There and Back Again: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…
The game that started it all is making a return on April 23, 2021. Here’s the journey so far.There are few series quite like NieR.
Since 2010, these incredible games have presented gamers with wonderful worlds, full of talking grimoires, existential androids and amazing music. Now we’re going back to where it all began with an incredible remaster of the first game in the series.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is a modern re-telling of the classic RPG that features updated visuals, new character illustrations by NieR:Automata character designer, Akihiko Yoshida and even a newly recorded soundtrack by composer Keiichi Okabe!
It launches for PS4, XBOX One, and PC (Steam) on April 23, 2021, and is available to preorder now.
In addition to the standard edition, we’re excited to announce a very special, and very exclusive, collector’s edition: The White Snow Edition.
The White Snow Edition
Available only on the Square Enix Store, this is a bumper pack of NieR-related awesomeness. It gives you the game on the platform of your choice, and includes a wealth of extra items, including:
A “Lunar Tear” collector’s box
A Steelbook case featuring stunning artwork by Illustrator KODA KAZUMA.
A set of Grimoire Weiss, Grimoire Noir, and Grimoire Rubrum pins - presented in a specialized display case.
The Script Set - a collection of seven books, including the content of the spoken script of the game. It’s packaged in a special hard case, featuring unique cover art by character designer Akihiko Yoshida! Please note that this is only available in English.
A two-disc soundtrack collection - one disc features reworked tracks from NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…. The second features special arrangements overseen by Keiichi Okabe, which are exclusive to the White Snow Edition. It’s all presented in a premium Grimoire Weiss-inspired package.
Get NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… White Snow Edition.
Awesome, right?
To celebrate the return of this landmark game, and this amazing edition, we wanted to take a brief moment to look back at the origins of the NieR series - and celebrate how far it’s come.
2010 - NIER launches
NIER first launched around the world way back in 2010.
Directed by YOKO TARO, (it’s actually a spin-off from his earlier Drakengard series), the game put you in control of the titular Nier. Along with a growing list of allies, including a foul-mouthed warrior and a talking book, he searches for a cure to the Black Scrawl - terminal illness that threatens his closest relative, Yonah.
Interestingly, two versions were released in Japan. Xbox 360 owners could play NieR Gestalt, which featured an older NieR, with Yonah as his daughter. PlayStation 3 users got NieR RepliCant, where the main character was younger, and Yonah his sister.
In the West, NieR Gestalt was the only release (and just called NIER). While it wasn’t a bestseller, it quickly gained a following thanks to its soulful story, emotive soundtrack, and unapologetic refusal to be even remotely predictable.
For example, rather than sticking to a traditional action RPG format, the game regularly switches gameplay styles, moving seamlessly from 3D exploration and combat to 2D sections and back again. You’ll step from up close melee combat to an intense ‘bullet hell’ scenario, inspired by classic top down shooters, and more.
In essence, it combined elements from lots of different games and gameplay styles in a way that felt completely new and unique - an approach that would be refined further in 2017’s Nier:Automata.
2017 - NieR:Automata
NieR fans had a bit of a wait for the next entry in the series, but in 2017 NieR:Automata launched for PS4 and PC.
Director YOKO TARO and Producer Yosuke Saito returned, working with action experts Platinum Games, to create an unforgettable game that won acclaim from critics and gamers alike.
In NieR:Automata, humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In response, the humans created android warriors to reclaim their planet from the invaders, and the war has raged since.
You take the role of a number of these androids, including soldier 2B, and hacker-scout 9S, as they embark on a mission that will challenge their assumptions about the world, the war, and their very existence.
As with its predecessor, NieR:Automata is a willfully unconventional game - both narratively and in terms of gameplay. The gameplay is constantly shifting, with 2D shooter sections, intense hacking minigames, and incredibly punchy and rewarding combat.
The game definitely struck a chord, picking up numerous awards, including Best Narrative and Best Score at The Game Awards, as well as many others. It was, in other words, a hit!
Following the successful release of the game, an Xbox One version, NieR:Automata BECOME AS GODS Edition, was released in 2018. It included the DLC, a few exclusive items, as well as visual enhancements for Xbox One X.
Then, in 2019, NieR:Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition released for PS4 and PC. It combined the game and its DLC into a single package, giving new players on those platforms a convenient way to get the full experience.
The Future - NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… and more
Which takes us into the future , and the upcoming release of NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139…
This modernised version updates the classic game with a host of enhancements, including new visuals, new illustrations and new music.
During the Tokyo Game Show, we also announced that NieR Re[in]carnation - the first mobile game in the NieR series - is in development by Applibot, Inc. for North America and Europe. To stay up to date on that title, follow the official Twitter and Facebook channels:
The legacy of NieR
The NieR universe has really taken on a life of its own - it’s inspired books, concerts, merchandise - it’s even made a recent guest appearance in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers!
The music of NieR
We can’t talk about NieR without calling attention to the incredible work of composer Keiichi Okabe and his team at Monaca.
The NieR series has some of the most beautiful, evocative game music ever written. These award-winning soundtracks are beautiful, exciting, emotional, unique… basically they’re very, very good.
So good, in fact, that they’ve even inspired multiple albums and even concerts, such as the NieR:Orchestra Concert re:12018 tour, which came to Los Angeles, London, Chicago and Bangkok earlier this year.
If you want to immerse yourselves in the sounds of the series right now, a selection of soundtracks is available digitally on streaming services, including Spotify, and physically via the Square Enix Store.
NieR merchandise
Following the release of NieR:Automata, many fans wanted merchandise - and they got their wish. From books to BRING ARTS figures of 2B, 9S, and A2, to machine lifeform coin banks, there’s lots of cool stuff available. You can check it out on the Square Enix Store:
Guest appearances in other games
In the last few years, the world and characters of NieR:Automata have leaped from the game into other titles - such as 2B’s guest appearance in Namco Bandai’s Soulcalibur VI, or costumes for Sony’s Gravity Rush 2.
More recently, FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers launched a raid series – YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse. Inspired by the NieR series, and guest-developed by Producer Yosuke Saito and Director YOKO TARO, it pits 24 players against machine lifeforms in new dungeons.
It’s a really great series in its own right, but for NieR fans, it will feel particularly special.
As you can see, it’s been an amazing journey for the NieR series so far, and with NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… arriving April 23, 2021, there’s so much more to come.
To stay up to date with all the latest news and information about the game, and the NieR series as a whole, make sure you follow on social media: