Players may wonder if Nier Replicant is a sequel to Nier Automata. Automata brought the series into the mainstream, and many weren’t aware that it was part of a spin-off series. However, Nier Replicant and Nier Automata’s relationship is a bit complicated.
Is Nier Replicant a prequel or sequel to Nier Automata?
Nier Replicant is the prequel to Nier Automata, not the sequel. Replicant is a remaster of Nier, which was released in 2010. While the game saw modest success when it first debuted, it wasn’t until Nier Automata released in 2017 that the series gained wide popularity. It wouldn’t be surprising to find that many players think Automata is the first game in the series.
To make things more complicated, Replicant is a spin-off of the Drakengard series. It follows the events of the fifth ending of the original Drakengard. However, the connection between the two series so thin that players aren’t missing out by just playing the two Nier games.
Should I play Nier Replicant before Nier Automata?
Since Nier Automata is the sequel to Nier Replicant, it might seem like playing them in order is a requirement. That’s not the case, though. The events of Nier Automata take place around 8,000 years after the conclusion of Nier Replicant, so there’s not a lot of recurring characters.
Instead, playing Replicant will allow players to appreciate certain things that happen in Automata and vice-versa. We recommend playing both, but it doesn’t really matter which order. Together, they paint the story of the fate of humanity, but one isn’t needed to understand the other.
However, be aware that playing one of the games will spoil surprises in the other. Since they were written as largely self-contained titles, some twists and turns are a lot more obvious for those who know the events of the other game.
