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I'm on Route B of Nier: Automata and I've completely lost interest

Zomba13

Zomba13

Member
TheMadMan007 said:
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.
Click to expand...

Route A is one playthrough
Route B is the same from a different perspective (you play a different character with new mechanics)
Route C is new stuff

The other endings are basically one off things, joke endings and the like. eg
slaughtering a village of NPCs, running away from the mission area, eating a poisonus fish
. D is the only other important ending and can be done by simply
using chapter select on the very last checkpoint and picking a different option.

So really, you just play through the game twice. And it's as a different character who has a different perspective on what is going on and a massively different mechanic
(can hack at will instead of just in that one boss fight)


A lot of people think it's just "play the game 26 times!" without realising that the story can "end" at many, many points and not just at the "end".
 
C

CHC

Member
Had the same feelings as you at about the same place in the game. Played about 15 joyless hours before uninstalling. Hated the story, hated the boring quests, and couldn't stand traversing the bland, lifeless world.

Don't feel bad if you quit. It's apparently not for everyone as I found it exceedingly disappointing.
 
S

Sami+

Member
Route B really could've just skipped the first half and left some of the lore stuff as side content to discover. I speeded through it until I got to the new stuff.
 
Z

Zeouterlimits

Member
The game is a bit overly long considering how repetitive the gameplay can feel, that's fair OP.

Wouldn't judge you for dropping it. Does have interesting bits in C & D, but you have a good bit of combat to get through.
 
M

muteki

Member
Whenever I get back to this game (only ever did A as well) I'm going to force myself to stick to the main quest and not dawdle, beautiful as the world is. I've been burned by too many games by not doing this, one day I'll learn.
 
W

watdaeff4

Member
Aeana said:
Route B is my favorite. I love hacking~
Click to expand...

IMO this is why Route B is so decisive. Moreso than the "sameyness" of route A

I did not like the hacking.

OP: Stick with it through Route B. Route C makes up for it.

Izuna said:
I was told the whole game is 27 hours...
Click to expand...
It's an open-world game. So YMMV regarding to how much content you explore.

If you just straight-shot the main story, then yeah, about 27 hours is probably in the ballpark.
 
F

Ferrio

Banned
Personally I was hooked on route B at the start as soon as it
remembered your inputs from 2B's startup sequence
I also loved the hacking, and especially the remixed music.
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
I'll likely be pointing to the placement of route B as being a notorious example of incredibly questionable pacing in a game a lot in the future.
Even though you can blast through it pretty, you're still spending a few hours mostly replaying content you just did with a character playstyle that's a lot more divisive mechanically.

While the argument for it I assume is that the plot points you gain from this perspective and the few exclusive sections make the eventual route C make more sense, they really could've just handled it akin to the original Nier's ending B, where you can get that extra context for the story swerve content if you desire it AFTER actually reaching something of a proper conclusion.

Admittedly though, I wasn't that enthralled the overall story and gameplay here so I was probably more irked than most playing it.
 
T

timberger

Member
Early route B could be trying when you're playing the 2B missions again, but stick with it. I guarantee you'll be glad you did once you get to the next part of the game.

TheMadMan007 said:
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.
Click to expand...

Try actually playing it first, then.
 
Danjin44

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
TheMadMan007 said:
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.
Click to expand...

Charlie-Day-WTF.gif

I dont care if you are in to the game but come FUCK on!!!!
 
C

cryptosporidium

Member
Route B was my favourite as I left most of the sidequests for that route as well as it having my favourite moment

You want to @#$% 2B dont you
 
L

LotusHD

Banned
TheMadMan007 said:
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.
Click to expand...

Nonsense post, to put it politely.

---

OP, from the impressions I've seen in the OT thread time and time again, Route C tends to either get people who were down on Route B really into the game again, or if you already liked Routes A and B, Route C can get them really into the game. So uh, yea, I'd push through, but hey, you do you at the end.

Also, if you aren't already, give 9S a damn spear. As for sidequests, there are recommended lists out there if you're that concerned about not "wasting" your time.
 
