This is hands down my game of the year. Even though I beat the game a couple of weeks ago I still think about it daily and I can't see that stopping anytime soon.
Moreover I think the games show us questions we can apply in our daily lives, like seeing other people’s perspectives and that empathy isn’t a sign of weakness. Lots to think about beyond the game
Legitimately the best reviewer I've come across, you always articulate well and speak with great honesty and your research done. Ended up buying Sakura Wars based off your review of it, I always look here for opinions on new things. Keep it up!
Thank you so much! I don’t pick many games to review, but when I do, it’s usually ones that I feel quite strongly about! Glad to hear you picked up Sakura Wars!
You do an amazing job of explaining games without actually directly on the story inside them. A lot of reviewers do "no spoiler" reviews that... well.. contain spoilers. So thank you for doing such a great job. It can't be easy to do.
I was looking forward to your thoughts on this one. It can't be understated how revolutionary Platinum getting to work on automata was for the Yoko Taro experience. As his games were previously otherwise amazing experiences often chained down by cumbersome gameplay and bugs. Glad to see a better version of Nier fullfil its potential. BTW I really appreciate the extra work you put towards presenting a quality video that does the subject matter justice.
You’re very welcome! I figured I want my reviews to not just be my perspective on games, but also a way to convey more info about them that’ll allow fans to love their games even more!
Despite the majority of the side quests being fetch quests it makes up for the monotony in that they are now all fully voiced making for a more enjoyable experience. The game is aware of the repetitious nature of the quests with a fourth wall breaking Weiss dialogue.
I'm not one to do all the side quests in a game, but when I did so in NieR: Replicant, I was doing it sporadically, while completing certain quests to fulfill requirements to unlock other endings. I can definitely see how there can be tedium when trying to finish as many of them as possible though!
NieR is something I've taken far to long to engage with despite being well aware of the games since they were new. I took far too many reviews that focused on the "mediocre" gameplay of the original 2010 release at face value, and sadly had many of the big twists spoiled for me in reviews that has no indication spoilers would be present, so I figured I could skip the game... and I truly wish I hadn't. I recently picked up Automata in the recent Xbox Golden Week sale, but I really want to play Replicant first. I also want to right my wrong and, after playing Replicant, I really want to pick up NieR (2010) and Drakengard 3. Even if both are imperfect in a gameplay sense, Taro's games are so much more than the sum of thier parts, I wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize
I got NieR gestalt (which is the version of 2010 we got), I believe after Automata's announcement, and honestly the gameplay isn't even that bad. It's still completely enjoyable. Of course, Automata was a huge improvement, but i mean, it was developed by Platinum and has their combat mechanics.
I was waiting for this review!! Agood remaster/remake/retelling of the story! It's still something unique even with the knowledge gained thanks to Automata on what transpired after this game, it is still a good surprise! :D
Alex, i truly love your reviews and i admire that you do an extra leg work. For starters, i sometimes think that your writing it's close to an essay, and as an academic myself, i just love that. But, i also admire that you do research for whatever insights of the game you think we can need (composer, writing, director, etc). Keep the awesome job. I got Nier last week cos your review really sold it to me 😂 hope to play once i'm done with XenobladeC 3
The review is ouuut💖💖 the game looks so beautiful and smooth. I have never played Nier before but maybe when it is later on sale I will since the backlog is already a disaster at this point! Thank you for the review I Love it 💜
Thanks for watching! If you do pick it up, I promise that it’ll be a very different experience when compared to a lot of games you’ve played! It might even be life changing!
not yet, i too am fighting a @@BacklogBattle as it were :-P i did play a couple indy games that turned out really cool, though. haven, and rainbow skies.
also i burned out of gaming a bit and went back to anime for a bit to recover. also have an ANIME backlog. and just like my damn game backlog, every time i finish one, i buy two. so now i'm worse off than before! but his and her circumstances, and maquia, were beautiful anyways :-P
As much as I love the game's storytelling, characters and soundtrack, I can't help but loath at the game's side quests and how to access the different endings of the game. I have mixed feelings while playing this game, which can be split into very enjoyable or very tedious but despite the times where I asked myself why I did this side quest or question some game mechanics, I had a blast playing it and as you have already said in the review, the game is an unique experience you won't find any time soon. Yoko Taro is a master of unusual storytelling and Replicant and Automata have proved that to me. Both games are one of the most influential and probably one of the deepest games I have ever experienced and while this game is far from a masterpiece, the storytelling and everything around that is in my eyes.
I agree for the most part! I will say that one of the saving graces of the side-quests was allowing for more enjoyable interactions between the party members. It really helped their bond feel stronger, especially since some could argue that the main story doesn't allow much room for them being accustomed/friendly to one another.
I definitely agree with you on the side quests, especially since they’re the most reliable way to get money outside of fishing and farming. But I do think Stef is right too in that that’s where the game shoved all of the extra character development in the game, which really helps flesh out the rest of the party!
