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Released earlier this month, NIER‘s first (and thus far only) downloadable content is available on both Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network for 560 space bucks / $6.99. The DLC pack, entitled “The World of Recycled Vessel”, will see you assuming the role of Nier the younger, previously found only in the Japanese PS3 exclusive variant of NIER known as NieR: RepliCant. In addition to the DLC-only character change, the price of admission will also net you access to 15 challenge rooms, 2 unlockable costume sets for Nier and his companions, 3 new weapons (one for each category), and some minor variants of loading screen icons and enemy magic bullets. Sounds like a pretty good deal, but is it worth it?
In a word: no. In more words: not unless you really, really want some more NIER content. Most of the “challenge rooms” are merely re-purposed segments of previously explored dungeons given a sepia tone treatment and a musical remix. The weapons are all but useless, especially if you’ve already obtained the Phoenix set. And the costumes? Well, the costumes are fun, I guess. Emil wears a nifty samurai hat, Nier gets a slightly better hairstyle, and Kaine sports even skimpier duds, if you can believe it.
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Unfortunately, the DLC is plagued by some of the same issues found in the retail game. Namely, lack of direction. Accessing his late wife’s diary dumps Nier into a white room, completely empty save for two large doors. One of the doors is the exit, the other is the entrance to the first five challenge rooms. Complete them and the next five will unlock via the appearance of another door. The only problem is that there is no way to tell which door is which outside of remembering where the first one was. I’ll just tell you now to help you avoid repeating the same rooms twice in a row: door one is on the left, two in the middle, three on the right. That brings up another issue – once you enter a door, there is no way to exit outside of completing all five rooms or dying.
.Changing costumes presents another challenge. Where would you expect the option to be? At save points? In the pause menu? Nope, neither of those. You actually have to exit to the title menu and look under options, select the set you want, and reload your save file. It’s cumbersome to say the least.
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The one thing I can say about the DLC is that I enjoyed the challenge it presented. Even at level 32 with +30% Words equipped, I still got my butt kicked in some of the rooms – a nice change from the pushovers encountered in the main game. I should also note that, unfortunately, the DLC contains no trophies or achievements of any kind. I KNOW.
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This review is based on the PS3 version of the downloadable content purchased by the reviewer. The challenge rooms were completed in about one hour with all costumes and weapons unlocked. Images courtesy of Square Enix.
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Xbox LIVE Marketplace link: The World of Recycled Vessel – 560 points ($7)
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