NieRfans will soon be getting a new edition of the series' start, and for the West, the version of the game they never got.
As part of a10-hour long 10th anniversary livestreamon Sunday,NieR Repilcant ver.1.22474487139…was announced for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. And yes, that is the actual title.
The game was revealed through a teaser trailer that consisted of concept art and text. No release date was given, but the announcement did offer a fair amount of details to sift through.
For starters, the series' big 3 in director Yoko Taro, composer Keiichi Okabe, and Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito are back at the helm, withToylogichandling development – a studio that previously assisted in the development ofDragon Quest XI’sNintendo 3DS version,The Evil Within,Kid Icarus: Uprising, andSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.
Saito (via Famitsu) said the game isn’t being considered a remake or remaster, but a “version upgrade.”
PlatinumGames' Takahisa Taura, the senior game designer forNieR: Automata, is also involved in some capacity, according to Japanese gaming siteGame’s Talk. How much he has influenced this new edition ofReplicant, though (i.e. will its gameplay be altered to better matchAutomata’s), is unclear.
Additional info revealed during the livestream (again viaFamitsuandGame’s Talk):
NieRoriginally launched in Japan as two separate titles back in April 2010.Replicantwas released on the PlayStation 3, while the Xbox 360 received a version dubbedGestalt,which became the only form of the game the West would receive on either platform.
Both games followed the same story outline, but on different timelines and with different versions of its protagonist, Nier.
Replicantstars a young version of the character who is in search of a cure for his ill sister, Yonah.GestaltÂfollows a much older Nier who is on the same mission, except the relationship has changed from brother and sister to father and daughter.
Design-wise, the games had their shortcomings, and failed to become a major hit. But Taro’s writing, characters, and world-building, paired with Okabe’s music, were more than enough forNieRto gain a devout cult following.
Nier: Automata, with action game specialists PlatinumGames leading development, came along at the beginning of 2017 and paired that all with stellar gameplay, helping the series finally breakthrough with a bigger audience.
Automata’sdone so well, in fact, that it has sold through more than 4.5 million copies since its launch, a milestone that was celebrated during Sunday’s livestream.
Also announced during the stream wasNieR Re[in]carnation, a free-to-play mobile game being developed byApplibotfor iOS and Android.
Taro, Okabe, and Saito are working onRe[in]carnationÂas well, according toDengeki Online, with art houseCyDesignationhandling character design.
