6 ms·

For anyone who is interested in what videogames as a medium uniquely can do to tell stories in a way other media cannot and who hasn't played it yet I'd recomme

For anyone who is interested in what videogames as a medium uniquely can do to tell stories in a way other media cannot and who hasn't played it yet I'd recommend Nier Automata strongly. It's in my opinion the smartest and for a lack of a better term 'deepest' game of the last decade.

hn_go_brrrrr 4y ago
I really enjoyed Nier Automata -- I'd say it's a solid second place -- but it doesn't hold a candle to Horizon: Zero Dawn. The storytelling was superb, and the gameplay was really good too.
- kobalsky 4y ago
  Horizon: Zero Dawn is a marvel. One of the best looking games, original, solid and challenging gameplay and a storytelling that keeps on the edge of the seat wanting more. It has everything.
- AlexandrB 4y ago
  Horizon: Zero Dawn is fine. Definitely above average. But the narrative in Horizon: Zero Dawn is best described as "extremely conventional" with many predictable tropes (it was obvious your father figure was going to die from the first time you meet him). The main (past human) villain also takes a disappointing turn from "relatably misguided" to "mustache-twirllingly evil" in the second half of the game. One illustrative difference is the side quests: I don't remember a single Horizon: Zero Dawn side quest. Nier Automata's side quests, meanwhile, are almost always tied into the main story or its themes - even if you don't realize it at the time you're doing the quest. Nier Automata is rough around the edges, but the whole comes together to be greater than the sum of its parts. Horizon: Zero Dawn, on the other hand, is very polished and well-executed, but it doesn't "gel" as well as Nier Automata, nor does it take as many risks.
  - pdpi 4y ago
    Not all the sidequests are great in H:ZD, but there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the end cinematic that explains one of the collectibles and makes it suddenly be much more meaningful. (SPOILER: You see a circle of metal flowers around Sobek's grave at her home, implying they're GAIA's memorial to Sobek)
- irusensei 4y ago
  I’m happy for you and ima let you finish but Ys 8 Lacrimosa of Dana…
kaladin-jasnah 4y ago
I haven't played Nier yet but the Persona series and Yakuza series do an excellent job of storytelling through video games as well.
- matheusmoreira 4y ago
  All those infuriating minigames though...
gernb 4y ago
Can you put into words what makes it special without spoiling anything? I played to the first boss. Found zero interesting. Stopped playing. Up to that point it was just generic "game". Walk a character around, shoot stuff, repeat.
- 1270018080 4y ago
  Every action from the first boss and beyond has meaning, and it gets more dramatic onward. But if you didn't latch on to the plot by the first boss it's probably fine to skip if you still have a refund available. If you are locked in financially I would still recommend playing.
  - dmitriid 4y ago
    I played until the robot village or whatever it's called, did most of the side quests which are all run-of-the-mill meaningless fetch/find stuff, and stopped. Just looked up boss list: I passed three bosses. I never encountered this amazing dramatic storyline people keep gushing about. My guess is that these people never read enough books or watched enough movies, because Nier is just boring and predictable
    - sali0 4y ago
      It takes time for the game to develop it's story. In fact, the story doesn't even get very interesting until the second play through. But that is when it becomes exponentially better than probably 95% of all other games. I read a ton of fantasy and fiction, and would say this game is a really unique story. You haven't even gotten a taste of it, you should really not judge the players who've enjoyed it.
      - dmitriid 4y ago
        > It takes time for the game to develop it's story. How long of a time? > the story doesn't even get very interesting until the second play through I couldn't trudge through even once, how can I get to a second play through? :) > You haven't even gotten a taste of it So, to "get a taste of it" I need to a) play an unspecified long time and b) preferably two times > this game is a really unique story Robots have feelings and souls? Nothing is what it seems? Humans are the bad guys? With a few twists telegraphed two hours before they happen?
kobalsky 4y ago
It's not for everyone. I forced myself through it expecting to be surprised at some point and it fell flat. Some stuff is clever but parts of the story are terrible. The character development is atrocious, in a single mission a character goes from "feelings aren't allowed" to "the mission doesn't matter I will literally die for you".
- quaunaut 4y ago
  That's intentionally supposed to be confusing. Did you go past the first couple endings?
  - MisterSandman 4y ago
    You've already lost me at "first couple endings." As much as I get that multiple endings are cool, I'd rather not spend hours more after a game has "ended" to get to the "real ending" that is somehow so good it makes the entire game worth it. I know the average gamer wants MORE content for the same price, but I don't feel the same way, especially about story based games. TLOU and even Halo: Reach had great stories without being annoying long.
    - eropple 4y ago
      NieR: Automata calls them "endings", but the critical-path "endings", of which there are five, are actually chapters. You aren't playing to get collectibles or anything, it's a new experience along the way. The game isn't over until the end of Ending E, and I think it is incredibly worth it.
      - FeepingCreature 4y ago
        This is what happens if you get cute with the naming. Just call them chapters.
        chii 4y ago
        Since it's an old-ish game now, i will write something here that might spoil it; The endings are endings, because of the game's idea of cyclic nature of events. It's hinted that the events of the game aren't happening for the first time, but in fact, are a repeat of history. That is, you are replaying the game as part of that cyclic nature. It's perfectly fine to stop the game at the first "ending" - but you will miss the total message of the game imho.
oefrha 4y ago
<light-spoiler>The lead-up to Ending E is one of the few gaming moments that managed to touch me deeply. It's ridiculously simple yet devilishly powerful. And the tough decision you have to make afterwards, even though my programmer mind can see right through it, is marvelous.</light-spoiler>
matheusmoreira 4y ago
> what videogames as a medium uniquely can do to tell stories in a way other media cannot Metal Gear Solid 2 is the quintessential example. https://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/ https://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/
dmitriid 4y ago
Nier Automata is formulaic, boring and entirely predictable from 30 seconds in. There are games who actually uniquely tell stories, but Nier isn't one of them
- seebo 4y ago
  Nier automata is one of the most subversive games I've ever played over 30 years of gaming. The fact you played like 1-2 hours and dropped it doesn't qualify you talk about the game not having a unique story. I can get you don't like gameplay or whatever and find it boring. But formulaic and predictable are the least descriptive words for this game.
  - dmitriid 4y ago
    > The fact you played like 1-2 hours and dropped it https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849
- hhjinks 4y ago
  I can guarantee that you didn't actually predict the story, and put it down before you could be proven wrong. The things you deem "predictable" are not so subtly hammered into your head, repeatedly. You didn't so much predict them as uncritically accept the world as it seemed.
  - dmitriid 4y ago
    > I can guarantee that you didn't actually predict the story, and put it down before you could be proven wrong https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849
- tsimionescu 4y ago
  I can accept that it's boring if you don't enjoy the gameplay, but it is anything but formulaic, by any measure. It can seem trite and faux-deep, what with seeming to have very predictable twists and name-dropping philosophers, but the twists you think you see coming are not the actual twists, and the point it's trying to make is actually meaningful and human, not some silly sci-fi trope. It does take far too long on the setup to get to its actual points - especially if you don't enjoy the game-play or weirder grandiose moments (This cannot continue, Become as gods etc).

