I ran into a “knot” while playing Nier: Automata. I hit a point where I kept dying at the same place, and the restart point was a good bit away from where I kept dying, so I found myself doing the same loop over and over. The game stopped being as fun for me, and I started to get fatigued. When I get fatigued with a game, I usually stop playing it in favor of playing something else. We live in an era of video game riches, where there are so many good games to play, games of quality and depth that there’s not enough time to play them all. And that’s fine, you don’t have to play them all, just play the ones you want to play. But even then, playing the same game over and over can get fatiguing.
I’m really enjoying Nier, and I want to keep playing it. I actually made it a goal to try and get through the knot this week. It only took me an afternoon, but I had to commit to getting through it. And then shortly thereafter, once I made it through the knot, I hit a big boss and died, and then switched over to Destiny. I still really love Nier, but I needed to take a break.
I didn’t buy Nier when it came out last year, despite watching one of the best video game reviews I’d seen for a game. And while the game is beautiful, and the music is entrancing, and I’m sure the gameplay is enjoyable, I mean, I can feel it, down in there, but I’m just not quite able to do it. It’s too twitchy for me. My neurology can’t quite handle it, and I’m afraid that as we get further into the game, and the challenges get harder and harder, I’m just not going to be able to do it. It took me several tries to make it past the opening boss just to get the privilege to save the game.
If I relax a little and concentrate, I can do the combos and dodges and what-not. It’s just a matter of timing. But I get so wrapped up in the game that I’m clenching the controller, and I start hitting buttons as fast as I can. I keep turning on the headlight on 2B’s Pod during fights because I’m clenching the controller so hard I activate the L3 button by actually pushing in on the left control stick.
Become as gods, become as gods. I managed to make it through the knot in Nier. I just ran through it, and then happily saved once I could. It helped with the fatigue I was starting to feel towards the game, a little bit at least. But then the game didn’t want to let up, and I ended up at a boss fight shortly thereafter that took me out, and that’s when I decided to switch to another game for the rest of the day.
I learned a little bit more about the interface for Nier, though. I learned that you don’t need to hold down the target lock, just tap it and once your target is locked, you can let it go. I learned that you can hold down an attack to charge it up, and the other day I learned that you only have to hold down your Gatling laser, not repeatedly tap it. So, I think I could get better at it with practice, but it is a game that wears at my particular neurology.