Nier Replicant: Can You Play as the Father? Answered

Not to be confused with the original Nier released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the west about 10 years ago, Nier Replicant was a Japan-only release that featured a wholly different character in the protagonist role. Instead of playing as a father caring for his sick daughter, Replicant puts you in the shoes of an older brother. The story remains the same, but the relationship dynamic certainly feels way different from the one in Nier Gestalt, which featured the dad. If you’re wondering whether you can play as the father in Nier Replicant, here’s what you need to know.

Playing as the Father in Nier Replicant

To get straight to the point, yes, you can indeed play as the father character in Nier Replicant. Just not in the way you might be expecting.

You’ll have to take control of the brother for the entirety of the main story –that won’t change– but after you’ve beaten the game for the first time and have unlocked Ending A, you’ll also unlock the mother’s diary back at the protagonist’s house. If you load up your clear save, you can head back to the house and examine the shelf on the first floor.

This will allow you to access a handful of bonus stages where you get to play as the father, with Grimoire Weiss by his side. These stages task you with going through various stages you’ve encountered in the game and killing all of the Shades you encounter there. They flesh out the story a little, and also reward you with some bonus weapons and outfits.

The diary stages aren’t necessary for seeing the true ending in Nier Replicant, but they’re still fun to do for players who are looking for a bit of nostalgia from the Gestalt release 10 years ago.

That’s all you need to know about whether you can play as the father in Nier Replicant. Be sure to search for Twinfinite and checking our guide wiki for more tips and information on the game.