Awesome review you've really improved! Got into automata & have been loving it. I'm taking my sweet time playing that but I am absolutely picking replicant up once I'm done. I've been watching the Drakengard cutscene movie on RUclips which is somehow all connected to the nier world. Now that's a very strange series Yoko taro created lol
Don't forget all the other things to like the short stories, plays, ect. where a lot of connections really lay also lol. Taro really makes us fans go all in with the media franchise.
I don't think anything coming out this year will have the same emotional resonance as Nier Replicant, it's one of the hardest hitting games I've ever played.
For people who have played this game how is the difficulty? I usually play on hard but in this difficulty are the enemies just bullet sponges and you have to hit a them like 20 times?
Fucking beautiful game. Emotionally compelling doesn't even come close. I played the original but Jesus Christ I love this game, bro nier all day everyday, this is the definitive edition for me. And the ending...fuck man....i think that topped Automata...just in a different way. Thx for the review man. I'll scream the rooftops till the day I die if someone's looking for a great story, adventure narrative driven game. This game, along with Nier Automata, is the gold standard. Its not even close. (Tho 13 Sentinels was a hella good, interesting ride, give that shit a shout out for no reason whatsoever, it just popped in my head thinking of narratives)
I reached a point in the story when I was playing last night where my game, for the first time ever in over 30 hours, decided to glitch on me. Looking back, I’m actually glad the glitch happened because of what it allowed me to experience. To try to avoid spoilers, it was at the moment where our main character, Kaine, and Emil were told by Devola and Popola that the villagers didn’t want them to stay there any longer, as well as the fight and cutscenes preceding that, that my game froze with a single line of English dialogue while the Japanese voiceover played on behind it. Annoyed and a little frustrated that I was missing out on whatever was being said, I closed and reopened my game, switching to English voices in case it decided to bug out again. Up until that moment, I’d been playing exclusively with the Japanese audio, so I didn’t know what to expect with the English actors, but WOW. The English dub is SO good! Especially after hearing Kaine’s voice in both versions now, I’m really glad the English actors, specifically Laura Bailey, came back for the remake. I feel like her voice in particular matches extremely well what the Japanese actress did with the character, and she continues to impress me with her range. Also, while I’ve played just a few hours of Automata and the first two parts of the Yorha: Dark Apocalypse raid in FF14, this game is largely my first real experience with this series, so I’m really looking forward to moving on to Nier Automata after this. I really want to play Drakengard 1 and 3 after that, too (I hear that Yoko Taro didn’t have much to do with Drakengard 2 and a lot of fans say to ignore it), but I’m concerned because I hear the gameplay in those games isn’t great. This remake of Nier Replicant makes me hope that the team goes back and revisits the earlier games in the series to bring those to newer fans like myself.
You are correct in thinking that about the Drakengard games. The hope is that if Nier Replicant sells enough that Yoko Taro would remaster those games too, but we shall see! He’s got a few more stories to tell too, I’d imagine
I actually like that they changed the protagonist from a dad to a brother. Not a fan of the dad’s design. Still need to finish Automata but haven’t really had the urge to go back and play it. Also this game’s title is crazy! Just imagine how many more numbers they’re gonna add to the end after some patches come out lol.
Nier Automata has made me a fan of the series as well a fan of Yoko Taro. That said it seems like alot of reviews feels mixed. Alot enjoy it but they say its repetitive. I like that you went more into detail compared to other reviewers. Is it worth the full price or should I wait for sale?(dont mind if its worth it)
Most people will tell you that after the intro, the first several hours of the game will feel really slow. This is my first time playing a game in this series, and in my experience, while they can be considered “slow” compared to what comes before and afterward, it was still a lot of fun and I still enjoyed my time getting to know the world and characters while looking forward to whatever came next in the story. I’m now 32+ hours into it and I’ve been absolutely LOVING this game so far, even while doing every side quest I’ve come across (which I don’t actually recommend doing unless you want to go for 100% completion or just want to experience every bit of story in the game lol. There are some quests I would recommend you do, but I would say just use something like rpgsite.net’s side quest guide to see what they recommend doing, like I have.)
Wow I had no idea the protag in Nier replicant was different, I'm so new to this series but I loved Automata, which released in such a difficult year of games, so many people slept on it but love that it is becoming more and more popular. Great review keep up the great work.
Excellent review, as always! I've never picked up Nier Automata, despite the praise it received and its apparently amazing story. The combat seems too frenetic, and I know the bullet hell sections would do me in. How does Replicant compare on that front? How difficult is the combat?
The bullet hell sections aren't as bad as you might think, and there's an easy difficulty that you can select to ease up on some of the game's mechanics should you wish. This applies to both games. That said in Replicant, you can slash the bullets with your weapons, so you're not just limited to using your own bullets to counter these. As far as actual combat difficulty, it's not that bad at all and I'd say it's easier than most character action games out there. Glad you enjoyed the review by the way!
To add onto what Alex said about the difficulty, I’m not generally great at games in general, especially action games. I often play games on the easiest difficulty. Despite this, I’ve been playing Replicant on normal, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I’m finding the difficulty. I actually haven’t died on a single boss in the game yet. In fact, the only times I’ve died was the two occasions fairly early in the game that I decided to go after this particularly large enemy that semi-randomly shows up south of the main village, where I was promptly one-shotted lol.
