NieR Replicant is a complicated game that jumps between incredible storytelling and repetitive gameplay. The world, characters, and combat in Replicant are all excellent, though I wish there were some extra differences in the various runs you have to do to make subsequent playthroughs a bit more exciting. Nonetheless, Replicant is a truly unique and overall enjoyable game.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
Developers: Square Enix and Toy Logic
Price: $60
Platforms: PS4(reviewed), Xbox One, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139, henceforth referred to as NieR Replicant, is a fascinating game. Like Automata and the original NieR that this remasters, Replicant features an engrossing story, unforgettable characters, and lots of weird, weird stuff. I can understand anyone who loves the series or hates it, but no one can deny that there’s nothing really like it. I have a couple of issues with Replicant myself, but overall, I think it’s one of the most memorable games ever.
The story of NieR Replicant is simple on the surface, and deceptively introspective once you delve into the different endings. Your character, who I’ll call Nier, is taking care of his sick sister, Yonah. She has a seemingly incurable disease called the “Black Scrawl,” and if that wasn’t enough, shadowy monsters known as Shades, are growing in number and ferocity. After saving Yonah from an ancient shrine, Nier meets the magical book called Grimoire Weiss, as well as the foul-mouthed loner Kainé and the wonderfully kind young Emil. Following various events and tragedies, the three of them work together to defeat the fearsome Shadowlord and his powerful Shades.
After beating the game for the first time, you can unlock different endings from subsequent playthroughs. On one playthrough, you’ll see additional cutscenes that help you understand what Shades are saying, while on another, you’ll get an extra boss fight towards the end with a difficult choice that follows it. I do wish there were some additional updates in each run, though I can acknowledge that playing the runs in close proximity to each other for review purposes likely made them feel more repetitive than they would be when playing through them.
Regardless, the story itself is brilliant overall. The characters all grow on you with each playthrough, and each ending inspires you to try to get the next one to better understand what’s happening in the world of Replicant. There are no fantasy worlds quite like it, so exploring every inch of its narrative feels unique and very fun. I can confidently say that Emil is one of my favorite JRPG characters purely because of this game, and I almost want to replay Automata to better understand his role now that I’ve played Replicant.
Unlike Automata, NieR Replicant isn’t developed by Platinum. Toy Logic stepped in to handle Replicant’s gameplay, and they did a fantastic job with it. For the first half of the game, you use one-handed weapons, which are fast and easy to combo with. As the game continues and you gain access to other weapons like two-handed swords and lances, you can mix up your combat to make things more exciting. The three combat styles are all completely different, meaning you’ll likely find one that you prefer and stick with it.
“All of the music does an excellent job of selling the mix of optimism and cruel hopelessness that Replicant so masterfully communicates, and I’m sure I’ll be listening to these songs quite a bit in the future.“
The 33 different weapons, combined with the Word Edit system that applies buffs and abilities to your weapons and magic, make combat feel quite customizable, much like Automata. The different magic attacks are a lot of fun to experiment with, as they each have vastly different effects that range from lines of spears that impale foes to a huge hand that wallops enemies across the battlefield. Between physical attacks and magic, there’s a lot to play around with to get your own playstyle down.
My one big issue with Replicant comes from its side-quests. A lot of the side-quests boil down to slaying a few animals in a different area or performing a fetch quest which, more often than not, requires you to run back and forth between two distant locations. Whether or not this is intentionally obtuse is certainly up for debate, but either way, it’s a real pain when you’re trying to earn money or weapons through questing. It’s a shame because the side-quests do an excellent job of filling out Replicant’s world with fun and often memorable characters– it’s just not fun to do a lot of these tasks.
NieR Replicant looks quite sharp, as one would hope from a remake/remaster of a seventh console generation game. The character models are more detailed and expressive, while the environments better convey the desolation of Replicant’s world. Each city feels distinct, and the size of the world map plus the neat landmarks means you’ll memorize the layout of things pretty quickly.
The music in Replicant is one of the game’s greatest strengths. I can immediately remember the majority of tracks from the game, as they’re incredibly memorable. There’s a melancholy quality to a lot of the songs, partially thanks to the fantastic vocal work of Emi Evans. Her singing is perfectly suited to the world of NieR, and it works in every single situation that it’s used in. All of the music does an excellent job of selling the mix of optimism and cruel hopelessness that Replicant so masterfully communicates, and I’m sure I’ll be listening to these songs quite a bit in the future.
The Final Word
NieR Replicant is a brilliant game despite its tedious sidequests. The characters and world of Replicant are instantly memorable and enjoyable to follow, while the music and environments suit the harsh story perfectly. I wish there were better side-quests and a bit more variation in playthroughs, but overall, I highly recommend NieR Replicant.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
