NieR: Automata | Community Playthrough 2019! |

[Joe]

What's up folks it's about time for our Summer Community Playthrough! We voted for it months ago but the time is now. Well the time is THIS WEEKEND.

We'll be officially beginning Sunday 23rd June.






So what IS NieR: Automata?
NieR: Automata is a game for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. It's single-player and you can pick it up for a decent price on most of those platforms, via amazon or digitally.

This is a game about existence, about morality, about questioning what it is to be alive. It is also a game about androids in tight shorts and destructible skirts. It's also a sequel to NieR, a game that came out in 2010 (But is about as separate from it as each FF installment is).

At its core it's a hack and slash game by PlatinumGames (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) but it's a whole lot more. You'll find a blended array of genres throughout NieR but uh...playing is believing!




Lemme run through how we're gonna do this:
I'll be posting up chapters on Sundays and Wednesdays, with the aim that during the following three to four days we'll play up to a certain point. I encourage people to play at their own pace and use the Chapters to discuss the parts relevant to that session! Simple! The Chapters I'll be posting will be roughly 1-2 hours long so you don't have to commit too much time each week, if you're not able to! Again, if you get sucked in and finish the game in a week then GREAT! Though this leads me to a very important part of this playthrough.

Chapters:
Part 1: HellO WorlD
Part 2: EdeN
Part 3: KingdoM
Part 4: MisplaceD
Part 5: DevouT
Part 6: [A]fteR all the laughter fades

Part 1-B: HellO WorlD?
Part 2-B: KinG
Part 3-B: maybe if I keep [Β]elievinG

Part 1-C: GoodbyE
Part 2-C: DiscoverY
Part 3-C: DisunitY

Spoilers
NieR: Automata is a game full of discovery and twists and turns, both throughout the plot of the game and the very structure of this digital media. If that last part didn't make much sense....good.
Please mark which chapter of the playthrough you'll be discussing when you make posts here and if it contains spoilers then mark them as such. Please, please, please try to limit or resist posting about chapters we have yet to reach. We WILL play through it all, but I'm sure any who have completed this game already know that some of the surprises in store are a big part of the experience.
I'll keep close watch on this thread in terms of moderating it, but please do be courteous to everyone and wait til we're all caught up to the bits you can't wait to talk about




So plug in your OS chips, strap on your blindfolds, and get ready for

​

 

[fancy]

BRUH!! I am HYPED for this!!!!

 

[Rydeen]

Excellent game. I have gripes with certain gameplay elements for the last half of the game, but there's legitimate reasons for it, so it's excusable.

 

[Interslicery]

I am hyped for people's reactions to certain things

 

[ForceStealer]

AAAA IT BEGINS!

 

[Avalanche87]

Such an amazing game!!! Saying this just does not give it enough justice!!! I've watched hours & hours of youtube dealing with lore & theories in this universe..... so core crushing, fundamental, soul shifting philosophy & unbelievable that somebody has been able to provoke the thoughts & morals that this digs up..... words can not describe how amazing this game is!

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Oh, this will be fun... I will try to stay up to date with this... Not because I don't want to play it but because this starts five days before the FFXIV expansion comes out...

The good news is is that I do want to finish this because the next 24-man raid of FFXIV is essentially a Nier cross-over and Yoko Taro is doing the story for it so I might as well know what I am getting myself into ahead of time.

 

[looneymoon]

oh! I have a copy of this that I've been meaning to get to. I tried when I was hungover once but... that did not work out lol.

I'll try and take part!

 

[HylianMogget]

Great game, those who haven't played it yet are in for a treat! I've been meaning to replay it and do more sidequests/get more weapons that I didn't get the first time through, so I hope to be able to join in. I've got a file I started a little while ago where I'm still in the early part of the game, so I'll probably pick up from where I left off there.

 

[ForceStealer]

I'm also trying to decide whether to start from scratch or just do another new game

But I'm really excited to discuss the story with the members here, much like I was with FF Tactics

 

[Interslicery]

I know that

Spoiler

I'll be starting from scratch, since I have no choice

 

[HylianMogget]

Oh, yeah:

Spoiler

I'm also starting from scratch, not going back through my first playthrough's save (since I don't have it anymore ), I just meant that I'll probably join in a bit into the playthrough, like after the amusement park on Route A, since that's where I think I left off when I started my replay.

 

[Cthulhu]

Spoiler

I'll probably replay this (or watch someone else play this) at some point, but for the moment, it's too recent for me to go for a replay. I got the main endings in any case, and some other ones. Haven't gone to get all the endings though, might do that in a next playthrough.

 

[Joe]

Part 1: HellO WorlD




Welcome to NieR: Automata! Whether you choose to play with Japanese or English VO is all good because both are excellent! You'll get a tutorial in-game but a few tips to get you started:

- R2 dodges in combat and it is your best friend. Dodging right before an enemy attacks initiates a perfect dodge which you're invulnerable for. There's no limit to this and it will be invaluable when the combat gets more chaotic.
- You can shoot with your turret (R1) and attack with your weapons (Square, Triangle) simultaneously. If you struggle to aim while doing this, hitting L2 lets you lock onto enemies at a small cost to accuracy. Helps pump those numbers!
- Do sidequests! This playthrough guide won't cover sidequests (unless I think they're highly recommended) but there's plenty of weapons, upgrades and great story to be found outside of the main story.

