'NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139' (remastered version) arriving 23 April 2021; new trailer & gameplay footage showcased

Weiss, you dumbass! Start making sense, you rotten book, or you're gonna be sorry! Maybe I'll rip your pages out one-by-one! Or maybe I'll put you in the goddamn furnace!

NieR released with muted fanfare back in 2010 but proved to be an enduring cult classic. Over a decade later, it's receiving a new coat of paint and is due to come out 23 April 2021 for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Please note this is a remaster of the Japanese-only Replicant version, meaning it will be a younger NieR as the lead rather than the older, grizzled papa version on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the West.

The gameplay has been touched up in this brief Tokyo Game Show 2020 digital showcase. While the original game was developed by now-defunct developer Cavia, this polished and touched-up remaster is handled by no other than Toylogic, a lesser known studio that handled the brunt of the development work for the PS4 version of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.

Here is an overview of the game by Square-Enix for those unfamiliar with the original.

About

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is an updated version of NieR Replicant, previously only released in Japan.

Discover the one-of-a-kind prequel of the critically-acclaimed masterpiece NieR: Automata. Now with a modern upgrade, experience masterfully revived visuals, a fascinating storyline and more!

The protagonist is a kind young man living in a remote village. In order to save his sister Yonah, who fell terminally ill to the Black Scrawl, he sets out with Grimoire Weiss, a strange talking tome, to search for the “Sealed verses.”

Experience the NieR Replicant story for the first time in the west through the eyes of the protagonist as a brother.
The original all-star team returns including acclaimed director, Yoko Taro (Drakengard / NieR: Automata), composer Keiichi Okabe (Tekken / Drakengard / NieR: Automata), and producer Yosuke Saito (Dragon Quest X / NieR: Automata).

Story

In a distant, distant future, humanity is on the brink of extinction.
A black scrawl disease and strange beasts threaten the world.
A young kindhearted boy makes a promise to his little sister.
A thousand-year lie that would live on for eternity…

Key Features

• Uncover the truth behind the world of NieR and prepare to question everything in this dark, twisting tale.
• Journey alongside an unlikely group of allies through a ruined world, plagued by sickness and monstrous horrors.
• A mesmerizing iconic soundtrack, newly recorded by NieR: Automata composer, Keiichi Okabe.
• Fight back dreadful enemies with a visceral, uniquely customizable blend of swordplay and powerful magic.
• Customize your character’s magic, skills, and weapons with the power of Words.

 

It's looking nice!

I'm still not sure when/if I will get it myself, but it would be a good opportunity to get into this franchise I have completely neglected so far. My only experience with the NieR franchise so far would be the first couple of NieR Automata quests in FFXIV: Shadowbringers.

The music sounds brilliant! I can see now why the NieR sountracks have such a huge following and have had sell-out concerts just like Final Fantasy.