Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139, the preview
A new but familiar gameplay
The video shown obviously does not represent the final product, it is the debug build, but already in this way the glance is remarkable: beyond the obvious generational difference between the two games that puts the remake in advantage for visual quality, the Northern Plains still present themselves in a different and at the same time familiar light, very refined and easily recognizable thanks to an attention to detail that gives a sharp blow to the our nostalgia. The interface has remained the same as the original, with the map in the lower right corner and the health indicators placed at the top always on the right. Having kept the soft and melancholy tonality of the colors is another point that we appreciated and it was not necessarily to be taken for granted, although the tones of certain settings are closely linked with the narrative. After the first impact and returning from our journey into memories, we are faced with a gameplay and a combat system that nothing shares with the past and we could not have hoped for better. The work done by Toylogic is already excellent at this stage, with very evident references to NieR: Automata thanks to an incredible fluidity in the movement that makes this NieR Replicant look like another game - and in some ways it is.The original NieR boasted characters as memorable as the story, perhaps the saddest of the entire narrative cycle (which includes Drakengard), who, however, were heavily penalized by gameplay woody, free of lock-on and with most of the spells too situational or useless, without considering an imbalance in the management of the weapons which consequently limited the use of the only really powerful in terms of speed and damage inflicted. In short, a game with enormous potential which, however, was not transmitted properly and it is difficult to advise today as it is today; needed this revision to be fully appreciated, or at least without allowing the nervous to completely drown out the interest.
Magic and melee attacks are now clearly intertwined, for a more fitting result , perfectly integrated into the action direction taken by the game: it's like seeing NieR: Automata (especially in that final parry), maybe even better. The ability to cast spells while jumping is an interesting implementation, while running and charging / casting spells feels a little overkill, unless their potency has been contained, but these are details we are concerned with. you can really stop at full play. Overall, for a debug build it's pretty impressive, especially considering the team still has six months left to improve: where the original featured clunky, woody gameplay, NieR Replicant Ver.1.22474487139 is finished, clean and paced. much more pressing. Given the narrative quality of the source material, it was what this new edition needed.
After years of being praised for its narrative and characters, but criticized for a gameplay clearly woody and problematic, NieR Replicant Ver.1.22474487139 brings back a title that deserves to be played by retouching it where it was most needed: the debug build shown on the occasion of the TGS presents us a game that for color palettes, landscapes and music recalls the nostalgic familiarity of the original, while on the playful side it shows off a much more fluid and clean style, clearly the son of NieR: Automata. It is the same experience as in 2010 but at the same time it is something new, which especially old-time fans will be able to appreciate. All the others, on the other hand, will be lucky enough to get their hands - and cry - on a title that has become a cult. The absence of dad NieR could be a difficult bite to swallow, yet one cannot remain indifferent to the excellent work done by Toylogic.
