Having first experienced NieR: Automata, I wondered how a deep, indescribable experience would be followed up by NieR Replicant. While it didn't quite hit me the same way, I still found a lot to appreciate.

Starting with combat, it is evident that they have made some changes from the original NieR. It does get repetitive, and it can be annoying because enemies don't have many different attack patterns. However, the combat really stands out during boss fights, even though, it could still be improved to make them challenging, as the main objective is to "dodge boss skill and attack while he's attack pattern is restarting". On the bright side, you can now do air combos, which is cool.

Where NieR Replicant truly shines, though, is its storytelling. The story itself is strong and well-crafted—especially if you reach its multiple endings. By all means, try to play it out and get all its endings: A through E—it really goes a long way toward adding depth to the story. Likely one of those things that I wish the remaster had is chapter select or the ability to replay the first part of the game, especially when you are hunting unlockable achievements. It's a bore to force your hand to have to play through the entire game over from the beginning just for more cutscenes or dialogues.

Summarizing everything, the game is simply beautiful. Entire world-building is both breathtaking and filled with the promise of "Apocalypse". The voice acting was, pretty cool, with most of the original actors reprising their roles. As someone coming from Automata, I highly recommend giving Replicant a try. Just adjust your expectations; don't expect stellar combat when you go in. In my opinion, the game is supposed to give you a story-driven experience, that will definitely be worth of your time.

Having first experienced NieR: Automata, I wondered how a deep, indescribable experience would be followed up by NieR Replicant. While it didn't quite hit me the same way, I still found a lot to appreciate. Starting with combat, it is evident that they have made some changes from the original NieR. It does get repetitive, and it can be annoying because enemies don't have many different attack patterns. However, the combat really stands out during boss fights, even though, it could still be improved to make them challenging, as the main objective is to "dodge boss skill and attack while he's attack pattern is restarting". On the bright side, you can now do air combos, which is cool. Where NieR Replicant truly shines, though, is its storytelling. The story itself is strong and well-crafted—especially if you reach its multiple endings. By all means, try to play it out and get all its endings: A through E—it really goes a long way toward adding depth to the story. Likely one of those things that I wish the remaster had is chapter select or the ability to replay the first part of the game, especially when you are hunting unlockable achievements. It's a bore to force your hand to have to play through the entire game over from the beginning just for more cutscenes or dialogues. Summarizing everything, the game is simply beautiful. Entire world-building is both breathtaking and filled with the promise of "Apocalypse". The voice acting was, pretty cool, with most of the original actors reprising their roles. As someone coming from Automata, I highly recommend giving Replicant a try. Just adjust your expectations; don't expect stellar combat when you go in. In my opinion, the game is supposed to give you a story-driven experience, that will definitely be worth of your time.