More Than Just a Video Game | NieR Replicant (Remastered) Review
What happens when a game changes our perspective?
What happens when a game changes our perspective?
I imagine Replicant to be a hard sell for most, but for those who find the combat loop engaging enough, you’ll find a uniquely captivating narrative that makes you think outside the game. NameBrand
In recommending this game, what must be said is that, while it is a Yoko Taro game, and a prequel to the much beloved Nier Automata, Nier Replicant (the remastered version released in 2021) will be a hard sell to many players. I think this even includes those who have previously experienced and even enjoyed Automata. I believe I am in the relatively small minority of players who enjoyed my time with it. And I know what to say to the type of player who I think will enjoy it. Because, depending on who you are and what you’re expecting, will determine the experience you’re going to have when you play Nier Replicant. Let’s get the tough stuff out of the way first: My gripes.
The immediate struggles spawn from it being a remaster of a game from a different era of game design, something that originally released in 2010. While absolutely stunning in its remastered format, you can still see and feel the roots of its dated designs in almost every nook and cranny.
For example, you’ll play fetch quests that run you from one corner of the world to the next, then back to where you were, then to another area, then back to the starting point. Egregiously, some of these quests don’t include combat, meaning you will only be running from place to place.
Animations and transitions are another aspect of the game that haven’t been ‘remastered’. You might be playing on the fastest SSD on the planet, but the game still needs you to watch the awkwardly long door opening transition, the ‘crouch down to gather the item’ gesture, and other animations like them. Not to mention, when transitioning between areas, you need to watch the characters run away from the area you’re in, which leads to the loading screen, then you watch the characters arrive, and after that, the game is playable again. I get it, it probably took time in 2010 to load game assets for new areas, or write items to memory as you added them into your inventory. Some may say the remaster including these limitations brings back that “old school charm”, and help sell its authenticity as the original with a new coat of paint. But I think the inconveniences are more of an unnecessary “quirk” that wastes a little more time than I would have liked. Connect the areas! Let me do things faster! The visual fidelity and accessibility of the title on modern storefronts shouldn’t be the only major quality of life upgrades a “remaster” gets.
The last negative thing, I have to mention, is the portions of the game with walls of text. I’m not talking optional lore either, we’re talking about full on canon events, things that happen to main characters. I understand Nier Replicant may be an ‘art piece’ more than most other games because of Yoko Taro’s crazy mind. But these walls of text have a very “ran out of budget” feel to them. The scenes they describe could have had such a stronger emotional payoff if I were to play them out myself, or see it play out in a cutscene. Again, maybe it’s the restraints of the consoles of the time, maybe budget cuts, but I couldn’t vibe with those. And especially the few that repeat themselves if you answer their little quiz questions incorrectly. Add a little more budget to the remaster! Let me play them out! This is a game, after all, about multiple branching storyline inconsistencies — it would have been perfectly meta for them to change something like this for the betterment of the player experience.
Now that my major complaints about the game are out of the way… I can tell you that Nier Replicant really grew on me. I’d say that I even gradually came to love just about every aspect of it. The narrative and how it matures with context as you continue to play the game. The combat, with how it’s fluid, fast, reactive, and modular enough so that you can build it to be whatever play style you’re comfortable with. The characters were likable, and their voice actors did a great job with the material. By the time the game is over, I was immensely satisfied with the conclusion, and at the same time, I’m sad to leave the universe behind. That’s how I know it’s a game made of masterpiece materials. But still is, strangely, hard to recommend.
Replicant’s story (and unlockable context, we’ll call it) are not nearly as shocking or thought-provoking as those you can find in Automata, and I believe that might be because Replicant alludes to that context as you play. Keen players will have some of it figured out by the time it's revealed, which cheapens itself to some degree. I will also say, as compared to Automata, the moral quandaries presented are much more tame. But, I still enjoyed it. The further I enraptured myself in its multiple endings and context, the more fascinated I became. As I became more fascinated, my thoughts about Replicant’s themes and implications started spilling into my day-to-day life, beyond my time playing it, a feat which very few games get me to do these days! I love that it’s thought-provoking in such a profound and impactful way. Nier Replicant isn’t just a game that you play, but one that has the capacity to have you deep in thought, considering the philosophies from it. I won’t spoil that experience for you, and what that entails, but know that it’s one of my biggest highlights about this game. It’s what makes it more than just a video game.
Should you play Nier Replicant, remember that there is an ending E. In fact, there are 5 different endings to that game, that I believe are all worth seeing. To put it into perspective, when the credits roll for the first time, the player has only experienced one third of the available game (and narrative). You will have to play through multiple ‘versions’ of the game to get the full experience. They’ll mix it up a little bit and give you a skip here or there so you can stomach it. But ending E is the canon ending, and it’s worth “replaying” to get it. I’ll warn you now too, the game will attempt to traumatize you before you get ending E, but please, press on continuing to play the game until you get that final, canon ending, in the very least. It’ll try and trick you too, but keep playing by any means necessary, even if it seems like there is not any more game for you to play — I can’t be more clear: if you haven’t seen the “ending E” text appear before the credits, it’s still waiting for you. Do not look up any guides. Trust me, and you will be amazed. It is one of the most unique narratives of any game I’ve ever played, and it can only be told through the medium of gaming. For that, I really commend it. It is the reason to play it.
Most people I know don’t replay games for alternate endings. Gamers my age, we don’t have a lot of time on our hands. Replaying something is not very appealing, I totally get it. But you must understand that these Yoko Taro games are different in their approach. While you will be replaying major sections of the game, for the most part, your weapons and items carry on with you like a ‘new game plus’. You’ll play through the narrative, and it’ll tell the story a certain way. In the next ‘play through’, you’ll be presented with context to events of your previous play through that may change your perspective on some things… A difference here or there. A time-skip, an alternate-event… These are the sections of Nier Replicant where the game gets you to do that deep thinking I described earlier, so you’re going to want to be prepared to do replay it, despite any preconceptions you may have about the concept as a whole.
Let me rapid fire though a few more positive thoughts before wrapping this up with a conclusion:
The combat is quite good! I thought it presented me with enough variety to choose the play style I found the most fun. Experimenting with word edits and quick switching weapons is really intuitive and helps mix up your combat experience to keep things feeling fresh. I played on normal to start and found that difficulty to be just right. At one point, I switched to Hard mode, but that was a mistake, and the enemies became huge damage sponges. Which isn’t ideal in a game where combat difficulty more or less scales with how many enemies are on-screen. So keep it on normal, have a greater time with it.
I played in the English dub, and at first, I didn’t like the voice performances. Weiss, the player in part 2, and Kaine’s voice, all felt out of place. But over time, they grew on me! I appreciated their memorable interpretations of their characters, and enjoy their overall performances, which let me connect with them where it really counted in the end.
Ultimately, do I recommend Nier Replicant? Yes! With conditions. I hope my thoughts give you enough information to make a well-informed purchase decision. Replicant is an enjoyable video game, and well worth the money I spent to play it. While I do think Automata is superior by comparison, (and something I find easy to recommended to all players), Replicant is still deserving of my conditional recommendation, despite the determination required to be able to experience it all and obtaining ending E. If you don’t find something to love and latch on to in your initial few hours, it may be a long and arduous experience, and you might find yourself abandoning the game before the big E ending payoff. However, for those of you that do find something to love, you’ll be playing a real gem that will find a niche place in your heart and in your game collection. It will be an unforgettable experience.
Originally published at https://backloggd.com.