NieR:Automata™
NieR:Automata™
Game
Game2021
NieR Replicant™ ver.1.22474487139...
Developer Square Enix, Toylogic Inc.
The upgraded prequel of NieR:Automata. A kind young man sets out with Grimoire Weiss, a strange talking book, to search for the "Sealed verses" in order to save his sister Yonah, who fell terminally ill to the Black Scrawl. From the Steam store page
344 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon, Bluesky) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
88
LovedLoved
288 positive · 39 negative
95% range 84–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 288 | 39 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
14,032 of 15,554 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
88% recommend · 227 yes, 32 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 259 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (25,214 of 28,568 positive).
Players praise the story, characters, and music as masterful, but many find the gameplay tedious and the side quests boring. [1][2][3] Several reviewers note the game requires multiple playthroughs for all endings, which can feel like a chore. [2][4][5] Some players recommend the game only for dedicated Nier fans or those willing to overlook its flaws. [1][6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
If you're coming from Automata, I would turn around and leave right now. This game is a remake of the game that came before automata and the game design has some mind-bogglingly insane decisions. Yes, the game is technically a "prequel" to Automata, and the music and the storytelling is phenomenal. The UI and the world building once again gives insight into Yoko Taro's genius, but it also gives a glimpse into his …
- [1]
This is a very conditional recommendation. If you are a hardcore nier fan, then yeah play this game. Otherwise, although I absolutely loved the story and getting flashed by Kaine's ass all the time, Nier Replicant is actually a horrible video game and surprisingly unfun to play I could write a novel about why this game sucks but I'll try to keep it short. This is exactly the same game as Nier 2010 with a fresh coat …
- [3]
Some of the worst side content I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing while having a thought-provoking masterpiece of a story with incredible characters and music.
- [6]
Do I recommend this game? It depends. Is it a fun game? No. It is not a fun game. Do you have trouble finishing games? If so, do not play this game. Did you play Nier Gestalt back in the day? If so, I would not recommend this game. It is not as impactful now as it was in 2010. Did you play Nier Automata and thought it was amazing and you're willing to invest 35 to 50 hours into a chore of a game just to get another …
- [12]
From its story to its characters and soundtrack, everything in this game is integrated so well that it becomes something special. The voice actors bring real emotion to every scene, and the ethereal soundtrack is unlike anything I’ve heard in another game. There’s a constant feeling of hopelessness throughout the story, with no one ever truly succeeding, the game is BLEAK Yes, it has its moments of tedious side …
Summarised from 34 of the 279 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked NieR Replicant™ ver.1.22474487139... talk about excellent story with emotional depth and memorable characters; those who didn't talk about tedious and repetitive side quests, mostly fetch quests. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 344 · most liked firstThis is a very conditional recommendation. If you are a hardcore nier fan, then yeah play this game. Otherwise, although I absolutely loved the story and getting flashed by Kaine's ass all the time, Nier Replicant is actually a horrible video game and surprisingly unfun to play I could write a novel about why this game sucks but I'll try to keep it short. This is exactly the same game as Nier 2010 with a fresh coat of pain so expect it to be a slog to get through. - It has terrible and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Taro will make me play through the worst jrpg of the centuary 5 times in a row just so that I can watch different 30 seconds ending cutscenes, and even then I still think his game is a masterpiece
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is truly an odd game. It doesn't have a beautiful world to explore, yet is an semi-open world game. All the levels look boring and bland. Nothing really to discover. It doesn't have interesting side missions, yet it has a lot of them and the game even mocks you for solving those quests. Most of them are just fetch garbage. It doesn't have any enemy variety whatsoever. You only fight against the same enemy type with some slight variation. It has absolute garbage RPG mechanics,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some of the worst side content I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing while having a thought-provoking masterpiece of a story with incredible characters and music.