When Square Enix first released Nier in 2010, the game had two versions. The first, Replicant, was exclusive to the PlayStation 3 in Japan and starred a young boy referred to as Brother Nier. The Gestalt version, released in Japan on Xbox 360, starred an older version of the character referred to as Father Nier. The story and gameplay of Nier did not differ between versions. The only real difference was the relationship the protagonist had with the character Yonah, either seeing her as a sister or daughter figure.

Global audiences only ever received the Gestalt version. However, when Square Enix released the 2021 remaster, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139, Brother Nier was the only protagonist available. Thanks to the work of a talented modder, the gruff alternate protagonist for Square Enix's cult RPG has been revived in all his glory as part of an overhaul for the 2021 remaster. On July 30, modder Elevna released the 1.0 version of Nier Gestalt ver.1.22474487139. As the mod name suggests, it reintroduces Father Nier into the remaster.

While just replacing the character model for the entire game would be impressive, Elevna's mod goes above and beyond in recreating the Gestalt experience. This includes fully recreating all but one of the alternate outfits for Father Nier and making specific character models to fit story and gameplay segments throughout the entire game. Furthermore, Elevna ported the original voice-over from the Gestalt release into Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139.

There are also tweaks that help Father Nier's presence fit into content exclusive to the remaster. This includes reworked voice lines for the new Route E. The World of Recycled Vessel DLC, which is included in the remaster's base game, has also been changed to fit Father Nier's appearance. In the Replicant version of the DLC, the protagonist is swapped from Brother Nier to Father Nier. This is true of the remaster as well, and is the only appearance of Father Nier in the 2021 release. To account for Father Nier being the main protagonist, the mod now makes Brother Nier playable during World of Recycled Vessel.

For PC players curious to revisit Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139 in this new way, the project is available to download for free on NexusMods.