End of Part 1 is when you meet Jackass for the first time
(Feel free to play more if you want, the parts will get longer as we go through)

PRO TIP:

Spoiler

After leaving the bunker and returning to the surface, you can backtrack to the factory where you self-destructed to reclaim your previous loot, as well as the Large Sword - Virtuous Treaty - that you lost with your death.

Questions!
- What are your thoughts on 2B, our player character?
- Did you flirt with 9S during maintenance?
- Highlights so far? Enjoying the music?

 

[Interslicery]

I've played before, so I'm not gonna comment on 2B as a character so far. I'm worried I'll influence newbies on her character arc without realizing it, or something

- I didn't. Dude's rebooting me, he needs a clear head.

- I fished a bit, got a good chunk of extra money. Good for getting those chip slot upgrades early. Killed a few moose and boar, and in general just went around unlocking save points and collecting items.
Music is beautiful, as always.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

PSA for PC players!

Go check out this Steam guide: Tweaks & FAR

It is basically a resource for Neir fixes for the PC version since, like a lot of action games, the PC port is... lacking... in some areas. Like PC-friendly keybindings. And better scaled AO and Bloom. The keybindings in particular are a big one as there is no native Mouse support at all, and people have figured out work-arounds for that. Like having a dedicated doge button... And other sane PC things like MMO mouse buttons...

Also, if you have a decent graphics card, check out this sweet HD Texture Pack!

 

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part 1

- What are your thoughts on 2B, our player character?

Fairly blank so far, which is pretty much as you can expect. given the circumstances. She has a super strong reaction to 9S' actions despite completely shrugging off the rest of her squad being slaughtered.

- Did you flirt with 9S during maintenance?

No. He has no memory of me, that would be weird.

Highlights so far? Enjoying the music?

Music is nice.

Mostly what's standing out is the meta stuff, the 2D arcade sequences and deaths reloading data to a new body.

Humiliating death count: 6

Once against the shooty things in the first bulletproof enemy room, once aganst the Goliath after my auto heal for some reason didn't kick in, then four times against the two spinny things in the air over the city ruins.

Mostly reminding me of Metal Gear Rising: Revengence, which is a good thing.

 

[Rydeen]

Not currently playing but kinda wanna answer the questions from the perspective of when I first played

- My first impression: "Oh great, another knockoff Squall." But then shit got deep.

- I did, not gonna lie.

- Music kinda blew me away from the moment I started playing the game. I also immediately felt a sense of peace the first time I explored the open world and remarked to myself that I'm a weirdo and I should probably be sad lol.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Small suggestion: can we put links to all the main chapter posts in the OP? It would make navigating to different parts of the thread easier.

Spoiler: Part 1

- What are your thoughts on 2B, our player character?

She seems to be the typical no-nonsense military girl archetype. Although she does seem to notice the people who aren't fighters on the field, so that's at least breaking the mold a little bit.

That said... everyone is an android. It's kinda interesting to see machines that feel very human aside from the whole "I can upgrade my body and upload my memories to the computer" bit. It will be interesting to see where this game falls on the "free will vs programing" spectrum as well as how "real" the androids' feelings are treated as being.

- Did you flirt with 9S during maintenance?

Nope.

- Highlights so far? Enjoying the music?

The music is nice, but it hasn't exactly wowed me yet. That said, there's plenty more of the game to go, so I get the feeling there will be plenty more opportunities for that.

I am officially suspicious of the whole "humans living on the moon after an alien invasion" fact. What's to stop the aliens from attacking the moon rather then the earth? I am also very curious as to why we only find the machines the aliens used to conquer earth on earth and not the aliens themselves. On the other hand... It's the start of the game...

That said, if it turns out humanity has been dead for ages and the android commanders have been concealing that fact to keep the rest of the androids in line, it will be incredibly ironic. Same thing for if the aliens aren't even around anymore and their machines have all gone haywire as a result. A combination of the two would also be crazy.

 

[Joe]

Part 2: EdeN




Our second part takes us out into the desert, investigating weird machine behavior and liaising with the DeadlY Jackass. We'll get to slide down some sand dunes, battle some more vocal robots and wonder what the HecK is going on.

This will be a moderately bigger part than the first, and should also open up some sidequests for you to sink your teeth into.

This part also includes one of my favourite boss fights in any game ever! BeautifuL!

End of Part 2 is when you meet Pascal at the village.
(Play dem sidequests doe)

PRO TIP:

Spoiler

While you'll definitely be hacking and slashing your way through this game, not everything is immediately hostile to you. Even some bosses!

Questions!
- How did you find the bosses in this part?
- What sidequests have you picked up/completed?
- Have you found/bought any additional weapons? What weapons are you using for light and heavy attacks?

(I've included Chapter links in the first post, thanks for the reminder Obs!)

