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NieR: Automata Spoiler Thread

D

duckroll

Member
TheGreatLugia said:
So I got endings D, C, and E yesterday in that order.

I'm guessing this has been discussed earlier in the thread, but I haven't found too much discussion about it in the pages I checked.

Since yesterday, I've been wondering about which sequence is most likely to lead to Ending E:

Ending C -> Ending E

Ending D -> 9S boarding the ark -> Ending E

Ending D -> 9S staying on earth -> Ending E

I think Ending C works better as a standalone ending because to reach Ending E, 9S would need to die offscreen after being saved. I could see the idea of 9S dying soon anyway to make A2's sacrifice feel pointless, but I haven't seen any implications about 9S dying soon after aside from "All Black Box units are now offline." at the start of Ending E.

I think Ending D leading to Ending E makes a bit more sense because all three of the main characters are clearly gone. However, 9S boarding the ark makes his revival in Ending E a bit weird too. That's why I'm inclined to think refusing to board the ark in Ending D is the most direct lead-in to Ending E, as staying on earth shows an additional death scene for 9S that's absent if he boards the ark. As a result, I this scenario would make the most sense out of the three possibilities for Pod 042 to then say "I have come to the conclusion that I cannot accept this resolution."

I could have missed out on some key details, though, and I could still see ways Ending C and boarding the ark could lead to Ending E. But from my time with the story, I think Ending D and refusing to board the ark make the most sense as the path leading to Ending E.
Click to expand...

My interpretation is that Endings C and D are basically the same things from different perspectives. You don't see the true nature of the Ark in Ending C but when A2 saves 9S, I feel it is assumed that his consciousness boards the Ark before it is fired. A2 only sees the part where everything crumbles because she isn't connected to the machines like 9S is. So in both Endings C and D, A2 dies and 9S survives long enough to transfer his data onto the Ark. Ending C actually makes more sense in terms of characterization anyway, and Ending D could still place within that from 9S' perspective, just without him being a moron.

Ending E will take place regardless, but I think it's meant to be a happy ending of hope as catharsis for the player, and it is not something a sequel will touch upon because...

Dice// said:
Curious. I wonder if a NieR Automata sequel would then use Adam/Eve-like machine lifeforms????

I want this because it's real amusing how far Yoko Taro can "stretch out" the apocalypse.
Click to expand...

I strongly believe that if there is another Nier game, it will take place thousands of years later on an alien world which was changed significantly by the arrival (or "invasion"?) of the Ark ship. It will explore how Adam, Eve, and 9S is perceived by such a civilization, and possibly have references to them as deities of legend, warped by the passage of time and the distortion of myth.
 
C

CreeperBlocks

Banned
Was there ever an explanation why most of the Androids looked like Kaine? Especially 2B, A2 and the Commander? or how 9S looked like the human version of Emil? Just a Design coincidence?
 
R

Remembrance

Member
duckroll said:
My interpretation is that Endings C and D are basically the same things from different perspectives. You don't see the true nature of the Ark in Ending C but when A2 saves 9S, I feel it is assumed that his consciousness boards the Ark before it is fired. A2 only sees the part where everything crumbles because she isn't connected to the machines like 9S is. So in both Endings C and D, A2 dies and 9S survives long enough to transfer his data onto the Ark. Ending C actually makes more sense in terms of characterization anyway, and Ending D could still place within that from 9S' perspective, just without him being a moron.

Ending E will take place regardless, but I think it's meant to be a happy ending of hope as catharsis for the player, and it is not something a sequel will touch upon because...



I strongly believe that if there is another Nier game, it will take place thousands of years later on an alien world which was changed significantly by the arrival (or "invasion"?) of the Ark ship. It will explore how Adam, Eve, and 9S is perceived by such a civilization, and possibly have references to them as deities of legend, warped by the passage of time and the distortion of myth.
Click to expand...

I would go one step further and guess that both branches of ending D happened at the same time. 9S spontaneously spawned one copy that went on the Ark, and one copy that stayed behind. (The two different outcomes for the concert performance script gave me this idea.)

Since Yoko Taro makes whole sequels out of throwaway minutiae from the last game (see the bottom of last page), I'm going to say... on your alien world, 9S becomes the harbinger of the apocalypse after he inadvertently brings knowledge of nuclear fission to this world (which he got from the end of that one sidequest).

