Nier Replicant Censors Japanese Pre-Order Bonuses Due to Potential Spoilers
The remaster of NieR: Replicant is available for pre-order now. However, Square Enix is still trying to save some surprises for the RPG’s 2021 remaster. The company’s Japanese Twitter account recently showed off fourteen PlayStation avatars featuring the main cast of NieR: Replicant, however, the studio chose to blur out two of the avatars to conceal the characters' identities.
The publisher didn't do a great job blurring one of the characters, though. Observers have already identified him as the adult version of the protagonist featured in NieR: Gestalt. The character’s build, hair, and unique mask are all dead giveaways of his identity. The second portrait, on the other hand, is much harder to make out. This led to a great deal of speculation, including that the mystery avatar might be another version of the main character. Others think it is a new character added to the game.
For the unfamiliar, NieR: Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is a remaster of the Japanese-only version of 2010’s NieR. The JRPG was unusual in that its Japanese and international releases starred radically different versions of the main character. In the Japanese version, the protagonist is a teenage boy trying to save his sister Yonah. However, the international version, Nier: Gestalt, recasts him as a grown man with Yonah as his daughter. The games are otherwise identical, with only the dynamic between the protagonist and Yonah changing.
Many consider the story of Nier: Replicant superior, although not everyone agrees. Some reviews from 2010 approved of the older protagonist, criticizing the brother-sister relationship as an overused anime trope. Other players formed an attachment with the older, grumpier hero, affectionately dubbed “Papa Nier” by the fans.
During a holiday live stream last year, a Square Enix employee stated that the company would add Papa Nier to Replicant’s remaster if it exceeded 2.5 million units sold. From the context, it’s hard to say if the statement was genuine, although 2.5 million is not an impossible goal. For instance, 2017’s NieR: Automata surpassed 5 million units sold in February.
The likely existence of a Papa Nier avatar led to speculation about his possible inclusion in the game. However, there’s been no official confirmation from the developer. Square Enix’s Japanese Twitter account also shot down speculation that players would be able to swap protagonists in NieR: Replicant. Still, that does not rule out the possibility of an alternate scenario included in the game. If nothing else, a Papa Nier avatar gives his fans reason to hope.
NieR: Replicant ver.1.22474487139 releases April 23rd for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: The Gamer
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