Nier Replicant was the first game in the series that was originally released for PlayStation 3. The game laid the groundwork for the series, but it wasn't until Automata for the PlayStation 4 that the series became popular. Now that a remake has officially been released, players are trying to figure out how Replicant and Automata connect together. There are quite a few clues you can find while playing Automata that reference the previous game.
Related:10 Nier: Automata Easter Eggs And Hidden References You Never Found
In Replicant, you can actually see the groundwork being put in place that creates the humanless dystopian world full of Androids. Below are several ways that the games link with each other.
9 It's In The Same World
While it may not initially seem like it with all the alien talk, Automata and Replicant are set in the same world. The events of Automata happen thousands of years after the end of Replicant. In that time, a lot of things had changed, and there is a bit of an information gap in lore during this period of time.
While playing through Automata, you do learn a bit about the extinction of humanity.
8 Machines Are Running Amok
While the machines in Replicant aren't like the ones brought by the aliens in Automata, there are some similarities. Machines in Replicant were left running around old factories and would attack anyone who dared to venture inside looking for old scrap.
Automata starts off with a heavy focus on machine hate. It's discovered in the game that machines are now free to move around on their own and have essentially been left behind by their creators.
7 Replicant Shows Humanity's Decline
Replicant shows a world where humans are on the verge of going extinct. Shades did a good job at helping to whittle down the remaining pockets of humanity. The thriving villages in Replicant had little chance to survive due to the decaying state of the world around them.
Related:Nier: Replicant - 9 Tips For Defeating Hansel And Gretel
By Automata, there are no humans left; although it's not completely clear when the last remnants of humanity perished, they certainly never made it to the moon.
6 Devola And Popola Models Are Present
Devola and Popola are both present from the beginning of Replicant, where they took care of their village and helped care for Yonah. These androids played a major role in the plot of both games, and many fans were a bit surprised to see them when they first visited the resistance camp in Automata.
Devola and Popola are the most noticeable link in the games, aside from Emil, who is a shop and secret boss that players can fight.
5 Emil Is Still On The Move
Emil is still roaming around the lands in Automata, but instead of floating, he has turned himself into a car. Emil also seems to have a bit of a memory problem, and players can take on a quest to help him recall his past. Although, he will never transform back into the form he had in Replicant.
Emil helps to link to the previous game not just by being present, but also by sending players to find Lunar Tears.
4 Lunar Tears Are Present
Lunar Tears are the plant that led Nier to meet Weiss after Yonah went in search for them during the beginning of Replicant. The flowers are also present when Nier meets Kaine, and she wears one in her hair. Lunar Tears are still growing around the world, and Emil wants 2B to hunt them down.
Related:
The Lunar Tear can be found growing in several different parts of the world, although finding the rare flower is quite the challenge.
3 Kaine's House Is Present
Once players gather enough Lunar Tears that will go to a secret area that is full of the flowers. Inside of this underground field is Kaine's house, and Emil mentions that he formerly guarded it. The area has a much different feel than the rest of the world.
This is a huge reference to the previous games and is one of the biggest connections that can be found between the two games.
2 There Are Gestalt Reports In Automata
Players can find a Gestalt Report in Automata that talks about the story of Nier Replicant. For players who had never played the original, the reports were a bit confusing to read, but are essentially huge spoilers to the plot of the first game. One of the files even contains a picture of Yonah. The text mentions Yonah and her father in reference to Nier: Gestalt.
Another report also shows pictures of Weiss and Noir and talks about implementing them into the Gestalt project.
1 Android Creation
Android creation was already going on during the story events of Replicant, as is evident by Devola and Popola. This makes sense as android creation was a step to help humanity and a major reveal in the first game. Androids had long been without masters in Automata, a fact that wasn't revealed until later on in the game.
Androids are just a by-product of the last attempts for humanity to survive and are now some of the only sentient creatures left on the planet.
Next:10 Awesome Areas In Nier Replicant