Also it will turn out to be a planet of Emils, created by the original Emil after he went into space for some peace and quiet. And the planet itself is a giant Emil head.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
CreeperBlocks said:
Was there ever an explanation why most of the Androids looked like Kaine? Especially 2B, A2 and the Commander? or how 9S looked like the human version of Emil? Just a Design coincidence?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the game strongly hinted that A2 is based off Kaine, but I can't remember where I got that from.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Antiwhippy said:
I'm pretty sure the game strongly hinted that A2 is based off Kaine, but I can't remember where I got that from.
Click to expand...

Was there something about the A types being based on records of the strongest warrior or something? Did I imagine that? I know that subsequently because of A2's actions, they based the E series on her.
 
G

Golnei

Member
I thought most of the speculation regarding A2 and Kaine stemmed from the bit about her false memories in the stage play...?
 
G

Golnei

Member
FlowersisBritish said:
Can anyone give me a run down on that stage play? I remember it being described to me and making no god damn sense.
Click to expand...

Did you read the files in the Resistance Camp on Route C? They summarise most of what happened in it, aside from a couple of aspects like Seed and the artificial memory thing.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
FlowersisBritish said:
Can anyone give me a run down on that stage play? I remember it being described to me and making no god damn sense.
Click to expand...

A2 and other prototype YorHA have the first meetup with resistance androids.

They had to deal with the logic virus too.

Command later sent them to a suicidal mission to take out a machine server or something.

Everyone but A2 and anemone dies.

They're probably lesbians.

Fin.
 
E

EdmondD

Member
CreeperBlocks said:
Was there ever an explanation why most of the Androids looked like Kaine? Especially 2B, A2 and the Commander? or how 9S looked like the human version of Emil? Just a Design coincidence?
Click to expand...

I always thought that 2B looked like the older Yonah we see at the end of Nier. When Nier Automata was originally announced and we had no idea what it was about some were speculating that the protagonist was a grown up Yonah. I thought that at first. I don't think there is a deep connection but I don't think it is coincidence. It also seems that A2 may have some memories or personality traits of Kaine.
 
P

PBalfredo

Member
It's hard to suss out whether the characters looking like each other is because that's how its supposed to be in-universe, like with A2 and 2B, or if all the women just have a bad case of anime-same-face. Which gets even more complicated when considering other games too. Are the androids suppose to look like Kaine? Is Terminal's appearance suppose to be Manah? Who can tell?
 
G

Golnei

Member
The artbook specifically references the Terminals resembling Manah, so that at least seems intentional. It seems like Eve was originally going to become identical to Gestalt Nier as well, but that was eventually revised to the body paint in the final game.
 
formasymphonic

formasymphonic

Member
The game really would have benefitted by having A2's backstory as a playable section. I was honestly expecting something like that in some kind of flash back sequence or something to explain why she defected and such. Wasn't expecting to have to google lore to find out why and thats a shame imo
 
D

duckroll

Member
formasymphonic said:
The game really would have benefitted by having A2's backstory as a playable section. I was honestly expecting something like that in some kind of flash back sequence or something to explain why she defected and such. Wasn't expecting to have to google lore to find out why and thats a shame imo
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? It's literally a flashback novel in the game itself.
 
P

Philippo

Member
duckroll said:
I strongly believe that if there is another Nier game, it will take place thousands of years later on an alien world which was changed significantly by the arrival (or "invasion"?) of the Ark ship. It will explore how Adam, Eve, and 9S is perceived by such a civilization, and possibly have references to them as deities of legend, warped by the passage of time and the distortion of myth.
Click to expand...

Yep, seems the most obvious (hence Taro will choose something else lol) scenario. I guess machine lifeforms will evolve based on Adam and Eve, and explore the new alien world. I wonder what crazy sick twist will be added though.
And if we'll ever see giant naked babies again.

formasymphonic said:
The game really would have benefitted by having A2's backstory as a playable section. I was honestly expecting something like that in some kind of flash back sequence or something to explain why she defected and such. Wasn't expecting to have to google lore to find out why and thats a shame imo
Click to expand...

A2 would have benefitted more story exposition of any kind.
 
formasymphonic

formasymphonic

Member
duckroll said:
What are you talking about? It's literally a flashback novel in the game itself.
Click to expand...

