One thing I was surprised about before and during the NieR Concert in Chicago was the number of folks who had not played NieR Gestalt/Replicant. Notably, the number of folks who played through ending A, sometimes ending B, and sometimes not at all, and YouTube'd the endings. Even the group I was with fell into these camps!
Now, that's legitimately fine. Time is a limited resource and how you intake your media is of one's own choice (I haven't played any of the Drakengards; I likely never will). It just really drove home how much NieR got popularized via its second game: Automata.
I didn't feel as strong as Automata. It lacks that unapologetic edge that I got from Gestalt. In that same realm: I understand why folks can't go back and feel strongly about G/R, even though the entire message comes into play through it not exactly respecting your time imo.
These thoughts come about, how video games explore and express painful emotions comes about with the removal of Spec Ops: The Line. How important it is to place the player front and center in the experience... even if you have to strap them in against their will like it's a Saw movie (I keep making these jokes but I've never seen a Saw movie). So there's an understandable but mildly sad nod to folks who don't have that opportunity to go beyond Ending B firsthand, even with a guide. There's just something about being forced to spend more time with the game, to work to see it through to the end, that screams "tortured artist." Your work, your time, your sacrifice as a player are creating the closure you wish to see. That can only be felt, not watched.
Despite my desire for these folks, I also wish I had more time to play these unapologetic games. I think it's a part of why I fuck with bad games. I want a glimpse into what that potential vision was.
