I don't usually write about games I don't get to nor plan to play, but I find this Square-Enix e-newsletter intriguing enough to warrant a post.

『ニーア ゲシュタルト』 & 『ニーア レプリカント』 are action RPG games to be released (in Japan only for now?) later this month. While it's nothing new to have different games of the same series on different consoles, there is something unique in this case.

Everything, from world setting to characters to game mechanics, is identical in NieR Gestalt (Xbox 360) and NieR RepliCant (PS3). They are separate tales yet closely linked together, like two sides of a mirror. The main differences I see are the main character and the voice.

In NieR Gestalt, the main character is the father of the girl, and the game is voiced in English with Japanese subtitles. In NieR RepliCant, the main character is the older brother of the girl, and the game is voiced in Japanese. The catch phrase in the email newsletter also signifies the themes of the two games, one is driven by madness(狂気) and the other moved by love(愛).

Frankly, I'm not really interested in this game. The 3D character designs don't speak to me, especially after I flipped through the character pages and found the much more attractive original illustrations which the 3D models don't resemble at all... I consider it scamming to have such beautiful and lively art turned into just passable polygons. I might look up the illustrator and see if he's got any art books out.

I watched the PV for both games and found it a bit disappointing as a Square Enix game for the unpolished looks but at the same time fitting as a Square Enix game for its story and emotional draw. The PVs seemed to suggest different directions for the two games, and the voice acting is on a professional level for both. I can see North Americans playing NieR Gestalt imports and feeling right at home.

The music is very beautiful with a Renaissance feel to my untrained ears. The BGMs on the NieR Gestalt side sound more battle-themed, while the tracks on the NieR Replicant side is more serene and melancholy. The vocals are quite nice as well. Highly recommended.

Someone commented on Amazon Japan that this will likely be a utsuge and I have to agree, despite there being multiple endings. I'm a lazy person, but I can invest countless hours playing RPG because I'm a big sucker for good stories.

Just noticed there's a mini game on the website... Apparently there's extra voices and a movie if one collects all 20 words scattered across the site. Will try that later.