Nier: Replicant was the fantasy sibling to Automata’s sci-fi
Before I got into Nier, I had to do some research on this series. The timeline isn’t as straightforward. Basically, the origins of Nier are in the Drakengard/Drag-on Dragoon line of games that largely were limited to the PS3. I had never played the series, but they had mostly received a tepid response.
Anyway, there was apparently an alternate ending that spawned Nier, and there was a single character from the Nier franchise that has gotten all the love from fans and cosplayers: 2B.
Replicant actually preceded Automata, though. Here’s the confusing part: The original Nier was released in two versions: a Japanese game where the protagonist was younger and anime-like, and a Western game where the main character is a dudebro. Basically, the developer was pandering to different audiences, dependent on the region.
The original Nier was remade as Neir Replicant for modern audiences, and we all now have the younger, anime-like protagonist. This remake came out after Automata, so everyone can be forgiven for thinking Replicant is a newer thing.
Is it good?
Well, it’s just different from Automata. The battle system is much worse and substantially more repetitive.
The music? Also more repetitive, but still pleasant. The story was better, though. I think everything just felt more substantial and didn’t need to hide behind a million endings just to get piecemeal nuggets of narrative.
I also liked the ride alongs, Kaine, Emile, and Weiss more than Automata’s copilots. Your own mileage may vary on that one, but Kaine in particular made battles seem substantially less monotonous.
The feel
What stuck with me, though? The game’s feel was so airy and ethereal that there’s charm to that. Even when the story gets weird and clones are introduced, there’s a fairy tale feel that sticks around. And, while it’s not fantastic, it’s just different enough to leave good memories, even after the details of the story fade from your mind.
Unlike Automata, I couldn’t bear to unlock all the endings to this one. I just didn’t have it in me. But the number of endings I got were enough. The game is good enough for a play-through.
Rating:
