NieR: Automata | Community Playthrough 2019! |

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part IV

- What pod program/s are you using?

Laser, plus scanner as required.

- Favourite character so far?

Uhh...good question. 2B by default, but I'm not really ready to make a judgement yet, I'm not sure if she's really stoic or just aware of how her superiors monitor them.

- How have you found the difficulty of the game by this point?

I'm playing normal mode, and I burn through a lot of healing items, but I feel like it's more my incompetence than game difficulty.

Humilating Death Count: 21/22, I've lost count a bit, died a lot in the gauntlet against the giant sea monster because trying to heal in flight made me lose focus.

Spoiler: Sidequest Running Themes

Robot Sidequests: Thank you so much for returning my lost child.

Yorha Sidequests: Thank you so much for bringing me a memento of my lover. Now I'm going to kill myself. Bye. Also murdering deserters for no good reason.

 

[Joe]

Part 5: DevouT




Part 5 picks up where we left off, in The Copied City or our most recent save point after that. Story-wise this chapter will be short as we reach the end of the game mostly likely in the next chapter. This is a good time to finish up any sidequests you're into before cracking on with the story!

As the image suggests, we'll be teaming up with best boy this part and exploring deeper in a zone familiar to us.

End of Part 5 is when you leave the factory and Pascal soars high into the heavens.


PRO TIP:

Spoiler

During your run through the Factory there will be a point where you are running along a conveyor belt while mashy plates try to squash you. You can get up onto these plates from the other end and platform across them to find a hidden weapon. Psssst it's from an FF title!

Questions!
- Do you prefer 9S or Pascal as a companion?
- What's been your favourite discovery while exploring the world?
- Update! What weapons are you using and how much have you leveled them?

 

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part V

- Do you prefer 9S or Pascal as a companion?

9S, easily. He's much more helpful and chatty, and manages to be so even from space. Pascal's one saving grace is that he doesn't keep asking me if I want to change his combat style when I want to make conversation or pick up treasure

- What's been your favourite discovery while exploring the world?

The music playing golf cart shop you have to shoot down. It's just nice to listen to/shoot.

- Update! What weapons are you using and how much have you leveled them?

Recently found out I was accidentally fighting empty handed for light attacks. I'm using the default light sword and the heavy sword I looted from the destroyed factory( from my self destructed corpse in the opening.

Humiliating death count: 25/26 ish, four deaths against Scorpion Guard. Great level all round, quite the gauntlet.

Seems I missed my chance to get 60 a flower, the marker is gone from the map.

Feeling vaguely ashamed of all my free time in getting in first all the time. I'm slightly more productive than this, I swear!

 

[Interslicery]

I need to get back to this

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Ack! I'm behind on this... for a very good reason though. FFXIV: Shadowbringers was excellent!

Part 2!

Spoiler

- How did you find the bosses in this part?

In terms of boss mechanics, not too bad.

In terms of story significance? Um... yikes... I really want to know what goes into making Androids now. And where the Machines got all their data on what they think humans were/are like.

- What sidequests have you picked up/completed?

I did all the ones in the Resistance Camp and the Moon Base. The one that gives you the YoRHa-Issue Blade is was interesting...

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

I upgraded my Virtuous Contract (Default Light Weapon) to Lvl. 2 to unlock the Attack Speed Bonus and am using it as my Light Weapon. I bought Beastlord (Heavy Weapon) and am currently using it as my Heavy weapon as it does more raw damage then Virtuous Treaty.

Other weapons I have gotten/found are Virtuous Treaty, YoRHa-Issue Blade, and Virtuous Dignity.

 

[Joe]

Part 6: [A]fteR all the laughter fades




After that hectic last part we're thrust right back into action as we reach a thrilling climax. We'll get a handful of bossfights that are somewhat cinematic, some dope-ass music and a wonderful credit sequence. Enjoy, boys and girls!

End of Part 6 is the end credits! (awesome song btw)


PRO TIP:

Spoiler

I forgot to mention this before - oops - but there's a funky move you can use in the air. If you press R1 (pod fire) and X (jump) while midair, you can perform a move when you grab the pod and use it to launch yourself forward. Great for forward movement while airborne to reach further places.

Questions!
- What burning questions do you still have after the ending?
- Favourite part?
- Did you dress 2B up in any funky accessories?

Come back next week for a BonuS part!

 

[Clement Rage]

With a keen sense of dramatic irony, after I said this

Feeling vaguely ashamed of all my free time in getting in first all the time. I'm slightly more productive than this, I swear!

The cable that lets me use a PS4 on an old TV decided to lose all video. It took me a fair amount of effort to find the damn thing, and an ethical compromise (using Amazon despite disapproving of their ethics), so... see you all in six months, I guess, or whenever I get a new one.

Humiliating Death Count:

25/26

+

2 v new scorpion guard, once against random robot because I wasn't paying attention, and

20 against the final boss' final form, because I was out of healing items and decided to play fair, (three hits to death) It didn't work.

