NieR Reincarnation is the latest entry in the popular NieR franchise. Series fans will likely be drawn to this free-to-play mobile game in the hopes of experiencing another strange and poignant story from the mind of Yoko Taro. The NieR series is also renowned for its beloved characters, and NieR Reincarnation places further priority on its characters by virtue of being a gacha game. Putting aside gacha elements, gamers who are just in it for the story will likely wonder how long it takes to beat NieR Reincarnation.
It should be said that NieR Reincarnation is a live-service game. What this means for NieR fans is that the game will continue to add story content over time. Games that are free to play typically make money through microtransactions and advertisements, so gamers can expect that content will continue to be released for NieR Reincarnation for as long as a healthy fanbase continues to play the game.
How Long Is NieR Reincarnation
At the time of release, the main story of NieR Reincarnation consists of nine chapters. Players who focus only on the main story and take their time enjoying cutscenes and voiced dialogue can expect to make it through all nine chapters in less than seven hours. That time could be higher for gamers that ignore some things to know before starting NieR Reincarnation, such as making sure to play quests on the appropriate difficulty.
Fans can anticipate more chapters to be released over time, periodically increasing the length of the main story by 30-60 minutes at a time.
There is much more to a mobile gacha game than its main story, however. Hardcore players can spend countless hours grinding for upgrade materials to make their characters stronger, as well as currency that can be exchanged for a chance at obtaining new playable characters.
Players can also expect limited-time events to crop up in the game. These events typically add side stories and new characters that are only available during the event's duration. For example, a special event available at the launch of NieR Reincarnation features a storyline based on NieR Automata and gives players a chance to get 2B in NieR Reincarnation, as well as other memorable characters from the previous NieR game.
Another unique feature of NieR Reincarnation is its Character Quests. Aside from old favorites like 2B and 9S, NieR Reincarnation introduces a cast of brand new characters. Character Quests are separate from the Main Story, and they serve to expand the background of new characters. Players can put a lot of playtime into unlocking quests for their favorite characters and enjoying the additional narratives.
While fans of the series may enjoy the impactful multiple endings in NieR games, it will be a long time until they can experience the same feeling with NieR Reincarnation. The new mobile game may have a very short playtime for its main story at launch but the story will continue to unfold for months, and possibly years, to come.
NieR Reincarnation is available now for Android and iOS.