Thanks for the review. I missed the original game when it came out (joystiq's review turned me off of it lol). I wish they had kept the original protagonist. I will definitely be picking this up!
Backlog Battle The game's story does indeed work better with the younger protagonist but I want to take a moment to appreciate Jamieson Price's performance as Father Nier in the 2010 Gestalt version, he did an amazing job! It was especially funny hearing him and Liam O' Brien (Weiss) bicker at eachother hahah.
I still liked the combat mechanics in Nier Automata more. Also missing 2B as the protagonist. But Nier Replicant is prettier though in terms of character details and world design. Imho.
I love Automata’s combat, most certainly. As far as favorite protagonist, I’d certainly agree with 2B. But Kaine and Emil won me over, especially with their backstories. Such tragic characters
I really fail to see how replicant is prettier in either of those. Automata has vastly more nuanced world design that makes for nicer landscapes, and automatas characters being better artistically designed is a no brainer just based on which characters are visually popularized. Like who in their right mind would claim kaine is better designed than 2B. Brother NieR doesn't stand out at all either since he wears grey. And grey Is legitimately the dullest hue for the human eye to observe. Emil is just iconic no matter what tho.
I love this game and my entire experience with it. I'm glad to see your review on it. This game will probably be my game of the year because nothing makes me feel like Nier. Plus the music is soooo good. Hearing a song from the game has the same feeling of when I was playing the story.
The reorchestrations are excellent! The music really ties the themes of all the Nier games together, even the Nier raid in FFXIV! Now I know why many call Nier their favorite between the two games!
In the abstract, I would argue that needing the visual design of main character to be tightly coupled with theme of vulnerability and fatalism is a sign of poor writing. The idea of the physically strong male hero as infallible is a naive and culturally propagated trope, but that stigma/perception could be used in a nuanced way in the context of vulnerability, fatalism, and fatherhood.
Well said. I definitely agree that the protagonist’s appearance isn’t inherently tied to how the story shapes the fundamental qualities of the character, but I suspect that the well had been poisoned, so to speak, by the suggestion that the character needed to be altered to appease a different audience. I’m reminded of how Kratos was portrayed in the new God of War as an example of what you described.
Where do I even begin with this monster? 1st off trying to pre order this game before it came out was a huge pain in the neck but thankfully I was able to get it on my birthday the exact same day it came out. I've played through it a good amount of times and having never played the 1st neir or Automata, I was a bit skeptical in the beginning considering that I only briefly heard about the 1st one and saw my friend go through the process to get all of the endings while Automata none of my friends played but I did hear things(and Sexy 2B fan art lol). As it stands when I did finally play it I was very impressed with the fact that despite it being a remastered or a re release or a re imagining I was having too much fun with the combat and actually enjoying the story a lot despite never playing the original and even with some of the darker themes thrown in. Seriously in one of the quest I thought it was gonna end on a happy note but then the game is like no we end on a pretty sad 1 but the thing is it sticks with you. Not to mention the voice acting is still just as good as it was in the original and the new blood they got on display here are pretty good voice actors especially Zach and Ray who I have heard roles from them before and thank god Zach got to use his voice more often vs. The whole Byleth can't talk thing. I didn't even know that they got all of the VAs back to reprise their roles because I thought originally they just took the audio from the original scaled it and then boom but no they went the extra mile to get all the voice actors back to reprise their roles including Laura Bailey which made me happy because of a certain line that I don't think any other VA would ever be able to mimic well. Compared to other times where they got old voice actors to come back to reprise their roles but then they don't really do that much of a good job I'm looking at a certain tales game definitive edition that came out a while ago this does it in a way that I wish other developers do. Combat is a lot of fun and overall it's just A-blast to play and experience. My only complaint with the game so far it's mainly 2 small ones with the 1st being I've noticed that apparently the audio seems to love to kind of dip at points making it fairly obvious when the audio kind of like stops but then bounces backup again. Then there's the big one which is most of the quests are running back-and-forth back-and-forth back-and-forth and it got on my nerves especially with a certain 1 that I'm not gonna spoil but let's just say all of that running back-and-forth and the end result of it was really not worth it. Finally this isn't really a negative it's just something that I've noticed despite the original game not selling all that well a lot of people or at least a good amount of them did prefer the father because of the fact that he was so different from all of the other protagonists we've had at the time who were all a bunch of teenagers. But now that I understand more clearly that there was one particular line that fits way better with the brother not to mention the fact that the father was already looking like he was super capable in comparison to the brother who realistically actually grows and feels like that hes developing which leads into the 2nd half of the game it feels a lot more natural that even I didn't know was possible. Again I understand that most people who play the original do prefer the father but with the brother it does feel more fulfilling to see him struggle but grow very well. Overall despite some hiccups I've had with the game so far it's not gonna stop me from actually wanting to get all of the endings in my 1st play through or one of many play throughs and while I personally think that there are other games that will be able to be to top Replicant( In my case a certain tales game comes to mind that finally got a release day), I will not deny that thanks to this game maybe just maybe I may want to get Automata after beating this one and besides any excuse to see Kaine again and hear the awesome OST is ok by me! Fantastic job with the review Alex and sorry this was a very very very very very long comment lol.