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're coming from Automata, I would turn around and leave right now. This game is a remake of the game that came before automata and the game design has some mind-bogglingly insane decisions. Yes, the game is technically a "prequel" to Automata, and the music and the storytelling is phenomenal. The UI and the world building once again gives insight into Yoko Taro's genius, but it also gives a glimpse into his madness. Automata's side quests were optional and mostly combat-based or fetch…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is what I feel about the game after reaching ending e: We make mistakes, we do stupid things, and we change. These are our essential parts, the things that fill the gaps within us. We are not broken objects to be fixed, we are broken because that is simply how life works. There is nothing wrong with being damaged. The lives we lead might hurt us, and it can feel absurd, but there is always hope to continue. Connection with others is part of what makes us whole. So, be kind and find your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You know...I was pretty damn late to the whole Nier party....I was always interested in playing Nier Automota since it released, but life is life and I always put it on the backlog again and again until one day I decided to give this game a shot. It's funny because I only found out about this games existence a few days before I played it. I scrolled through the screenshots and thought "oh, this games a prequel, I'll play this game once and then watch the other endings on youtube to prepare for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish we had more nuance than thumbs-up, thumbs-down, but it is what it is. From the start of the game to the credit roll, Nier is a pleasant and melancholic game that pours a lot of attention into its side quests to paint a picture of life in a dying world. It's a game as much about loving the NPCs struggling day after day as it is about its character-driven main story. However, you may be aware that Nier is a game with multiple endings. Rather than a choice of parallel endings that you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do I recommend this game? It depends. Is it a fun game? No. It is not a fun game. Do you have trouble finishing games? If so, do not play this game. Did you play Nier Gestalt back in the day? If so, I would not recommend this game. It is not as impactful now as it was in 2010. Did you play Nier Automata and thought it was amazing and you're willing to invest 35 to 50 hours into a chore of a game just to get another Nier experience? If so, then I recommend this game. Did you think Nier…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Would have considered this a masterpiece were it not for the low quality side quests and the unnessary amount of walkthrough you have to do to get all the endings, which could have been incorporated into one streamlined walkthrough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are two kinds of great pieces of media: ones that let you unwind and get a quick fix of bright emotions, and ones that challenge the audience, but then stay closer to the heart. Nier: Replicant is that second type. It's not easy to get through: its eccentric creative director doesn't want it to be easy for you. But in the end it's very well worth it. One of the best stories, character designs and fantasy world atmospheres to date. The atmosphere especially does it for me. It just…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yoko Taro is a god. I don't understand how he was able to make such great games in the Nier series. Definitely one of the greatest games I've ever played. Graphics are a bit dated but still hold up enough. This is a remaster of Nier with all new assets and textures. Gameplay has been updated from its original 360/PS3 release. The protagonist has changed from that version as well. Now it's the brother instead of the father, but really doesn't make much difference. I like that we get to see him…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is something new I haven't discovered before... It's a game that at the same time has an extremely good story and innovative gameplay features that aren't present in other games in a similar package (except Nier Automata ofc.), but also has genuinely awful like truly bad gameplay decisions and lack of polish in most of the game. Here are some of my annoyances: -There is a cool isometric level, but it's ruined by a character following you around that if you get 5 meters away from, you get…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wonderful game, wonderful story, wonderful soundtrack, will never be playing again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →F*cking hell. I guess I got worst possible ending... If you enjoying life, have a job and family, please stay away from this. Otherwise this game will get you depressed.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would actually dare say that I love this game more than Nier Automata. I know Automata has the better combat and "mission" / "level" structure. But I much prefer the characters and stories in this one. Combat has been improved for this re-release. But the overall pace and options available here get outclassed by Automata. But I do think that the characters elevated this game above Automata for me. The comparison with Automata is weird to bring up. But I played the two games back to back. On…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →god this series is beautifullly written. the gameplay might feel a bit like a chore but everything else is just absolute perfection.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is pretty good and the characters are amazing but the gameplay is terrible and repetitive. The majority of the game is basically replaying parts you have already done once or even twice. Is it worth the effort to go through all the grind and terrible pacing and time-wasting elements caused by bad game design only for the story and characters? Probably not.