V

Vecks

Member
Yeah, I have to agree that I burned out similarly. I wanted to stop at route B too because I also did a lot of the side quests in Route A. Combat was fun at first, but it got tiring. Hacking was neat at first, until you realize it's pretty much the same thing about 90% of the time. And the fact that route B is also mostly the same content as Route A killed my motivation. The alternate story bits kept me going, but the gameplay was starting to get off-putting.

That said, I still recommend you push on and experience route C, if even just the beginning of it.
 
B

black070

Member
Honestly, when I first realised what route B entailed - I thought it was going to be a chore, but the variations to story and gameplay the change in POV made were actually really interesting to me, so that kept me engaged. It's really easy to rush through it too, and its definitely worth doing so for route C's sake.
 
P

PshycoNinja

Member
CHC said:
Had the same feelings as you at about the same place in the game. Played about 15 joyless hours before uninstalling. Hated the story, hated the boring quests, and couldn't stand traversing the bland, lifeless world.

Don't feel bad if you quit. It's apparently not for everyone as I found it exceedingly disappointing.
Click to expand...

I am still trying to power through the game and I don't particularly hate anything in the game except the side-quests, but I sort of agree with you here.

I am not enjoying myself when I play the game and every time I boot it up it's not excitement to play but more, "I just need to finish this game."
 
S

sonicmj1

Member
Acquiescence said:
Needless to say, my opinion of this game has taken a steep decline. The overarching problem for me is that Nier: Automata can't sustain its own length. The combat was gratifying to begin with, but is ultimately too simplistic to hold the attention for such a long duration, and the narrative is scattershot and borderline episodic to the extent that even the main story has lost its appeal now. And there's still Route C to go! I can't help but feel this is yet another example of a game that's too bloated and could've benefited from some serious editing. It's somewhat dispiriting to have my impressions of a game go downhill like this, considering how things started out, and I just had to vent.
Click to expand...

As someone who really liked Nier Automata, and didn't want it to end, I still agree with your gameplay criticisms. The basic systems of interaction (mainly the combat) aren't robust enough to sustain the game's length. There's very little incentive towards mastery, especially if you get ahead of the game's curve through sidequests. Most of the required skill in the game is knowing how to hit the dodge button to get out of the way of stuff.

For me, I was invested enough in the narrative to stick with it, and the end of Route B and Route C were really great payoffs. The tough thing with Route B is that I really don't know how you could excise it (and its repetition) without compromising the game's narrative development. The perspectives you receive, and the order you receive them in, are very purposeful.
 
V

Vampirolol

Member
Almost the same here. I lost my savedata during Route B and I don't feel like finishing the game over and over again... I really don't want to spoil myself via youtube but I'm just tired.
 
N

NinjaCoachZ

Member
I sped through Route B as fast as I could. The sidequests in the game are really not fun; they're almost always either fetch quests or escort missions, which is a bummer. While I actually like hacking in theory, doing it in every single fight gets old fast.

Route C turns things around a bit, so yeah, it's really best to ignore the sidequests and get B over with. I do definitely agree with your point the game has trouble sustaining itself. It's much better than a lot of other games but toward the end it does start to spread itself more thinly.

Roubjon said:
Going through Route B is definitely the game's biggest weakness. I believe they could have combined A and B together and added a character switching mechanic and it would have saved the pacing of the game.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree. I think it could've gone a long way if, say, the start of the game let you choose between 2B or 9S, and things changed accordingly depending on which you chose first or second.

UnluckyKate said:
Going to start this soon... so what's the best way ? Route A story only or full side quests ?
Click to expand...

Do as many sidequests as you personally want to. The sidequests have some interesting lore implications but they're all pretty repetitive when it comes to actual gameplay, so if it starts to feel like a chore I wouldn't personally make myself do all of them if I'm not enjoying it.
 
H

Hektor

Member
UnluckyKate said:
Going to start this soon... so what's the best way ? Route A story only or full side quests ?
Click to expand...

That entirely depends on how much you enjoy playing it and how much you want to see of the games theme.

If you aren't enthralled by the world and it's themes you're probably better off skipping sidequests
 
killatopak

killatopak

Member
UnluckyKate said:
Going to start this soon... so what's the best way ? Route A story only or full side quests ?
Click to expand...

