NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

[spatular]

The games been a bit hit and miss for me, i kept hoping something exciting story related would happen to bring me round, but its not really doing it for me, its not terrible or anything, ive been quite enjoying some bits. The combat is alright.

ive finished all the old game endings now, just the new one to go. maybe im missing something in the story? Big Story spoilers:

Spoiler

Im an android, everyone is androids/replicas. The shade things are human. Also it seems like the human me is a 1400 year old shadow lord or something. And the twins are some sort of overseers to the project of saving humans (by waiting till a desease is eradicated before reuniting shades with their bodies or something) , which seems to be going badly, and im not sure they explain very well why theyre helping me, then fight me at the end.

 

emil’s alternate costumes are cool.

ill probably look up some story stuff once ive finished the last playthrough.

having to replay lots of often boring stuff to learn slightly more doesnt really pay off for me, probably could have had all the stuff from the second and third play throughs in one go - would have helped.

time taken spoilers:

Spoiler

First playthrough with getting nearly all the weapons took about 30 hours, 2 and 3 took about 5 each, then maybe another hour to get the other ending. Then it deletes the save so im not sure on total time to that point.

 

the music is awesome.

[one-armed dwarf]

You're pretty spot on what it's all about Spatular, I'll put some stuff in a spoiler block but keep it not too intense (which is hard with this game though because its story is so weird)

 

I also agree with the way endings work in this, as much as I love Nier (and I really love it, it's one of my favourite games) I wish there was a way to just go straight to ending D on the second playthrough, then get ending E on the short replay. 

 

Ending story stuff

Spoiler

Oh boy, so basically this happened

 

 

 

This is the ending to a completely different game in a different series. Basically in one of Drakengard's endings the final boss crosses dimensions into our world (it's supposed to be a sort of weird meta ending). But when the giant and the dragon died it spread particles which causes the disease in Nier (it turns them into zombies devoted to the Gods of Drakengard, or it turns them into salt)

 

So for project Gestalt they used the magic from that universe to study a way of separating body from soul and hibernating until all the dark magic went away, basically. It's a super fascinating origin I think but it's also weird how uninterested the Nier games are in actually explaining even a little bit of it lol. They keep it at arms length.

 

In fact in the Japanese opening to Nier you can see the tower that the dragon dies on, and the 'snow' isn't snow at all. It's the same material as the big giant thing.

 

[spatular]

^ cheers for the story info! i'm going to hold off reading it till i've done the last ending, hopefully get that done tomorrow depending on how long it is.

[DANGERMAN]

I finished first chapter (not counting the tutorial) yesterday, and it ends really, really well. I'm guessing the loading screens are giving away what's going on a bit, but I'm sure there's more to it.

 

I did the first fight of the 2nd chapter, I'm not sure about the slower combat, I might switch back to my single handed weapon for speed, unless it was just that fight which was supposed to be a bit of a slog with the armoured enemies.

[one-armed dwarf]

I find the one handed weapons remain pretty useful even in part 2.

 

I didn't do this while I was playing but apparently there is an option to turn the weapon switching from a 'hold' action to just a quick click, so you can quickly bounce between spear and little sword (I never use the chonky sword, just felt bad and I probably didn't give them enough upgrades)

 

In the end tho it's all about the sealed verses, some of them just break the game. Which IMO is just great fun, I even removed the block command entirely so I could have 3 verses instead of 2

[spatular]

Yeah i scrapped the block too, used the spinny magic thing instead, and didnt really use the heavy sword much either.

 

edit - im playing on easy so dont take anything i say about the combat as useful

[spatular]

i just did the last ending and quite enjoyed it when i got to the new stuff.

 

23 hours ago, one-armed dwarf said:

I also agree with the way endings work in this, as much as I love Nier (and I really love it, it's one of my favourite games) I wish there was a way to just go straight to ending D on the second playthrough, then get ending E on the short replay.

yeah i think it's all the repetition that i just don't get on with, it's got good stuff in there, and i was enjoying it quite a bit at first/when there was new stuff to do. but getting to it all just put me off it too much. it's a bit like persona 3 in a way that i think that game has good stuff in it but the structure of it really put me off that too.

