Important Notes - NieR: Automata

Important Notes for NieR: Automata

Save Management & Irreversible Choices

Manual Saves Only: The game does not autosave. You must manually save at access points (glowing save cubes). Remember to save frequently—especially before and after major story milestones, side quests, or boss fights. A loss of progress can be severe.

Multiple Save Slots: Use multiple save slots. This is critical because certain choices or quest failures can lock you out of content permanently. Keep at least one backup save before any major decision point.

Route A, B, C – One Save File? The game tracks your progress across routes via a single save file. Do not delete or overwrite your save file after finishing Route A; you must continue the same file to unlock Routes B and C. Starting a new game will reset everything.

Irreversible Endings: NieR: Automata has 26 endings (A–Z). Some endings (Chapter Select required) are unlocked by making specific choices or completing certain conditions. The final \"true\" ending (E) requires completing Routes A, B, and C, then choosing to fight or accept help. You cannot get ending E on the first playthrough.

Permanent Consequences for NPCs: Some side quests involve choices that permanently kill NPCs or alter their states. For example, the quest \"The Wandering Couple\" can result in one NPC dying. There is no way to reverse this outside of reloading a save.

Chapter Select Unlock: After finishing Route C, you unlock Chapter Select. This allows you to replay any chapter from the main story, but it does not let you change past choices or redo missable side quests that are tied to a specific route or time window.

Missable Content & Side Quests

Time-Sensitive Quests: Many side quests are only available during specific story chapters or after certain events. Once you progress the main story past a point, the quest may become permanently missable. Check a guide for a list of timed quests.

The \"Emil's Memories\" Quests: These quests appear only after completing Route A and before starting Route B. If you neglect them, you will lose the chance to obtain Emil's weapon and the \"Mysterious\" weapon set until a later playthrough.

Collectibles & Fishing: Certain fish, materials, and weapons are only obtainable in specific areas during certain weather conditions or times of day. Some weapons (e.g., \"Virtuous Treaty\") require completing the entire \"The Wandering Couple\" quest chain before a specific story event.

Precious Pods (Like Weapon Pods): Pods are permanent upgrades found in specific locations. They do not despawn, but if you miss a pod in an area that becomes inaccessible, you cannot return until Chapter Select is unlocked. Example: Pod 042 is missable if you leave the introductory area without picking it up.

Side Quests That Affect Ending: The quest \"The YoRHa Betrayers\" can influence whether you unlock Ending Y (if allowed to fail). Be aware of which quests have lore implications.

Difficulty Spikes & Recommended Strategies

Route B (9S Hacking): Route A is relatively easy; Route B introduces hacking segments that require precise timing and patience. Many players find the hacking difficulty a significant spike. Tip: Upgrade your hacking chips (attack power, cooldown) via the chip system. Use the “Counter” plug-in chip to reflect enemy bullets during hacking.

Boss Fights: Early bosses like the Goliath Electricity Biped (Moscow) and the Opera Singer can be challenging. Save often before them. Recommended: Level up to at least level 10 before the first boss, and equip healing items.

Adam & Eve Fights: The Adam fight in Route C (or Route A if you explore) is notoriously difficult due to his rapid attacks and bullet patterns. Strategy: Use pod programs like “Mirage” to stagger him, and keep distance. Use offensive chips (melee attack up, critical up).

Endgame Areas: The Factory area (Route C) and the Tower are filled with high-level enemies. You should be at least level 50+ for the Tower. Grinding is not necessary if you use good chips and pod programs.

Enemy Scaling: Enemies in the open world scale with your level, but areas have level caps. If you are underleveled, return to earlier areas to farm materials or experience.

Grinding Traps & Efficient Leveling

The Desert Dungeon Grind: Some guides suggest endlessly grinding in the desert for XP. This is inefficient. Instead, use the following better methods:

Route B – The PSO2 Mini-Game:

Route C – The Amusement Park:

The “Machine Girl” Farming Spot:

Avoid Over-Leveling: You can become overleveled quickly, which makes the game trivial and boring. The game does not scale enemies beyond area caps. If you find enemies too easy, consider removing level-up chips or avoid grinding.

Material Grinding: Some materials (e.g., Pariedosa Shell, Gold Ore) have low drop rates. Do not waste hours farming them individually. Instead, complete side quests that reward them, or use the “Item Drop Rate Up” chips and “The Divine’s Secret Parlor” shop that sells rare materials.

Chip Fusion Wasting: Fusing chips incorrectly can waste valuable chips. Do not fuse chips of different ranks (e.g., rank 3 with rank 1) unless you are sure the result will be worth it. Use the “Chip Fusion Calculator” online to optimize.

