After the success of NieR Automata released in 2017, which has the merit of having highlighted the franchise, the latter is back with the remake of the first opus: NieR Replicant. For the record, Japan was entitled to two versions of the original game with Replicant, the basis of this remake and NieR Gestalt, released eleven years ago in Europe and the USA. Unlike the version published in Western countries, Replicant tells the story of a brother and his sister and not that of a father and his daughter. The opportunity for us Europeans to give us a first opinion on this version which has long remained the preserve of the land of the rising sun.
Wakeup call
NieR Replicant ver.1.22 depicts a post-apocalyptic future where technology has lost all rights. The plot takes place 1300 years after our era, humanity lives in a rudimentary way, in an era with a medieval appearance. The latter struggles to face the pangs and evils of the world in which she is wasting away, namely: a strange disease and Shadows, vile creatures who sow chaos by approaching the last shelters of humanity. You play as a young man who cares deeply for his little sister Yonah, suffering from an incurable disease, your leitmotif will be to find a remedy in order to save her. In her quest, terrible Shadows will stand in your way, but our hero will be supported by three atypical characters including the bombastic Grimoire Weiss, Kainé, a formidable warrior with crude language, who does not hesitate to break the clichés of the silly and tearful heroine and finally, the young and innocent Emile. Small aside, although the family bond differs between Yonah and our main character, the influence on the scenario is only minimal, in fact, this version is distinguished only by some dialogues and details in certain cutscenes. If you’ve been to the Gestalt version, don’t expect a totally different experience.. You will understand, NieR Replicant is a dark and poignant story with dialogues as well offbeat as deep where the theme of death is omnipresent both in the main quest and in many side quests.
Why 1.22474487139?
For the little anecdote, know that the title was baptized NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 … because this figure is the square root of 1.5 and for Yoko Taro this number was a way of expressing the fact that the title is neither a Remaster, nor a Remake but a “higher version” and we can only agree with it. While the plastic of the original title could leave something to be desired for its time, this “superior version”, far from transcending us, does not leave us unsatisfied. Toylogic didn’t just tweak the initial game, but started from scratch with visual assets. This new version pays homage and captivates the original material, from textures to light, the macabre universe of this NieR has never been so pleasant to navigate. From the desolate village of Air to the Mountain of Robots, the rubble of an extinct civilization accentuates the feeling of loneliness and increases the oppressive aspect of the world in which we operate. The app offers sumptuous decors enriched by the mastery of a play of light and a convincing level of detail. Upstream of the sets, the refined aesthetics of the characters as well as the care given to the animations make them more expressive and charismatic than they were before. In addition, the iconic pieces of Keiichi Okabe have been re-orchestrated for NieR Replicant ver.1.22 and the software is fully dubbed in both Japanese and English which reinforces the immersion while sublimating the artistic work carried out by the Toylogic teams..
On the gameplay side, what is it?
Although the atmosphere has a place of choice in NieR Replicant ver.1.22, contemplation is not the primary goal of the software. While the original game relied above all on the dynamism and staging of its fights, it was unfortunate to see a technique hampering the intensity of the latter. By freeing from aliasing and recurring drops in FPS, the title gains in fluidity and ergonomics. Fine-tuned battle animations, better-managed camera positions, and sleek special effects help make us feel the impact of every hit, and boss fights are all the more enjoyable..
As a reminder, NieR Replicant ver.1.22 offers an action-oriented combat system at the crossroads of a Hack’n’Slash and a Beat’em all. You have two keys dedicated to the attack, another to break the guard of the enemy, two triggers to dodge, parry blows and the other two to trigger magic skills. In addition, the actions assigned to the triggers are customizable. Some combinations allow you to perform special techniques and it is a good idea to vary your gameplay according to your opponents, each piece of equipment offering its own skills, ranging from devastating heavy weapons to light weapons favoring impressive and formidable combos. These can be improved by means of a blacksmith and materials to be found around the world. As a bonus of weapons galore, the software provides you with spells that you will unlock during your journey in order to defeat your opponents. Spears that come out of the ground to the fire of projectiles, as much to say that you will have something to diversify your style of play and those who knew the series by the means of NieR Automata or the original title will not be disoriented.. Note that if you want to revel in the story, this version introduces an automatic mode where the character performs offensive and defensive actions for you.
As for the interface, if you have played NieR first of the name, it will not be foreign to you, as well for the menus as for the ATH, something that we would have appreciated to see modified in particular for the change of weapons which would have benefited from being inspired by that of NieR Automata with a tab system at the bottom left of the screen which favored a certain immersion.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… – 9 minutes de Gameplay
Our impressions
Nier Replicant ver.1.22 seems to be keeping its promises and it’s nice to find familiar faces under the aegis of a successful graphic facelift. Despite some technical issues such as display bugs and a sometimes capricious camera which will undoubtedly be corrected with a Day One patch, one month after its release, the title seems promising. We can’t wait to see the final result of this “superior version” which promises to be an enriched experience that will appeal to fans of the first hour as well as newcomers.