as much as discover out extra concerning the characters that inhabit stated world.
Individuals may make remarks concerning the Swap simply being ‘a house for video games you already personal from 4 years in the past’, however there are many adults who personal Ninty’s plucky little hybrid console for precisely the explanations I am outlinning above: so that they’re capable of choose it up for half an hour, and put it down once more.
I’ve put in a few playthroughs of Nier Automata since its launch, and if I can handle it, I will strive to slot in one other in relation to Swap (with the added justification that I can purchase one other copy as a result of my associate has by no means performed it, however does personal a Swap).
The factor is although: I haven’t got as a lot time as I used to, so whereas I am at house, I won’t be capable of play any of the facet tales. However these moments the place I am on a bus, or a prepare, or a airplane: these would be the occasions after I cry over foolish little robots simply making an attempt to make their method on the earth, half an hour at a time.