@@BacklogBattle Which is a good thing although I just remembered that there is one small minor nitpick I have with Kaine and that is thanks to the new design, she looks like 2B a lot more now lol. Now I am done.
I’m not sure I follow. I’ve seen old concept art of Kaine and she looks pretty much the same, with minor changes with her eye shape being the main difference between 2010 and now
@@MrDarksol she's supposed to look like 2B and A2 though regardless since A2 was designed based on kaine, and 2B was designed based on A2. So they're meant to look similar anyways.
I've seen a number of people say that they prefer this to Automata, but while I appreciate the gameplay variety immensely, I think the storytelling was a bit inconsistent and had worse pacing than Automata. You meet characters and almost instantly have some kind of climactic event with them, or see them a couple of times before someone gets killed off. It manages to still be somewhat impactful, most of the time, but I think extending the first part of the game to give Emil and Kaine more time with Nier to more convincingly build their relationship would have done it some favours. They just sort of instantly become the best of friends; Kaine literally goes from asking "who's this kid?" to her heartfelt speech in front of the mansion within about ten minutes and no interaction with Emil lol
I think you make a valid point. That said, I can kinda chalk it up as part of the revelation in the Endings where that might be a form of imperfection in the characters. I don’t want to get into it, but I think you know what I mean
I liked Father Nier better, we don't get enough old protagonists in JRPGs. We already have enough teenagers. As a gamer in my 30s, I appreciated when Gestalt came out. Also, while old Nier might "look" capable, it was clear by the story how helpless he was when trying to help Yonah.
I clocked 40 hours on this and I’m not motivated to continue any more endings, the story did not engage me at all...I just enjoyed the combat and music up to a certain point Also, the marketing of this game made sense as to why they’d change the main protagonist into an adult for the west. To this day, I still don’t understand Japan’s strange obsession with “sister’s” in their games and media. That’s the only relationship I see heavily used, someone’s always fighting for their sister, and never any other sibling or member of a family.
I can definitely understand playing the game for that long because of the combat and music! You must've finished a lot of the side quests to have played that long!
@@BacklogBattle yeah, I completed every side quest before the final fight with the shadow lord lol the OCD in me couldn’t leave any stone unturned. What really padded out the hours was the “life in the sands” quest that required 10 pink moon flowers 🤦 that at bare minimum took me almost two weeks to farm them smh
@@TrvisXXIII thankfully that one was optional, really took forever (and there still was a chance to not get the seeds you need..) if you already played for that long, might as well get through to the rest it has to offer! there aren't any more side quests that unlock later on if that helps
I’m so happy you got a review code. I thought smaller channel like you won’t get any. High quality review like this needs more views.
Thank you! I’ve shifted my way of thinking quite a bit and it’s thanks to that that I’m able to make this review for you all!
I can’t say for certain yet since I recently finished it a few days ago, but I think this may be one of my favorite games of all time.
It’s one of those games where you have to sit down and think about what you’ve played at every single ending. I found myself doing that a lot!
This is hands down my game of the year. Even though I beat the game a couple of weeks ago I still think about it daily and I can't see that stopping anytime soon.
Moreover I think the games show us questions we can apply in our daily lives, like seeing other people’s perspectives and that empathy isn’t a sign of weakness. Lots to think about beyond the game
Was hoping to see this. Cheers man. Watching now!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Legitimately the best reviewer I've come across, you always articulate well and speak with great honesty and your research done. Ended up buying Sakura Wars based off your review of it, I always look here for opinions on new things. Keep it up!
Thank you so much! I don’t pick many games to review, but when I do, it’s usually ones that I feel quite strongly about! Glad to hear you picked up Sakura Wars!
You do an amazing job of explaining games without actually directly on the story inside them. A lot of reviewers do "no spoiler" reviews that... well.. contain spoilers. So thank you for doing such a great job. It can't be easy to do.
It’s not, and thank you for recognizing that! It’s something I’ve been trying to perfect over the past two years now, and it’s only getting better!
Yeah I'll second this. Especially for a game like this.
Probably the best review I've seen of this game, very informative and organized. Well done.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the review!
I was looking forward to your thoughts on this one. It can't be understated how revolutionary Platinum getting to work on automata was for the Yoko Taro experience. As his games were previously otherwise amazing experiences often chained down by cumbersome gameplay and bugs. Glad to see a better version of Nier fullfil its potential. BTW I really appreciate the extra work you put towards presenting a quality video that does the subject matter justice.
You’re very welcome! I figured I want my reviews to not just be my perspective on games, but also a way to convey more info about them that’ll allow fans to love their games even more!
Agh, opening up with City Ruins (Rays of Light). Perfect way to set the mood. As always, your reviews are such a joy.
Thank you so much! I was kinda aiming for a feeling there that only that song can deliver 😉
Of course it wouldn't be a Nier review without talking about the music!
