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[Remembrance]

I found one rare red enemy in the desert, bringing me to 94%. I think now I just have to go back to the first ending and kill one completely bog-standard enemy that everyone misses in that section.

Does it feel to anyone else like doing the last DLC desert arenas with 9S is cheesing it and yet completely necessary?

Spoiler

The one with the blocks...

Edit: Also, sure. After going unused all game, it turns out Vague Hope (Spring Rain) was for one of the last DLC fights.

 

[sanstesy]

So I've finished Route A! When I load up the save again can I not do sidequests?

Spoiler

The game is throwing me out right where I saved when the camp is burning.

 

[LotusHD]

So I've finished Route A! When I load up the save again can I not do sidequests?

Spoiler

The game is throwing me out right where I saved when the camp is burning.

Spoiler

Huh, that's weird...

You're supposed to get a cutscene between a robot and his brother if you're starting Route B. If you've gotten A, your save file will show that, and that should be the one you load up.

As for sidequests, you can do them in Route B. Anything you didn't finish in Route A will reset and have to be done again in Route B, assuming it wasn't exclusive to Route A.
Route B also has its own exclusive sidequests.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Wait, weird.

Did you not do a complete A save?

Might just want to load up the save that says you've gotten A.

 

[TheGreatLugia]

I just started the game and I'm noticing a golden ring around 2B when the camera is far away. Is there any setting to turn that off?

I was also wondering if there's any way to stop the voiced text in conversations from continuing automatically. Basically so the text when talking to characters doesn't continue until I hit X.

I'm sure these have been asked before, but I'd rather not search in case I run into spoilers.

 

[sanstesy]

What the fuck. I've finished the game, watched the credits but like it doesn't show that I've finished Ending A. Do I have to seriously do that whole fight again.🙄

 

[Setsuna]

Whats chapter is best to just collect weapons?

 

[darkjedi187]

Picked it up yesterday and I am having a hard time getting into it. Just seems slow and boring. The soundtrack is great. Just past the hole opening up in the city. Does it pickup? Am I not giving it enough time?

 

[LotusHD]

I just started the game and I'm noticing a golden ring around 2B when the camera is far away. Is there any setting to turn that off?

I was also wondering if there's any way to stop the voiced text in conversations from continuing automatically. Basically so the text when talking to characters doesn't continue until I hit X.

I'm sure these have been asked before, but I'd rather not search in case I run into spoilers.

1. I don't believe you can.
2. I don't believe you can. Sometimes it stops, other times they keep it moving.

What the fuck. I've finished the game, watched the credits but like it doesn't show that I've finished Ending A. Do I have to seriously do that whole fight again.🙄

Uhh, I dunno what happened, so seems so. Could just get through it on Easy or something if you're feeling impatient. If you're at the camp, it shouldn't take that long anyways fortunately.

Whats chapter is best to just collect weapons?

Probably one where you're controlling 9S, in case you need to hack anything.

Picked it up yesterday and I am having a hard time getting into it. Just seems slow and boring. The soundtrack is great. Just past the hole opening up in the city. Does it pickup? Am I not giving it enough time?

It picks up, all I can really say.

 

[TheGreatLugia]

1. I don't believe you can.
2. I don't believe you can. Sometimes it stops, other times they keep it moving.

Thanks. At least the text stops when talking to NPCs.

I'm really enjoying my time so far, but it seems like I've run into a few glitches. One time when I exited an elevator into the bunker hallway, it didn't fully shift to the sidescroller perspective and when I ran to the left the camera started rotating and part of the bunker disappeared.

Another time I did an early quest and the text log I received at one point was a blank page. When I checked the log in the menu everything was there. Right after this when I returned to the bunker, all of the locations on the mini-map disappeared as well. I couldn't get the mini-map to load up correctly until after closing the game.

 

[Remembrance]

Thanks. At least the text stops when talking to NPCs.

There are a few scenes where the voiced lines auto-advancing really helps to preserve the tempo of the conversation. This is the first Japanese RPG I can think of where they actually let characters naturally interrupt dialogue or talk over each other.

So many other games blow the dramatic tension of someone being interrupted by waiting for you to press a button.

Nier 1 had only a single segment of auto-advancing voiced lines, and it was a great moment even then.