I think there was a list of side quest someone in the OT thread made that was worth doing for the backstories and narrative. Other quests can be done later if you feel free to do so.

I suggest following those.
 
Danjin44

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
NinjaCoachZ said:
I sped through Route B as fast as I could. The sidequests in the game are really not fun; they're almost always either fetch quests or escort missions, which is a bummer. While I actually like hacking in theory, doing it in every single fight gets old fast.

Route C turns things around a bit, so yeah, it's really best to ignore the sidequests and get B over with. I do definitely agree with your point the game has trouble sustaining itself. It's much better than a lot of other games but toward the end it does start to spread itself more thinly.



Yeah, I agree. I think it could've gone a long way if, say, the start of the game let you choose between 2B or 9S, and things changed accordingly depending on which you chose first or second.
Click to expand...

I completely Disagree with this. some of the best quest were in Route B. add so much to main story.
 
U

ubercheez

Member
I did the same (heavy side questing in route B) but I loved every minute of it.

If you're not enjoying the side questing, then stop. Route B is short if you stick to the primary storyline, and you can always go back and do more side quests later.
 
A

Algebrah

Member
I go burnt out on B too. You could tell me it has the best ending ever in C but I am just way too disinterested to continue.
 
L

LotusHD

Banned
Roubjon said:
Going through Route B is definitely the game's biggest weakness. I believe they could have combined A and B together and added a character switching mechanic and it would have saved the pacing of the game.
Click to expand...

Completely disagree, you can't just simply mesh them together and call it a day, Taro would have to put more thought into if he wanted to do something different here.

UnluckyKate said:
Going to start this soon... so what's the best way ? Route A story only or full side quests ?
Click to expand...

Do whatever you want, but here's a list of sidequests throughout the main routes that are recommended: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=235924498&postcount=18814

Vampirolol said:
Almost the same here. I lost my savedata during Route B and I don't feel like finishing the game over and over again... I really don't want to spoil myself via youtube but I'm just tired.
Click to expand...

Well losing your data sucks, but at least take comfort in knowing Route C is completely new.

NinjaCoachZ said:
I sped through Route B as fast as I could. The sidequests in the game are really not fun; they're almost always either fetch quests or escort missions, which is a bummer.
Click to expand...

It's all about the narrative value. Not that that really excuses the design being lacking, but yea, that's normally my main hook regarding sidequests in most games, because I often find them to not be very rewarding/ingenious in terms of gameplay.
 
swarley64

swarley64

Member
I loved the game, but the side-quests were so monotonous. "Go here, kill these guys, get me three cyber rat tails, then come back to me." I wound up putting on podcasts to get through them, and felt pretty disconnected from the story as a result.
 
Clear

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
UnluckyKate said:
Going to start this soon... so what's the best way ? Route A story only or full side quests ?
Click to expand...

Go at whatever pace you like. Nothing is truly missable so don't stress over getting everything done in one go.

You cannot 100% sidequests in Route A alone, Route B has some exclusive to it and a few can only be achieved in C. But as you'll eventually unlock a chapter select, the game makes it easy to re-find stuff that you bypassed if you want to go that way.

The main rule of thumb is always to do just enough so you are appropriately levelled to find progress comfortable.
 
TheMadMan007

TheMadMan007

Member
Ok, it seems I got the endings vs playthroughs confused. My apologies. From what I heard is there are 26 different endings and you have to play through the beginning parts of the game everytime you playthough the game to get the different endings. If that isn't the case and you only play though it 3 times, fine, but it doesn't seem like a game that really needed 3 different playthroughs.

On a gameplay perspective, it seems mediocre at best with even the most diehard people saying the gameplay is repetitive and boring after the initial first couple of hours of starting the game.

Like I said, I don't see why this game has blown up the way it has, because it looks as generic as any other 3rd person semi jrpg character action game out there.
 
U

ubercheez

Member
TheMadMan007 said:
Ok, it seems I got the endings vs playthroughs confused. My apologies. From what I heard is there are 26 different endings and you have to play through the beginning parts of the game everytime you playthough the game to get the different endings. If that isn't the case and you only play though it 3 times, fine, but it doesn't seem like a game that really needed 3 different playthroughs.

