Nier: Replicant is a second chance for a fascinating and flawed game
Nier: Replicant is a shape-shifter. It makes you think it's a simple action roleplaying game set in a bleak fantasy universe, but steadily reveals itself to be a lot more. It's a game that shifts wildly in both tone and play style. It's weird and heartbreaking, frustrating and playful, often all at the same time. This release is also a second chance for a game that failed to reach a big audience when it first launched in 2010, now updated for modern tastes. It still requires a little patience - but it's worth putting up with some clunky gameplay to find all that Replicant has to offer.
If the Nier name sounds familiar, it's probably because of Nier: Automata, a 2017 action-RPG from director Yoko Taro and studio PlatinumGames that became...