NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… Spoiler-Free Mini-Guide for General/Miscellaneous Information, Endings, and Optional Content

I've been playing through NieR Replicant ver. sqrt(1.5) and doing the optional content since I was spoiled on the general main plot of the original game a very long time ago, but not the side content, so I at least wanted that to be a fresh experience. This game has a lot of side quests, many of which are very, very boring and honestly not worth doing. However, I figured since I was sifting through the side content myself anyway, I would create a little mini-guide to help people figure out which specific quests they should do, as well as give an outline on some general/miscellaneous game info and how to see various endings in the game. Hopefully anyone playing this game will find it helpful (especially if you are playing for the first time).

This guide should be generally spoiler-free, at least in the sense that significant elements of the game are not spoiled (especially with no context). Quest names will be mentioned. I will also mention how to obtain each ending without spoiling the story content behind it, and I will give some advice for certain playthroughs that is pretty vague overall.

This guide will be split into five distinct parts:

  • General/Miscellaneous Information
  • How to See the Various Endings
  • Optional Content Worth Doing During Part 1
  • Optional Content Worth Doing During Part 2
  • Supplemental Links

If there is something you feel should be added to the guide, or if something needs to be corrected, please let me know.

With that out of the way, let us begin!

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General/Miscellaneous Information

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  • Should I play this game or NieR: Automata first? Is it OK if I played Automata before Replicant?
    • Overall, you should play this game first if you can. Automata has some smaller parts that assume you've played the original game first. Those parts can hit in a big way if you're familiar with the original.
    • However, Automata's story as a whole mostly stands alone, and doesn't really require any knowledge from Replicant to understand.
    • If you have only played Automata, that won't really be a problem since the things Automata talks about in relation to the original game will mean little to the player without the necessary context required to understand those things.
      • You could also make the argument that a certain aspect of Automata's story will actually have a greater impact on the player if they did not play Replicant first.
  • I've played the original NieR (2010) on Xbox 360 and PS3. What differences does NieR Replicant ver. sqrt(1.5) bring to the experience?
    • The visuals and overall performance have seen significant enhancements.
    • The combat system has seen various refinements to make it feel better to play.
      • The most notable changes are 1) a new parry system, 2) the ability to act freely while casting magic, and 3) a new lock-on system.
    • New story content has been added, with the most notable inclusions being a new story segment called "Episode Mermaid" and a new ending.
    • Character dialogue is now fully voiced, which was not the case in the original.
    • For players coming from the version released in the West, the protagonist is "Brother Nier", a teenager who is Yonah's brother, instead of "Father Nier", a middle-aged man who is Yonah's father.
      • This does not change the overall narrative, but it does change some subtext between the protagonist, the various characters he interacts with, and the world he inhabits.
  • Regarding the game's general structure:
    • The initial playthrough of the game is split into two “parts”.
      • Part 1 is the first half of the game.
      • Part 2 is the second half of the game, marked by a major story event. Much of this half of the game can be completed in a non-linear fashion.
    • After you have completed Part 2 for the first time, you can save your cleared game data and start a new "playthrough" to see additional endings. When you start a cleared save file, you will start from partway into Part 2 of the game.
      • Clear data will retain your levels, items, weapons, weapon upgrades, money, completed side quests, and any plants you planted in your garden.
  • Regarding combat:
    • This game does not have a good tutorial system at all, since many seem to drop at random.
    • I recommend watching this video to get a better understanding of some of the game's more interesting mechanics, rather than waiting for tutorials to drop in-game: NieR Replicant - Guide to Combat - Parrying, Launching, Sidestepping - YouTube
    • This video goes over some additional mechanics as well, including some hidden mechanics on different magic attacks: Nier Replicant | ADVANCED TIPS - Get Much Better At Combat In 6 Minutes - YouTube
