When it released back in 2010, the original NieR – or NieR: Gestalt as it was known in Japan – gained something of a cult following among JRPG fans. It wasn’t that well-received by mainstream critics and was sometimes misinterpreted as a low-budget action-adventure game in the same vein as the God of War series.
Yet, for players that stuck with it, they found a game that told a deep and emotional story that hit home with many players. Furthermore, this was and still is a game that merged genres like bullet hell shooters, Resident Evil-style adventuring, and more. This was improved and polished to near perfection in the sequel NieR: Automata and helped the series reach a bigger audience. For many fans, Automata is their introduction to the series and now thanks to this remaster and the considerable changes they have many reasons to dive into NieR: Replicant.
10 Different Lead Character
The most obvious change from the original NieR: Gestalt is the change from the much larger “Father” Nier to the smaller “Brother” Nier. This was due to what the developers felt would appeal to Western audiences at the time.
With popular games like God of War topping the charts in the West, it was assumed that Western fans would prefer a more powerful-looking lead character. This was opposed to the more slender anime-inspired lead with Yonah’s brother. In terms of story and characterization very little has changed and it could be argued that the brother’s growth as a character made room for better character development.
9 The Visual Upgrade
In terms of the visuals, the original NieR looked like a low-budget RPG even by PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 standards. What they lacked in tech, however, they made up for in atmosphere and imagination.
Thanks to the remaster NieR: Replicant is a much better-looking game. The textures look fantastic, there are blades of grass and details in stone that aren’t present on the original. The environments no longer look like they have been made out of clay. In addition, the framerate runs at a silky smooth 60fps meaning that gamers will get a much more fluid and responsive experience.
8 New Voice Work
In terms of the actual dialogue, very little has changed in the NieR: Replicant remaster. However, the main cast returned to re-record many of their lines for some of the more stand-out moments in the game’s story.
As a result, the delivery of these lines is much better and the acting sounds more convincing. It’s also worth noting that many of the game’s NPC’s now have dialogue too. In the original version when players communicated with NPCs they would just be met with walls of dialogue. This is another fantastic addition to the remaster that improves the immersion in NieR’s world.
7 Additional Story Content
One of the most important aspects of the new NieR: Replicant remaster is the addition of brand new story content. This not only gives returning players a reason to come back beyond the already outstanding story but makes brand new connections to the fantastic sequel NieR: Automata.
As a result of the additional content that was cut from the original game, there are new story scenarios and a brand new boss fight. These aren’t just superficial tacked on fetch quests but emotional and deep stories with tragic backstories that are just as impactful as the original release.
6 The Combat
The combat system in NieR: Replicant has seen a significant upgrade too. In the original game, it felt rather clunky and outdated when compared to action-adventure games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.
That was one of the reasons why PlatinumGames were brought on board to create a better game on a mechanical level. The fighting system in this remaster has been reworked to feel more in line with Automata. Even though it doesn’t quite have the fluidity of the sequel it’s still a massive improvement with attacks feeling more responsive thanks to the upgraded framerate.
5 Auto Battle
There are some players that will just want to experience the layered and complex storyline of NieR: Replicant without getting dragged down by the less significant battles in the field. Thankfully, this remastered version caters to that audience too.
If players select the game’s “Easy” setting they will be able to turn on the Auto-Battle feature. This will allow the protagonist to tear through some of the more grinding encounters out on the field. Furthermore, this feature will come in handy when replaying the game to unlock the new story content and endings.
4 A Running Mechanic And A Lock On Feature
In addition to the combat system being far more responsive than ever before, NieR: Replicant has added new features that make movement and fighting easier than before. Players can now lock on to specific enemies and target areas on the boss's bodies if they want thanks to a brand new lock-on feature.
Furthermore, players can move around the battle and explore at a much quicker pace thanks to the new running mechanic. The protagonist can sprint after performing the dodge technique which helps him move around the battlefield in a manner that’s akin to 2B in NieR: Automata.
3 Additional Music Tracks
One of the key highlights of the original NieR was the incredible soundtrack composed by Keiichi Okabe. The game’s haunting score has lost none of its impact twelve years on and thanks to Okabe making a return to rework and expand on many of these tracks it’s now better than ever.
Not only does NieR: Replicant feature four brand new tracks but many of the originals have been remastered and expanded. Additionally, once players have completed the game’s Ending A they can change the soundtrack back to the original under the Sound Options.
2 Improved Character Models
The original NieR always had quite interesting-looking visuals and to some degree resemble those seen in Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Thanks to its art style the character models made the transition from the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One very easily.
However, the character models have definitely seen a visual upgrade and characters like Kaine are able to display more emotional range than ever before. It also compliments some of the updated voice work perfectly.
1 The New Ending
In addition to the new story content and boss battles, NieR: Replicant now includes a brand new “Ending E”. All the other endings remain unaffected by the changes in the game, and thanks to this addition it’s even more worthwhile than ever for returning players and fans that started with NieR: Automata.
To unlock the new Ending E, players need to have unlocked and completed all endings A, B, C, and D. They will then need to pick a new name from the previous playthroughs before starting on the new path.