Nier: Automata by PlatinumGames is a game that many will remember for its music, aesthetics and much more. But for those who are just starting their journey in its magnificent world, there are many surprises that they'll come across. The first of these surprises happens right when you start that game and you're thrown into a shoot 'em up also called a shmup.
The surprises don't stop there either as Nier: Automata is a game with enough depth that you'll still be learning new things even in the latter half of your journey. With all that said, here are 10 Things You Learn Playing Nier: Automata For The First Time. Also, minor spoilers ahead.
10 It's Not Just A RPG
As mentioned before, the very first thing you do in Nier: Automata is shoot enemies while in a sort of fighter plane. Not exactly what you'd expect if you watched any gameplay footage or heard about how amazing the combat feels. Of course the game is an action RPG similar to PlatinumGames earlier titles such as Bayonetta.
It's also a really fun game to play but the extra little mini-games you run into add that something extra. The shoot 'em up segments in the game are rarely all that difficult past the first one and still make sense in the games narrative. The other main mini-game you play is mostly as 9S and it's the hacking game.
9 Death Has Consequences
For most games on the market, death is more of an inconvenience than an actual problem. There are some notable games that are known being brutally difficult but they are the exception. Nier: Automata decided that it wanted you to actually be careful of death, especially because it gives you the option to blow yourself up, thereby dealing massive damage to all enemies close to you.
The consequences of death in Nier: Automata are twofold: you respawn from the nearest access point and you lose all of your plug-in chips. In order to get them back you need to go to the exact spot you died and retrieve your former body. This won't always be a big deal and especially early on, you could decide to not retrieve your body but later on when you have some valuable plug-in chips you're going to want to retrieve them.
8 You're Not Human
This might seem obvious at first but it carries implications that you might not think of at first. The main way to improve your combat abilities lies with the plug-in chips the game gives you. Just as with a regular computer, you use these parts to upgrade yourself and improve your capabilities.
There are even some joke endings that make you aware of this fact. If try to remove your OS chip the game will warn you about the consequences and if you do it, it's game over. By that I mean you have to start the game over again. Another joke ending happens if you decide to eat the Mackerel given to you by Jackass because it will, once again, give you a game over.
7 The End Is Just The Beginning
The first time you beat the game as 2B, you might think that you're done but if you listen to the game and start it up again, you'll realize how wrong you are. The second play through of the game, you play as 9S. While much of it will be familiar because it takes place at the same time as when you played as 2B, there's still a lot of new things to experience.
Not everyone loves playing as 9S but he comes with his own satisfactory game elements, not least of which is seeing him develop as a character. But once again this is not the end, after you've completed the second play through, there are still two more to experience. These next two play throughs will happen after the events of the first two and are therefore completely new.
6 You Really Were Recorded
Staying on the theme of multiple play throughs, you might remember the start up sequence from 2B's route. When you first start playing the game, you'll probably think that it's just a set-up and tutorial segment. You wouldn't really be wrong to think that but Nier: Automata makes it into something more.
RELATED: NieR: Automata: The 5 Best Side Missions (& The 5 Worst)
Once you've gotten through the beginning bits of 9S's route, you will meet up with 2B and have to go through that same boot-up sequence once more. Except, the you from before is doing that so however long you took to finish it, whatever settings you chose and so on, all of that really was recorded, just as 9S told you.
5 There Are A Lot Of Endings
Twenty six to be exact. Most of these are joke endings such as when you remove your OS chip or eat some Mackerel. Five of them are story endings, twenty of them are joke endings and the final one is a secret ending. The joke endings are things you'll end up finding here and there. Just be careful to save beforehand or to unlock the ability to move to specific chapters in the story.
The story endings are all told from specific characters point of views. The first two are from 2B and 9S respectively and the final three, well, if you haven't played through them then you should get on that. The secret ending involves a very special NPC who you will run into in the first route. It involves a good amount of exploring and questing but rewards you by finishing a story-line from previous games set in this world.
4 Hacking Is Powerful, If Sometimes Frustrating
The initial switch from 2B to 9S can be jarring for many players because of the combat difference. 2B gets to use swing around two different weapons and combo them together in satisfying ways and 9S just doesn't. Instead, 9S uses one weapon that acts a bit differently for him and instead of a second weapon, he hacks the enemies.
Depending on what difficulty you chose, hacking can be wildly different in its accessibility. Ignoring easy mode because it does everything for you, an often overlooked part of hacking is that it follows the same combat rules as everything else. That is, so long as you're on normal mode, you can lock on to targets. Because of how powerful hacking is against beefy enemies, it becomes vital to learn how to succeed in its little mini-game.
3 The Fastest Way To Travel
Because of how much ground you need to cover in Nier: Automata, you must inevitably learn the fastest ways to cover said ground. Thankfully the game provides some very convenient ways to do so. The basic way is to run and install a movement speed up chip. The next best way is to find a moose or a boar and ride it. This is one of the best methods depending on where you need to go, usually for shorter distances.
The fastest method is to use the games fast travel system. This requires you to have access points unlocked and then to use those to teleport to another access point. Obviously there are limitations here but this can often be the fastest way to travel, especially for long distances.
2 Combat Is Fast And Punishing
This is another thing that will depend on difficulty but in general, Nier: Automata has very fast combat. You're expected to always be moving, dashing, evading and slashing at enemies while your little droid buddies shoot them. You'll often run into enemies that make the game resemble the bullet hell genre where projectiles are coming from you at every direction.
Thankfully the evading in this game is spammable and you can destroy projectiles with your weapons. But that doesn't mean you don't need to learn proper combos. Each weapon type acts a certain way depending on whether you're using it for heavy attacks or light attacks. These same weapons also interact differently depending on what other weapon you have equipped. Try using a great sword as your main weapon and a spear as your second and you'll see how versatile the combat is.
1 The World Is Bleak And Engaging
One of the greatest things about Nier: Automata is the world it's set in. This isn't to say that everything is pleasant, one look at the games grey tones will tell you otherwise. But Nier: Automata thrusts you into this uncertain world and lets you figure it out yourself. It makes you care for certain characters and then makes terrible things happen to those characters.
You always feel engaged by the story, wanting to know more about what will happen. Will your favorite character be happy? Maybe not but Nier: Automata will make sure you're invested in finding out. Finally, despite how bleak it is, if you play through the main five endings, you will learn that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.