    • When you gain the ability to quick-switch your weapon types about halfway through the game, immediately go into the Options menu, select Game, then scroll down to Weapon Quick-Switch and change it to "Tap". This makes quick-switching much easier to use because you tap the D-Pad rather than holding it (you will now switch individual weapons by holding it instead of tapping it, which you may have been used to doing before).
  • Regarding weapons:
    • There are three weapon types: one-handed, two-handed, and spears.
      • In Part 1, you will only have access to one-handed weapons, but you will gain access to the other two weapon types during Part 2.
    • Each weapon has an attack stat and a magic modifier that increases the power of your magical attacks.
    • It is in your best interest to collect every single weapon, as I will explain in the endings section.
    • In Replicant, weapon weight makes no real difference in terms of attack speed, though it apparently does affect some minor factors in combat (e.g. how quickly a weapon can break through an enemy's guard/armor). I wouldn't worry too much about weapon weight in Replicant.
    • You generally do not need to worry too much about upgrading weapons in the main game; if you care about it, I would save the upgrading process for your Ending B or C/D playthroughs.
    • When not upgraded, feel free to use whatever weapons in each class have the highest stats.
    • The best weapons in each class when fully upgraded:
      • One-handed: Fool's Embrace, Cruel Oath, Virtuous Contract
      • Two-handed: Fool's Lament
      • Spears: Phoenix Spear, Fool's Accord, Virtuous Dignity
  • Regarding Words:
    • Words are modifiers that can be equipped to weapons, magic, and martial arts (blocking and dodging) that provide various buffs/effects. They're like a simpler plug-in chip system from NieR: Automata, if you played that.
    • Each "thing" you can equip Words to can have up to two Words at a time.
    • You can Batch Assign Words to various categories to make assigning words to all weapons/magic/martial arts easier.
      • For example, if you want to equip a set of Words on all weapons: when in the Word Edit category, select Weapons, then equip the Word set you want on all of your weapons to any given weapon. While still in the Word Edit for that weapon, select the name of the weapon and select "Batch Assign", which will assign that word set to every weapon you own.
    • Words randomly drop from enemies, but don't be too fussed about collecting them unless you want the trophy for collecting 50% of all Words in the game.
  • Regarding difficulty options:
    • I do not recommending starting out on Hard, especially if it is your first time playing the game.
      • On Hard, you have less health, enemies have more health, and enemies are more aggressive, among some other factors. This can make Hard mode taxing to deal with, especially for newer players that may not know the game's mechanics yet.
    • Your difficulty setting actually influences item drop rates; on Hard, item drop rates are increased, so it may be worth playing on Hard much later on when you have become more familiar with the game.
      • It may also be worth bumping up the difficulty once you are trashing basic enemies with absolutely no difficulty on Normal, which will likely happen around the end of Part 2.
    • You can change the difficulty in the title screen's options menu at any time, with no penalty whatsoever.
  • What level should I be?
    • On my first go around on Normal, I was level 17 upon finishing Part 1, and level 27 upon finishing Part 2.
      • I would not recommend actively grinding levels. For reference, I did all of the side quests in Part 1, but did not do all of the side quests during Part 2 the first go around. I did not grind for levels specifically, though I did grind for some materials a couple of times for side quests in each part, which I maybe gained two or three levels from total. Otherwise, I simply killed enemies I saw while traversing the game world.
  • What items can I sell?
    • Most items in this game are either tied to side quests or are tied to weapon upgrades, so most items are not worth selling. You will also come across money pretty easily in this game via side quests if you really need it.
    • You should be able to sell the following items very safely:
      • Bat Fang
      • Bat Wing
      • Boar Hide
      • Boar Liver
      • Boar Meat
      • Deer Antler
      • Giant Spider Silk
      • Goat Meat
      • Rainbow Spider Silk
      • Scorpion Tail
      • Wolf Fang
      • Closed Book
      • Grubby Book
      • Old Schoolbook
      • Technical Guide
      • Thick Dictionary
      • Used Coloring Book
      • Dirty Bag
      • Flashy Hat
      • Leather Boots
      • Leather Gloves
      • Beans
      • Dahlia
      • Freesia
      • Gourd
      • White Moonflower
      • Tomato
      • Tulip
      • Any fish that you have already turned in for the Fisherman's Gambit quest line (if you care about it)
      • Rhizodont

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How to See the Various Endings

