NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… what a title, but don’t worry, I will not be writing it out in its entirety again, it is too much of a mouthful. Developed by Toylogic and Published by Square Enix, this new version of the classic NieR Replicant revamps and remakes the original. It follows closely to the original with a few changes here and there, however it uses the main character from the Japanese version of the same name. The Western version, NieR Gestalt, used an older male with a daughter as the protagonist instead of the younger teenage boy with a sister we get in this new version and the first NieR Replicant.

The story behind this game is extraordinary; slow to start but well worth the grind to get there. It begins in a modern-looking time in what looks to be a ruined city. The protagonist wakes to the sound of your sister around the other side of the aisle of a dilapidated shopping market, checking on her you learn that she has been affected by a sickness that has fallen on to the world (this disease has something to do with one of the endings of Drakenguard). Leaving to find food for your sister, you are immediately attacked by Shades, it is hard to describe exactly what they are, but they do look humanoid to a point. After a lengthy fight where you call on the power of a book that gives you magic abilities associated to some sort of blood magic as the book absorbs the essence from the Shades. You return to your sister as she collapses in a coughing fit and the scene fades to black.

Over a thousand years later, you awaken again in a small house where you look to be the same age as well as your still sick sister downstairs. As soon as you emerge from your house, you are greeted by an even more post-apocalyptic world. Here you start your journey to discover a cure for your sister’s sickness. I will not go into the story too much as it is a story you need to uncover yourself. Even though the first eight to ten hours of the game is a little slow going, please bear with it, I promise it is worth it. Within that time, you will meet your three other companions, Grimoire Weiss, Kainé, and Emil.

Weiss or Book as he does not like being called is a floating Grimoire that has a promise ‘I am the greatest in the world and everyone is beneath me’ attitude, with the original voice actor reprising the role. Grimoire Weiss grants your character magic abilities like those from the start of the game. I have heard that some people compare him to a David Attenborough sound, however, he is still one of my favourite characters in the game.

Kainé was also voiced by the original voice actor and another star in the show. She is a Shade possessed, underwear wearing, foulmouthed, sword-wielding badass. You will get to learn more about her and even the fact that she is intersex. Her story is rough and makes her even more of a favourite character in the story.

Emil is a young boy with the power to turn anyone he looks at to stone. Later, he undergoes a transformation giving him control over his eyes and magic, allowing him to undo the petrification. However, he turns into a floating skeleton with a large head, he makes an appearance in NieR Automata as well.

The combat is in most regards the same as the previous NieR games just with a little cleaning up, allowing for a greater battle flow and combo efficiency as well as allowing the use of your magic abilities while fighting, dodging, and guarding. This makes the combat easy and does not offer a lot of challenges when it comes to enemies. Now it would be a letdown if not for the fact that it would make the game more arduous and slower than it already is. It creates a balance I think is needed to make this game work; its simple controls make for straightforward fights.

What it lacks in combat difficulty, it makes up in its various game styles used in the original. These include platform jumper-like areas and bird’s eye view combat to bullet hell-type shooter stages. The weapon upgrade system is a little gritty but not overly hard. The hardest part is getting around with no fast travel option; the running back and forth between places can be a bit much. Unlike other post-apocalyptic games that are overgrown and full of new life, good or bad, this world feels more desolate. This leads me to the graphics and sound which I still do not know how I should feel about.

Yes, it does look a lot better with the colours, shading, and characters, hell, it even runs at 60FPS now. But the textures of the environment are not overly impressive. In a way, it feels like it was made for the PS3 still but bordering on early PS4 levels. Then it hit me why I was not disappointed at all by it. The styling reminded me so much of Drakenguard. It almost seemed like a subtle nod to the previous game and the source that led to NieR being created, I do not know if that is the case, but it is how I felt and made the lack of texture, not bother me at all.

But by far besides the story, the voices and music in this game are the winners for me. The music is hypnotic with its folky Gaelic or Celtic instrumentals and singing as you casually roam through towns and landscapes, to its operatic hymn-like songs playing in the battles. It was transportive, just sucking me in and washing away all that was going on around me. It was hours sometimes between me looking away from the screen. The dialogue; every single NPC has a voice, and all seem different which made the world more believable and gave it life, very impressive. What stole the show though and made me happy were the returning Liam O’Brien and Laura Bailey. As some of you know I hard fan-girl over these talented people along with the rest of the Critical Role cast, so hearing them again in this was a real delight. There are not a lot of other voice actors I can think of that could do Weiss and Kainé justice like these two.

Now, if you have not played any of the Drakenguard or NieR games you need to complete the game multiple times, for this one, it’s the big three to unlock all endings depending on your choices during that third time around maybe even four or six times. Sounds daunting, I know but once you get through the slow start of your first playthrough though it becomes more engaging and as the story unfolds you will just get lost in it.

This is a solid game with only minor flaws that are easily pushed past, that both fans of the old and the newly introduced will enjoy. Fingers crossed for a Drakenguard remake now.

Written by: Adam Brasher