I finally was able to share my thoughts about Keiichi Okabe!
Despite the majority of the side quests being fetch quests it makes up for the monotony in that they are now all fully voiced making for a more enjoyable experience. The game is aware of the repetitious nature of the quests with a fourth wall breaking Weiss dialogue.
I'm not one to do all the side quests in a game, but when I did so in NieR: Replicant, I was doing it sporadically, while completing certain quests to fulfill requirements to unlock other endings. I can definitely see how there can be tedium when trying to finish as many of them as possible though!
I really enjoy your reviews. They are very informative & you can tell you put a lot of work into them. Keep it up! 👍🏽
Thank you so much! Lots of love and care get put into these, and I hope more people get to see what you already recognize!
Damn, if all your reviews are on this level, I might have found my new go to reviewer. Absolutely amazing review!!!
Thank you so much! I recommend checking out my other reviews to find out! 😉
NieR is something I've taken far to long to engage with despite being well aware of the games since they were new. I took far too many reviews that focused on the "mediocre" gameplay of the original 2010 release at face value, and sadly had many of the big twists spoiled for me in reviews that has no indication spoilers would be present, so I figured I could skip the game... and I truly wish I hadn't.
I recently picked up Automata in the recent Xbox Golden Week sale, but I really want to play Replicant first. I also want to right my wrong and, after playing Replicant, I really want to pick up NieR (2010) and Drakengard 3. Even if both are imperfect in a gameplay sense, Taro's games are so much more than the sum of thier parts, I wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize
At least you are rectifying it right now! I’ve only really played Drakengard and finished Automata before Replicant, so you’re not alone!
Dude reviewers fucked this game so hard before its not even funny
I got NieR gestalt (which is the version of 2010 we got), I believe after Automata's announcement, and honestly the gameplay isn't even that bad. It's still completely enjoyable. Of course, Automata was a huge improvement, but i mean, it was developed by Platinum and has their combat mechanics.
I was waiting for this review!! Agood remaster/remake/retelling of the story! It's still something unique even with the knowledge gained thanks to Automata on what transpired after this game, it is still a good surprise! :D
I loved it as both a follow up game to play after Automata as well as a prequel! Thanks for watching!
Alex, i truly love your reviews and i admire that you do an extra leg work. For starters, i sometimes think that your writing it's close to an essay, and as an academic myself, i just love that. But, i also admire that you do research for whatever insights of the game you think we can need (composer, writing, director, etc). Keep the awesome job. I got Nier last week cos your review really sold it to me 😂 hope to play once i'm done with XenobladeC 3
The review is ouuut💖💖 the game looks so beautiful and smooth. I have never played Nier before but maybe when it is later on sale I will since the backlog is already a disaster at this point! Thank you for the review I Love it 💜
Thanks for watching! If you do pick it up, I promise that it’ll be a very different experience when compared to a lot of games you’ve played! It might even be life changing!
crisp, detailed, and to the point as always. excellent review. i was gonna buy it anyways, but i'm always interested in your take nonetheless.
That's great! Did you pick it up yet?
not yet, i too am fighting a @@BacklogBattle as it were :-P
i did play a couple indy games that turned out really cool, though. haven, and rainbow skies.
also i burned out of gaming a bit and went back to anime for a bit to recover. also have an ANIME backlog. and just like my damn game backlog, every time i finish one, i buy two. so now i'm worse off than before!
but his and her circumstances, and maquia, were beautiful anyways :-P
I've been waiting for this. I trust your words over bigger channels kasi mas authentic talaga. Another great content as always #kapatid.
Thanks for watching as always! 💕
As much as I love the game's storytelling, characters and soundtrack, I can't help but loath at the game's side quests and how to access the different endings of the game. I have mixed feelings while playing this game, which can be split into very enjoyable or very tedious but despite the times where I asked myself why I did this side quest or question some game mechanics, I had a blast playing it and as you have already said in the review, the game is an unique experience you won't find any time soon.
Yoko Taro is a master of unusual storytelling and Replicant and Automata have proved that to me. Both games are one of the most influential and probably one of the deepest games I have ever experienced and while this game is far from a masterpiece, the storytelling and everything around that is in my eyes.
I agree for the most part! I will say that one of the saving graces of the side-quests was allowing for more enjoyable interactions between the party members. It really helped their bond feel stronger, especially since some could argue that the main story doesn't allow much room for them being accustomed/friendly to one another.
I definitely agree with you on the side quests, especially since they’re the most reliable way to get money outside of fishing and farming. But I do think Stef is right too in that that’s where the game shoved all of the extra character development in the game, which really helps flesh out the rest of the party!
I forgot about about the interactions in the side quests and that's a really good point.
Awesome review you've really improved! Got into automata & have been loving it. I'm taking my sweet time playing that but I am absolutely picking replicant up once I'm done. I've been watching the Drakengard cutscene movie on RUclips which is somehow all connected to the nier world. Now that's a very strange series Yoko taro created lol
Don't forget all the other things to like the short stories, plays, ect. where a lot of connections really lay also lol. Taro really makes us fans go all in with the media franchise.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you’re enjoying Automata! That game’s combat is still my favorite of the two, especially with its customizations!
