Now that Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… is out, a lot of players will be revisiting the wonderfully weird world of Nier. Some people might be surprised that it doesn’t seem to be the same game they played way back in 2010. Originally there were two different Nier games released: Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant.
Both games are near identical, but a few small changes in the game really stand out. Square Enix decided to bring Nier Replicant back (leaving Gestalt in the past). This decision might leave players wondering what was up with the first two Nier games.
8 Hardware Matters
When Nier was released in 2010, the version players could get depended on what hardware they had. Nier Replicant was released exclusively for the PS3 and Nier Gestalt for the Xbox 360.
Nier Replicant was technically the original version of the game. The developers didn’t intend for there to be two versions. However, the suits at Square Enix thought the sales abroad would be lackluster and pressured them to make a retconned Western version called Nier Gestalt in order to appease Western audiences.
7 Regional Differences
The original Nier Replicant was never released outside of Japan (at least, not until the remake). Western players either had to understand Japanese or play fan translations if they wanted a chance to experience the original game.
If this wasn’t strange enough, the West only received a game simply titled, Nier, which was actually Nier Gestalt. This might be because the original version of Nier Gestalt actually had English voiceovers despite being exclusive to Japan.
Perhaps Square Enix was preparing Gestalt to be a Western release, or maybe not. When it comes to Nier, everything gets contorted and cryptic.
6 Stereotypes and Perceptions
Square Enix believed that Westerners tend to favor stronger, more masculine figures (like Solid Snake). The frazzled, middle-aged beefcake in Nier Gestalt is a reflection of what the Japanese thought Westerners wanted to see in a protagonist.
Alternatively, Nier Replicant had a much younger, more slender main character. He was more typical of what is found in a lot of JRPGs. This was supposed to be more parallel to what Japanese gamers enjoyed seeing in their protagonists.
Curiously, both protagonists are named Nier despite technically being different characters. This might help keep the story intact… or just confuse fans even more.
5 It’s All in the Family
Because the two Nier games have different protagonists, it makes sense that their relationship with the other characters is different. This is most apparent with Yonah. Yonah is sick, and the titular main character, Nier, is trying to save her in both versions.
In Nier Gestalt, the main character is her father, whereas he is her brother in Replicant. Surprisingly, this hardly changes the plot of the game, but there is some different dialogue between the versions.
It is said that Square Enix thought Westerners would find a father-daughter relationship more engaging. They might not have been wrong. After all, think Witcher 3, The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, Dishonored 2, and the list goes on.
4 Tempo Changes
There are some different tracks between the two games. Nier Gestalt has a more in-your-face, edgier sound while Replicant has a more sublime, celestial sound. There is no consensus on which soundtrack is better, and it really depends on what players prefer. Nier Replicant’s aesthetics are undoubtedly more resemblant to Nier: Automata.
It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Square Enix took another stab at cultural perceptions and preferences with the track changes. However, seeing how popular Nier: Automata was, it is safe to say that the world is ready to handle the ethereal sounds of Nier Replicant.
3 The Numbers
It’s difficult to get concrete sales numbers, but it appears that Nier Replicant outsold Nier Gestalt. In Japan, Gestalt sold only 12,500 copies during its first week while Replicant sold over 60,000 copies.
This might be due to the specific console each respective game was released on, as PlayStation is more popular than Xbox in Japan. It might be based on the main character and a Japanese preference for younger, more slender-framed protagonists. It’s hard to say.
Nier Director, Yoko Taro said that Nier sold around 500,000 copies worldwide. No version of Nier did particularly well, but Replicant’s better sales numbers might be why it’s getting a remake instead of Nier Gestalt.
2 Birthday(s)
In Nier Gestalt, Nier’s birthday falls on 9/11. This is a symbolic date because it was the release date of the original Drakengard game. Not only did Yoko Taro also lead development on the Drakengard series, but Nier is technically a spin-off of that franchise.
In Nier Replicant, Nier’s birthday is on 6/6. The reason for this is that Taro left this date as a placeholder but forgot to change it. Yup, as simple as that.
It gets more interesting, though, because there is an unofficial holiday in Japan on 6/6 called Brother’s Day. This goof turned into a pretty good accidental explanation for the change of date and makes this minor difference that much sweeter.
1 The Timeline
Nier Gestalt takes place in 3361 while Replicant takes place in 3365. This has no real impact on the gameplay, however.
For fans really looking to deep dive into the lore and backstory of the Nier universe, it is possible that both timelines are canon. Since the Drakengard and Nier games are famous for having a plethora of endings, it all depends on what Nier would actually do at the end of each game.
Would old man Nier stay with his daughter? Would brother Nier sacrifice himself for Kaine? Without getting into the nitty-gritty, both games are canon and fit into the larger timeline with companion pieces such as games, novellas, and so on.
NEXT: 10 Things Everyone Missed When Playing Nier Replicant