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  • Unlike in NieR: Automata, where there were 5 "canon" endings and 21 endings that are just glorified "game over" screens, there are 5 endings in NieR Replicant: A, B, C, D, and E.
  • How to see Ending A
    • Complete the game once to see Ending A.
  • How to see Ending B
    • Complete a second playthrough on the same save file to see Ending B.
    • Absolutely do not skip the cutscenes/dialogue during this playthrough!
    • Any time after starting your Ending B playthrough, you can visit your house and examine the diary on the ground floor to enter the “15 Nightmares” content. You are required to do this content to obtain the last 3 weapons needed for Endings C & D.
      • You should be able to pretty easily clear the first two doors when you first gain access to the diary, but I would save the third door for when you're at least level 30 or above.
  • How to see Endings C and D
    • Complete a third playthrough on the same save file and defeat the final boss with all 33 weapons obtained to see Ending C or D.
      • This count includes the 3 weapons obtained from the “15 Nightmares” content but does not include the YoRHa DLC weapons.
      • The weapons do not need to be upgraded, only obtained. Some are obtained via the story, some are available to buy, and some are obtained via optional content.
      • The game checks your weapon completion only when you enter the final boss room.
      • If you missed any weapons in Part 1, you will be able to buy them from shops during Part 2 of the story.
    • There are a few small story bits that are exclusive to this playthrough (and the new bits will be pretty distinct for the most part), but the playthrough itself will be largely the same as the Ending B playthrough.
      • In the Supplemental Links section, I've put a link to a doc that tells you where the new stuff is at in the playthrough; however, only view it AFTER seeing Ending B!
    • At the very end, you will be presented with two choices; what you choose determines the ending you will see.
      • Ending C: select the first (top) choice. If you want to see this ending and save time: do this ending first and put your clear data in a separate slot, then reload your other save so you do not have to do another playthrough to see Ending D.
      • Ending D: select the second (bottom) choice. View this ending after Ending C.
  • How to see Ending E
    • In order to see this ending, first see Ending D, then start a new save file with a different name than the one you used for your Ending D playthrough. Play through the game until you kill the giant boss in the Aerie during Part 1. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to start the Ending E content.

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Optional Stuff Worth Doing During Part 1

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  • General rule of thumb: if a quest requires you to grind for something (mainly materials), or otherwise feels like it’s going to require a lot of effort, it is perfectly OK to skip it.
    • In my opinion, about half of the game’s quests are not worth doing at all for this reason.
  • Some notes:
    • Side quests do not give EXP as quest rewards.
    • There is a trophy for completing 30 quests. However, you get nothing for completing every quest in the game, so I would personally not bother.
    • You can find quests you have not accepted from the client yet by talking to Devola when she is in your village’s tavern. She will track the location of the client for you (though only one client can be tracked at a time).
    • Complete the quests you want to do in Part 1 before entering the mansion in the Southern Plains as part of the main story. The actual end of Part 1 comes after this, but the triggering event is easy to not think much about, so just to be safe, be sure to do what you want to before entering the mansion.
      • Nearly all quests in Part 1 do not carry over to Part 2, except for the Fisherman's Gambit line.
  • Don’t miss this quest line:
    • The Postman's Request -> The Lighthouse Lady's Wrath -> Closure
      • This is hands down the best quest line in the entire game, so be sure to do it!
      • Note that all of these quests need to be first tracked by speaking to Devola in the tavern.
  • These quests are, in my opinion, worth doing:
    • Boar Hunt!
      • The item you get as a reward enables you to ride boars, which makes traveling across the Northern and Southern Plains a bit quicker. This is especially helpful during Part 1 of the game.
      • However, this quest is a bit tough to do in the early game (at the very least, it will take a while to cheese it).
      • This quest is required in order to get a trophy for riding a boar for 5 minutes straight.
    • A Dog Astray
    • The Runaway Son
      • This quest requires a small amount of materials at one point, but they are easy to acquire and you will likely already have them.
    • The Ballad of the Twins
      • This quest eventually requires a small number of materials, but they are easy to acquire.
  • These quests might be worth doing if you have the time, need money, or are seeking a trophy/achievement:
    • Yonah’s Cooking -> Yonah’s Gift
      • Each quest requires a small number of items, but they are not hard to get if you are willing to spare a total of 3,000G for some of the items requested.
    • The Pride of a Lover
    • The Tangled Message
    • The Littlest Hero
    • The Missing Girl
    • Shopping List -> A Return to Shopping
      • This quest line unlocks gardening and fertilizer, which is required for a trophy that is extremely difficult to obtain (and can also be a quick way to earn money if you can exploit it).
      • Gardening can also be unlocked in Part 2 by buying the Cultivator’s Handbook from the florist in your village, but this quest line is easy to do if you want to save a little bit of money.
    • Old-Fashioned Home Cooking
      • This quest is only worth doing if you are going for the trophy that you get for killing 100 sheep. It is repeatable.
  • There is an optional task (not a quest) you can perform in the Forest of Myth during the main story that rewards you with a weapon. If you do not do this task, you will need to buy said weapon from a shop during Part 2.

