This is NieR with new content, looking and playing better than ever, making one of the best stories in the medium an even better overall package. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound better than ever with the new soundtrack lacking the soul that made the original's music the best I've ever heard in a game. It's still fairly good, so I won't let it stain what is otherwise a masterpiece, but it was sometimes hard to listen to having heard the perfection that is the original's OST.

All in all, they made a game that I criticised for looking and playing like shit look super pretty and play noticeably better. I can only hope that a music restoration mod makes this the absolute definitive way to experience NieR.

One of the best stories ever. Loses half a star for the grindy optional quests and for how bad the fishing mechanics are in general.

Still, it's a game that does a lot with a little and despite its dated feel, the Quality of Life changes are quite welcome.

The only thing I'd really enjoy on top of what was brought to this game would be a way to see characters that are offering quests or integral to them on your large map, rather than only being able to see them on the smaller map when you're already in range to the point that you can see their quest icons onscreen anyway.

An absolute must-play.

This could have sucked so very, very easily. Nier is one of those games where it's flaws and rough edges are so entwined with the charm and strengths, and where a low budget and constraints lead to some of it's most inspired moments.

And I think Toylogic and the Producers/Directors behind this project have earned a lot of credit for the approach taken here. Because 1.22 is just Nier, pretty much. Nier with better combat, improved visuals, a smidge of additional content, and some adjustments here and there.

The combat is so blatantly better I don't even really feel like getting into it. It's still nothing particularly special, about the same level as automata's, but as a vector for experiencing the game as a whole, and in particular, it's excellent boss fights, it goes a long way throughout and there's no real compromise here.

The visuals are where I have more to talk about, because to an extent before i saw some comparison clips I thought the game looked basically the same, and mostly amounted to up-ressed textures and new faces. But it's really not that. Lighting has been vastly improved, as has model quality throughout, and there's a few changes in aesthetic even here or there for some areas but all of it is so in keeping with the style of nier that it really makes for one of those things where it just feels like playing the game how you remember it versus how it actually looks. It does make it look a bit more automata-y in general, but this is no Demon's Souls remake aesthetic shift.

The only contentious parts of the looks for me is the faces, which are definetly automata-fied a bit - granted, I don't really see that as an issue considering how butt ugly the original character models are. They also maybe look a bit pale, but I find it fits with the overall vibe, and when i'm nitpicking to that extent the aesthetic is still getting a strong pass overall.

Maybe the thing I'm most surprised by is the inclusion of a lot more voice acting throughout the game. For one, massive props to the voice direction and actors for making the re-recordings and new lines sound completely in line with the original, that must have been a tonne of work. And the increased use of voice acting all around makes the game world feel a bit more alive. The english voice actor for Bro Nier fits in well with the existing cast as well, and whilst I'm not really going to get into it with this review, I think the bro-nier dynamic actually works better with the characters and events than papa nier from Gestalt, despite my initial reservations.

The only real dark spot is the OST, which is still 95% one of the best Soundtracks out there, but a few of the original amazing tracks have been replaced with some weird arrangements that dont work nearly as well. I think if you've never played Nier before, you'll probably just fall in love with the soundtrack and not care, but it's a slight mark on the game, and I really wish the original OST was an option.

But beyond that, Nier 1.22 really is just Nier. There's still a bit of jank, there's still the game's weird and weak connective tissue in the first half, the wandering about , and a myriad of other Nier things. And maybe there's a case for a different remake going further and making huge adjustments to the quests and narrative and fixing the "bad". A "Gestalt" remake, if you will.

But 1.22 isn't that. All 1.22 really amounts to is a more enjoyable, prettier way to experience the Nier from 2010. And that, for me, is all I could really ask for. Whilst good ol' Gestalt still has it's value and place, Replicant 1.22 just makes it so much easier to love.

I have the exact same feeling I had while playing the Demon's Souls: why the hell didn't I play this when it first released? I am a fool and a coward. I ALMOST like this game more than Automata- its core cast of characters are miles better in my eyes- but the third playthrough, where there's almost nothing new besides the ending, detracted from the overall experience just a little bit. Still love this game with all my heart, though. Easily one of my favorite games of all time. Now to play the NieR raids in FFXIV!

