8 MORE Video Games Critics Hated (But Players LOVED)

Now a household name for action JRPG fans synonymous with the best in the genre, Nier got off to a rough start.

It wasn’t always glowing praise, exciting replayability, and phenomenal remasters for Yoko Taro’s Drakengard spin-off. When the game first hit shelves back in 2010 it’s safe to say critics didn’t really get it, and to be fair the game struggled to make waves commercially, too, with Yoko later saying while the sales figures weren’t bad, they left a lot to be desired. Critics slammed the game for its graphics which looked like they belonged to a game from many years prior, bland environments, uninteresting side missions, basic combat, and yeah, pretty much everything.

They did praise the voice acting and soundtrack, though, which if you’ve listened to the music from the series, probably doesn’t come as a surprise.

While critics were far from convinced, players were somewhere between cautiously optimistic and spellbound by the game’s unique storytelling, atmosphere, and potential. While it scraped a 67 from the critics on Metacritic, it was awarded a healthy 8.5 from users, long before its stunning remaster landed.

Explaining that the game is so much more than the sum of its parts, players praised the stunning and complex narrative, fascinating characters, oodles of charm, and enchanting experience for those willing to dig a little deeper. While said players admitted the combat mechanics and visuals weren’t anything to write home about, they said anyone writing the game off for those factors is sorely missing out.

As the excellent remaster and acclaimed sequel would later attest, turns out the naysayers were wrong about Nier.