Complemented by its fantastic soundtrack, intelligent yet witty narrative and quirks that one would expect from director Yoko Taro; 2010’s NieR was one of those cult classics from the last generation of gaming which has stuck in the minds of many. Following the early-2017 release of Nier: Automata which served as its sequel, there has been renewed interest in this hit game receiving a port or even remake over to new consoles. The inclusion of a three-part raid series in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers last year was a promising sign of more things to come, and today we finally have confirmation… development of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is underway.
Based off the previously Japan-exclusive Replicant version of NieR, this remake will see players return to a dark, post-apocalyptic world as they join a brother’s quest to cure his sister of a deadly disease – a pursuit which will, in turn, make them question everything.
The differences between the Replicant (PS3 – Japan Exclusive) and Gestalt (Xbox 360 – Japan Exclusive and Western Exclusive) versions of NieR is the choice of protagonist. While Replicant follows a young brother looking to save his sister, Gestalt follows an older father striving to save his daughter. While I do look forward to playing as the young protagonist for the first time, I am curious if they will bring the older one back in some shape or form.
Instead of PlatinumGames who took over the reins of NieR: Automata, development of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… will be done in collaboration with Japanese studio ToyLogic. Creatives for this project consist of many NieR veterans, including Yoko Taro as director, Keiichi Okabe as composer and Yosuke Saito as producer.
Above: The original NieR’s launch trailer (2010)
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC (via Steam). No release date or launch window has been confirmed.