There are no spoilers in this review.
This isn't really a remake or a remaster, it's more of an updated version of the original (the changes are very slight, OG NieR fans will feel right at home) with newly added cut content, and I think they've succeded in bringing to life this game once more with an updated gameplay/soundtrack. It doesn't ruin what the original was going for, but sadly I think a lot of the new stuff was badly implemented inside the story, it does break the flow of the original game in a few ways, but it's nice seeing the new content regardless. The new soundtrack is for the most part good but some tracks felt weaker than the originals. The gameplay was never the main aspect of NieR but they did a good job there too, it feels like the original but with newer flashier moves. Overall I'd say this is one of the best remakes/remasters/whatevers and it's worth buying whether you're a newcomer or an old fan.

Getting to experience this for the first time was something I'll never forget. Being someone coming to this after Automata, I feel similarly that this is not a perfect game, but it is a 10/10 game.

Personally I think Automata is better structured - the way the endings are "formatted" for lack of a better term in that game has you constantly unraveling new layers and pushing the story forward. The journey to ending C and D by comparison feels somewhat redundant - though it can be argued that this monotony and the fact that you have to put in what genuinely feels like "work" to get the end of the game makes some of it's final moments that much more impactful.

With that being said, the characters in this game are even more vibrant and fully realized than what Automata offers. Stellar voice performances and Okabe's soundtrack just carrying the emotion on it's shoulders create a cast that you really empathize with. The writing really has to be commended too - the visual novel segments are some of the highlights of the game narratively, proving that even when you strip out all of the other presentational aspects what's left is still gripping.

The combat is actually great for what it needs to be. Yes, it's monotonous, yes, it requires little to no thought - but what would really be accomplished by adding complex combo trees and 50 enemy types to a game like this? The combat feels bloody and brutal, and that's all it needs to do for the game to pull it's trick. While perhaps predictable, that trick is still so incredibly effective and such an obvious way to emotionally invest a player through their actions that it's amazing that only Taro (and shockingly... Neil Druckmann???) are doing it.

So yeah, I'm a Yoko Taro fan for life now. This was deeply earnest. Also, perhaps the greatest and most awe inspiring soundtrack ever put to a game.
...though they do lean on Kaine's theme kind of often lol

Can't wait for NeiR Replicant ver. 3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679 8214808651 3282306647 0938446095 5058223172 5359408128 4811174502 8410270193 8521105559 6446229489 5493038196 4428810975 6659334461 2847564823 3786783165 2712019091 4564856692 3460348610 4543266482 1339360726 0249141273 7245870066 0631558817 4881520920 9628292540 9171536436 7892590360 0113305305 4882046652 1384146951 9415116094 3305727036 5759591953 0921861173 8193261179 3105118548 0744623799 6274956735 1885752724 8912279381 8301194912 9833673362 4406566430 8602139494 6395224737 1907021798 6094370277 0539217176 2931767523 8467481846 7669405132 0005681271 4526356082 7785771342 7577896091 7363717872 1468440901 2249534301 4654958537 1050792279 6892589235 4201995611 2129021960 8640344181 5981362977 4771309960 5187072113 4999999837 2978049951 0597317328 1609631859 5024459455 3469083026 4252230825 3344685035 2619311881 7101000313 7838752886 5875332083 8142061717 7669147303 5982534904 2875546873 1159562863 8823537875 9375195778 1857780532 1712268066 1300192787 6611195909 2164201989

nier replicant/gestalt is one of my favorite games of all time and despite having played more games since the first time i experienced it, nier still has a special place in my heart for having one of my favorite stories in any piece of media. so it only makes sense that i'd check this remake out and despite being wary initially due to not liking the idea of remakes in general i'm very glad to say that what's presented here is a really solid refresher for returning players and after experiencing everything the game has to offer i'm relieved to say the new content is extremely well integrated.

the first of these changes involves the combat! while still familiar enough for returning fans, a lot of the combat has been retooled and i'm glad to say that the weapons feel unique enough across classes and that the movement during battle feels pretty similar for the most part. there's also a few nice quality of life changes with being able to move while casting spells now and also nerfing the air dash and spear dive (and while i was disappointed initially with its changes, the spear here has been retooled with a lot sleeker of a moveset well that flows well with the pace of the combat here in a way that incentivizes using more of its reworked moves). the original combat in nier was grounded and simplistic and while i don't think a lot of that has changed there's a bit more depth to this new one with letting you spice up your inputs (not that you can't abuse the same few moves like the original which is a welcome sight lol). overall, the combat here doesn't necessarily feel more complex but it feels like an expansion of what the original set out to do for better or worse.

combat, however, isn't the focus here in nier, it's the story but before i get into that i want to address two of the leading forces that drive it forward and create the overall experience: the soundtrack and voice acting!

