10 Video Games Better Than The Sum Of Their Parts
9. NieR
The original NieR felt like a cult classic the instant it launched in 2010 - unpolished, ugly yet bursting with so much creativity you loved it in spite of itself.
Having said that, there are times it feels like NieR is daring you to even tolerate it, let alone love it. Even the recent remake couldn't paper over its most glaring cracks - the bland open world, the tedious dungeons, the achingly slow introduction. This is a game that hides its charms well, but once you fall for them you're rewarded with an experience you'll still be raving about fifteen years later.
NieR is a game of moments that transcend the rote gameplay that surrounds them. The thrilling battle against Jack of Hearts (still the best giant boss fight in any game that isn't Shadow of the Colossus); the Resident Evil homage in Emil's mansion; the surreal visual novel segment... these are just a handful of NieR's greatest hits, with each level, boss and plot point further enhanced by a soundtrack that deserved to turn composer Keichii Okabe into a household name.
It's NieR's moments of magic that will stick with you after you put down the controller for the last time, and they're worth every second of mundane temple trudging and simplistic button-bashing combat. And hey, the remake takes care of the latter problem!