Find a remedy for your daughter's virus in Nier

Nier is reminiscent of later Legend of Zelda installments. It's structured like the 1998 landmark Ocarina of Time, with a central hub surrounded by more exotic cities and dungeons, which open up gradually as the hero becomes more powerful.

But Nier doesn't merely settle for Zelda mimicry; at times, veteran gamers will be reminded of Resident Evil, Castlevania, Ico and even the ancient text adventure Zork.

That variety ensures Nier never gets stale, but it also benefits from an unusually tenderhearted story. Its gruff hero isn't interested in saving the world; he merely wants to find a cure for his ailing daughter. The supporting characters include a talking book that sounds like Alan Rickman and an astonishingly foul-mouthed woman who's fighting her own demons.

Nier is padded with a few too many quests where you have to deliver packages from one town to another, and most of its puzzles are rudimentary. Its combat, mixing swordplay and magic, may be too easy for Square fans coming off the grueling boss battles of Final Fantasy XIII. But its story and characters keep taking unpredictable turns, making Nier a keeper.

Nier

RATING M for Mature

PLOT An action-role-player-game where you go on a quest to discover a cure for your daughter's Black Scrawl virus

DETAILS Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $60

BOTTOM LINE A pleasant surprise