This never came up for me when i played as A2. A google search says I have to talk to her multiple times to trigger some terminal to load a book...

A missable script told from another character's perspective isn't what I meant. I expected an actual playable story sequence akin to the rest of the game.

duckroll said:
That's unnecessary.
Click to expand...

but not untrue, she really got the short end of the stick. I would gladly have taken more time with her and new content over an 85-90% rehash with 9S.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
A2's backstory could use a little more attention. It has less done to it than devola's and poppola's lol.

And they did a really good job with d & p's story bit honestly. So it's not like they had to go outside the text adventure format really, though that would be cool.

Hell, an idea i always had is to make the romeos and juliets troupe perform the yorha stage play in game.
 
L

LotusHD

Banned
More A2 time would've been neat, but as far as that particular backstory goes, the Terminal was more than fine. Nier's the one game where reading about it is fine by me, not to mention the music really sets the mood. :p
 
K

KO Traveling Hobo

Member
Antiwhippy said:
A2's backstory could use a little more attention. It has less done to it than devola's and poppola's lol.

And they did a really good job with d & p's story bit honestly. So it's not like they had to go outside the text adventure format really, though that would be cool.

Hell, an idea i always had is to make the romeos and juliets troupe perform the yorha stage play in game.
Click to expand...

9avkexB.gif
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I think it's just presented in a way that too out of the way. Like with d&p, you don't really know what their deal is for most of the game, you see this really dramatic scene where they come to your rescue out of nowhere, and then one of them pretty much sacrificed herself to get you into the tower, and then when they asked if you want to know what their deal is straight after I'm guessing most players would say yes.
 
K

KO Traveling Hobo

Member
iirc, the terminal in the Resistance Camp is really only useful for Anemone's backstory. It doesn't give you much insight into A2's side of things, especially everything that happened down in the server room, which is what informs pretty much the entirety of A2's character leading into Automata.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Regarding the stage play idea, what if it's anemone presenting a side quest where she goes "oh no, machines stole some information! Go get them back pls." And then you go to the amusement park to see them play out yorha?

Though i guess by then they would have all turned into zombies.

Could be a route a/b quest.
 
G

Golnei

Member
I feel like they could have done plenty more with A2 outside the scope of the stage play - how she dealt with her situation between it and the game psychologically (especially moving from killing machines in hope of a death fulfilling her purpose, to also fatally retaliating against E-type units - some clashes between 2B and A2 before the game have since been covered, at least), as well as how Anemone tried to establish contact but was heavily limited by her ties with YoRHa preventing her from assisting a fugitive; could provide some material for future short stories, at least. And her actual ingame arc could have done with a lot more attention regarding her dynamic with Anemone and the machines - the way they kind of rushed through certain parts of Route C to get to the important events prevented them from elaborating on what could have been interesting character moments with her reconnecting with other androids in a non-hostile context after forcing herself into isolation for years, and starting off on more uncertain ground with Pascal instead of a brief bit of initial hostility followed by snapping into "big sis" mode. A conversation or two with Popola and Devola in the camp might have had potential too - at that point, they've both experienced ostracism and isolation, and A2's suicidal goal also reflects their eventual fate.

Though aspects of the stage play's backstory (the memories, No. 4 and Seed) could also have been effective if explored in the context of Automata's story, and A2's internal perspective.

Also, her ambiguous relationship with No. 4 made 4S a kind of odd inclusion - if the number indicates the personality profile used, wouldn't they be built off the same base, like A2 and 2B? And A2 has no reaction at all upon meeting him? I guess it could have been an oversight, but as far as I know no other numbers are repeated.
 
T

TheGreatLugia

Banned
I finally got 100% completion yesterday and decided to replay Endings C, D, and E before deleting my save file. Now I'm definitely more inclined to believe that parts of both Endings C and D happened before Ending E.

I also just read the YoRHa Stage Play. Is there any other translated supplementary material that's worth checking out?
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
Remembrance said:
Since Yoko Taro makes whole sequels out of throwaway minutiae from the last game (see the bottom of last page), I'm going to say... on your alien world, 9S becomes the harbinger of the apocalypse after he inadvertently brings knowledge of nuclear fission to this world (which he got from the end of that one sidequest).

