To anyone thatwants to bear Emil’s cursed visage fromNieR: Replicant 1.22474487139, their time has come. A limited-time Instagram filter is letting fans of the upcomingNier: Replicant v.1.22don the iconic face of Emil, one of the series' recurring characters, tying in with the upcoming release of the remastered version of the firstNieRtitle.
The creepy, semi-skeletal smiling face of Emil is an iconic symbol of theNieRseries first revealed in 2010’sNieR, featuring in both versions of the title. Western audiences are much more likely to be familiar withNieR Gestalt,which features a different protagonist to the Japanese releaseNieR Replicant. Both titles are otherwise much the same and follow on fromthe same immensely confusingDrakengardending.
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Simply use the QR code on Instagram to enable the face-changing filter, to look like a cursed, immortal child (and part-time shopkeeper).NieRdirector Yoko Taro is also famed for wearing an Emil mask much of the time at events, piling on yet more mystery to the man behind the convoluted, yet deeply emotional, stories found in theNieRseries. Those who have playedthe smash-hitNieR: Automatawill immediately recognize the cheerful shopkeeper, a character first seen inNieR:Automata’s prequel.
The original release ofNieRwas somewhat of a sleeper hit, but the sequelNieR: Automatatruly blew its predecessor out of the waterin terms of sales and recognition, rocketing the series from a cult classic to an iconic franchise.NieRhas since become an ace-in-the-hole for Square Enix, withAutomatareceiving its fair share of rereleases, such as theBecome As Godsedition that made its way to Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam.
Even for those that haven’t touched aNieRtitle, it’s possible for players to have come across the series in other games. FromSoulCalibur 6introducingNieR: Automataprotagonist 2B as a guest fighter to MMORPGFinal Fantasy 14including an entire raid questlinefeaturing characters from the series, Square Enix has been keen to getNieRinto the hands of more and more players.
WithNieR: Replicant v.1.22confirmed to be releasednear the end of April, those looking to get their hands on the remastered form of the originalNieRtitle have little time left to wait before they can get stuck into the new game. Even the game’s mega-fans will have reason to dive back in, with confirmation thatNier: Replicant v1.22will contain content cut from the original game, as well as fully remastered audio and gameplay to bring the 2010 title up to modern standards.
Nier: Replicant 1.22474487139will be released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 22 in Japan, and April 23 for the rest of the world.
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