Networking & Online Features

No Multiplayer: NieR: Automata is a single-player game. There is no PvP or co-op. Online features are limited to leaderboards for the Colosseum arenas and the ability to send/receive in-game messages (like in Dark Souls).

Colosseum Leaderboards: The Colosseum challenges (in the City Ruins) have online leaderboards. These are populated by players from all platforms. There is no anti-cheat or matchmaking; leaderboards are primarily for bragging rights.

In-Game Messages: You can leave and view messages from other players at specific locations. These messages can contain hints, jokes, or spoilers. Warning: Some messages may spoil story twists or hidden items. Disable online messages (in Settings -> Network Settings) if you want a spoiler-free experience.

No Anti-Cheat on PC: The PC version (Steam/Microsoft Store) has no built-in anti-cheat. Using mods or trainers will not get you banned, but they can corrupt your save file or cause crashes. Use mods like FAR (Fix Automata Resolution) to improve performance without cheats.

Anti-Cheat Notes (PC)

No Anti-Cheat Software: The game does not use any anti-cheat programs like EasyAntiCheat or Denuvo (except for Digital Rights Management, which is separate). You can use memory trainers without fear of bans, but beware of save corruption.

Modding Risks: Popular mods (like the “NieR: Automata - Enhanced Edition” mod) are safe if installed correctly. However, mods that alter core files (e.g., replacing .cpk archives) can break the game after updates. Always back up your game files before modding.

Cheat Engine Usage: If you use Cheat Engine for infinite health or items, the game may crash during cutscenes or during chip fusion. Use only for single-player purposes and avoid overwriting save files while cheating.

Online Leaderboards & Cheating: If you use cheats and then participate in the Colosseum leaderboards, your scores will be recorded. There is no automated detection, but fair play is encouraged. Bragging about cheated scores is not acceptable in the community.

Common Pitfalls & Regrets

Skipping Side Quests: Many players skip side quests only to later realize they needed the rewards (weapons, chips, lore) for the true ending. Do not ignore side quests, especially those marked with a red exclamation mark – they are often important.

Not Using Pod Programs: Pod programs are powerful abilities (like laser, hammer, etc.) that can trivialize fights. Many players forget to equip them. Always keep at least one offensive pod program equipped.

Neglecting Chip Management: Chips are the core of your build. Storing unnecessary chips in the expansion slot (only 128 chips max) is wasteful. Regularly sell or fuse low-rank chips.

Saving Over the Wrong Slot: With no autosave, it's easy to accidentally overwrite your progress. Double-check the save slot before confirming.

Not Understanding the 9S Hacking Minigame: Many players hate Route B because of the hacking. Practice the hacking minigame in the early areas (e.g., at the Bunker). You can also skip some hacking sequences by using the "Chiptune" chip that increases hacking speed.

Missing the “Flower” Weapon: The “Flower” weapon (for 2B) is missable if you do not collect all “Memory Cores” in the Abandoned Factory before a certain story event. Check a guide for locations.

Permanent Death of NPCs: If you kill certain NPCs (like the machine lifeforms in the desert), you may lock yourself out of quests or endings. Be cautious when attacking non-hostile characters.

Final Warnings

Save Before Final Bosses: The final bosses of each route (especially Route C’s final boss) are unskippable and can last 10-20 minutes. If you die, you must restart from your last save. Save just outside the boss arena.

Ending E Requires Internet (Optional): To unlock Ending E, you must accept help from other players during the credits sequence. This does not require an internet connection, but if you are offline, you will face a very difficult solo challenge. If online, other players' data will assist you. It is recommended to be online for this.

No New Game+ in Traditional Sense: After Credit Roll, you return to the Chapter Select menu. You cannot start a New Game+ with your levels and items (but you keep chips and weapons). To experience the story again fresh, you must manually delete your save file (which is also needed for Ending E’s choice).

Achievement/Trophy Spoilers: Some achievements (e.g., “Ending E”) are story-related. Avoid looking up achievement lists if you want to avoid spoilers.

Performance on PC: The PC version has known issues: frame rate drops in certain areas, resolution scaling problems, and the infamous “borderless fullscreen bug.” Install the FAR (Fix Automata Resolution) mod to fix most issues. Without it, you may experience stuttering or crashes.

This guide reflects common experiences from the community. Always listen to your own enjoyment – if something is too frustrating, take a break or lower the difficulty. Remember: \"To fight is to die.\" (From the game's lore.)