compared to automata

[morpheus]

how good is this game story wise compared to automata?

i was blown away by automata when the game didnt end after the credits but instead it was just getting started

[Protoman]

The structure of the endings is a little different in Replicant, but you still need to watch all of them to get the full story. It isn't like Automata's where you continue with another character (except for one ending).

[Draaloff]

It's probably fine if you just play casually and don't care about all 5 endings and achievements.

I personally didn't care for the story as much outside of the visual novel sections, but that's just personal preference.
Combat is worse in my opinion, with less variety and no upgrade chip system like in Automata.
Music is good like Automata, and the visuals are also fine.
The game is shorter and in my opinion generally worse, although it is an older game.

Unfortunately, for a completionist it is miserable.

You basically have to replay route B three times for all the endings with almost no changes, and it's super grindy.
There's no level select unlocked at the end like in Automata, so you can't easily clear up sidequests and stuff.
Many sidequests are also permanently missable, as well as Words (which are like upgrade chips in automata). As an additional insult, Words also drop based on RNG. Even ones dropped by minibosses.

There are also achievements for beating bosses within a time limit, and you can't just jump to them. You have to grind through the story and reach them.

It also has a stupid flower growing minigame that uses real-world time, relies on RNG, and doesn't explain the rules. Plants grow (and eventually die) every 24 hours. When they die the seeds drop, and these seeds vanish after another 24 hours. Basically, you need to play every single day just to manage your digital garden. And it's just to crossbreed a single flower for an achievement.

There's also fishing, but it's a proper minigame this time. Unfortunately it doesn't fully explain the rules like with the flower one and has achievements tied to it.
Automata's RNG fishing sucked, but at least you didn't need to complete it for achievements.

TLDR: only get it for casual play, because it's miserable if you want all 5 endings and/or achievements.

[morpheus]

Originally posted by Draaloff:

It's probably fine if you just play casually and don't care about all 5 endings and achievements.

I personally didn't care for the story as much outside of the visual novel sections, but that's just personal preference.
Combat is worse in my opinion, with less variety and no upgrade chip system like in Automata.
Music is good like Automata, and the visuals are also fine.
The game is shorter and in my opinion generally worse, although it is an older game.

Unfortunately, for a completionist it is miserable.

You basically have to replay route B three times for all the endings with almost no changes, and it's super grindy.
There's no level select unlocked at the end like in Automata, so you can't easily clear up sidequests and stuff.
Many sidequests are also permanently missable, as well as Words (which are like upgrade chips in automata). As an additional insult, Words also drop based on RNG. Even ones dropped by minibosses.

There are also achievements for beating bosses within a time limit, and you can't just jump to them. You have to grind through the story and reach them.

It also has a stupid flower growing minigame that uses real-world time, relies on RNG, and doesn't explain the rules. Plants grow (and eventually die) every 24 hours. When they die the seeds drop, and these seeds vanish after another 24 hours. Basically, you need to play every single day just to manage your digital garden. And it's just to crossbreed a single flower for an achievement.

There's also fishing, but it's a proper minigame this time. Unfortunately it doesn't fully explain the rules like with the flower one and has achievements tied to it.
Automata's RNG fishing sucked, but at least you didn't need to complete it for achievements.

TLDR: only get it for casual play, because it's miserable if you want all 5 endings and/or achievements.

thanks!

[Protoman]

Well, if you want a better explanation, it's like this.

The game is told in two parts. Part 1 when Nier is a Boy, and Part 2 when he is an Adult.
When you clear the game once, you can play a New Game+ from the beginning of Part 2. To reach the end again, you'd need something like 1 hour and a half (maybe even less). You're probably so strong that some attacks just make you flinch (they do almost zero damage). Quests you've completed stay completed, you keep items and everything. You can't go back to Part 1 ever again in that save file, so if you missed any of the sidequests from Part 1, you can't complete them anymore. And that really sucks.

The endings don't really change a lot of stuff. The route to Ending B is the same as A, but there are "behind the scenes" cutscenes that explain a lot of the events that you didn't see. The route to Ending C/D will have a few different cutscenes as well. Ending E is the shortest route, and it's there just to wrap things up.

You don't need to complete the sidequests from Part 1 to see every ending. Some of them give you weapons (necessary for Ending C), but if you missed those sidequests, you can buy just the weapons in Part 2.

Honestly, I'd finish the game once and just watch the rest of the cutscenes on Youtube.

[morpheus]

Originally posted by Protoman:

Well, if you want a better explanation, it's like this.

The game is told in two parts. Part 1 when Nier is a Boy, and Part 2 when he is an Adult.
When you clear the game once, you can play a New Game+ from the beginning of Part 2. To reach the end again, you'd need something like 1 hour and a half (maybe even less). You're probably so strong that some attacks just make you flinch (they do almost zero damage). Quests you've completed stay completed, you keep items and everything. You can't go back to Part 1 ever again in that save file, so if you missed any of the sidequests from Part 1, you can't complete them anymore. And that really sucks.

