It's hard to go into detail about what makes Nier Replicant so captivating
without completely ruining everything for those who have yet to experience it.
Yet it is without a doubt a remarkable game,
one that certainly has plenty of flaws and idiosyncrasies,
but these do little to diminish the emotional and creative force the game ultimately brings.
The remaster allows these qualities to shine much brighter than before,
providing not only a level of polish that makes it easier to appreciate as a whole,
but also adding a surprising number of new scenes
that make its broader themes resonate even more strongly.
If there's one thing to know upfront, it’s that Nier is misleading.
The beginning of the game is comparatively mundane for the most part.
You kill sheep to gather meat,
learn about what appears to be the most generic villain ever, the Shadowlord,
and get a basic grip on combat.
Nier seems so similar to any other typical RPG,
but just as you're about to get lulled into a false sense of security,
it slowly and masterfully starts to unravel.
Of course, it does this in obvious ways, such as with plot-heavy cutscenes,
but it's often the small, unexpected details that really sell the peculiar tone.
A loading screen which usually shows heartfelt diary entries
written by your sister Yonah
may randomly display a cold, confusing military report.
You'll travel to a village known as The Aerie,
and rather than it being warm and unassuming like your hometown,
the residents are locked up in their dingy cliffside dwellings.
They're full of fear and hatred.
There's a consistent and lingering sense of unease that digs in, propelling you forward
and sparking constant curiosity.
The best part is that the questions it evokes
are amply fulfilled with gigantic payoffs.
The music, which has been re-recorded for this version,
also reinforces the conflicting atmosphere of calm and unrest.
During countless instances, it adds so much to any particular environment.
In your village, the carefully plucked acoustic melody comfortably wraps around you,
making it truly feel like home.
If you approach a woman named Devola who is singing at the fountain,
a vocal track seamlessly blends into the song.
As you ascend a beautiful sunlit shrine,
the chanting vocals reinforce the beauty but also feel unnervingly ominous.
It's difficult to overstate how much the music adds overall.
The soundtrack is so stunning and masterfully crafted
that it’s an essential part of the game's charm,
propping up the other positive aspects.
At its core, Nier is an action-driven RPG where you hack away at enemies with a variety of weapons
and wallop them with numerous spells.
While there is undoubtedly a simplicity to the combat, it’s nonetheless immensely satisfying,
feeling so much smoother and tighter than the original game.
Comboing physical strikes into magic or swiftly darting behind an enemy immediately after an attack
retains a base appeal throughout the game's duration.
Part of that appeal comes from the fantastic animations
as you flip in the air, perform a quick flurry of kicks,
or crudely and violently chop away like a psychopath for a finishing attack.
There’s also a fair bit of freedom with combat as well.
You can assign spells in any way you want
and even remove basic actions like evading or defending
in favor of something else if you see fit.
There are words—yes, this is what they're called— that will sometimes drop from enemies,
allowing you to modify the properties of individual weapons, spells, and martial arts.
Along with the customization, the over-the-top boss fights are a sight to behold.
They come with their own mechanics and feel quite dramatic as a result,
often accompanied by plenty of entertaining banter.
The standard combat is far from the only type of gameplay in Nier and it's here
where dancing around the specifics is vital
to preserve some of the more bizarre moments.
Nier has no issue completely switching things up or pulling the rug out from under the player.
Sometimes it's as simple as changing the camera angle
or it can be as crazy as basically switching genres for a notable period of time.
These moments are jarring, but intentionally so.
The story of Nier is certainly "out there" and there is a lot to digest.
Yet by constantly changing the method through which the story is being told,
the absurdity becomes more palatable.
It uses a variety of tools, and even the act of being a game,
to give its message weight and nuance.
Speaking of nuance, the characters in particular are brimming with it.
In fact, you could go into great detail about many of them,
be it the tragic, awkward, yet somehow unbelievably kind Emil,
or even the grounded journey of maturity for the main character.
There is no better character than Kaine, though.
Not only is her story powerful
but it's brought to life by an absolutely incredible performance from Laura Bailey.
Kaine encapsulates the heart of what Nier is about so well.
Tackling universal issues such as how easy it is to judge someone
or demonize them for being different,
how traumatic experiences shape behavior, and how fear is often at the core of hatred.
Nier treats its characters with tremendous empathy,
allowing them to go through failure and loss,
using those experiences to make them even more relatable.
Nier Replicant takes great advantage of the fact that it's an updated version of a game from 2010.
Not only does it look, perform, and control much better than the original release,
some of the additional content adds so much overall.
There's a new section that ends up being one of the most touching in the entire game
and a new ending that feels like it broadens the original in a spectacular way,
honoring what came before while also challenging it.
For as great as Nier is, it takes tremendous perseverance to fully appreciate.
Accessing all of the endings is unintuitive to say the least, not to mention tiresome,
requiring the collection of 33 weapons and repeating a lot of the same content.
Many of the side quests can be dull affairs,
and although there are definitely ones that have worthwhile stories,
the act of actually doing them often means the same sort of monotonous fetch quests again and again.
Yet even Nier at its absolute worst can ultimately feel like it has a broader purpose.
It's impossible to go into explicit detail without ruining the game, but
all of the toil makes a crucial decision even more impactful.
And there is really no better way to describe what Nier is.
It can be frustrating and confusing,
but it harnesses those emotions to pull you in even deeper and create something singular.
The game dares to think outside the constraints of traditional video game storytelling
and the effort is worth it.
An abundance of patience is required for Nier, and many will understandably be uninterested
in making that commitment.
But if you do, know that you are in for a genuine classic.
It is a wild game that seems thrilled at the very notion of being provocative.
It isn't shallow shock value, but rather something that tries to reach out, grab you,
and give you an experience you can't easily get in many other places.
Replicant is a second chance for the original Nier, and one it unquestionably deserves.
Final score: 9 out of 10.
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