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →From its story to its characters and soundtrack, everything in this game is integrated so well that it becomes something special. The voice actors bring real emotion to every scene, and the ethereal soundtrack is unlike anything I’ve heard in another game. There’s a constant feeling of hopelessness throughout the story, with no one ever truly succeeding, the game is BLEAK Yes, it has its moments of tedious side quests and repetition, but those flaws were easy to overlook once I reached the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't know I could pay $60 to get emotionally destroyed by a talking book and some of the best music ever made. Honestly, Ending E is pure cinema.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game becomes an absolute slog after you get ending B. The game is pretty good up until that point but theres very little new content to the point where it got annoying. The gameplay really is fine. Its serviceable at best, the story is definitely the star of the show, but even then i wasn't really a big fan of it. The game just isn't for me. I found it to be extremely repetitive and irritating, when i discovered i had to play through the first few hours to get a meagre 3 hours of new…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →100%ing the game is grindy but the game has a great story and you get to ride a boar. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a great game. The main storyline was interesting enough that I played through all the endings. The characters are well written, memorable, and have great voices. The music? Top notch. And the gameplay? It's fine. There are quite a few weapons to choose from, although Replicant gave me no reason to change them, except for better stats. I played with the basic weapon throughout Act I, and rest of the game with Phoenix Spear due to how busted this weapon is. I'm afraid there isn't much…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In many aspects, such as gameplay appeal, enemy design, storytelling and pacing, level design, and the variety of environments, NieR Replicant falls behind NieR: Automata. However, the important thing to remember is that NieR: Automata stands at an almost unreachable peak in these areas, and being below that peak does not mean that NieR Replicant lacks value. It is still a game that deserves a full playthrough and even multiple replays. The biggest reason why experiencing this title is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Story 8/10 Gameplay 4/10 Watch a lore summary for the best experience unless you want to do repetitive fetch quests and replay the game 5 times in order to feel like the protagonist or something. I regret getting every ending in this game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant is a game that I think is really special. When you finish it for the time you will think that you have seen everything but the truth is you have only just started to understand it. This game has good graphics, a soundtrack that is amazing combat that is satisfying and an ending that is very meaningful. All of these things are part of a story that gets deeper and more sad the longer you play it. The way you play the game is a mix of styles. It is part action game, part role…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: The story is well written, with strong emotional moments and characters that grow naturally throughout the game. It becomes more rewarding in NG+ and especially with Ending E, Emil, Weiss Kaine were so fun, entertaining, memorable, and bring a lot of personality to the cast. The game also offers five endings, which adds replay value for players willing to stick with it, and the payoff of the final ending feels incredibly satisfying.and combined with the soundtrack, they carry a huge part…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant is an amazing game! The story is by far the best aspect of this game and it's worth every minute played. Despite loving the game, I recognize it's far from perfect and here's what I think is a bit more on the negative side of things: - This PC port isn't great and suffers from some stuttering and frame pacing issues, I highly recommend installing SpecialK in order to mitigate these issues. - Some main quests and the majority of sidequests are simple fetch quests, with time…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i really am not one to leave games unfinished, but the amount of running around feels so unnecessary. The game even jokes about it Weiss, saying that let's hope we don't need to run around anymore. I just don't want to spend my time slogging through it. Don't even get me started on the Forest of Myth. I'm sure there is a lot of good things about this game, but I just don't feel like finishing it. I heard Automata is better, so I'll still check that out. I did get through one ending and made…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game will always have a special spot in my heart (well, mainly Gestalt, but I love the addition of Louise and E)! While I see it can be seen and felt as very repetitive, I do believe the different points of views and additional cutscenes are really worth it for the overall feeling and understanding of the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Almost quit because of repetitive quests, stayed for the music, plot and voice acting. Solid 8/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me be very clear that this is BARELY a recommend. I actually played the original Nier Gestalt back on the Xbox 360, and it definitely had an impact with its great characters, story, music, and its background lore and how it related to Drakengard. In a normal