NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139... Review - A Game Worth Experiencing, An Update Worth Revisiting

NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… is the definition of a modern cult classic, and it's all thanks to the series' garnering a newfound surge in popularity following the massive success of NieR Automata. This provided an opportunity for series creator Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito to update the 2010 title NieR for current-gen systems.

This remaster is far more than just a new coat of paint; developer Toylogic has made a staggering amount of new additions and changes, all with the intent of keeping the overall feel in line with the original title. But does this remaster spruce up an eleven-year-old game well enough to warrant the attention of a modern audience while simultaneously satisfying the palette of fans of the original?

Released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the original NieR has a somewhat confusing history; first off, there’s different iterations of the protagonist for the Japanese and Western audiences. In Japan, two versions of the game were released: NieR Replicant for PS3 and NieR Gestalt for Xbox 360, with the main difference being your protagonist’s age and relation to the game’s damsel in distress. On the PS3, you’d play Brother Nier, and on the Xbox 360, Father Nier. It was thought that aging up the protagonist in NieR Gestalt would help the game’s appeal with regards to older, western-minded Xbox 360 owners.

A Simple Goal in a Complex World

As the title suggests, NieR Replicant ver. 122474487139… focuses on Brother Nier as the protagonist, as this was the original script and true intent for the story. It follows the adventures of a young boy who, along with a talking magic book, seeks a cure for his sister's mysterious disease. As far as fantastical video game RPGs go, this is pretty standard fare. The story may seem like it's nothing to write home about, and when it comes to gameplay, it’s your run-of-the-mill action RPG filled with a few mundane fetch quests and whatnot.

At least that's how it is on the surface. Series creator Yoko Taro is notorious for his out-of-the-box storytelling, and uses the video game format itself to deliver mind-bending twists that you won't often find in most forms of entertainment. If there's one word that can best describe the story of NieR, it would be deceptive. It's one of those games that will subvert your expectations as to how a story can be told and what a game can be. I can't go into detail without completely ruining the story for those who have yet to experience it themselves, but I will say that even though this wasn't my first romp through this narrative, it was a joy to relive the wave of complex emotions all over again.

A Stronger Sense of Identity

A lot of work was put into remastering this game. Environments are so sharply retextured, they almost look completely different from the original. The main cast’s character models have received a ton of care and look very much at home on current systems. One of the other major changes to the remaster is a ton of new voice work. This was done not only to match an updated script, but to make nearly the entire game fully-voiced.  Not only does this mean that the overall dialogue flows better, but it allows for a ton of new banter between the main cast, which I adored.

Without a doubt one of the NieR series' greatest strengths is its soundtrack, and that's no exception with NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139…. Like the voice work, the music has been rearranged, with the original title’s composer and singers making a return. The quality work here is a testament to the level of care and intent poured into this remaster. The music retains the same general mood and feeling, but cranks the intensity up to a greater degree, as if to elicit more emotions from the game’s cut-scenes and environments.  If you loved the original soundtrack and listened to all of the songs to death, the new soundtrack will be equally enjoyable, if not more so.

The Newest Way to Play

The biggest changes in this remaster are in its combat and movement options. The original NieR had relatively okay hack-and-slash action with a pretty lenient dodge mechanic and abusable attack animation cancels, making even the most overwhelming wave of shades nothing more than a chore for our hero. This time around, not only was the overall look updated to match NieR Automata, but the combat’s been reworked in that direction as well. It's by no means nearly as needlessly complex as in Automata, but it is a big step up from the original.

General movement has also gotten an upgrade. What I'd like to dub as the "Platinum Dash" (as seen in Automata) has been added to the remaster. The protagonist is now able to sprint after running for a set period of time, or after performing a dodge roll. This makes traversal so much faster, as I'd say this game is notorious for not having the best means of quick travel, and very limited forms of fast travel. However, if you still want to mimic a Zelda speedrun, know that dodge rolling is still faster than sprinting.

Being able to lock onto enemies is a welcome new addition, as attacks don't really have any form of tracking until the lock-on function is enabled.  Weapon combos are completely different from the original, but the inputs are straightforward. There's a single full string of light and heavy combos for each weapon, with the ability to charge either a light or heavy attack for a stronger unique finisher.  Either string can essentially be animation-cancelled into the other, allowing you to combo-craft freely without the added complexity of a move list that limits you to, for instance, chaining two light attacks into a heavy one. This might not sound like a particularly challenging set of combat mechanics, especially for the character-action genre fans out there, but this was a solid decision by the developers at Toylogic, who struck a good balance between the simplistic action of the original NieR and Automata’s more involved system.

The dodge-roll is still present, but with a few changes. When done in mid-air, it has been changed to a sort of short air-dash to help keep the action flowing. When locked on to an up-close enemy, performing a dodge-roll with the left stick tilted towards your foe will cause Brother Nier to quickly zip behind them. You can also pull off a launcher attack by quickly pressing the heavy attack shortly after inputting a jump, making air juggling possible. Blocking functions as it did before - some attacks can be fully blocked, while others will simply have reduced damage.

My favorite change to the combat has to be the update as to how you cast spells. In the original, you were forced to stand still for periods while charging ranged spells such as Dark Lance, and had to awkwardly aim a reticle before releasing the barrage. Now, spells can be charged while performing any combat or movement action, and can be released at any point mid-combo.

Of course, to balance out all of the improvements to the combat system, your foes have been scaled up. Not only have new enemy types been added, they are now more ruthless and spawn in greater numbers.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Despite NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139…’s looking like a brand new modern title, at its core it’s still very much the 2010 original. All of the charm and silliness, like the Resident Evil mansion, the underground Diablo dungeon, and the text adventure segments are all present and accounted for. Even the out-of-the-box tricks I employed to beat the pseudo-Legend of Zelda puzzles in the desert temple still worked. 

For example, there’s a room where you’re not allowed to run or jump but must make your way through waves of turrets without getting hit. Simply holding guard and pushing forward on the left-stick forces your character into a walk, and you’re able to block the incoming bullets and take no damage, therefore trivializing the puzzle. Back in the day, I thought that my being able to cheese through moments like these were due to developmental oversights, but the fact that all my old tactics still worked seems to prove that it was intentional they could be cleared in such a way.

In more ways than one, NieR Replicant ver. 122474487139 is clearly the best and definitive way to experience the original NieR. All of the visual and mechanical changes are welcome and make the presentation of the game’s otherwise awkward sections a lot more palatable. I'm really happy that this remaster came to fruition so that more people can finally experience this groundbreaking game. As for those who’ve gone through this before, all of the extra story additions are well worth the revisit. There's even a new ending waiting for you.

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9/10

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Highlights

(+) Visual enhancements are great

(+) Revamped combat is significantly better than the original

(+) New story additions are fantastic

(-) NPCs didn't get the same makeover as the main cast

(-) Word System is still a bit cumbersome

What I’ve Played

• Hit Endings A, B, C, & D (currently enjoying my run through Route E)

• Collected all weapons

• ·Current total playtime of 45 hours

[This review is based on a PS4 review code provided by Square Enix]

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