Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Nier Replicant Includes Cut Content, Steam Cards Reveal New Character

 Video games  4 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Apr 162021
 

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is due out on April 23, and we’ve gotten our first hints about its new content.

Back when it was announced, there was a reference to new elements and characters being added, but very little has been said about the additional content since then.

We still don’t know a lot… but we have some more details to go on.

In a recent interview with PCGamesN, producer Yosuke Saito said the upcoming remaster/remake includes “some extra story sections that [they] were unable to put into the original” and “a heartrendingly sad but unbelievably powerful new boss.” He also said there will be “a new story, an extra link to Automata, and something for fans of ‘Dad Nier’ too.”

This is pretty exciting. I don’t know how extensive the new story content will be, but it’s enough to have me intrigued. And while I doubt the older Nier will be secretly playable like some fans are hoping, it’s nice that there will at least be a nod to him in some form. I was thinking about not getting Nier Replicant right away since it wasn’t too long ago that I played the original, but I might need to reconsider.

(I don’t know if I’ll have the heart to face a heartrendingly sad boss fight, though.)

Meanwhile, Nier Replicant will be available on Steam, and the Steam trading cards were revealed… including one of a new character named Louise.

The card’s description says: “A girl who had been part of a shipwreck in a cove. The bow on her head is a gift from someone special.”

Fans are speculating that she is the girl from the short story “The Little Mermaid” included in the Japan-exclusive book Grimoire Nier. Bringing the Grimoire Nier stories into the game is fantastic, and I hope that’s what the new story content is about.

These new details have me even more excited for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Are you planning to play it? What do you think the new content will be like?

Arc the Lad: A Worthy Classic I Missed

 Reviews, Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Apr 142021
 

I never knew about the Arc the Lad series until Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits came to the PS4 as part of the unfortunately short-lived move to bring PS2 games to the PS4.

That put it on my list of games to consider, someday.

But with the impending shutdown of the PSP, PS3, and Vita stores, the original PS1 Arc the Lad games were on my list of games to buy, so I decided to check out the first game to see if I’d like it enough to get the rest.

And you know what? It’s pretty good!

Arc the Lad is a tactical RPG about a boy named Arc who ends up going on a quest to save humanity from monsters. He meets a number of characters who join his mission, and they become the party you use in each of the game’s battle stages. There are a handful of areas where you can walk around and talk to NPCs, and a number of places that are worth revisiting for bonus items and secrets.

In battle, each character has a basic attack as well as special abilities that cost MP. They gain experience for doing pretty much anything, which means even support skills or opening a treasure chest can get you closer to leveling up.

The story is fairly straightforward (with surprisingly strong environmentalist themes), and the characters are likeable. It’s also pretty short for a JRPG and ends on a cliffhanger, which I assume is where Arc the Lad II picks up.

While it largely feels like a prelude to its sequel as a result of the cliffhanger, it more or less completes its story arc and is enjoyable enough on its own. I even did a lengthy bonus dungeon to get rewards that can be transferred into the second game… because yes, this series apparently features save data transfers despite originally being from 1995.

Anyway, I enjoyed it enough to pick up Arc the Lad II and III. I don’t know if I’ll play them right away, but I’m glad I was able to discover this classic series before the stores shut down.

If Arc the Lad is one you’ve been considering, it’s worth checking out!

NEO: The World Ends With You Release Date, Trailer, New Details

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Apr 092021
 

I still can’t believe we’re actually getting a sequel to The World Ends With You.

It’s not a pipe dream or a faint hope anymore; NEO: The World Ends With You is really happening.

I’ve been excited for it ever since it was first announced, and it’s currently my #1 most-anticipated game of 2021.

Now, alongside the start of the TWEWY anime, we’ve gotten new details, another trailer, and a release date for the upcoming sequel.

NEO: The World Ends With You will be out on July 27 for the Switch, PS4, and PC (via the Epic Games Store only, at least for now).

A special edition was announced for Japan, but since the Square Enix Store only lists the standard edition here and is selling the merchandise from the special edition separately, it seems we might not get one.

But let’s get into the details.

According to the new information, detailed here by Gematsu, the new combat system lets you equip each team member with a pin to use its ability in battle.

I’ll miss the unique style of the original’s combat system, but I’m sure this will still be fun.

Scanning is back to read people’s thoughts and see Noise, and you’ll be able to chain together Noise encounters like in the original. From the trailer, it looks like directly fighting other teams in the Reaper’s Game will be important, too.

So, let’s take a look at that trailer.

I love the way this game has brought the original’s visual style into 3D. It looks fantastic! The trailer also gives a glimpse of the equipment system, which once again features brands for the clothing and pins.

In addition to the returning characters shown in the announcement trailer, Uzuki is also back with a new look this time. Coco from the new epilogue added to The World Ends With You: Final Remix also appears, so A New Day might be relevant. And the very end of the trailer reveals that Neku is back as well, although what role he’ll play here is left ambiguous.

Strangely, it seems like the new protagonist is able to rewind time, letting you replay the day’s events to change the future. It’s not clear yet how big of a role this will play in the story.

I am so excited for NEO: The World Ends With You. Will it be as good as the original game? I almost feel like it can’t be, because I just love the original that much. Yet at the same time, I can’t wait to see what the sequel has in store for us when it comes out on July 27.

What did you think of the newest NEO: The World Ends With You trailer?

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