Word Edit is one of the most overlooked mechanics in Nier Replicant despite being fairly essential to making the most out of combat. Words in Nier Replicant are basically secondary buffs that can be applied to your weapons, magic spells, or even martial arts (specifically blocking and evading). There’s a noticeable difference between a weapon that has Words equipped and one that’s still naked.
Nier Replicant is easy enough where players never need to use Words, but they won’t have as much fun with combat either. Like most mechanics and concepts in Nier Replicant, however, the nuances behind the Word Edit system aren’t particularly well explained and require some level of observation on the player’s part to understand. Fortunately, Words aren’t too tricky to wrap your head around in the grand scheme of things.
Unlocking Words
Most players will unlock Words through natural gameplay as they’re potentially dropped by any killed Shades, but the actual method of unlocking Words is as random as it is neurotically specific. The Words you get are determined by the area you’re in, the type of Shade defeated, and the surrounding weather (slightly cloudy, overcast, sunny, etc.).
It’s worth keeping in mind that some Words are also unlocked from Shades that only appear once or twice throughout a playthrough, rendering them permanently missable in the original Nier. This may not be the case given the logistics of Ending E in Replicant, but it should be noted for anyone looking for 100% Word completion.
The Best Weapon Words
Words are broken down into three categories that overlap with one another: Weapon Words, Sealed Verse Words, and Martial Art Words. Exclusive Words to the Weapons category focus on buffing Nier’s basic combos while adding properties that help circumvent Shades blocking your attacks or break their armor during Part 2.
The Var- series of Words buff the player’s weapon with Guard Break, which is especially useful for anyone who likes to use Spears. Similarly, the Ul- series of Words help break down Shade armor at a faster pace. Ululoth in particular buffs your Guard Break by 30% and can be obtained inside of the Shadowlord’s Castle.
The Best Sealed Verse Words
Sealed Verse exclusive Words generally buff Magic in practical ways, either upping the damage output or cutting down on topal MP cost. Geb- is an easy to find Word in The Aerie that buffs Magic Power, with Gebuloth in particular worth grinding for in Part 2 before The Aerie is destroyed. Gebuloth buffs Magic Power by 30%, making even Dark Blast a dangerous spell.
Lug- decreases Magic Cost, which arguably makes it the most useful Word series for Sealed Verses. Lugzarken can be grinded in the Northern Plains from Shades, decreasing your Magic Cost by 30%. For anyone who wants to experiment with Words a bit more, Solex offers MP recovery while paralyzing foes and Kon poisons Shades.
The Best Martial Art Words
For anyone confused by the term Martial Arts in the context of the game, that’s just Nier Replicant’s way of referring to your dodge and block. Martial Art Words generally just buff basic stats. Bes- raises your physical strength, Konesra raises magic defense, and Ashukarr raises physical defense.
The real star of the Martial Art Words is rooted in the Hod- series. Hoduloth can be grinded in Shadowlord Castle, increasing your knockback resistance by 30%. It’s worth noting that Hoduloth is actually equippable on all Word types, while the rest of the Hod- series is exclusive to Martial Arts.