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If you've ever listened to a sommelier ramble on about tannins or whatever, you were probably surprised to learn about all of the seemingly miniscule environmental and chemical elements that have an impact on how wine hits the tongue. Even so, I'm almost certain the rhythmic frequencies that were attached to this Nier Automata-branded wine barrel as it aged, as immaculately vibey as they no doubt were, had absolutely no effect on how the wine actually tastes. It was just for fun.
And it is fun! I'll admit, if it weren't for the roughly $80 USD price tag (converted from Japanese Yen), I would probably be buying Square Enix's slightly out-of-left-field Nier Automata wine (cheers, BrandoSP and PC Gamer). The kit comes with two bottles - each aged to their own differently curated Nier playlists - as well as two lovely glasses emblazoned with the Lunar Tear.
But my skepticism aside, it's the novelty of knowing the wine you're drinking spent time - years, potentially, depending on the vintage - vibing out to Nier Automata's stellar OST that elevates this sublimely stupid marketing gimmick into impulse buy territory. You can see in the image below that the barrels were actually wired up with speakers while the wine aged, which could only have been Yoko Taro's idea.
Who else gonna buy the Nier Automata wine that they...*Checks notes*AGED IN AN OAK BARREL WHILE FORCING IT TO LISTEN TO THE OST? pic.twitter.com/izgRdAqjX4May 28, 2024
Of the two varieties, the 2B vintage has been forced to contemplate its own existence to the existential vibrations of The Sound of the End, Rebirth & Hope, Crumbling Lines, Girl's Memories, and perhaps most devastating of all, the English version of Weight of the World. Its companion vino, meanwhile, was given an equally delectable auditory soak with tracks like Widespread Disease, City Ruins—Rays of Light, Faltering Prayer—Dawn Breeze, Copied City, and again, Weight of the World playing in the womb.
Nier series producer Yosuke Saito recently revealed that several Automata leads had reunited for a new game that "might be Nier" but also "might not be Nier," and whether or not it's Nier 3 he was talking about, it's hard to imagine a better wine than this one to sip (responsibly) in celebration.
In the meantime, here are the best RPGs to unwind with today.
