Problems with this game, and recommendations for play order of Automata and Replicant.


Legit biggest problems with the game:

1. When you start out, you're given a task to farm mutton (and medicinal herbs) for the village item dealer. During this you're introduced to a few situations: Sheep are annoying to kill, and usually drop mutton, and mutton is the least profitable material they can drop. Two fairly expensive swords from the weapons dealer could significantly boost your damage, increasing farming speed. You also have to buy maps for areas eventually, which will take most of your current money. So, already you're introduced to a situation where A) Farming is difficult and not fun - killing sheep??? B) You have a lot of requirements to eye to buy. That said, it's pretty obvious through subsequent playthroughs the best area is to farm is junk heap, but that won't happen until being introduced to a few more areas. I.e. it is all uphill starting out. To top it all off the key village areas are not easy to memorize at first because they're visibly blocked by hills, trees, and such, and seem to be specifically designed to be inconveniently located. And, the music isn't as good as Automata's and will get old, fast. (Once you get to part B you can do the diary quests to unlock options to run Automata's music from the DLC.) To top it all off, the shades are annoying to fight starting out, and their design is very underwhelming compared to Automata's mobs.

2. Most weapons you find are useless, and upgrading them is also useless. Beastbane is a weapon, that once you get it, will be used through the next 3/4 of part A. It's damage is very good and it's magic damage % is also very high. Then, in later parts of A you'll be using a spear like Sunrise. The words you can apply to the weapons aren't very effective until they get to at least 8%, and that is most of part A.

3. Very quickly I will say that the models are somewhat problematic for more hetero male players. Young protagonist has light colored knee-high socks for no reason (basically tights), and adult protagonist seems to be running around in his undergarments, and is clearly wearing a girdle. It's not explained and with a chase cam it's just annoying, but not that bad, it's about consistent with other Square titles released around this time. The diary DLC does come save the day on this in the later half of part again and you can win challenges to unlock samurai models and such, which is really the only reason why I bring the topic up, because it seems like they recognized this and took steps in the DLC to change it.

4. Fast travel doesn't exist and the boar transportation isn't consistently provided, nor is it intuitive combined with dull side quests. The side quests are easily the most complained about 'issue' with replicant, but they are mostly optional and if you follow a guide, you're better off. First half of part A can feel like a confusing walking simulator for sure, though. But, by the time you get through that you'll know most of the tricks for speed and know your way around to make things less annoying.

5. This may be explained in the tutorial, I'm not sure, as you appear to unlock tutorials after you've demonstrated an ability which the tutorial explains (how very backwards.) But, most mobs which are difficult to damage have a weak attack. For instance the Fist magic, and the Blast magic takes care of most enemies/bosses starting out, but then you'll find that some enemies/bosses are very vulnerable to light attacks (magic-shielded enemies), heavy attacks (boars), charged heavy attacks (armored), lances (multiple bosses). Whirlwind is pretty all-around, but use the others when appropriate.

5. The problems culminate to being so atrocious that around the time you get to the Forest of Myth where they start throwing white text on a black screen at you with word games that are directionless, you're ready to give up - but this is very close to when the game begins to be palatable. Protagonist is not far from being an adult. Weiss will start commenting more on problems in the game (like walking everywhere.) The story will advance. Etc.

The good:

There is plenty of good, the combat is more varied than it appears to be at first, some of the music tracks are very good (lost temple), Kanei's stringy butt panties, DLC fixes some of the biggest issues, story is legitimately engaging when it picks up. The remake's graphics, aside from some villager close-up faces, is a solid A to A+. Once you put in a solid 20 hours, you're going to know most of how to get anywhere to get anything or do anything. Since traveling around is old school, this is also an old school experience.

SPOILER: My little pet theory about why Emil is #7: Tyrann, Poppola and Devola are 1, 2 and 3. Noir and Weiss are 4 and 5. Emil's sister is 6, Emil is 7. This doesn't work based on the established lore, but I thought it was an interesting enough take to mention.

Ok, now my answer to, "What order should you play Automata and Replicant?" You should do it how I did it, with a slight modification: 1) Play Automata first. If you want to get Replicant immediately after like I did and try it, that's fine, but there are so many improvements in Automata that there's a good chance you'll give up on it, so instead 2) Wait a couple years til you forget most of Automata and want to play it again, NOW play Replicant, THEN Automata, again.

That is my take because Automata sets the bar so high it makes Replicant a tough pill to swallow after. But, Replicant is a worthy original game, so to seed the value of the series with Automata, then to fully experience it with Replicant, this is my advice. Good luck!