 

[TheGreatLugia]

There are a few scenes where the voiced lines auto-advancing really helps to preserve the tempo of the conversation. This is the first Japanese RPG I can think of where they actually let characters naturally interrupt dialogue or talk over each other.

So many other games blow the dramatic tension of someone being interrupted by waiting for you to press a button.

Nier 1 had only a single segment of auto-advancing voiced lines, and it was a great moment even then.

I could see that, but it caught me off guard at first because it happened with the first text box I ran into.

I'm also used to Bravely Default which gave you the option to either let the conversations progress automatically or prevent the conversations from continuing until you hit A.

 

[Ventara]

So I finished Route B and started up Route C.

Spoiler

Shit hit the fan real quick. So humanity is pretty much dead dead with the last human genome being on the moon and Yorha being annihilated. I guess 9S and the resistance can always build a ship to try to retrieve it or something. Got lots of questions that I hope get answered this route. With Adam and Eve dead, who's the antagonist running the show? Why were Yorha so adamant about wiping out the robots? Was it really just to keep the androids motivated, or was there something more? Did A2, and the other androids that deserted do so because they found out this truth? Still curious why Devola and Popola are here.

 

[Savantcore]

Just started playing a couple days ago so I'm obviously well behind the curve, but I already feel like I've messed my game up.

I got to the

Spoiler

amusement park

and saw the

Spoiler

tank

, ignored 9S's advice and pressed on. Came back later hunting for

Spoiler

stamps

and for some reason thought it was to do with that, so I killed it. It wasn't obviously, and I regret doing it cos I made a point of

Spoiler

letting it go

the first time round. Waaahh.

Edit: What the hell was that

Spoiler

Romeos and Juliets

. lmao.

 

[Narpas Sword0]

Am I missing something or does the game make you run two laps around the entire gameplay environment after you meet the village elder? Is there no fast travel? This sucks.

 

[Ventara]

Am I missing something or does the game make you run two laps around the entire gameplay environment after you meet the village elder? Is there no fast travel? This sucks.

Spoiler

There is. Just continue with the story and it'll become available.

 

[LotusHD]

So I finished Route B and started up Route C.

Spoiler

Shit hit the fan real quick. So humanity is pretty much dead dead with the last human genome being on the moon and Yorha being annihilated. I guess 9S and the resistance can always build a ship to try to retrieve it or something. Got lots of questions that I hope get answered this route. With Adam and Eve dead, who's the antagonist running the show? Why were Yorha so adamant about wiping out the robots? Was it really just to keep the androids motivated, or was there something more? Did A2, and the other androids that deserted do so because they found out this truth? Still curious why Devola and Popola are here.

Spoiler

Interested in your reaction to one of these questions...

Just started playing a couple days ago so I'm obviously well behind the curve, but I already feel like I've messed my game up.

I got to the

Spoiler

amusement park

and saw the

Spoiler

tank

, ignored 9S's advice and pressed on. Came back later hunting for

Spoiler

stamps

and for some reason thought it was to do with that, so I killed it. It wasn't obviously, and I regret doing it cos I made a point of

Spoiler

letting it go

the first time round. Waaahh.

Edit: What the hell was that

Spoiler

Romeos and Juliets

. lmao.

Pisseth Off!

 

[Remembrance]

I can't believe the secret weapon to beating the forest colosseum DLC was to be a

Spoiler

small stubby

.

They really did design this challenge so tightly that any other unit just folds against it.

 

[Meccs]

Just started the game and I am currently at the

Spoiler

robot city right after the amusement park

. I really like the combat and the bosses but I hate the open world part so far. The map is a mess, especially if you have different levels. I really wish the game would be a bit tighter. I'll continue playing since I am still at the beginning but I am not feeling it at the moment. Still not sure what all the hype is about.

 

[LotusHD]

Just started the game and I am currently at the

Spoiler

robot city right after the amusement park

. I really like the combat and the bosses but I hate the open world part so far. The map is a mess, especially if you have different levels. I really wish the game would be a bit tighter. I'll continue playing since I am still at the beginning but I am not feeling it at the moment. Still not sure what all the hype is about.

Don't worry about "what the hype is all about", especially with you being rather early in the game. Just keep playing.