 

[Clement Rage]

With an even keener sense of irony, I took the cable to be looked at, and was told it was fine. Took it home, worked fine. Need to be more diligent before making big dramatic declarations.

Spoiler: Part VI

- What burning questions do you still have after the ending?

Whatever happened to A2? I'm curious as to what happens next. Seems like there's a lot more to this story than we've seen so far.

- Favourite part?

The gauntlet against the sea monster, twas a lot of fun and difficult (see earlier 'incompetence' disclaimer)

- Did you dress 2B up in any funky accessories?

Nah. I rarely do, the default costumes tend to be better designed.

Given my misadventures, I can't remember perfectly how my first run went, the scorpion thingy was much tougher than any of the subsequent battles, until I catch on to the

Spoiler: tactics

Stand on slightly lower ground'

method.

Epic fail from the resistance, though. A small crew of bulletproof robots (oh no, they have shields, just like the room I was was dealing with back in chapter 1, the horror) massacred the whole crew. Eight boxing robots, One really tall one that does very little, and maybe fifteen small slicy ones destroyed the whole base. They can't even shoot at you.

EVE: I want to destroy the Resistance as embarrassingly as possible.

Humiliating Death Count: Additional 1 in resistance base due to not paying attention.

Total for storyline A: 49 (give or take a few miscounts)

 

[Joe]

I think that's long enough for a comfort break. Now then...



Part 1 - B: HellO WorlD?




We're back people! I doubt anybody thought the game was over when those credits rolled, but for anyone that did I'm here to tell you we're far from done! Strap in cos it's time to get hacking and slashing once again. This time, emphasis on the hacking.

To begin Route B, just hit continue on your save game from the last time you played and hit the credits! There's more to this route than meets the eye.

End of Part 1-B is a familiar boss fight with the opera singer, Simone.


PRO TIP:

Spoiler

Hacking. It can make combat trivial in most cases and will make this second playthrough simpler to progress, which is a godsend because of the familiar ground you'll be covering. You also have access to some neat features if you hack machines that haven't detected you yet, or are hostile to you.

Questions!
- 2B or not 2B. That is the question.

 

[rimavelle]

All for 2B!
I've seen people online complaining about the hacking mechanic but I love it. Makes it different to play as 9S instead of combating the same enemies in the same manner as before. I was sweating with some enemies before and was afraid I would have to kill them again, but with hacking they got what they deserved! Again!
Also I love how game remembers what you chose when you played as 2B (in the beginning "calibration" scene).

 

[ForceStealer]

^By far the best part of the hacking minigame is the 16-bit versions of the soundtrack that plays

 

[Joe]

Also I love how game remembers what you chose when you played as 2B (in the beginning "calibration" scene).

It also remembered I must have suspended the game around that point to make dinner or something. So for Part B I was stuck in an unskippable segment for about 5-10 minutes while I waited for 2B to boot up....

Crash can testify she also suffered through my past mistakes.

 

[CrashOuch]

Oh yeah! That was so funny! I'm pretty sure we thought it was broken to start with and then we just had to sit there twiddling our thumbs

 

[rimavelle]

Oh... that's new o.o
Well now you know how 9S had to feel, waiting so long!

 

[Clement Rage]

Spoiler: Part VII

Big takeaway here is just how hard 9S is working when he's not around, casually chatting while in the middle of a massive dogfight, although his work on the AA defences didn't turn out so well. Hacking is fun, although I suck at it against the bosses.

I think my favourite joke so far is naming that boss Simone. Another of Jean-Paul's trail of broken hearts. The story we get is sad, though.

Humiliating Death Count redux: 2, both against Simone, who unkindly charged me rather than sit still and be hacked.

2B or not 2B. That is the question.

Honestly, I still don't feel I know 2B, which isn't complaining, i think there's something we haven't been told yet. Anemone recognises her for some reason, maybe 2B lost memories or there's an alternate version of her running around. That android I killed in an optional mission was 22B, I think, maybe that was actually another 2B that cut herself off from the network.

Am I bothering anyone by writing these novels, by the way?
[/quote]

 

[CrashOuch]

Am I bothering anyone by writing these novels, by the way?

No! I love them! <3

 

[Rydeen]

It also remembered I must have suspended the game around that point to make dinner or something. So for Part B I was stuck in an unskippable segment for about 5-10 minutes while I waited for 2B to boot up....

Lol! I'm glad I didn't do that during that part of the game, because I do that a lot.

 

[Joe]

Part 2 - B: KinG




Sorry for the delay in putting this part up, though a little extra time might be needed since these parts are longer on account of it covering old ground. We pick up after our fight with Simone and meeting with Pascal. This part will take us all the way to our encounter with A2 in the Forest Kingdom.

One recommendation I'd make is to do as much sidequest stuff here as possible as the latter parts of the game don't offer you much time or opportunities to run around dilly dallying.

