Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487139, the preview after The Game Awards 2020
The fact that it has become a small cult in any case is a testament to its qualities, and it's nice - after the remarkable success of Automata - to see again some healthy media attention on the series in view remake Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487139 by Toylogic. To date, however, the information on this restoration work of the original title has been rather narrow, with many doubts about the actual changes to the formula, despite the now confirmed new coat of paint. A new trailer presented at The Game Awards, however, may have shed some light on the extent of the changes in this new version of Nier Replicant, and today we want to analyze the features with you.
Transformed gameplay
The trailer is short, but it shows multiple combat sequences, and that's exactly the ones we want to focus on in today's preview, as the game's battle mechanics seem to say the least transformed. Let's be clear, the basics are always those of the original Nier, which still possessed an interesting mixed system between white weapon fighting and magic of variable utility. The latter were then addressed mostly manually, with very few automatisms, and the general woodiness of combinations of strokes and movements did not help to adapt to the system. Here, all this seems to have disappeared: Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487139 clearly refers to Automata in a significant way (on the other hand Taura, combat designer of that game, has actively collaborated in the development of this remake), and you immediately notice from the video how much the clashes and movements have speeded up.To clarify, the animations are smooth and lightning fast, the combos are quicker and more varied (apparently with new loaded moves for certain weapons), and even aerial mobility has been improved with acrobatic maneuvers if you observe a jump on a boss that can be seen at the end of the trailer. The dodge seems adapted to that of Automata, with a partial control of the movement during its activation that adapts itself to the presence of enemies capable of filling the screen with rays and projectiles (due to the possibility of implementing minimal directional variations while evade).
The behavior of the latter has in turn been retouched, and the bullets thrown by bosses and various units are larger and more numerous. It is therefore legitimate to expect significantly more varied attack patterns from both the most common and the most mammoth opponents during the campaign, and it is undoubtedly an excellent move to have reworked the movement to support all this. Considering in addition that in the past the developers have confirmed the possibility of using spells simultaneously with offensive combos and the presence of a targeting system, there is a good chance that this combat system is as valid as that of Automata (if not more, since Taura's work had several imbalances).
Hidden stories?
If the fight excites us, however, it is still rather mysterious what are the interventions related to the narrative and to the original game structure. Although in fact it was at times a parody of its kind, Nier proposed some atrocious quests, the meaning of which could easily be maintained without necessarily having to torture the player. According to the developers' words, the underlying structure should remain almost identical, but there will at least be changes to the plot, so some modernization (or directly some cuts) remains more than plausible.As for the story, however, the potential is enormous, as Taro will have given birth to a memorable story with this weird and fascinating creature of his, but he has also hidden some very important information of the narrative background in mediums often very far from videogames (even theatrical performances, for be clear) and a remake is the perfect opportunity to add significant morsels to texts and events that can eliminate some uncertainties.
The technical sector has also been promoted, in our opinion, despite not having done a particularly exaggerated job. The team's will has clearly been to maintain the original Nier's color palette and simplicity, focusing on frame rate and clarity of the action, and we fully approve.
Ah, listening to the trailer, it's pretty obvious that even the soundtrack will be retouched, since Blu-Bird, the background song, is not the classic one but a remix always curated by the talented Okabe. As long as he is at the reins, there are no doubts in this field.
We have enormous expectations for Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487139, since the thought of being able to face the original Nier again without the flaws that plagued it. warms the heart like few other things in the world. Taro's work deserved a more skilled team and more refined mechanics: now he has them. If treated with respect and modified in the right elements, this makeover could easily turn out to be a small masterpiece. Let's hope.