 

[sanstesy]

So yeah, I finished it!

Made a thread already about the gameplay itself and as expected it's definitely an experience in the vein of the first one.

In general one aspect the game does a way better job compared to the original in explaining story points and lore which was always one of the biggest criticism of mine when it comes to NieR. I adore the lore and story in the first one but it isn't all present in game itself even though some of it is extremely relevant. Here everything relevant and important I feel is told in the game itself through various means.

One important thing I also really liked about the original NieR is the random surprising chatter while walking around in the overworld and this is present here as well - but it isn't nearly as good as it is in the first one and no character even compares to Weiss as a result.

The pods are still cool by the end of the game, though. In general I think the characters are a little worse but how the story told is better handled.

Also, seems like a small thing but I really liked

Spoiler

the tower that started to emerge.

The design, scale and how it changes the world's look is just great. I'm a sucker for things like that.

The soundtrack is great of course, I prefer the first one but I already knew that before I played this. I think I will talk about that one at another time.

And is it just me or did they reuse tracks too often tracks throughout the game? In general I can't pinpoint tracks to specific things occuring in the game like I could in the original. I actually enjoyed the soundtrack more outside the game than I did inside.

 

[Antiwhippy]

TBF I'm loving the weiss/nier dynamic but I don't think it would really be appropriate for Automata? Both game's characters suited the atmosphere and story being told.

The Pods are total bros though.

 

[sanstesy]

No, I just think the game's writing is not as consistent in these places. You still have those conversations only not as funny/charming/dramatic.

Like, the writing otherwise is on par with the original for example.

 

[Antiwhippy]

That's the thing, it makes total narrative sense that the dynamic isn't funny or charming? Discovering why was honestly one of my favourite things in the game.

Can you tell me what you think is inconsistent? Because finishing it first I had noted that I felt the character writing in A felt inconsistent, but playing through those parts again was honestly a revelation in how consistent it was.

 

[sanstesy]

Not as consistent in its quality as the original. I never said it's bad or an overall detriment.

Like the pod conversations later into the game are constantly charming even without them actually needing to be. That's what lacked in the overworld conversations between 2B and 9S compared to the original. They have their moments like 2B not calling 9S nines but are extremely rare and not as frequently impactful.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Not as consistent in its quality as the original. I never said it's bad or an overall detriment.

Like the pod conversations later into the game are constantly charming even without them actually needing to be. That's what lacked in the overworld conversations between 2B and 9S compared to the original. They have their moments like 2B not calling 9S nines but are extremely rare and not as frequently impactful.

Hmm, what I want to talk about really is best taken to the spoiler thread. I'll just say playing through those segments again made perfect sense of

Spoiler

2B's actual role and feelings of having to perform said role in relation to her feelings to 9S, and the writing knowing that is honestly pretty affecting to me..

But yeah what I want to talk about is super spoilery.

Still, there are some parts that could be handled better. I can see why people would think weiss/nier is a better pairing but by the end I honestly loved 2B/9S as well. The quality for weiss's writing and acting in general is really great though playing through OG nier now.

 

[sanstesy]

Hmm, what I want to talk about really is best taken to the spoiler thread. I'll just say playing through those segments again made perfect sense of

Spoiler

2B's actual role and feelings of having to perform said role in relation to her feelings to 9S, and the writing knowing that is honestly pretty affecting to me..

But yeah what I want to talk about is super spoilery.

Still, there are some parts that could be handled better. I can see why people would think weiss/nier is a better pairing but by the end I honestly loved 2B/9S as well. The quality for weiss's writing and acting in general is really great though playing through OG nier now.

Yeah, I can see your point a little but I still think there could have been done more. Maybe I'll replay it to look back onto it.

Also, in the SHMUP sections could have been way more dialogue now that I'm reminded of this topic. Would have made them way more tolerable. Surprised that they're this empty actually after thinking back.

 

[PixelatedBookake]

So how many of you guys

Spoiler

deleted your saves?

I spent I while contemplating doing it but I wanted to get every ending first and then do it.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Did it straight away.

Wouldn't feel right otherwise.