Also it will turn out to be a planet of Emils, created by the original Emil after he went into space for some peace and quiet. And the planet itself is a giant Emil head.
Click to expand...

Hell yeah.
 
Corpsepyre

Corpsepyre

Banned
Can someone provide me with some reading/viewing material related to the game's lore? I haven't played Drakengard or the first Nier, just so you know. Would like to know more about Automata, however. I think I missed a lot in between as I drifted at times during the more heavier conversations
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
TheGreatLugia said:
Thanks. It seems like there's already a lot of material outside the game to sift through, so it might be a while before I read up on everything.
Click to expand...

The main things that carry over into Automata are:

The red-eye virus has propagated to machines, since it was magic in the first place. The entity known as "N2" may or may not be whatever became of Nier.

Emil, and everything about him. Subsequently, him remembering Kaine and Nier.

The desert machines dressed in tattered Facade clothing, hinting that that area was once Facade.

A passing mention of Accord, an android who shows up in Drakengard 3 out of nowhere and leads you through different endings in the wacky fourth wall breaking latter half of the game. She's the reason why Nier/Drakengard weapons made their way into the Resistance camp.

Devola and Popola.

There are some other vague or symbolic things but the above are more directly referenced.
 
T

TheGreatLugia

Banned
Arkeband said:
The main things that carry over into Automata are:

The red-eye virus has propagated to machines, since it was magic in the first place. The entity known as "N2" may or may not be whatever became of Nier.

Emil, and everything about him. Subsequently, him remembering Kaine and Nier.

The desert machines dressed in tattered Facade clothing, hinting that that area was once Facade.

A passing mention of Accord, an android who shows up in Drakengard 3 out of nowhere and leads you through different endings in the wacky fourth wall breaking latter half of the game. She's the reason why Nier/Drakengard weapons made their way into the Resistance camp.

Devola and Popola.

There are some other vague or symbolic things but the above are more directly referenced.
Click to expand...

Oh, I watched a full playthrough of the first Nier and read the short stories tied to it before playing Automata.

I was referring to supplementary materials for Automata specifically that might have released the past few months.
 
P

pbayne

Member
Finished ending e and it might be the most life affirming things ive ever witnessed in a video game. Holy shit.

There were a few head scratchers for me throughout but then i didn't pay too much attention to the weapons stories, archives etc so i probably missed a lot of the context. So im interested in filling those out whilst going for the other endings.
 
M

Maou

Member
jonjonaug said:
Nier: Automata is...

A sequel to a stage play (Yorha)
Which is a sequel to a joke drama CD where Emil fights aliens
Which came about due to what at the time everyone assumed was a joke line in the Nier design book about aliens invading the Earth after an ending detailed in the book that wasn't actually in the game.
And Nier itself is the sequel to a joke ending in Drakengard 1.
Click to expand...
It's all so great. We can only hope that Nier 3: Space is based on Ending U after you accidentally blow up the Bunker, and features Commander angrily floating around the cosmos for most of the game.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Renekton said:
About the logic virus... how it got uploaded and why is it so super-effective this time?
Click to expand...

I always assumed that it's just the machine network taking over the android's body. That's why they could talk through them and also how A2 can destroy the machine network by hacking 9S.

As for why it's so effective, I assume they always have to secure a connection, but if you want to ask me how the connection is made... anime bullshit I guess. :p But they always had a connection to the bunker, they just never acted out till yorha started going full on war mode because they had more fun observing them.
 
U

uceenk

Member
after i finished Nier: Automata, i somewhat interested about what happens in previous game

i figured out that Nier as protagonist is actually a replicant all along, in the end he must fight with original Nier (Gesthalt)

also Devola and Popola must protected both of them since Replicant is the key of humanity survival, in Nier (replicant's point of view) Devola and Popola are evil because they prevented him to slay Shadowlord (Nier in Gesthalt mode), in Devola and Popola's point of view they think they are heroes because want both replicant and gesthalt are not fighting each other because it can cause replicant bodies to deteriorated/relapsed

i always love if story doesn't put antagonist as straight evil, if only replicant doesn't have consciousness, a plan to save humanity could be successful

this story in original Nier is so fucked up, now i'm more interested in that than in automata

also what happens with Emil is more tragic than 9S (9E) and 2B relationship

so finger crossed for Nier remake
 
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