the original soundtrack of nier is one of my favorites of all time due to how well integrated into the world it was and how it highlighted key story moments. each and every track of the original nier has been embedded into my mind over the years due to multiple replays yearly and it's incredible how much staying power these tracks have had in my life to the point where i've gotten emotional just by hearing it. so needless to say, i had high expectations on how the tracks were handled and the overall musicality of the remaster's soundtrack was under a large amount of scrutiny for me personally. having heard everything by the end of it i'm glad to say that the new original tracks are incredibly solid while the rearrangements range from decent to pretty amazing and on par with the original at times. for the sake of avoiding spoilers, i'm going to say that the entire final area of the game is beautifully reorchestrated with a lot of the rearrangements being on par with the original which should hopefully reassure old fans of the original and hearing it in-game was an absolute pleasure for me. there are a few gripes i have with the treatment of some tracks in particular like "the wretched automatons" and "gods bound by rules" but i think the entire thing is a great effort at putting a new spin on the original's legacy and keiichi okabe's direction on most of the tracks shows with the amount of respect most of them receive.

as for the voice work, i think it's really solid for the most part! as someone whose first experience was with the japanese release of nier replicant for the ps3, i was really glad to hear the japanese voice cast again with their performances rendered pretty faithful to the original and the voice direction in some scenes, in particular, is absolutely a joy to listen to! the overall cast reprises their roles here really well and devola and popola's voice actress shiraishi ryoko absolutely nails the scenes they're in with the main cast doing a perfect job as well. as for the english cast, which i was familiar with due to having also played the original nier gestalt, i'm glad to say that the new voices are great and the returning cast members do really well here despite some performances reflecting their age a bit. i won't name names but to old fans of the original it's pretty obvious and while the delivery of those important lines are great it's a bit of shame to admit it's a bit distracting at times. i'd also like to mention that weiss's voice actor absolutely kills it AGAIN with liam o'brien doing a great job as well with some extremely quote-worthy lines.

now for what we've all been waiting for, the story! the story here is adapted pretty faithful to the original with the slight addition of new content here and there to make it rewarding for returning fans to experience. one change, in particular, i really liked was the addition of a multitude of new scenes to the additional routes as the original felt repetitive to many due to how subsequent routes felt samey. however, the new scenes in this remaster handle this by consistently spoon-feeding the player new scenes that really help to spice up an otherwise repetitive structure while also helping to incentivize exploration and overall game progression. as for the endings, i won't go into detail about them as i wouldn't want to spoil the story for anyone who might be going into it for the first time but fear not original nier fans, these endings still hit like a TRUCK lol and i often found myself eliciting similar emotions to my first playthrough despite knowing exactly what would happen. i probably cried too many times to count throughout my playthrough but i'm glad to say none of those tears were from frustration.

as this review comes to a close i'd like to address that despite a large portion of contention for me with this remaster in general was largely with the addition of new content, i feel like it's been handled tastefully and while the original was a result of a rushed production schedule (which still accomplished what it set out to do, might i add) the new content here definitely feels like remnants of their original plans but fully expanded upon. to put it simply, it's good and i think most returning fans will find a lot of enjoyment in the new stuff. sure some of its fanservice is definitely for those who played it initially, yet i can't imagine some of the same emotions i felt being replicated within those who are making this their first experience with the game. nier replicant remaster for better or worse feels like a love letter to those who loved the original and will continue to do so and as someone that loved nier from the first time i played it, i'm glad to say that this remake served as a great reminder of one of my favorite experiences of all time. while i don't think older fans are missing out much by skipping this remake despite it being a great source of fanservice, i understand there's a great poignancy in the original's final ending and i can respect the choice to leave things as they are. the new stuff is good but the original remains near and dear to my heart and this remaster is merely a reminder of that! so all in all, did i love it? absolutely. is it a good substitute for the original? i'd still recommend playing the original so you can experience how older fans felt back then and how they'd feel now but i'm not your mother lol do what your heart tells you to! nier replicant remaster had a lot riding on it for me personally and i'm glad to say it delivered in full and then a bit more! yoko taro might be one of the most divisive people in terms of output but i'm glad to say he did a great job directing and respecting the older fans while bridging the gap between those who never experienced the original. i never thought that a remake of all things would come to be one of my favorite things this year but i'm really happy it was ! here's to looking forward to more things in the future! i love nier and i liked this remaster! there's really not much more i can say :) kainé / 10 ~!