Thanks a lot for this review! I want to play this game so much. Your point of view is great as always.
Thanks for watching as always! Let me know when you do pick it up!
Nier games are kinda special, a step above any other game (not in a competitive way, but as a way of an art form)
I don't think anything coming out this year will have the same emotional resonance as Nier Replicant, it's one of the hardest hitting games I've ever played.
There really isn’t. It just keeps eating away at my soul
Just bought replicant, after playing the brilliant nier: automata and I can't wait to play it
You're going to see a ton of connections between both games! Enjoy!
The original was one of my favorite games, and this is just better in every way
I've been thinking of replaying Automata again just to complete the circle. It really is a great way to tie both games closer!
@@BacklogBattle there are definitely things in automata that you appreciate/notice/connect after this game
Ok I seriously paused the video when you said “ gameplay vocabulary” and I had to think about how brilliant that phrase truly was 😂
Isn’t it? 😉
Also forgot to mention, great review bro 👍
Thanks! 🙏
Great review!
Thanks!
For people who have played this game how is the difficulty? I usually play on hard but in this difficulty are the enemies just bullet sponges and you have to hit a them like 20 times?
Even pn hard it is pretty easy. I didn´t die a single time, the normal difficulty is nothing more but trivial.
Am jelly you get to play games as a living pops! HAHA keep on giving us content!
Thanks for watching as always!
@@BacklogBattle you give us quality JRPG content as always thus, views for you pops!
Fucking beautiful game. Emotionally compelling doesn't even come close. I played the original but Jesus Christ I love this game, bro nier all day everyday, this is the definitive edition for me. And the ending...fuck man....i think that topped Automata...just in a different way.
Thx for the review man. I'll scream the rooftops till the day I die if someone's looking for a great story, adventure narrative driven game. This game, along with Nier Automata, is the gold standard. Its not even close.
(Tho 13 Sentinels was a hella good, interesting ride, give that shit a shout out for no reason whatsoever, it just popped in my head thinking of narratives)
If you haven’t yet, you should check out my review of 13 Sentinels and see if we both share the same opinions!
I reached a point in the story when I was playing last night where my game, for the first time ever in over 30 hours, decided to glitch on me. Looking back, I’m actually glad the glitch happened because of what it allowed me to experience. To try to avoid spoilers, it was at the moment where our main character, Kaine, and Emil were told by Devola and Popola that the villagers didn’t want them to stay there any longer, as well as the fight and cutscenes preceding that, that my game froze with a single line of English dialogue while the Japanese voiceover played on behind it. Annoyed and a little frustrated that I was missing out on whatever was being said, I closed and reopened my game, switching to English voices in case it decided to bug out again. Up until that moment, I’d been playing exclusively with the Japanese audio, so I didn’t know what to expect with the English actors, but WOW. The English dub is SO good! Especially after hearing Kaine’s voice in both versions now, I’m really glad the English actors, specifically Laura Bailey, came back for the remake. I feel like her voice in particular matches extremely well what the Japanese actress did with the character, and she continues to impress me with her range.
Also, while I’ve played just a few hours of Automata and the first two parts of the Yorha: Dark Apocalypse raid in FF14, this game is largely my first real experience with this series, so I’m really looking forward to moving on to Nier Automata after this. I really want to play Drakengard 1 and 3 after that, too (I hear that Yoko Taro didn’t have much to do with Drakengard 2 and a lot of fans say to ignore it), but I’m concerned because I hear the gameplay in those games isn’t great. This remake of Nier Replicant makes me hope that the team goes back and revisits the earlier games in the series to bring those to newer fans like myself.
You are correct in thinking that about the Drakengard games. The hope is that if Nier Replicant sells enough that Yoko Taro would remaster those games too, but we shall see! He’s got a few more stories to tell too, I’d imagine
@@BacklogBattle There’s that too! I’m excited to see what ideas he has for a future Nier or Drakengard sequel... or for another spinoff game entirely!
I actually like that they changed the protagonist from a dad to a brother. Not a fan of the dad’s design. Still need to finish Automata but haven’t really had the urge to go back and play it. Also this game’s title is crazy! Just imagine how many more numbers they’re gonna add to the end after some patches come out lol.
Keep at it with Automata! Replicant awaits!
Nier Automata has made me a fan of the series as well a fan of Yoko Taro. That said it seems like alot of reviews feels mixed. Alot enjoy it but they say its repetitive.
I like that you went more into detail compared to other reviewers.
Is it worth the full price or should I wait for sale?(dont mind if its worth it)
Frankly, I would’ve bought the game full price if I didn’t get a review code! So yes, pick it up right now!
@@BacklogBattle I will!!
Most people will tell you that after the intro, the first several hours of the game will feel really slow. This is my first time playing a game in this series, and in my experience, while they can be considered “slow” compared to what comes before and afterward, it was still a lot of fun and I still enjoyed my time getting to know the world and characters while looking forward to whatever came next in the story. I’m now 32+ hours into it and I’ve been absolutely LOVING this game so far, even while doing every side quest I’ve come across (which I don’t actually recommend doing unless you want to go for 100% completion or just want to experience every bit of story in the game lol. There are some quests I would recommend you do, but I would say just use something like rpgsite.net’s side quest guide to see what they recommend doing, like I have.)
