GAMES / REVIEWS
O
riginally released in 2010, Nier was an ambitious
but compromised Japanese RPG. It boasted an
ambitious storyline, inventive quest design and a
fascinating party of characters ranging from foul-mouthed
sorceresses to talking books. However, it was let down by
terrible performance and an overemphasis on repetition, and
this remaster attempts to smooth out some of Nier’s kinks.
Set in a future so far-flung it has reverted to medieval
fantasy, Nier sees you play as a precocious teenage boy
seeking a way to cure his juvenile sister of an illness known
as the Scrawl. During his travels, he encounters a powerful,
sentient book known as Grimoire Weiss, who may hold the
key to ending the Scrawl. Unfortunately, Weiss has lost his
memory, and you must help him reclaim it by locating Sealed
Verses hidden throughout the game world.
The remaster improves what was already good about Nier.
Its distinctive future fantasy is overhauled with crisper, more
vibrant textures, while the characters have been remodelled
to make them look good on a modern screen. Combat has
also been tweaked to make it more impactful and engaging,
bringing it closer to the sequel, Nier: Automata. Perhapsmost notably, all vocal performances have been re-recorded
with the original actors, bringing out the best in Nier’s
fantastic characters.
These improvements help to make Nier’s strongest
elements easier to appreciate. The main quest is a splendid
adventure filled with thrilling, emotive storytelling and
inventive set-pieces. Nier plays with genre, dipping its toes
into puzzle-platforming, isometric RPGs and even text
adventures at different points. It also features some of the
best pre-Dark Souls bosses around, with imaginative designs
that require strategy and quick reactions.
Unfortunately, the remaster is less good at fixing what
was wrong with Nier. It resolves the performance issues, but
the more structural problems remain. Nier places a heavy
emphasis on repetition and backtracking, forcing you to revisit
the same locations over and over. Sometimes these are thinly
disguised versions of familiar places, but often you must
revisit an existing location to complete the game’s tedious
side-quests, or to grind specific enemies, so you can upgrade
your weapons.
Ironically, the game is better when replayed after initial
completion. Not only do multiple playthroughs unlock new
endings and new story content, but you progress through it
much faster, giving the adventure an urgent pacing that it lacks
during that first run. Your initial playthrough may take up to 20
hours, but return visits will see you finish it in half that time.
Nier is a unique specimen, a JRPG that, despite
appearances, flaunts many of the genre’s conventions. It’s
definitely worth experiencing, and this remaster is the best
way to do that, but £50 is a lot for a better but not quite brilliant
version of this flawed, fascinating gem.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
It’s Nier, but not
Nier enough.
OVERALL SCORE
74 %
NIER REPLICANT/ £49.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPER Square Enix, Toylogic Inc/ PUBLISHER Square EnixREPLICANT
+^ Great story
and characters
+^ Playful encounters
and spectacular
boss fights
+^ Remaster
improves visuals,
sound and combat
REPLICAN’T
(^) - Side quests
still rubbish
-^ Main quest still
involves too
much repetition