On a gameplay perspective, it seems mediocre at best with even the most diehard people saying the gameplay is repetitive and boring after the initial first couple of hours of starting the game.

Like I said, I don't see why this game has blown up the way it has, because it looks as generic as any other 3rd person semi jrpg character action game out there.
Click to expand...

Route B is the only one where you're replaying story elements. Route C is completely different.
 
K

Krombopulos_Michael

Banned
It is always strange to me when people call games shit because of the side content. I mean if you hate the gameplay mechanics or story then stop playing. But if your complaint is that the optional side content isn't fun... then just don't do the side content. The main quest is really all that matters so if you like it then just keep playing it. The game is large with lots to do and you are in control. Why someone would choose to play the content they don't like when there is other content they could be playing that they do like is beyond me.
 
N

nbnt

is responsible for the well-being of this island.
I can't help but feel this is yet another example of a game that's too bloated and could've benefited from some serious editing.
Click to expand...
Yup. This game is the Triforce Quest of this gen.
 
L

LotusHD

Banned
TheMadMan007 said:
Ok, it seems I got the endings vs playthroughs confused. My apologies. From what I heard is there are 26 different endings and you have to play through the beginning parts of the game everytime you playthough the game to get the different endings. If that isn't the case and you only play though it 3 times, fine, but it doesn't seem like a game that really needed 3 different playthroughs.

On a gameplay perspective, it seems mediocre at best with even the most diehard people saying the gameplay is repetitive and boring after the initial first couple of hours of starting the game.

Like I said, I don't see why this game has blown up the way it has, because it looks as generic as any other 3rd person semi jrpg character action game out there.
Click to expand...

There are five main routes: A-E. Only A, B, and C are lengthy, and Route B is the only time you're replaying anything, and even then, it has obvious differences in its 2nd half for those that are familiar with Route A. Everything else are joke endings, though Ending Y has some slightly higher importance.

As for it being generic, well, maybe play it instead of making assumptions lmao
 
D

Drillary Clinton

Banned
That's how I felt. Route B felt completely unnecessary because the info drops are so small they could have easily been webbed into Route A. I was promised the game would get better in Route C but it didn't. I was completely hating my time with the game up until the very last segment which I will admit was pretty fucking good. The only parts of Nier I actually liked were the prologue and the epilogue. Go figure.
 
S

SlickVic

Member
One thing that surprised me about Nier Automata is the story is pretty backloaded in the game. It's not really until you get to the end of Route B (mild spoilers)
when 9S and 2B get separated again
that the story really starts revealing itself. Personally I didn't bother with any side quests in Route B.

TheMadMan007 said:
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game at all. Replaying it 26 times to get different endings sounds like torture with a game that mediocre. I'm convinced the only real reason people play it is because they like anime girls, because that seems like the only appeal that game has.
Click to expand...

The thing is the game isn't really like that and you don't need to play through it 26 times. The game is essentially split into 3 routes (A-C) with a set of credits that rolls after each one. Route B repeats content from Route A from a different character's point of view, but the end of Route B and all of Route C is entirely new content. Most of the other endings are 'joke endings' that can be amusing, but aren't really essential to the story of the game. Only real exception to this are Endings D and E, but you don't need to replay the game (except
the final boss battle
) to see those.
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Member
Holy Order Sol said:
Not bloat. Plenty of backstory from those sidequest ends up having some relevancy to the main story.
Click to expand...

There's a sense of conflict, because I liked doing the side quests for the character interactions and thematic payoff I'd sometimes get, but the act of actually playing them just started getting so tiresome that I can't do it anymore.

CHC said:
Had the same feelings as you at about the same place in the game. Played about 15 joyless hours before uninstalling. Hated the story, hated the boring quests, and couldn't stand traversing the bland, lifeless world.

Don't feel bad if you quit. It's apparently not for everyone as I found it exceedingly disappointing.
Click to expand...

I'm honestly quite surprised the game reviewed as well as it did, considering some of the glaring flaws it has and how idiosyncratic many of its elements are.
 
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