A brother digging up the whole world for his sister, and music that follows you long after.

No tension to untangle here, just something obvious rising to the surface. On gut feeling, the community puts Nier Replicant ahead of 69% of games, already solid. But it's the breakdown that really talks. Art direction ahead of 97% of titles, soundtrack ahead of 96%, attachment ahead of 94%. The very top of the board on those three lines. Desert island follows at 88%, rediscovery at 83%, and even the controller feel, historically the game's acknowledged weak spot, lands ahead of 69% of titles. Careful, attachment and soundtrack rest on few votes, so the exact numbers will move. The direction won't.

It plays almost like a comeback. At release, people held its repetitive combat and dated PS3 tech against it. Fifteen years on, those aren't the questions being asked. People ask what stays with you, what tightens your throat, what you go back and listen to. On that ground, Nier is playing in a different league from its contemporaries.

So who is it for? For you if you accept a game that roughs you up, makes you start over, and pays you back with an emotion few others reach. Much less so if what you judge first is combat fluidity and technical polish.