@@Road_to_Dawn thanks for the input mate!!
@@kian26master Hope it helps!
Wow I had no idea the protag in Nier replicant was different, I'm so new to this series but I loved Automata, which released in such a difficult year of games, so many people slept on it but love that it is becoming more and more popular. Great review keep up the great work.
Thanks man! I’m glad to share a little history behind this game!
Excellent review, as always! I've never picked up Nier Automata, despite the praise it received and its apparently amazing story. The combat seems too frenetic, and I know the bullet hell sections would do me in. How does Replicant compare on that front? How difficult is the combat?
The bullet hell sections aren't as bad as you might think, and there's an easy difficulty that you can select to ease up on some of the game's mechanics should you wish. This applies to both games. That said in Replicant, you can slash the bullets with your weapons, so you're not just limited to using your own bullets to counter these. As far as actual combat difficulty, it's not that bad at all and I'd say it's easier than most character action games out there. Glad you enjoyed the review by the way!
To add onto what Alex said about the difficulty, I’m not generally great at games in general, especially action games. I often play games on the easiest difficulty. Despite this, I’ve been playing Replicant on normal, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I’m finding the difficulty. I actually haven’t died on a single boss in the game yet. In fact, the only times I’ve died was the two occasions fairly early in the game that I decided to go after this particularly large enemy that semi-randomly shows up south of the main village, where I was promptly one-shotted lol.
@@Road_to_Dawn Thank you for sharing, that's really useful information! I hadn't been interested in these games but I might be coming around!
@@76golong73 Glad to help! I hope you enjoy if you decide to try it out :)
Thanks for the review. I missed the original game when it came out (joystiq's review turned me off of it lol). I wish they had kept the original protagonist. I will definitely be picking this up!
I don’t think you’re missing much with the father protagonist, so you’re good to go! Hope you enjoy it!
Backlog Battle The game's story does indeed work better with the younger protagonist but I want to take a moment to appreciate Jamieson Price's performance as Father Nier in the 2010 Gestalt version, he did an amazing job!
It was especially funny hearing him and Liam O' Brien (Weiss) bicker at eachother hahah.
I still liked the combat mechanics in Nier Automata more. Also missing 2B as the protagonist. But Nier Replicant is prettier though in terms of character details and world design. Imho.
I love Automata’s combat, most certainly. As far as favorite protagonist, I’d certainly agree with 2B. But Kaine and Emil won me over, especially with their backstories. Such tragic characters
I really fail to see how replicant is prettier in either of those. Automata has vastly more nuanced world design that makes for nicer landscapes, and automatas characters being better artistically designed is a no brainer just based on which characters are visually popularized. Like who in their right mind would claim kaine is better designed than 2B. Brother NieR doesn't stand out at all either since he wears grey. And grey Is legitimately the dullest hue for the human eye to observe. Emil is just iconic no matter what tho.
I love this game and my entire experience with it. I'm glad to see your review on it. This game will probably be my game of the year because nothing makes me feel like Nier.
Plus the music is soooo good. Hearing a song from the game has the same feeling of when I was playing the story.
The reorchestrations are excellent! The music really ties the themes of all the Nier games together, even the Nier raid in FFXIV! Now I know why many call Nier their favorite between the two games!
@@BacklogBattle you mean the favorite between NieR and ffxiv? Or automata vs replicant? Because I really don't get what you mean if it's vs automata
In the abstract, I would argue that needing the visual design of main character to be tightly coupled with theme of vulnerability and fatalism is a sign of poor writing. The idea of the physically strong male hero as infallible is a naive and culturally propagated trope, but that stigma/perception could be used in a nuanced way in the context of vulnerability, fatalism, and fatherhood.
Well said. I definitely agree that the protagonist’s appearance isn’t inherently tied to how the story shapes the fundamental qualities of the character, but I suspect that the well had been poisoned, so to speak, by the suggestion that the character needed to be altered to appease a different audience. I’m reminded of how Kratos was portrayed in the new God of War as an example of what you described.
