Spoilers have been kept to a minimum and focus on elements presented in the first 2 hours of the game!


"NieR is like an ugly puppy... It's full of flaws and sometimes you just can't bear to look at it, but there's a certain charm about it that you just can't let go of."

Those are the words of Yoko Taro, the director of NieR Gestalt/Replicant, an action RPG developed by Cavia and released in 2010. It may seem weird to have a game director talking down his own game in this manner, but weird is Yoko Taro's motto.

NieR didn't sell well (around 134 000 copies sold in the year following its release), and received mixed reviews, which lead to Cavia's closure shortly after. The game was criticized for its outdated graphics, poorly executed gameplay mechanics, and repetitive side quests. Despite this grim fate, Yoko Taro left a strong impression on his small but very passionate fanbase. The quality of his stories, the depth of his characters, both conveying a remarkable range of emotions; this is Yoko Taro’s signature. His qualities are what led Yosuke Saito, executive producer at Square Enix, to believe that Yoko Taro could produce a well-renowned title if given the right team and budget.

This is exactly what happened in 2017, when its loosely connected sequel NieR:Automata was released. Known for their excellent action games, the devloppers at PlatinumGames are joined by Akihiko Yoshida (character designer) and Keiichi Okabe (lead composer) to form the dream team this franchise needed. When it launched, Automata was met with universal praise, numerous awards, and excellent sale figures. As of February 2021, the game has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide.

The NieR series is now more mainstream than ever, with new fans eager to discover Yoko Taro’s earlier works, and learn about the origin story of this world that he created.

It is within this context that a “version upgrade” of the original NieR was announced: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… developed by Toylogic. It is called a “version upgrade” because it is more than a remaster, but it wouldn’t qualify as a full-fledged remake either (especially after Square Enix recently released FINAL FANTASY VII Remake).



So for newcomers, what’s the plot of NieR Replicant? It’s the story of two young souls, a brother (Nier) and sister (Yonah), living on their own in a medieval-looking village. Nier takes on all kinds of mundane jobs, some of them bringing him outside the safety of his village, leading him to fight monsters called Shades. One day however, Yonah contracts the Black Scrawl, a terminal disease which causes heavy coughing and strange black runes to appear on one’s body.

While looking for a cure, Nier runs into Grimoire Weiss, a legendary floating and talkative book. He also learns about the existence of Grimoire Noir. Weiss and Noir are like the Yin Yang; one brought calamity upon the world, while the other is said to be the savior of humanity. To do that, Nier must help Weiss find the Sealed Verses which it will use to vanquish Noir. Set on a long journey across the country, Nier travels to new cities, learn about their culture and traditions, and even finds companions charmed by his unshakable determination.



I can’t really go into too much detail about this subject without revealing too much, but the physical release for the original game had this mention that encapsulates it perfectly: “Nothing is as it seems…”

The beginning of the game sells it as a very generic RPG, with a virtuous white book and an evil black book. You fight black monsters, collect a set amount of magical artifacts and—hopefully by the end—save the world through the power of friendship. This gives avid players of RPGs a false sense of security that will be swept away by the numerous twists and turns of the storyline.

And it’s not just the narrative that changes in surprising ways: similarly to NieR:Automata, Replicant enjoy altering pre-established mechanics, changing perspectives, and even switching genre.



Keiichi Okabe has been the lead composer for all of Yoko Taro works (except Drakengard 1), and his music as always been highly praised by players and critics alike. For this new version of NieR, the entire OST has been re-recorded with a more orchestral direction. This change has raised some concerns within the old fanbase—me included. Fortunately, it all went away after playing the first few hours. Nier’s village’s theme is still just as soothing, you still get this feeling of adventure when roaming through the Northern Plains, and Façade’s theme still give you a sense of wonder.

This new version even fixes the only complaint I had about the original OST: although the music was beautifully composed, the loops that were created for the game were often too short and quickly became repetitive, even irritating. This is mostly fixed with this version of the game by extending the original composition (adding new sections), but also by reiterating the same section in a different way (i.e., without the vocals, or adding/removing layers of instruments).



One of the most obvious “upgrades” about this new version of Replicant is the graphics. Beyond the improved resolution and framerate, the textures and amount of assets displayed on screen also skyrocketed. It makes it all the more noticeable how the original world was bleak, empty, almost artificial looking. Other aspects such as characters’ models and the lighting have also been updated, which leads to truly breathtaking scenes. Overall, I think the visuals are great, exceeding my expectations and making it all the easier to immerse yourself within the narrative.

The combat system was also one of the common complaints about the original game. I’m happy to report that it has been greatly improved. It feels much closer to NieR:Automata—which was one Toylogic’s goals—and I think it works well. We are now able to use magic attacks in parallel of physical attacks, and while still being able to dodge and jump. Movements are quick, combos feel dynamic, and the dodge was also given an interesting behavior where the protagonist “sneaks” behind the enemy. Parry has also been added and promotes good timing and the player full attention. Overall, the combat is still rather repetitive but the added depth helps alleviate this effect.

For the old fans, a substantial amount of brand-new content has been added, including the adaptation of three of the novellas that was exclusively released in the book “GRIMOIRE NieR”. There are also a few new scenes throughout the game which was a pleasant surprise. The DLC “The World of Recycled Vessel” is also included for free in this new version. A “secret” ending has been added, which requires great effort to reach, but ultimately, rewards the player with a wonderful finale.

Overall, this “version upgrade” is highly respectful of the original material: it doesn’t unnecessarily change things, it expands some of the mechanics and adds new content that fits very well with the base game. The combat is much more pleasant and the graphics are excellent. The animations and cutscenes have been recreated almost perfectly, and the environments have been filled with detail and feel much more alive. Thanks to all of the above, I can safely say that the original NieR has been superseded by ver.1.22… and newcomers can confidently start experiencing NieR for the first time with the new version.