While a cult classic, the original Nier was marred by several issues that obscured the game’s best qualities. Nier’s low Metacritic score may not be reflective of its actual quality, but the fact of the matter is that Nier is an acquired taste. Even Nier Replicant, which does an outstanding job at remaking the game, isn’t averse to its fair share of issues.
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It cannot be denied that Nier Replicant is one of the greatest remakes ever made, but it suffers from a host of issues that need correcting. Some of Nier’s problems were hiccups that needed fixing back in the original release, while others just make no sense for a remake that’s otherwise so high quality. Light spoilers for Nier Replicant and Nier: Automata.
10 Frame Rate Fix
While Nier Replicant’s PC launch wasn’t anywhere near as bad as Nier: Automata, the game is still noticeably better on consoles without the use of mods. A 60 FPS mod exists to fix the PC release’s dipping frame rate, but Nier Replicant needs a proper update. The remake runs well on both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (along with their next generation successors), but the PC’s performance is sorely lacking.
9 Where’s The Original Soundtrack?
It only makes sense that Nier Replicant’s soundtrack was remade as well, but it’s tremendously disappointing that the original score isn’t included in any capacity. The new soundtrack is great, but it lacks the bombastic edge of the original while making certain tracks way too cinematic (Gods Bound By Rules was effectively butchered). As if to add insult to injury, beating the game once unlocks an arranged version of Nier: Automata’s soundtrack. It’s very well implemented, but it’s hard to believe Automata’s OST got in over Gestalt’s.
8 More Unlockables
Nier Replicant isn’t exactly hurting when it comes to unlockables, but there’s a disappointedly small amount of new content to actually unlock. Aside from Ending E and a brand new weapon, there aren’t any new Side Quests, there aren’t any new weapon types, and there aren’t even any new costumes.
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World of the Recycled Vessel – which was previously DLC – gets repurposed as an unlockable, but it’s just not enough. Nier Replicant is an incredibly faithful remake, but more effort could have been made to give the game the same level of depth as Nier: Automata.
7 Difficulty Rebalancing
The original Nier was not a hard game by any means and Nier Replicant is even easier in some respects. While most enemies have been redesigned to be a bit more aggressive, Nier’s combat capabilities are so much faster and acrobatic that nothing in the game poses a serious threat on Normal. Unfortunately, Hard mode buffs enemy health to ridiculous degrees and nerfs Nier’s combo potential. The end result is a game in desperate need of rebalancing.
6 A Real New Game Plus
The fact Routes B, C, and D only require you to replay the last 40% of the story for new endings is a mercy in and of itself – but there comes a time when you’ll just want to replay the game properly. Unfortunately, Nier Replicant does not feature a real New Game Plus system. Every repeat playthrough starts you off after the halfway point, leaving only the Key Fragments left. The fact you can only revisit Part 1 by making a new file altogether is as disappointing in 2021 as it was in 2010.
5 Chapter Select
Even worse than the lack of a real New Game Plus is the distinct lack of Chapter Select. To make replaying the story significantly easier on players, Nier: Automata introduced a Chapter Select system. This not only ensures nothing was truly missable, it meant players could revisit their favorite parts of the game whenever they wanted.
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Nier Replicant doesn’t even so much as humor the idea of a Chapter Select. In that sense, the game is a perfectly faithful remake, but Chapter Select would have addressed a very real issue Nier has always had while also making up for the lack of a proper New Game Plus. Considering how much Replicant lifts from Automata, it’s baffling Chapter Select was left behind.
4 Changes To Farming
Farming in Nier Replicant is easy if you’re just randomly growing crops and extremely tedious if you’re growing flowers. At least one Trophy and one Side Quest are hinged on players growing incredibly rare flowers in their garden that are tied to low RNG. Even worse, farming in Nier Replicant happens in real time. It takes roughly 24 hours for crops to grow and another for them to wither. Anyone who wants to grow a Lunar Tear in real time will need to dedicate an actual week to the process with no guarantee of a White Moonflower actually growing.
3 Higher Drop Rates For Items
While it’s possible to use Word Edit to raise Nier Replicant's incredibly low drop rate for items, this shouldn’t have been an issue to begin with. Nier was already a grindy game, but the remake does next to nothing to mitigate this fast. Completionists will be forced to grind through the same areas over and over again, tracking down material that shouldn’t be this painful to find. This is something a post-game update could easily fix, but chances are it won’t happen.
2 More Meat To World Of The Recycled Vessel
With the exception of players now taking control of Father Nier instead of Brother Nier, World of the Recycled Vessel is more or less the same DLC it was in Nier Gestalt. Players fight their way through 15 floors of Shades across three different doors. Completing World of the Recycled Vessel unlocks three weapons – now needed to completion – but there’s not much else to it. Father Nier has a single line and the added lore only makes sense if you already have an intimate understanding of the game’s story. The remake could benefit from World of the Recycled Vessel being tweaked into a boss rush or even actual narrative DLC.
1 Gestalt As DLC
On the subject of DLC, it’s a shame Nier Replicant doesn’t strive to be a fully comprehensive remake and include Nier Gestalt. While it’s true that the story works considerably better with the brother as the lead, there are subtle nuances between both protagonists that make their stories different enough.
Nier Replicant has been enough of a success both commercially and critically where Nier Gestalt should be at least considered. A full remake might be too much, but DLC reusing assets from Replicant while recording new lines to match Father Nier would be the perfect follow up to an already great remake.