Today was the 10th Anniversary Special for the NieR series, and along with the event came some very exciting news for fans; for the first time ever, NieR Replicant will finally be released world wide in its remastered form titled NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139.
While details are still pretty limited, it has been confirmed that it is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and that this is an "enhanced" version with a rerecorded OST, and new voice acting as well.
But what is Replicant exactly? Well, to put it simply:
NieR Replicant is one of the two versions of the original NieR that was released exclusively in Japan. While NieR Gestalt was released in the West, it is a slightly different game than Replicant. The main differences between the two stem from who Nier actually is as a character.
In Gestalt, we saw an older Nier trying to help his daughter, who is suffering from a terminal illness sweeping the world. This Nier is rougher than most JRPG protagonists and was thought to be more appealing to Western audiences. Meanwhile, the NieR of Replicant is a young man taking care of his sister rather than his daughter, with various other minor differences appearing throughout the game.
While the story is largely the same, "Young Nier" is actually the character the series follows most closely; the majority of promotional material and short stories focus on him rather than the "Adult Nier" we received in the West. In a way, Replicant could be considered the "canon" version of the game, though even that isn't entirely accurate—this series is rarely that black and white. Regardless, it is wonderful that we will finally get to play this version of the game in the West, allowing fans of NieR: Automata to finally experience the original story... or rather, the true start of the NieR story arc.
So, for those of you who haven't followed NeiR or played Automata... What is NeiR? Well that's a difficult question to answer. | |
| (This amazing art comes from "Short Story Long") |
NieR is a follow-up series to the original Drakengard games that debuted during the PS2 era (with a sequel later released on the PS3). It is a massive franchise encompassing short stories, manga, and novels—a universe that continues to expand even today. NieR represents the next major chapter in this timeline, and like its predecessor, it has spun off a vast amount of supplemental content, including stage plays, lore books, and novellas.
It is a sprawling universe filled with the kinds of stories most developers would shy away from. The series isn't afraid to explore the darker side of the human condition or cover topics that some might consider taboo. It has a unique ability to take moments pulled from your deepest nightmares and transform them into touching, heartbreaking scenes. Each entry in the series continues to do the unexpected, and the original NieR was no different. In fact, one could argue that it and its supporting side content contain some of the best storytelling in the entire franchise. That is the essence of NieR. To say any more would ruin the experience; it is a series you need to witness firsthand to truly understand.
While NieR takes place many, many years before Automata, that doesn't mean Automata players won't recognize familiar elements. The world of Automata is literally built upon the ruins of the original NieR, and because of that, you will encounter several recognizable landmarks and themes. Furthermore, certain plot points in Automata will become much clearer once you have experienced this story, giving fans plenty to look forward to.
That being said, NeiR does take place many MANY years before Automata, but that doesn't mean Automata players won't recognize at least some things about it. Automata's world is actually built on top of the ruins of NeiR's world, and because of that you will still see some familiar things. Plot points in Automata will also become clearer when you come back to this one, so fans have that to look forward to as well.
For a glimpse at what is to come, check out the new teaser trailer:
On top of this a mobile game titled NieR Re[in]carnation was also announced, but not much is known about this other than the fact that it'll feature a young girl.
You can check out its trailer as well below:
In other NieR-related news, SINoALICE is finally coming to the West as well! This Yoko Taro title was originally set to launch last year with a NieR: Automata collaboration as its first event, but the project went silent for a time.
Fortunately, the US team finally confirmed last week that the game will launch this July instead. The game features Yoko Taro's signature dark style and stars characters based on classic fairy tales fighting for their lives, alongside guest characters from the NieR and Drakengard series.
For more information, check out the official webpage, and check out the Ownership Transfer Notice for details on SINoALICE's departure from Nexon.