there's so much i disliked about nier, from the disjointed gameplay elements that made much of my playtime feel like a chore to how little the characters, specifically 9s, connected to me on an emotional level despite the writers' best efforts. however, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and on a philosophical level, it resonated to me on a level a game hasn't since completing mgs2 as a teenager. there's so much i'd like to discuss and i'm saddened i wasn't there when most of the discussion was to be had. the game is so layered and nuanced that i might be even willing to sit through, i can't believe i'm writing this, some overwrought youtube analysis, especially as i plan to never replay it and i didn't pick up on a lot of the finer plot details since i generally breeze through games with little care for much other than gameplay. it's why i wouldn't hesitate to call this game a masterpiece despite not enjoying much of my playthrough.
now that i think about it, my timing couldn't have been more inadvertent as nier is almost too perfect of a game to playthrough with death stranding looming around the corner. though, i'm really hoping kojima delivers on all fronts