 

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part II

I found Jackass earlier than expected, I think? She just had one line because I hadn't been to the camp yet.

Promptly got lost, semi intentionally, and stumbled across the Resistance completely by accident.

Resistance immediately sense an RPG protagonist and ask us to do all their chores. Mowing down the completely non hostile machines, super dangerous mission there, dude.

Ignored the encounters in desert after the first one, was fond of the backing track of 'this cannot continue' over the bossfight. More bosses should provide their own theme music.

Then we went to Disneyland. I attacked the tank, assuming we had to, but found they way out before I killed it. Killed the machines on rollercoaster because I couldn't tell if they were hostile or not.

How did you find the bosses in this part?

Human android gentleman was easy enough. I'm mostly using the revolutionary tactic of 'carry a tonne of healing items'

Disney Princess ( can't remember their names, sorry) was another story, I just stayed shooting her at a distance, which made for a kind of boring fight, but trying to close didn't work.

2B's reactions seem kind of strange, she's not particularly unemotional, she just complains whenever 9S says anything. Also, they had no apparent reaction to murdering a bunch of androids during the bossfight.

- What sidequests have you picked up/completed?

Just the vendors. Found one about improving communications, but got to amusement park before doing anything.

- Have you found/bought any additional weapons? What weapons are you using for light and heavy attacks?

Went and looted my own corpse from the opening, also found a spear in the sewers, but decided not to experiment in the middle of a mission.

Humiliating death count: 8, two new ones from Disney Princess.

 

[Joe]

Part 3: KingdoM




Part 3 begins right where we left off, in the Machine Village. There'll be some opportunity to pick up a buncha sidequests and you will get acquainted with a downright pleasant machine!

We'll get some revelations in the story, some cool fights and will eventually journey to another sector of the map.

End of Part 3 is after the boss battle at the top of the Castle.


PRO TIP:

Spoiler

There's a weaponsmith hiding out somewhere in the castle. They will be useful in upgrading your weapons to max!

Questions!
- What do you think of our white-haired antagonists? Advent Children flashbacks?
- Have you attempted to self-destruct in combat yet? How did it go?
- Do you hate the flying snake machines as much as I do?

 

[Joe]

Part 4: MisplaceD




Part 4 begins at the top of the castle, after (or maybe before if you didn't save after) the battle with the rogue android. We'll soon be heading to the flooded city area of the map. This chapter is pretty short and punctuated by two boss fights. Take your time and explore because there's a few cool things you can pick up.

We'll likely get another chance to question the meaning of life - and death - in this chapter. Business as usual.

End of Part 4 is after the boss battle in The Copied City.


PRO TIP:

Spoiler

Try fishing out to see when in the flooded city. There's at least one very useful thing you can fish up, that isn't a fish.

Questions!
- What pod program/s are you using?
- Favourite character so far?
- How have you found the difficulty of the game by this point?

 

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part III

- What do you think of our white-haired antagonists? Advent Children flashbacks?

When I met the first one in the desert I did think 'Sephiroth', but felt it would be mean to say so.

Aliens are dead, huh? The question now becomes 'are the humans still alive?' Their spoken communication is the same transmission word for word IIRC.

Have you attempted to self-destruct in combat yet? How did it go?

No, I don't know how to do that.

Doyou hate the flying snake machines as much as I do?

Probably not, by virtue of your superior experience. I just run away from everything. They did take chunks out of my health in the castle, but that was more incompetence of me than anything else.

Humiliating Death Count:10/11

Died once against the goliath because I forgot how to dodge in flight, once against the androids because I was trying to listen to his monologue, and once in the shopping centre because I was getting tired and wanted to quit, so wasn't paying attention.

My super cowardly playstyle is reaping dividends, in that I just run past all enemies to get to the bossfight, which usually comes back to bite me in RPGs by the endgame. Working well so far, though. Killing machines feels like a waste of time (unless they're blocking access to my emails). Also, they look like Tonberries, and thus are too cute to destroy.

Spoiler: Sidequests

Delivered robot Sartre's first batch of parcels, found little sister robot in the desert (resulting in 'oh crap, we really have to take her all the way home?'), the disappeared dude that wanted revenge for vengeance, and the parts for fugitive couple. Also delivered oil to Anemone and Pascal. Did Jackass' first 'kill stuff' mission, then decided she was creepily hitting on me through violence and left. Thought the commander had given me a sidequest re communication lines, but that one seems to have disappeared.

Seems very out of character for 2B to run these errands, but whatever.

 

[Rydeen]

Spoiler: Part III

My super cowardly playstyle is reaping dividends, in that I just run past all enemies to get to the bossfight, which usually comes back to bite me in RPGs by the endgame. Working well so far, though. Killing machines feels like a waste of time (unless they're blocking access to my emails). Also, they look like Tonberries, and thus are too cute to destroy.

Spoiler

This can work for a while, and it will be especially tempting to avoid enemies when you get to route B (it's too easy), especially toward the end of that arc (you'll know), but you will probably regret it when you get to the time sensitive opening mission of C, which is way harder than anything from B.