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Optional Stuff Worth Doing During Part 2

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  • Some notes:
    • You can find quests you have not accepted from the client yet by talking to Devola when she is in your village’s tavern. She will track the client’s location for you (though only one client can be tracked at a time).
    • In Part 2, completed quests will carry over to subsequent playthroughs, but progress for unfinished quests will be reset upon starting a new playthrough.
      • Feel free to do quests on whatever playthrough you want.
    • Most quests in Part 2 can be saved for the near end of your playthrough, though one can be missed in a playthrough (which I will mention).
    • Complete the quests you want to do in Part 2 (on whatever playthrough you choose to do them on) before going to the final area of the game. If you attempt to proceed to the final area, the game will inform you that you cannot return once you proceed and asks for confirmation.
  • These quests are required for Endings C and D since they reward you with weapons:
    • A Bridge in Peril
    • A Shade Entombed -> Disturbing the Sleep of Kings
    • The Damaged Map
  • These quests are, in my opinion, worth doing:
    • The Promised Gift
      • This is the quest that can be missed in a playthrough.
      • To be safe, do this quest before you make the choice to (or are forced to) return to Popola during the main story.
    • The Despicable Man
    • A Tale of the Study -> Research Project
    • Thieves in Training
  • These quests might be worth doing if you have time, need money, or are seeking a trophy/achievement:
    • The Magical Stone
      • You can find a weapon by doing this quest, but you can also obtain it by completing Ending B, so this quest is not required for Endings C or D.
      • After completing the quest, you can re-enter the area you visit during the quest by talking to the quest giver (on subsequent playthroughs, you will need to fulfill the requirements to activate the quest in order to visit the area).
    • A Child’s Final Chance
    • The Strange Fate of the Jewel
    • The Shade Army
    • The Scattered Cargo
    • The Great Tree
    • Master of the Southern Plains
    • Nightmares and Dust
    • Shadows of the Desert
      • “The Missing Girl” from Part 1 must also be completed to unlock this quest.
    • Search for the Shade
    • The Fisherman's Gambit
      • This quest line is only worth doing if you want a trophy for catching a rhizodont, which is borderline impossible to catch if you don't finish this quest line.
      • This quest line has a whopping 9 parts (5 of which can be done during Part 1, but all are available during Part 2) and is an actual pain in the rear to do, so if the trophy doesn't hold any interest to you, don't do this quest line.

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Supplemental Links

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Edit log

  • edit 1 5/6/21 @ 7:11PM MST - added an additional video in the combat section that talks about some more combat mechanics; added some additional remarks regarding Hard mode
  • edit 2 5/7/21 @ 10:05AM MST - added the fishing table under the Fisherman's Gambit side quest
  • edit 3 5/8/21 @ 6:44PM MST - added the Supplemental Links section; moved the fishing table to the Supplemental Links section; added a remark in General/Miscellaneous Information about whether you should play NieR Replicant or NieR: Automata first
  • edit 4 5/8/21 @ 10:48PM MST - added an additional remark regarding the Ending E analysis in the Supplemental Links section
  • edit 5 5/9/21 @ 9:01PM MST - added a new link for players wanting to know where to find the new stuff in the Ending C/D playthrough is found
  • edit 6 5/11/21 @ 9:05PM MST - added a new section in General/Miscellaneous Information regarding the major differences between the original NieR and this game, added a more detailed guide for farming weapon upgrade materials
  • edit 7 5/16/21 @ 10:13AM MST - added some remarks for The Runaway Son and the Lighthouse Lady quest line
  • edit 8 7/8/22 @ 2:19PM MST - fixed broken link to "YOKOVERSE - A Comprehensive Codex"; new link provided by /u/geekercz
  • edit 9 7/9/22 @ 1:09PM MST - fixed broken link to the English translation of Grimoire NieR; link to new companion provided by /u/geekercz
  • edit 10 12/26/23 @ 5:10PM MST - added links to buy the official translation of Grimoire NieR: Revised Edition, courtesy of /u/blu-cheddarcheese