situation, this review would just focus on complaints centering around stuff only I care about like the voice acting and music being redone (Square Enix loves throwing old stuff into the dustbin of history and that irks me), but would…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After the rollercoaster ride that was NieR Automata, I didn't expect Replicant to have the same impact. And for the first ten hours, it certainly didn't. I even stopped playing for a few weeks, losing interest in a game that made me run around endlessly doing menial tasks. But when Emil's story arrived, the game finally hit its stride. With each twist and turn I grew more attached to the amazing cast of characters. Kainé and Emil's stories, in particular, hit me harder than anything that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Story is good combat is fine, but pacing is horrendous. Finished chapter A and played a bit of chapter b, but i cant force myself to finish this game 2 let alone 3 times just to see some new cutscenes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think you are doing a disservice to yourself to not play this and/or Automata. Fun combat and a story actually worth giving a ♥♥♥♥ about. Maybe just skip some of the side quests. As I grow older, this has become one of my favorite franchises. Please make another one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love this game almost as much as Automata. But if you respect yourself as a person, don't platinum it. I don't want to constantly reload the area in order to kill the same enemy at a set spawn for over an hour for an item that I need 8 of to finish ONE of the requirements (usually require THREE SEPERATE ITEM TYPES) for THE FIRST LEVEL (OUT OF 4) of one of the (OVER 30) weapons that you need to have maxed out for the achievement. To reiterate, you need to max out OVER 30 WEAPONS, some of which…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fantastic story. great set of characters. banger soundtrack. (unfortunately?) this is a yako taro project and it's also tedious, by design. it's far from the most egregious project he has his name attached to but there's some tediousness here, even if this remake alleviates some of them, mostly in regard to the combat. you'll need to do several playthroughs, probably look up a bit of info to figure out how to get the full set of endings. none of that part of the game is particularly exciting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolute cinema — one of my favorites. But the completionist experience was a nightmare. The required items had such low drop rates that it drove me insane; I lost around 15–20 hours of farming, and it really ruined the experience. The speedrun boss achievement was also frustrating — you can’t unlock it unless you skip the cutscenes, even though the beauty of this game lies in its cutscenes and storytelling. Very disappointing. I had to replay the entire story just for a speedrun achievement,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant in 2025 - New Player Early Impressions I just started playing this game the other day. I also recently picked up Automata, but I've read that this is a good one to start with (for story/lore reasons) so I decided to start with Replicant. I'm going in cold - all I really know is what everyone knows: Automata is a huge hit and 2B and the others have become video game icons. What I didn't expect, but which I am very happy about, is this game (and, apparently, this entire…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fetch quest sim, 10/10. unironically one of the best games ive played, and kaine just carries it too (weiss and emil aswell)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant has fantastic gameplay and a deeply moving story that will stay with you long after finishing. Seafront is one of those locations that really shows off how thoughtful the level design can be. The whole coastal town feels lived-in and melancholic. The distant wind turbines in the background are especially striking: they’re these huge, slow-turning shapes against the hazy sky, and at first you just register them as part of the scenery, but then you keep looking and suddenly you’re…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After spending 100+ hours on this game and getting all achievements and ending, Is this game worth it to get all endings? Absolutely Is this game worth it to get all achievements? Hell no The gameplay get repetitive and boring fast, and its just not interesting. But the story makes it up for it. HOWEVER to get all endings, you have to playthrough litterally half of your gameplay again and again, hence why it gets boring. To get all achievements tho, you need to farm ALOT. And I mean A LOT.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While playing through this, I was dealing with some of the heaviest things I’ve ever faced. It often felt like a strange cosmic inevitability that I was experiencing this game at the same time I was watching so much suffering unfold around me. Because of that, the game’s themes of consequence, love, and injustice hit with particular weight for me. Although I consider Automata stronger in its narrative, worldbuilding, and overall gameplay, I deeply appreciate NieR Replicant for its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- this is one of the greatest video games ever made, a truly fantastic experience like no other - jesus christ i need to jump off of the nearest tall building immediately
