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The Fate of the Aerie | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 7

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Are we entering our villain arc? At the Aerie, the line between human and shade is blurred. Emil hesitates to harm these people, but Weiss confidently proclaims that they are monsters who must be struck down. Moog resolutely complies and seems not to feel any remorse, reassuring Emil that the disturbing loss of control over his power and subsequent deletion of the Aerie was very good and very right. After an entire town is wiped out, I expected at least a short conversation with Popola to reflect on such a tragic event. But no, we move right along to the next task without so much as an acknowledgment. The bleakness does not let up from here. I should have seen it coming that Red Bag Man--a recurring character so annoying, yet so harmless--was being set up to suffer a terrible fate. It's hard not to feel guilty for how much shit we've talked about this guy's antics when we find his mangled corpse at the bottom of the Beached Shipwreck. In this section, we defeat yet another ...
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The Robot & the Shade | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 6

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We're revisiting the locations from Part One, this time collecting "key fragments" instead of "sealed verses." I'm confused as to how Popola figured out that we need these key fragments to find the Shadowlord's castle or whatever. Hopefully, it all comes together. At least the pace feels faster. We covered the Lost Shrine, the Junk Heap, and the Forest of Myth all in one sesh. I've had to accept repetition to get through this game, and there were enough changes to these sections for me to feel engaged. The Lost Shrine was basically the same except that we entered through the back entrance, but it's been long enough that I didn't mind. Plus, it's nice to have Kaine and Emil with me this time around. The Forest of Myth was cryptic and strange as ever, but I think I'm supposed to be confused. I'm starting to see the cracks in big Moog's psyche--his single-mindedness, his quickness to violence. There is a strange parallel betwee...
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Beneath the Manor | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 5

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Just as the Barren Temple gave  Legend of Zelda , the Manor gives Resident Evil . Jogging around a spooky mansion with fixed camera angles, searching for "moon" and "star" keys to unlock certain doors? This game enjoys paying homage to as many genres and iconic games as it can. I was really startled the first time shades showed up in the house, loved the spook. We get closer to some answers here, what with the creepy butler who is clearly a robot (SUS). But who was the book we fought in the manor? I thought it had to be Grimoire Noir, but it wasn't. If there are more books out there than just the two, what does that mean? The mid-season finale was explosive and emotional. It was touching to see Weiss finally come through and embrace the party as his friends. Kaine is so gentle toward Emil, who clearly reminds her of her younger self. Their dynamic makes her sacrifice feel that much more devastating, even if we know this can't really be the end for her. I...
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The Forest of Myth | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 4

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"I'm really excited for this section. I think it's gonna be really cool." lolololOLOLOL The Forest of Myth was disappointing. I can see what they were going for, and I can appreciate it. It was, as appears to be a pattern with Replicant , very meta. However, that does that not make up for the fact that I was hoping to see some cool sights and play some cool game and got absolutely none of that. Even with the decision to present the Deathdream as a text-based sequence, there could have been more effort placed into the presentation of the forest itself. Surely more than three people live here, right? This session put me in a bad mood because when I look back, there was hardly any real gameplay in the span of three hours. In previous parts, the monotony of young Moog's compulsive errand running was broken up by combat-focused sections. To be fair, I was wrapping up side quests today before reaching the point of no return for this first half, so, whatever. But oh my ...
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Rules Do Not Exist to Bind Us | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 3

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- The tedium of Facade broke my brain. What is the significance of the name? What is the purpose of this unbearably slow segment? How do I feel about it? Fyra run faster oh my goooooOOOOOOD - I survived the slowest boat tour in history and made it to the Barren Temple. The game pivots from non-existent gameplay to the most gamey of gameplay. Here is your reward for sitting through all that, it says with a smirk. This temple is a place for prospective kings of Facade to earn their title, completing a sequence of rules-based trials to earn the king's mask. By that logic, shouldn't young Moog be king? We did all the work, while the prince just needed rescuing. - However, I can't really blame the prince for acting like a dumb kid when he is  one. Here is yet another child with the weight of the world unfairly placed on his shoulders. Both young Moog and the prince have watched a loved one suffer from the Black Scrawl--but while we still have hope to save Yonah, the king of Faca...
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From Seafront to the Junk Heap | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 2

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A couple developments on my initial dislikes: - The d-pad allows me to access healing items quickly. Yippee! - I learned my first "word" that is not simply a percentage-based stat increase. It adds a  paralyze  status to my attacks and magic. I combined this with another word that boosts the status effect by one level. When enemies are paralyzed, they show a blue lightning effect. Other thoughts: - The game is trolling? First, the game makes fun of its own fishing mechanic; I'm not even sure if it's real. Then, there is a cheeky conversation acknowledging how I have to run all the way back to the entrance of the Junk Heap area rather than the game providing a "warp." Then, Weiss snarkily comments on the Junk Heap boss's "obvious weak spot"--its big open mouth, of course. I shall give it an obligatory chuckle. - I fought a powerful shade outside of Seafront that I was clearly under-leveled for, as it one-shot me about six times. I stubbornly che...
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1,412 Years Later... | NieR Replicant (2021) Part 1

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The original NieR released in 2010, with two versions that are nearly identical, save their titles and the protagonist's relationship to Yonah. The Japanese audience played NieR Replicant , featuring a teenage boy caring for his sister. Western audiences played NieR Gestalt , featuring an older man caring for his daughter. This 2021 remaster, titled NieR Replicant ver. 122474487139 ,  features the younger character, which was the originally intended concept. I played the 2017 sequel,  NieR Automata , a few years ago, and it earned a high position on my list of favorite games. However, I've forgotten many of the story details. Given that this game actually came first, I don't mind. I plan to replay Automata after this and enjoy the full context of both games. Today I experienced the opening flashback, familiarized myself with the village, ran errands for Popola, rescued Yonah from the Lost Shrine, explored the Aerie, and met Kaine. LIKES!  - The swordplay and magical att...
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