Nier

This article is about the 2010 video game. For other uses, see Nier (disambiguation).
Nier
Original Western cover art showing (from center to left) the unnamed protagonist, Kainé, and Emil
Developer(s)Cavia[a]
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Yoko Taro
Producer(s)
  • Takuya Iwasaki
  • Yosuke Saito
Designer(s)Daisuke Iizuka
Programmer(s)Takeshi Katayama
Artist(s)
  • D.K
  • Yoshio Kamikubo
  • Shogo Tojo
Writer(s)
  • Hana Kikuchi
  • Sawako Natori
Composer(s)
SeriesDrakengard
Platform(s)
ReleasePS3, Xbox 360
  • AS/AU: April 22, 2010
  • EU: April 23, 2010
  • NA: April 27, 2010
PS4, Xbox One
  • AS: April 22, 2021
  • NA/EU: April 23, 2021
Windows
  • WW: April 23, 2021
Genre(s)Action role-playing, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Nier[b] is an action role-playing video game developed by Cavia and published in 2010 by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In Japan, the game was released as Nier Replicant[c] for the PlayStation 3 with a younger main character, while an alternative version titled Nier Gestalt[d] with an older main character was released for the Xbox 360; Gestalt was released outside of Japan as Nier for both platforms. A remaster of the Japanese version, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...[e] was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows in 2021.

The game is a spin-off from the Drakengard series, following the fifth ending of the first game, the events of which have left Earth in ruin. Set over one thousand years later, the story follows the unnamed protagonist attempting to find a cure for a terminal illness afflicting the girl Yonah—either his sister or daughter. The gameplay borrows elements from various video game genres, occasionally switching between them and the main role-playing-based gameplay.

Beginning production in 2007, the game was directed by Drakengard creator Yoko Taro, who was given a lot of creative freedom with the project. Its storyline drew inspiration from September 11 attacks and the War on Terror, while its gameplay was partly inspired by God of War series. Due to Western feedback, multiple versions of the protagonist were created. The music was composed by Monaca, a music studio led by Keiichi Okabe, and several albums have been released.

Nier was released to mixed reception; reviewers praised the story, characters and soundtrack and were mixed in their opinions of how well the disparate gameplay elements were connected. The execution of some gameplay elements was criticized, notably the side quests, and the graphics were regarded as substandard. Despite this, the game acquired acclaim among players over time, becoming a cult classic. The original Nier sold 500,000 copies, while the updated version shipped 1.5 million copies worldwide. A sequel developed by PlatinumGames, titled Nier: Automata, was released in 2017.

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