 

[Gbraga]

I disagree about the overworld dialogue. Weiss is a gem, for sure, but the dialogue and character interactions in general are really strong in this game, I didn't think of it as inferior and wishing it was as good as the previous one, I was just enjoying how good it was.

You only need to look at the fanart thread to see how much that banter resonated with players, there's an incredible amount of fanart about missable context-specific dialogues, they add so much to the characters that it sticks with people for a long time.

6O doesn't do jack shit in the game if you just rush through the story, but some of her dialogue, messages and her quest, and how it comes up again during the story made her a very memorable character.

2B and 9S are great together as well, even before you get the full picture, their interactions are incredibly charming. The shopping mall one being probably the one that got the most fanarts in the entire game, haha.

Even if I may end up liking the original crew more after replaying both and thinking more about it, I wouldn't change anything about Automata's characters. I think they fit that story and world perfectly, and there's a lot of value in that. Making a coherent package, fitting the themes and narrative is more important than just "which one is better?", to me.

It's a similar reason as to why I wouldn't change the way Blood Vials work in Bloodborne, even though I do agree that the Estus system from Dark Souls 1 is a much better balanced solution.

 

[Antiwhippy]

There is something to be said too to not rehashing the same character and story archetypes which is something quite a number of franchises fall into. I'm honestly impressed by the writing and character variety in Taro's games, and how deep they are too.

 

[Gbraga]

There is something to be said too to not rehashing the same character and story archetypes which is something quite a number of franchises fall into. I'm honestly impressed by the writing and character variety in Taro's games, and how deep they are too.

Yeah, just in general, this game handled being a sequel to a game that didn't need a sequel way better than the Dark Souls series did.

 

[sanstesy]

Also, 'A Beautiful Song' is the best song in the game, right? It's by far my favourite.

Honestly, as of now it's the best song of this gen.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Honestly I can't listen to it that much lol. Just too... dramatic for me?

If I have to choose favourites it would be possessed by a disease, voice of no return and copied city.

 

[Gbraga]

Vague Hope (Cold Rain) is my favorite.

Maybe.

 

[ngower]

Hi friendos. I picked this game up since it was ~35 at Best Buy and I'm a few hours in. Enjoying it so far but also the mechanics don't make a whole lot of sense. I'm not sure if I should bother with any new weapons or upgrades early on. Any spoiler-free tips on the best approach to weapons/weapon upgrades/HUD upgrades/etc? Also, why am I buying HUD upgrades if I already ahve them...do they go away if I die?

 

[Gbraga]

Hi friendos. I picked this game up since it was ~35 at Best Buy and I'm a few hours in. Enjoying it so far but also the mechanics don't make a whole lot of sense. I'm not sure if I should bother with any new weapons or upgrades early on. Any spoiler-free tips on the best approach to weapons/weapon upgrades/HUD upgrades/etc? Also, why am I buying HUD upgrades if I already ahve them...do they go away if I die?

I don't think you can lose the HUD ones, no idea why you can buy more of them. Probably just because it would make sense for the world.

I always upgraded the amount of chips I could equip, but I only bothered buying weapons a bit further into the game. At some point, you'll have a lot more money than things to buy, so focus on the things that seem like they'd make a bigger difference for now.

 

[Isaac Otherworld]

Super Bunny Hop uploaded a video on Nier Automata.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehM1m5-TG5g

Spoilers for Ending E.

 

[spiritfox]

Also, 'A Beautiful Song' is the best song in the game, right? It's by far my favourite.

Honestly, as of now it's the best song of this gen.

I like Bipolar Nightmare more, but all the songs are great.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Do you guys think Automata has a real shot at winning GAFs GOTY award or do you think the strong presence of other japanese titles is going to "split the vote"? (Nioh, Persona, Zelda, etc)

 

[spiritfox]

Do you guys think Automata has a real shot at winning GAFs GOTY award or do you think the strong presence of other japanese titles is going to "split the vote"? (Nioh, Persona, Zelda, etc)

I don't know man, don't I have to play through this game 5 times to fully experience the game? I don't have time for that.

 

[Golnei]

I like Bipolar Nightmare more, but all the songs are great.

I'd say Bipolar Nightmare was one of the weakest pieces in the soundtrack, but that doesn't mean a great deal when the bar is so high - it's not a track I dislike by any means.

