Nier Replicant Returns in ver.1.22474487139… Remake
Four years after the release of its big hit Nier Automata, Square Enix together with Toylogic is giving the public an upgraded version of one of its classics NieR Replicant.
Originally released in 2010, this indirect prequel to Automata, now titled Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is described by Toylogic Inc. Director Saki Ito as a “restored classic car.” “A nostalgic, beautifully polished frame. But in reality, it’s a car that has been customized to be driven comfortably on modern roads by modern drivers,” said Ito.
“A car that recreates ‘beautified nostalgic memories’.” The game was created with the data from the original and upgraded to cater to the liking of modern gamers. The developers decided to keep all elements from the previous version “in order to recreate the charm of the original in a modern way.” Among the upgrades were the changes to the game’s level controls, improved graphics, additional scenario, full voice acting, and the arranged and newly recorded music. But there is one upgrade that the developers focused significantly on the game and it is its combat style where you can now mix and match your character’s swordplay and magic in a versatile manner.
You can combine physical actions with magic during combat which will result in different ways magic will respond. According to Ito, in order to create a sense of immersion in the “heartbreaking story,” they created a combat system that allows you to synchronize with the main character, so that you feel as if you are naturally using the sword and magic. Likewise they have implemented an auto-battle feature, also found in Nier Automata, which will help new players enjoy the game.
Music will also be a big component of the game, much like how it was with Automata. The game will feature new soundtracks written and recorded for Nier Replicant as well as all of the tracks from Automata. “The original soundtrack was so well received that we have adopted all of them and even re-recorded the tracks anew,” said Yosuke Saito, Representative Managing Officer / Executive Producer of SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
Aside from the combat one of the most important update is the addition of various other elements like the “BGM option”—an option that players can unlock to select background music tracks after completing the first playthrough. However, there’s a bit of sad news to fans of online multiplayer games: the Nier Replicant, according to Saki Ito, will not include the function unlike the current gaming trend.
For Saito, “rather than focusing on adapting to the times, I think it’s important to think about what you want the users to play. If you want people to play real-time action games, then that’s fine, and if you want people to play the most interesting turn-based games, then that is also fine too.” However he did not count it out of the equation, “It might not be with NieR. Although I don’t know about 1400 years later.”
“The aim of this game is to ‘make the beautified memories of the past real and even exceed them,'” said Saki Ito. “For those of you who have played the original (myself included), this is a reunion with your best friends, where you can fully enjoy the ‘fresh nostalgia’,” he added.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is now available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC via Steam. The game will also be playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility, “PS5 will have the same shadow quality and even faster load times as PS4 Pro,” said Ito.
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