Where do I even begin with this monster? 1st off trying to pre order this game before it came out was a huge pain in the neck but thankfully I was able to get it on my birthday the exact same day it came out. I've played through it a good amount of times and having never played the 1st neir or Automata, I was a bit skeptical in the beginning considering that I only briefly heard about the 1st one and saw my friend go through the process to get all of the endings while Automata none of my friends played but I did hear things(and Sexy 2B fan art lol). As it stands when I did finally play it I was very impressed with the fact that despite it being a remastered or a re release or a re imagining I was having too much fun with the combat and actually enjoying the story a lot despite never playing the original and even with some of the darker themes thrown in. Seriously in one of the quest I thought it was gonna end on a happy note but then the game is like no we end on a pretty sad 1 but the thing is it sticks with you. Not to mention the voice acting is still just as good as it was in the original and the new blood they got on display here are pretty good voice actors especially Zach and Ray who I have heard roles from them before and thank god Zach got to use his voice more often vs. The whole Byleth can't talk thing. I didn't even know that they got all of the VAs back to reprise their roles because I thought originally they just took the audio from the original scaled it and then boom but no they went the extra mile to get all the voice actors back to reprise their roles including Laura Bailey which made me happy because of a certain line that I don't think any other VA would ever be able to mimic well. Compared to other times where they got old voice actors to come back to reprise their roles but then they don't really do that much of a good job I'm looking at a certain tales game definitive edition that came out a while ago this does it in a way that I wish other developers do. Combat is a lot of fun and overall it's just A-blast to play and experience. My only complaint with the game so far it's mainly 2 small ones with the 1st being I've noticed that apparently the audio seems to love to kind of dip at points making it fairly obvious when the audio kind of like stops but then bounces backup again. Then there's the big one which is most of the quests are running back-and-forth back-and-forth back-and-forth and it got on my nerves especially with a certain 1 that I'm not gonna spoil but let's just say all of that running back-and-forth and the end result of it was really not worth it. Finally this isn't really a negative it's just something that I've noticed despite the original game not selling all that well a lot of people or at least a good amount of them did prefer the father because of the fact that he was so different from all of the other protagonists we've had at the time who were all a bunch of teenagers. But now that I understand more clearly that there was one particular line that fits way better with the brother not to mention the fact that the father was already looking like he was super capable in comparison to the brother who realistically actually grows and feels like that hes developing which leads into the 2nd half of the game it feels a lot more natural that even I didn't know was possible. Again I understand that most people who play the original do prefer the father but with the brother it does feel more fulfilling to see him struggle but grow very well. Overall despite some hiccups I've had with the game so far it's not gonna stop me from actually wanting to get all of the endings in my 1st play through or one of many play throughs and while I personally think that there are other games that will be able to be to top Replicant( In my case a certain tales game comes to mind that finally got a release day), I will not deny that thanks to this game maybe just maybe I may want to get Automata after beating this one and besides any excuse to see Kaine again and hear the awesome OST is ok by me! Fantastic job with the review Alex and sorry this was a very very very very very long comment lol.
Can’t really add anything more here!
@@BacklogBattle Which is a good thing although I just remembered that there is one small minor nitpick I have with Kaine and that is thanks to the new design, she looks like 2B a lot more now lol. Now I am done.
I’m not sure I follow. I’ve seen old concept art of Kaine and she looks pretty much the same, with minor changes with her eye shape being the main difference between 2010 and now
@@BacklogBattle Oh so it may have been the eyes that are different then. Ok never mind I take it back false alarm lol.
@@MrDarksol she's supposed to look like 2B and A2 though regardless since A2 was designed based on kaine, and 2B was designed based on A2. So they're meant to look similar anyways.
I've seen a number of people say that they prefer this to Automata, but while I appreciate the gameplay variety immensely, I think the storytelling was a bit inconsistent and had worse pacing than Automata. You meet characters and almost instantly have some kind of climactic event with them, or see them a couple of times before someone gets killed off.
It manages to still be somewhat impactful, most of the time, but I think extending the first part of the game to give Emil and Kaine more time with Nier to more convincingly build their relationship would have done it some favours. They just sort of instantly become the best of friends; Kaine literally goes from asking "who's this kid?" to her heartfelt speech in front of the mansion within about ten minutes and no interaction with Emil lol
I think you make a valid point. That said, I can kinda chalk it up as part of the revelation in the Endings where that might be a form of imperfection in the characters. I don’t want to get into it, but I think you know what I mean
Easiest subscription ever
This game wins for having the most unnecessarily long name XD
And I love saying it lol!
@@BacklogBattle Props for dat!
I liked Father Nier better, we don't get enough old protagonists in JRPGs. We already have enough teenagers. As a gamer in my 30s, I appreciated when Gestalt came out. Also, while old Nier might "look" capable, it was clear by the story how helpless he was when trying to help Yonah.
I clocked 40 hours on this and I’m not motivated to continue any more endings, the story did not engage me at all...I just enjoyed the combat and music up to a certain point
Also, the marketing of this game made sense as to why they’d change the main protagonist into an adult for the west. To this day, I still don’t understand Japan’s strange obsession with “sister’s” in their games and media. That’s the only relationship I see heavily used, someone’s always fighting for their sister, and never any other sibling or member of a family.
I can definitely understand playing the game for that long because of the combat and music! You must've finished a lot of the side quests to have played that long!
@@BacklogBattle yeah, I completed every side quest before the final fight with the shadow lord lol the OCD in me couldn’t leave any stone unturned. What really padded out the hours was the “life in the sands” quest that required 10 pink moon flowers 🤦 that at bare minimum took me almost two weeks to farm them smh
@@TrvisXXIII thankfully that one was optional, really took forever (and there still was a chance to not get the seeds you need..)
if you already played for that long, might as well get through to the rest it has to offer! there aren't any more side quests that unlock later on if that helps