One of the games from a decade ago that have been revalued over time we have it in that 2010 NieR developed by the Cavia studio for PS3 and Xbox 360. There was a peculiarity with this launch, since in the West it had a much greater protagonist , unlike in the original Japanese version. In fact, in Japan it refers to NieR Replicant , while here the Gestalt nickname is used to differentiate it, despite being called NieR simply .
Beyond that curiosity, a remake of this cult game was much needed , especially after the popularity of this Drakengard spin-off as a result of the great NieR: Automata, one of the essentials of 2017 . And we have already been able to play NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 for the first five hours, the update of the aforementioned 2010 classic. And the feelings are generally encouraging.
Polishing a vindicable classic from 2010
I’m one of those who keeps the original from 2010, but I must also say that it didn’t win me over until a few days ago, when I gave it another chance. NieR is a game that takes time to get off the ground and is not helped by those messenger side missions, especially that of a certain extremely fragile container that breaks when dodging or receiving a hit from the enemy … But it is a game that is Give it a try, it ends up conquering you by the appeal of its universe and its captivating soundtrack. Because, deep down, it ‘s a 100% NieR game . Hence, if you have come to the saga through the later Automata, you will know where his style comes from.
Yes, NieR Replicant is a quirky RPG , breaking out of the usual canons. Here real-time action combat with swords is intertwined with the most typical shots of a danmaku , just as it happened with the sequel. In addition, there is no lack of magic to give more spectacular combat, nor a series of cinematographic shots in certain situations, both with a top and side view so typical of a 2D platform game of the eighties.
This remake fully respects the essence of the Japanese version of PS3 from 2010. What does this mean? That the protagonist is a boy, Yonah being our younger sister. In the western version, remember, we controlled a man and Yonah was our daughter. This logically translates into a series of script changes with this adaptation of the original first seen in Japan.
The structure for the story remains the same , in any case, with a prologue set in the summer of 2053 in which Yonah ends up being infected with the cursed book. After that brief scene, as a tutorial, the story moves 1412 years into the future and we appear in our town with the aim of freeing our sister from that disease that causes runic necrosis in her body.
The outlook is not very encouraging, since the population has been dying out due to plague and disease, apart from the danger posed by encountering Shadows, a series of monsters that have besieged the towns in the area.
That it is faithful to that 2010 game means that the same missions are maintained for the main story and also for the secondary ones, the latter aspect highly criticized by the turns that certain NPCs force us to give. Now, everything is much more careful , both on the part of the environments, with more elements to give it more life (something the original suffered from), and in playable matter, which is where it makes the final leap when polishing where it limped and give it more rhythm.
NieR Replicant is now much more enjoyable
I have been alternating my game to the Xbox 360 Nier with this Nier Replicant in its version for PS4 to better notice the changes, being the first to highlight (which many people will appreciate) the fact that it is finally translated into Spanish .
That the protagonist is now a boy is more questionable, although it is more faithful to the original Japanese version. Personally, I liked the adult character we received in the West more, being Yonah’s father, instead of his older brother, as in this remake. There are other changes in this regard, some more subtle than others, such as the animation when moving large blocks, seeing in the 2010 classic how the protagonist was changing position.
Obviously, ten years of difference go a long way and here the leap at the graphic level is more than palpable, apart from running much more fluidly compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. As we have advanced a few paragraphs further back, now the environments They have taken on more life and are not so empty, since it was another of the aspects criticized at the time, having to travel a lot without much happening in many moments of the journey. This does not prevent, in any case, that he continues to suffer from the tedious “messenger evil” in his secondary missions, although at least now it will be much easier to keep track of all of them.
The combats are another of the key points of this remake , receiving a good facelift in which the addition of a button to fix the enemy stands out. Some movements have been modified with respect to the character that we had in the West, while others have been implemented, such as the counterattack.
It is a much more dynamic game than in the past , which is helped by the more agile movement of the protagonist, seeing how he performs a second sprint within seconds of starting to run or gets less stuck with the jump. Although where we will save more seconds will be with objects, which are now collected immensely faster from the ground … we already know how much shiny objects seduce.
For the rest, this NieR Replicant is the evolution that NieR needed to place it where it deserves, no matter how much the 2010 classic is considered today a cult jewel. The spectacular nature of its bosses, how it plays with the plans and mechanics in certain situations or the game that Grimoire Weiss gives, a talkative book of great power that will be our best companion throughout the adventure, make this RPG the perfect prelude. for NieR: Automata .
NieR Replicant is out April 23 on PS4, Xbox One and Steam