hn_go_brrrrr 4y ago

I really enjoyed Nier Automata -- I'd say it's a solid second place -- but it doesn't hold a candle to Horizon: Zero Dawn. The storytelling was superb, and the gameplay was really good too.

kobalsky 4y ago
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a marvel. One of the best looking games, original, solid and challenging gameplay and a storytelling that keeps on the edge of the seat wanting more. It has everything.
AlexandrB 4y ago
Horizon: Zero Dawn is fine. Definitely above average. But the narrative in Horizon: Zero Dawn is best described as "extremely conventional" with many predictable tropes (it was obvious your father figure was going to die from the first time you meet him). The main (past human) villain also takes a disappointing turn from "relatably misguided" to "mustache-twirllingly evil" in the second half of the game. One illustrative difference is the side quests: I don't remember a single Horizon: Zero Dawn side quest. Nier Automata's side quests, meanwhile, are almost always tied into the main story or its themes - even if you don't realize it at the time you're doing the quest. Nier Automata is rough around the edges, but the whole comes together to be greater than the sum of its parts. Horizon: Zero Dawn, on the other hand, is very polished and well-executed, but it doesn't "gel" as well as Nier Automata, nor does it take as many risks.
- pdpi 4y ago
  Not all the sidequests are great in H:ZD, but there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the end cinematic that explains one of the collectibles and makes it suddenly be much more meaningful. (SPOILER: You see a circle of metal flowers around Sobek's grave at her home, implying they're GAIA's memorial to Sobek)
irusensei 4y ago
I’m happy for you and ima let you finish but Ys 8 Lacrimosa of Dana…

kaladin-jasnah 4y ago

I haven't played Nier yet but the Persona series and Yakuza series do an excellent job of storytelling through video games as well.

matheusmoreira 4y ago
All those infuriating minigames though...

gernb 4y ago

Can you put into words what makes it special without spoiling anything? I played to the first boss. Found zero interesting. Stopped playing. Up to that point it was just generic "game". Walk a character around, shoot stuff, repeat.