It'd have benefited the most from a remix - a shame the DLC didn't come with a new set of arrangements this time.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I don't know man, don't I have to play through this game 5 times to fully experience the game? I don't have time for that.

I played through it 26 times to get all the endings. Maybe GAF is just too casual.

 

[Isaac Otherworld]

Vague Hope (Cold Rain) is my favorite.

Maybe.

I'm leaning towards this one myself.

 

[Szadek]

I think the best songs are E

Spoiler

mil (Despair)

and S

Spoiler

ong of the Ancients - Atonement

 

[LotusHD]

Also, 'A Beautiful Song' is the best song in the game, right? It's by far my favourite.

Honestly, as of now it's the best song of this gen.

It's yet another good song, but not the best, not to me anyways. But Nier's OST is largely amazing to the point that there are very few songs where I'd strongly disagree with someone's favorite.

Do you guys think Automata has a real shot at winning GAFs GOTY award or do you think the strong presence of other japanese titles is going to "split the vote"? (Nioh, Persona, Zelda, etc)

Doesn't need to, it's GOTY in our hearts.

Spoiler

Make sure we win any awards regarding video game soundtracks though,
otherwise I really will be disappointed

 

[Hektor]

Do you guys think Automata has a real shot at winning GAFs GOTY award or do you think the strong presence of other japanese titles is going to "split the vote"? (Nioh, Persona, Zelda, etc)

Zelda will win alone due to its popularity already. You just can't make a case for a niche jrpg like Nier Automata winning what's nothing more than a popularity vote over something as mainstream as Zelda.

And even within the subgenre of "japanese niche games" it got a lot more competition than usual going for it, with Nioh, Persona, Gravity Rush 2 and Yakuza 0 + Kiwami, let alone other, bigger titles like Resident Evil VII.

 

[Remembrance]

Amusement Park was my favorite for most of the game. It was the best demonstration of the dynamic sound design where one song's mood can change completely depending on context. The OST version showcased this beautifully with shifting back and forth between multiple versions.

But Tower is a late-game standout that just won me over with the sheer range of the vocals.

There is something to be said too to not rehashing the same character and story archetypes which is something quite a number of franchises fall into. I'm honestly impressed by the writing and character variety in Taro's games, and how deep they are too.

The story archetypes dictate the character archetypes in Yoko Taro's games. This should be obvious, but a lot of other games will just try to hammer character archetypes that don't fit into the wrong type of story.

Nier 1 was a subversion of the stereotypical RPG quest. That's why it needed a party of lovable misfits who play off each other to create most of the humor and drama. The player needed to be invested in the party and their quest.

Automata is a subversion of modern game quests that are already subversive to begin with: games where everything is a lie, you get betrayed, you have to switch sides and single-handedly take down your own side in the end. The game is totally set up to feed your paranoia that this is where it's going.

The player needs to be invested in the betrayal, so a quest like that needs the characters to establish the beliefs and allegiances that are ultimately subverted. Meanwhile, characters can't reveal too much about themselves or their intentions.

Both games work because they check all the boxes required by a story formula before they move on to the subversive part. (This is also what the multiple-endings format seems to be designed for.)

 

[Kastrioti]

Pretty disappointed with Nier right now. I've put in about 7 hours and the overworld and traversal are just not fun.

On top of that I usually have no idea where I'm going because I usually have four main quests going and all are on my map icon. I'll just wander to the largest dot on the map. I can use transport but that hasn't really helped.

Any tips? I'm about to put it down and move to something else but I do really enjoy the music and story.

 

[LotusHD]

Pretty disappointed with Nier right now. I've put in about 7 hours and the overworld and traversal are just not fun.

On top of that I usually have no idea where I'm going because I usually have four main quests going and all are on my map icon. I'll just wander to the largest dot on the map. I can use transport but that hasn't really helped.

Any tips? I'm about to put it down and move to something else but I do really enjoy the music and story.

Well, the story's only gonna get more interesting.

Traversal-wise, try making a separate loadout that focuses first and foremost on using chips that increase your speed. Fuse or do whatever in order to get that 20% maximum boost.

Other than that, nothing really else you can do other than to continue to rely on fast travel.