The endings don't really change a lot of stuff. The route to Ending B is the same as A, but there are "behind the scenes" cutscenes that explain a lot of the events that you didn't see. The route to Ending C/D will have a few different cutscenes as well. Ending E is the shortest route, and it's there just to wrap things up.

You don't need to complete the sidequests from Part 1 to see every ending. Some of them give you weapons (necessary for Ending C), but if you missed those sidequests, you can buy just the weapons in Part 2.

Honestly, I'd finish the game once and just watch the rest of the cutscenes on Youtube.

that's very clear, thank you

[Draaloff]

Originally posted by Protoman:

The game is told in two parts. Part 1 when Nier is a Boy, and Part 2 when he is an Adult.
When you clear the game once, you can play a New Game+ from the beginning of Part 2. To reach the end again, you'd need something like 1 hour and a half (maybe even less).

I was speedrunning those additional runs and I'm sure they took longer, but that is indeed a better explanation.
You have to do part 2 multiple times for the endings, and you also need to get each ending in the following order: A, B, (C), D, E. That's 3 or 4 playthroughs of part 2.
C is optional, and you can pick either C or D when you've beaten the final boss for the 3rd time. However, you can only pick D if you have collected every weapon.

Originally posted by Protoman:

You're probably so strong that some attacks just make you flinch (they do almost zero damage).

The enemies, bosses, etc don't change at all, so later runs are as boring as they are easy.

Originally posted by Protoman:

Quests you've completed stay completed, you keep items and everything. You can't go back to Part 1 ever again in that save file, so if you missed any of the sidequests from Part 1, you can't complete them anymore. And that really sucks.

100%. I'm glad Automata didn't do that.

Originally posted by Protoman:

The endings don't really change a lot of stuff. The route to Ending B is the same as A, but there are "behind the scenes" cutscenes that explain a lot of the events that you didn't see. The route to Ending C/D will have a few different cutscenes as well. Ending E is the shortest route, and it's there just to wrap things up.

Pretty much. The runs after A add very little, which is super dull. E is an exception though, but you need to start a new save file and replay a chunk of part 1.

Originally posted by Protoman:

Honestly, I'd finish the game once and just watch the rest of the cutscenes on Youtube.

Agreed. Alternatively there's an online save editor if you want to skip to the end of route D and play the new route E stuff yourself.

[Foulcher]

In my opinion the first one is way more original and deep. It's darker and weirder. Plus its more emotional and there are more memorable characters.
I loved both but NieR is really a stellar experience. Every new ending is a punch in your face. I started with OG one though.
The newt playtrhough are very easy to achieve and in my opinion the progression was less painful, I felt like walking too much in Automata. So even if it can seem painful to replay the game, you get a completely new perspective and you are was more powerful so you just steamroll the game.

Plus Automata is technically a sequel, I feel bad when people are recommended to play Automata first.

[Draaloff]

Originally posted by Foulcher:

In my opinion the first one is way more original and deep. It's darker and weirder. Plus its more emotional and there are more memorable characters.

Eh; that's debatable. I personally got way more out of Automata.

Originally posted by Foulcher:

I loved both but NieR is really a stellar experience. Every new ending is a punch in your face. I started with OG one though.

Again; I didn't get much out of Replicant with the exception of the visual novel parts in additional playthroughs.

Originally posted by Foulcher:

The newt playtrhough are very easy to achieve and in my opinion the progression was less painful, I felt like walking too much in Automata. So even if it can seem painful to replay the game, you get a completely new perspective and you are was more powerful so you just steamroll the game.

The lack of challenge (or change in general) made the latter runs extremely boring for me. It was bad enough that I took multiple long breaks from the game before completing it. Replicant also had plenty of walking around.

Originally posted by Foulcher:

Plus Automata is technically a sequel, I feel bad when people are recommended to play Automata first.

While that is true, it generally works as a standalone game. Replicant is more reliant on other media to fill in the gaps.

[SENMSL]

Originally posted by morpheus:

how good is this game story wise compared to automata?

i was blown away by automata when the game didnt end after the credits but instead it was just getting started

Story is just an over-sized family thing. It's just a little sadder and heavier than average JRPG. It's far from automata even in terms of structure.

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by morpheus:

how good is this game story wise compared to automata?

i was blown away by automata when the game didnt end after the credits but instead it was just getting started

Much, much better. I can't even bring myself to finish NieR: Automata, but I've finished the original NieR several times.

[Draaloff]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

Originally posted by morpheus:

how good is this game story wise compared to automata?

i was blown away by automata when the game didnt end after the credits but instead it was just getting started

Much, much better. I can't even bring myself to finish NieR: Automata, but I've finished the original NieR several times.

I had the opposite experience. I put down Replicant for months at a time because repeating part 2 multiple times was so boring.

[Hawk the Hero]

Automata is so much better.