 

i was also thinking about the endings:

Spoiler

in playthrough 2 (B) you can hear the shades and sort of get their side of the story - i thought in playthrough 3 maybe you'd be able to help them/not kill them - maybe you can by doing sidequests? - but that didn't seem like a thing.

 

[one-armed dwarf]

Spoiler

No, the whole thing is to just see the other perspective.

 

When I first played Nier I figured it was a game about being a baddie, but replaying it more I see it more as a game about both sides being somewhat 'bad' but having a legit perspective to justify their badness. The replicants are destroying humanities plan to save themselves but they themselves have gained sentience so it's justified, it's self preservation to them. The gestalts want to get back to their bodies, but do they even really own them after 1000 years? That's why Yonah's gestalt just leaves the body to her replicant, cause its its own person now. Ultimately it's all people loving someone too much and doing things to protect them that might not be wholly right, or for the greater good in the case of the MC.

 

Think the original plan for playthrough B was Kaine would be playable, cause she can actually hear the Shades the whole time given that she is half one herself. They sorta make good on that finally with ending E in Replicant.

 

[spatular]

good info, cheers!

[DisturbedSwan]

Finished off Ending A on Saturday night, took me just over 38 hours to clock it. Then made a start on my B run.

 

Spoiler

The events in Facade were also incredibly poignant. I loved seeing Fyra all grown up and marrying the King, only for her to be brutally murdered by the Wolves a few minutes later which was heartbreaking. The King going nuts and slaughtering all the Wolves in revenge didn't feel right at all, they felt incredibly helpless really and the ease with which you put down the boss didn't help in this respect. 

 

Picked up the final fragment needed, did the side quests required to get the weapon in Facade, then bought the others I needed at the Weapons shop here (luckily I just had enough money) and it was time to make my way to the last area in the game.

 

I actually had no idea how to get to the last dungeon, after scratching my head a bit, I looked it up and of course it was staring me in the face. So I made my way back through The Lost Shrine (killing tons of Shades along the way) and entered the final dungeon.

 

Spoiler

 

This whole area was really weird and had a heavenly ethereal feel to it.

 

I slowly made my way through, killing lots of Shades and mini-bosses along the way and picking up the last two weapons I had to get before reaching the final boss battle. He went down pretty easily and that was that, Ending A complete. 

 

Then on to the B route. Straight off it is already much different than the first run, starting me off right back after Kaine gets awakened from her Petrification in the Library but this time with 15-30 minute novella sections. I actually really liked these and actually shed a tear about what happened to her Grandma and why she so wanted to kill that Shade you first experience in the Aerie in Route A Part 1. It's nice to be able to understand her so much more already and I feel like her relationship to Emil is also going to be key in this run from the brief scene when they're both sitting out around the campfire. 

 

 

This is going to be a speedrun pretty much as I've got nothing else left to do side-quest wise. Will hopefully get Ending B by the end of tomorrow and then make a start on C/D. 

[DisturbedSwan]

Now up to about 47 hours on this as I managed to get quite a lengthy session in yesterday.

 

Finished off my second (B) run, then made good progress into my third (C) run and have got all the way up to just before the final dungeon again.

I've been surprised by how much I enjoyed the B run, as typically I don't enjoy going through a game again once I've finished it. With this though, it just adds such greater context to all the events during the 2nd part of the game

Spoiler

 

due to Kaine's ability to understand what Shades are saying, it humanises them and makes you feel for them more. As mentioned in my previous post it also explains her tragic backstory and also introduces her murderous Shade alter-ego Tyrann. 

 

You notice little things right away like eavesdropping on a conversation between the first boss of Act 2 (Gretel) and his friends, reminiscing and mourning the loss of his friend Hansel. Then there's the bit in the Aerie where you hear Emil's inner thoughts and feelings as well as expanding on his backstory immediately after the tragic events there, incredibly sad too. I think the most heart breaking for me was learning more about the Robot and the Shades' relationship in the Junk Heap and the story behind the Boss in Seafront between the Postman and Louise. The Robot story probably affected me the most, teared up through all those parts, such a special game. 