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A flawed masterpiece, aged mechanics and a lot of back tracking but man is this story worth all the hurdles. Top tier OST rivalling Automata's.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nier Replicant (not pronouncing the number part) is so so so so close to being a 10/10 masterpiece to me. On one hand: it has some of the best stories I’ve ever played in a game and has an amazing cast of characters and the greatest soundtrack I’ve heard in my life. But on the other hand: this game is tedious to play and is a fetch quest simulator that became almost unfun to play. As someone who considers Nier Automata as one of the greatest games I've ever played, I was so excited to play…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you are between ages of 15 and 62 and are depressed, or not depressed, or gay, or not gay, or hearing, or not hearing, you need to play this japanese role playing action game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolute masterpiece. This is a story that everyone should experience at least once.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(This is a spoiler free review from someone who has NOT played Automata yet! With pros and cons to read before buying!) TLDR: not too challenging, repetitive but fun and smooth gameplay, a bit redundant with its replays but has an excellent story, amazing characters, and stunning soundtrack. The replays are rough to get through with a lot of repeated content so keep that in mind. The endings and changes are worth it tho imo! Some dated gameplay, but also some extra content can be found outside…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →love this game, played it on xbox first. but genuinely unplayable on keyboard and even if you try to use a controller your mouse cursor wont leave the screen so you have to download a mod just to get rid of it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant holds a special place in my heart, being the first game that broke me on a level that no other form of media has. NieR is a flawed masterpiece, and that shows through its aged gameplay mechanics and constant backtracking. But beneath those imperfections lies one of the most tragic and beautiful stories I’ve ever experienced. It’s a story of love, sacrifice, and the extreme lengths someone will go through to save the person they love most. There’s a segment where you spend…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You will cry ugly tears of sadness, happiness, and other things. Philosophically amazing. A game that does not hold back but holds up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't let the slow start fool you! I almost gave up in the first few hours, but I’m so glad I didn't. The way the story is written and built up is beautiful, and the soundtrack is top tier. The characters are also incredibly well designed. I loved the overall gameplay and the combat was fun, tho I’ll admit the side quests are a bit of a pain due to all the backtracking. If you can look past that it’s a a good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nier Replicant will tear you apart limb by limb, not just because of its emotionally charged story, deeply compelling characters and intriguing, tragic world. But also from the insanity of its repeated playthroughs in search of its true ending. Was it worth it? Abso-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥-lutely.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NieR Replicant is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking experience, carried by its haunting story, unforgettable characters, and beautiful soundtrack. The narrative themes of loss, sacrifice, and humanity hit with rare emotional weight, making it one of those games that stays with you long after it ends. Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t hold the same power, combat is serviceable but repetitive, and having to replay large portions of the game to unlock all endings feels tedious rather than…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Slow start but loved every second after it and even did all the sidequests even tho I usually dont enjoy that process.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game that will stick with you for a long time if you don't mind some dated gameplay here and there (this is a remaster of the original Nier on ps3 with some new story content). Pro tip, don't play hard mode. It doesn't actually make the game hard it just makes fights take 10x longer and the gameplay/combat isn't the reason people like this game. If you want good gameplay, play the sequel (Automata) that fixed all the issues this game had. But for me, the story/characters and music…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love it. There's this series of side-quests with the lighthouse lady, it's better than many short narrative game. You can hunt sheeps for their meat. You can plant flowers. You even go to a wedding at one point. That's so much different things that make it special. You make a connection with the characters, you learn what they like, what life they have. It feels real.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good main story and fun gameplay, but whoever designed the sidequests can burn in hell they almost all suck massive ass besides a tiny handful.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At the time I beat it, I was juggling two conflicting feelings: “what a moving and daring ending that pushed the medium forward” vs pure frustration at playing through the B and D routes. It is ultimately worth playing, even if it took me days to realize whether or not I liked it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.