End of Part 2-B is after our encounter with A2, at the top of the castle.

PRO TIP:

Spoiler

Now's a great opportunity to check in with the Robot Blacksmith in the Forest Kingdom. You'll probably be in a good position to grab some level 4 upgrades if you've been handy with your sidequests and exploring.

Questions!
- Have you explored much of the forest? Found any secrets?
- What do you think of 9S's expositionary data on some encounters and areas?
- How are you at hacking?

 

[Interslicery]

I haven't kept up with this... but I wanna thank you for keeping up, putting out the parts.

 

[CrashOuch]

Loads of time left for you to jump back in and catch up @Interslicery !

 

[ForceStealer]

I intend to do just that, as a point of note I did advocate for this playthrough, after all.

 

[CrashOuch]

Yay! I look forward to hearing how you both get on!

 

[Clement Rage]

I once finished an LP 7 months late. I live in hope that someone beats my record.

Spoiler: Part VIII

Engels is super vulnerable to hacking, the fight was a little less fun when I'm semi competent.

Humiliating Death Count: 3/4. Got cornered in the palace by floaty things, was trying to be a pacifist and not shoot back. Second time, glitched through a wall and fell into the abyss, then got attacked by monster at the bottom.

Operator 120 is growing on me.

Email 1: Regularly scheduled correspondence, No need to respond.

Email 2: Regularly scheduled correspondence. We don't actually mind if you respond.

And now I'm shipping them. That's how fandom minds work, people. Let that be a lesson, or something.

"I do not actively object to nonessential interaction on principle" becomes a declaration of love.

The only quest I did was her data missions. I'm not seeking out quests especially, because after a couple that made the person I was helping kill themselves, I lost interest.

- Have you explored much of the forest? Found any secrets?

Nah, I just bolted through without engaging anyone again.

What do you think of 9S's expositionary data on some encounters and areas?

The forest part was interesting enough, although I still have no idea why A2 is killing the harmless king. The kingdom are isolationist, there's no reason not to leave em alone.

Reserving judgement on the picturebook parts.

- How are you at hacking?

Not great, improving a bit now though, it's a little easier once I realised

Spoiler

shooting direction is controlled independently from moving direction, with the right stick

I make progress now against the bosses, but only with a lot of failed attempts.

My cable conked out again. I may never return. I may be back tomorrow. Who knows?

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Ooof... I am a side-quest fiend and there were a lot of sidequests in this chapter!

I also seem to have amassed a ridiculous number of weapons... Here's all the ones I have along with what upgrade level they are.

Small Swords
Iron Pipe 3
Beastbane 2
Phoenix Dagger 2
Ancient Overlord 3
Virtuous Contract 3
YoRHa-issue Blade 2
Machine Sword 2
Cypress Stick 1

Large Swords
Fang of the Twins 1
Beastlord 1
Virtuous Treaty 2
Machine Axe 2

Spears
Dragoon Lance 1
Type-40 Lance 2
Virtuous Dignity 2
Machine Spear 2

Currently I'm using Virtuous Treaty and Ancient Overlord.

Part 3

Spoiler

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

Welp... that explains why the aliens haven't been seen anywhere. That they are planing to go after the humans isn't good either. That said... are there any humans anymore?

Adam and Eve's motivations are too different from Sephiroth's motivations in Advent Children for me to think they are very similar. However, Adam and Eve have very similar motivations to Omega in FFXIV: Stormblood (Omega really wants to know why the FFXIV WoL is as strong as they are so it can be that strong for various reasons). And as this game goes on, I can definetly see why the FFXIV team would want to do a collaboration with Yoko Taro for FFXIV: Shadowbringers. But explaning that would involve massive Shadowbringers spoilers...

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

I haven't had to try that yet...

- Do you hate the flying snake machines as much as I do?

They aren't that bad? I have the pod that fires homing missiles and that makes dealing with them a lot easier.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Part 4!

Spoiler

- What pod program/s are you using?

Currently mainly using Gravity on the Missile Pod. Which usually makes for a lot of enemies getting blasted all at once with the missiles and easy AoE Heavy Attacks on them all.

- Favourite character so far?

Currently just the main two characters. There's too much info being hidden for me to like much of anyone else. For someone who says they only care about the mission, 2B cares a lot about 9S and seems quite willing to listen to the machines who don't want to fight with the androids. 9S meanwhile is mix of ernestness and curiosity who seems to say what is on his mind a little too easily.

- How have you found the difficulty of the game by this point?

It feels good. I'm not the biggest fan of action RPGs, but between the pods as a source of automated damage and crowd control, and a very generous dodge mechanic (even more generous if you equip the chips that increase the dodge's range) I've never felt overly frustrated with it. Which is a lot more then I can say for most action-type games I've played.

It probably does help that I went and tracked down the PC mods so I could use my mouse buttons for the attacks though. Using just a keyboard for standard battle actions would have been a nightmare.