 

 

That was my B run finished in about 4.5 hours, (which includes the 3 combat arenas which were previously DLC) I picked up the last weapon needed and then it was on to my C run. This is just pretty much a straight up repeat of the B run with about 5 minutes of additional dialogue so I've been skipping most cutscenes and just been mainlining it straight to the finish line. So far it doesn't add too much more to the story than the B run but just gives a tiny bit more context on a few of the antagonists' motivations and changes one small detail compared to the B run. 

 

Should get this finished up on Thursday night, then reload my save and get the D ending. From what I've read the E run won't take too long either so yeah, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. What a superb game.

 

[one-armed dwarf]

I wanted to post this to show how wonderfully broken Dark Wall is 

 

 

The combat is bad but also actually I kind of dig it because of how powerful it makes you feel and how cool the powers look

 

Yeah there's a parry system but who cares? Just use the OP book it's the coolest

[DisturbedSwan]

I don't think I've ever used Dark Wall. I've been rocking Dark Whirlwind, Dark Lance and Dark Hand for quite a few hours now, I did experiment with the Spiky one (can't remember the name) for awhile but took it out.

[Nag]

So this is kind of where I ended up on this, the short version... I pretty much hate it by this point.

 

Slightly longer version... I've done everything up to Ending D and restarted for Ending E but I just cannot be bothered to play through again, it's an absolute chore of a game not helped by the fact nothing exciting happens... at all.

 

So, while I think I'm done it's not going in to the completed games thread as, to me, the game isn't completed... maybe one day I'll return to see the final ending... when playing the game doesn't fill me with dread.

 

Should've been called Fetch Quest: Ver 17363635464

[DisturbedSwan]

1 minute ago, Nag said:

So this is kind of where I ended up on this, the short version... I pretty much hate it by this point.

 

Slightly longer version... I've done everything up to Ending D and restarted for Ending E but I just cannot be bothered to play through again.

 

I will say, you don't have to play much of Route E. You only have to make it up to the part where you visit The Aerie for the second time in Act 1.

 

[one-armed dwarf]

You basically have completed it if you go off the original release, as ending D was the final ending in that.

 

IMO tho dudes don't play a game like this over and over just when it's clear you don't like it, it's cool to drop shit when you know it's not for you or you find it rubbish. I also did kinda warn you that the ending requirements are really shit and it's still a part of the game I hate, and it's even worse in the remake because some of the repeated elements are new content.

 

Ending E isn't going to turn you around on it, but it's worth a youtube watch.

 

 

edit and damn I hope you didnt do all those sidequests nag, even the biggest fans of this game agree they suck

 

[Nag]

Every. Single. One.

 

???

[one-armed dwarf]

Serious question: why? Did you expect them to eventually get good or something? 

 

On 25/04/2021 at 21:58, one-armed dwarf said:

Also I'll add again that a lot of the side quests are pretty bad, some have nice stories attached but if you feel obliged to do all that stuff then it will punish you for it

 

I tried my best lol. The bad sidequests are compounded by the ending requirements which is why I mentioned this so much

[Nag]

Achievements have a lot to answer for ?... to be fair I didn't expect them all to be so shit, I mean what was the actual point of them? Game padding is all they amounted to.

[one-armed dwarf]

 

7 minutes ago, Nag said:

to be fair I didn't expect them all to be so shit

To be fair I told you tho ?

 

Basically this dude's games are all like that, they're trying to contrive ways to make the most out of their meager budgets. Hence the thing they do with routes/branches, weird ending requirements where you have to stand in a dungeon for 20 minutes for a weapon to appear in the east wing of a dungeon (Drakengard does this type of shit, I hated it). But the game didn't achieve cult status because of its sidequests. Also the designer of these games made the final boss in D3 basically impossible, so yes a lot of stuff in these games is very anti-player. Including the 

Spoiler

save deletion

thing that they do.

 

Even though this is a remake it's still the same budget game with the same design limitations, but at least with the sidequests you have no real reason to do any of them unless they give you a weapon