If Nier: Automata was about discovering your humanity in a world devoid of life, Nier Replicant is about a world desperately fighting to preserve what humanity it has left, and often failing to do so. Those you fight for, fight with, and fight against–and you, the protagonist–all have a stake and responsibility in the plight. There’s an ever-present melancholy that hangs over the violent world of Nier, and the more you fight on, the more you understand just how tragic human life can be. It’s tempting to wallow in sorrow, but once you’ve seen Nier Replicant’s conclusions in their entirety, you’ll come to cherish its moments of warmth as well.