1270018080 4y ago
Every action from the first boss and beyond has meaning, and it gets more dramatic onward. But if you didn't latch on to the plot by the first boss it's probably fine to skip if you still have a refund available. If you are locked in financially I would still recommend playing.
- dmitriid 4y ago
  I played until the robot village or whatever it's called, did most of the side quests which are all run-of-the-mill meaningless fetch/find stuff, and stopped. Just looked up boss list: I passed three bosses. I never encountered this amazing dramatic storyline people keep gushing about. My guess is that these people never read enough books or watched enough movies, because Nier is just boring and predictable
  - sali0 4y ago
    It takes time for the game to develop it's story. In fact, the story doesn't even get very interesting until the second play through. But that is when it becomes exponentially better than probably 95% of all other games. I read a ton of fantasy and fiction, and would say this game is a really unique story. You haven't even gotten a taste of it, you should really not judge the players who've enjoyed it.
    - dmitriid 4y ago
      > It takes time for the game to develop it's story. How long of a time? > the story doesn't even get very interesting until the second play through I couldn't trudge through even once, how can I get to a second play through? :) > You haven't even gotten a taste of it So, to "get a taste of it" I need to a) play an unspecified long time and b) preferably two times > this game is a really unique story Robots have feelings and souls? Nothing is what it seems? Humans are the bad guys? With a few twists telegraphed two hours before they happen?

kobalsky 4y ago

It's not for everyone. I forced myself through it expecting to be surprised at some point and it fell flat. Some stuff is clever but parts of the story are terrible. The character development is atrocious, in a single mission a character goes from "feelings aren't allowed" to "the mission doesn't matter I will literally die for you".

quaunaut 4y ago
That's intentionally supposed to be confusing. Did you go past the first couple endings?
- MisterSandman 4y ago
  You've already lost me at "first couple endings." As much as I get that multiple endings are cool, I'd rather not spend hours more after a game has "ended" to get to the "real ending" that is somehow so good it makes the entire game worth it. I know the average gamer wants MORE content for the same price, but I don't feel the same way, especially about story based games. TLOU and even Halo: Reach had great stories without being annoying long.
  - eropple 4y ago
    NieR: Automata calls them "endings", but the critical-path "endings", of which there are five, are actually chapters. You aren't playing to get collectibles or anything, it's a new experience along the way. The game isn't over until the end of Ending E, and I think it is incredibly worth it.
    - FeepingCreature 4y ago
      This is what happens if you get cute with the naming. Just call them chapters.
      - chii 4y ago
        Since it's an old-ish game now, i will write something here that might spoil it; The endings are endings, because of the game's idea of cyclic nature of events. It's hinted that the events of the game aren't happening for the first time, but in fact, are a repeat of history. That is, you are replaying the game as part of that cyclic nature. It's perfectly fine to stop the game at the first "ending" - but you will miss the total message of the game imho.

oefrha 4y ago

<light-spoiler>The lead-up to Ending E is one of the few gaming moments that managed to touch me deeply. It's ridiculously simple yet devilishly powerful. And the tough decision you have to make afterwards, even though my programmer mind can see right through it, is marvelous.</light-spoiler>

matheusmoreira 4y ago

> what videogames as a medium uniquely can do to tell stories in a way other media cannot Metal Gear Solid 2 is the quintessential example. https://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/ https://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/

dmitriid 4y ago

Nier Automata is formulaic, boring and entirely predictable from 30 seconds in. There are games who actually uniquely tell stories, but Nier isn't one of them

seebo 4y ago
Nier automata is one of the most subversive games I've ever played over 30 years of gaming. The fact you played like 1-2 hours and dropped it doesn't qualify you talk about the game not having a unique story. I can get you don't like gameplay or whatever and find it boring. But formulaic and predictable are the least descriptive words for this game.
- dmitriid 4y ago
  > The fact you played like 1-2 hours and dropped it https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849
hhjinks 4y ago
I can guarantee that you didn't actually predict the story, and put it down before you could be proven wrong. The things you deem "predictable" are not so subtly hammered into your head, repeatedly. You didn't so much predict them as uncritically accept the world as it seemed.
- dmitriid 4y ago
  > I can guarantee that you didn't actually predict the story, and put it down before you could be proven wrong https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33047849
tsimionescu 4y ago
I can accept that it's boring if you don't enjoy the gameplay, but it is anything but formulaic, by any measure. It can seem trite and faux-deep, what with seeming to have very predictable twists and name-dropping philosophers, but the twists you think you see coming are not the actual twists, and the point it's trying to make is actually meaningful and human, not some silly sci-fi trope. It does take far too long on the setup to get to its actual points - especially if you don't enjoy the game-play or weirder grandiose moments (This cannot continue, Become as gods etc).