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1442999cookie-checkNier: Automata 9S And A2 Gameplay Walkthrough
PC
2017/02

Nier: Automata 9S And A2 Gameplay Walkthrough

Nier: Automata is one of the rare games where the first eight hours or so of gameplay is actually just the beginning. Creative director Yoko Taro has a keen sense of throwing some crazy curve balls at gamers with his Nier series, and that’s no exception with Nier: Automata. The PC and PS4 action-RPG features three distinct stories and after you complete the first one, featuring 2B, you can then play through the game again as her sidekick 9S, as well as another character named A2. This walkthrough will cover the other two stories in the game.

9S campaign starts with two robots in a short cinematic. Eventually players will be handed control of one of the robots.

For the little robot segment, go over to the corner and grab a bucket. Fill the bucket up with oil and walk (don’t jump) back over to the little robot’s brother. Once the oil is poured on the other robot, the game will switch over to 9S. Head down the platform toward the mech suit and climb inside.

Just like the beginning where you play as 2B, you’ll need to play as 9S to battle through the factory in an arcade shooting segment.

9S will also need to frequently hack some objects, which initiates a short 8-bit inspired mini-game. Simply destroy the black boxes to complete the hacking segments within the allotted time.

You’ll need to defeat the Goliath just like in the first playthrough and then take on the same missions from the playthrough you did with 2B once you get back down to Earth. Give the weapons trader the supplies he asks for and then head to the desert, just like before.

9S and 2B will need to battle through the robots in the desert, just like the original playthrough. You will also have the additional option to hack some of the higher level robots to weaken them.

Keep in mind for the hacking that you’ll need to always destroy the black boxes first before being able to take out shielded opponents, this also includes black boxes that may be obscured by enemies.

Proceed to defeat Adam again in the desert compound occupied by the Machines.

Throughout 9S’ adventures there are more cinematics that reveal slightly more about the rise of the machines and the personalities they adopted, such as Beauvoir and her desire to become beautiful. “Beauty is what wins love” is what the robot is told, and so the robot attempts to acquire adornments and jewels to become beautiful in order to acquire love and affection. Beauvoir ended up eating androids in order to become more beautiful and also attempted to learn how to sing in order to acquire love. Beauvoir tried everything but was never able to acquire love.

We also see another cinematic as 2B and 9S enter into Pascal’s village where Adam tells Eve that they must wear underwear because humans view exposed genitals as “problematic”.

Proceed to fight through the two Goliaths and then head back underground to face off against Adam and Eve.

Most of the missions stay the same save for small pockets of cinematics that further flesh out certain situations involving the machines. The one big difference takes place during the giant boss fight against the ancient machine with the EMP cannon. Instead of playing 2B and destroying the EMP cannon, you play as 9S who must battle through the machine forces and crash into the giant ancient machine, destroying it. A small hacking mini-game will ensue where 9S is in the machine network, capable of going through their records where he discovers that the machines over the years have tried to imitate human culture but have failed each time around.

One thing that stands out to 9S is that the machines never learn; they just keep repeating human errors. Things continue on this path until Adam takes control of the network. 9S argues with Adam about his true desires and about his true motivations. Adam explains that his one true motivation is hatred, and tries to get 9S to comply, but 9S manages to hold out until 2B comes to his rescue.

9S will have to self-hack to check for corruption and he discovers that project YoRHa actually developed the Council for Humanity and not the other way around.

9S can then hack into the other robots in order to help 2B during the factory segment. Since the robots that 9S will remotely control aren’t very strong, you can use the hacking to detonate the other robots, take control of them or have them fight each other.

Even more hacking will take place, with 9S having to go through an elongated segment where you’ll have to battle through some bullet-hell segments.

9S will eventually head back down to Earth and help 2B defeat Eve in the big boss showdown.

Unlike the original boss fight against Eve, 9S will have to hack his way into the inner core of Eve, which involves yet another bullet-hell type arcade sequence before 2B and 9S battle against Eve one final time. Of course, during the hacking process, 9S becomes corrupted with Eve’s data.

This opens up the option to play through the game as A2, the deserter unit and access the game’s true and final ending, A, B, C, D and E.


The next mission involves switching back and forth between 2B and 9S on the battlefield as they battle various next-gen machines. It will get difficult when the EMP takes out the YoRHa units and 2B is left incapacitated. You’ll need to play as 9S and take out all of the level 50 machines. They will be extremely difficult, but it’s best to keep your distance, use the pod and take them out one by one by dividing them and conquering them.

When the virus infects the YoRHa units, hack into 2B and clean out the virus. You’ll need to hack 2B again to restore her weapon capabilities.

When the duo return to the bunker the virus will have affected all of the YoRHa units on the moon bunker, resulting in 2B and 9S having to make a daring escape as the bunker and the YoRHa commander blow up.

Another arcade sequence commences before 2B lands on the ground and has to battle through more robots. 2B will then have to head to the abandoned factory as the corruption spreads through her system. Keep heading through the ruined city toward the commercial district across the bridge. A2 will become playable after 2B dies.

Make your way through the desert to fight the Hegel Goliath boss.

You can also activate the Berserker Mode, which will allow A2 to unleash extra damage at the expense of her defensive capabilities. Once you beat the boss there will be another memory hacking mini-game you’ll have to complete, which reveals that 2B’s memory modules have bled into A2’s memory.

You’ll find a lone resistance member out in the desert who you can trade ancient relics with for special items.

Once the Goliath is defeated you can exit the desert – you’ll find Pascal in the remains of the resistance camp ruins. You can choose to let Pascal live or die.

Talk to Anemone and she’ll give you a quest to visit Pascal’s village in order to repair A2’s fuel filter.


You’ll need to complete a few fetch quests for Pascal in the Forest Kingdom. Gather up the parts and bring them back to Pascal to complete the quest. You’ll also have to battle a boss robot who has been terrorizing the kids. Afterward, however, Pascal’s village will be destroyed and A2 will have to help the remaining kids escape to the abandoned factory.

While at the factory a rogue garrison of machines will attack Pascal and A2. You’ll need to fight off the group of machines as A2 and then take over control of Pascal and fight in a giant mech battle against another Goliath, Pacific Rim-style.

Back inside the factory the kid machines commit suicide and Pascal requests A2 to delete all of their memories so they won’t have to live with the heartbreak.

The game will switch back over to 9S once Pascal’s memories have been wiped. You can pick up a few side-quests in the resistance camp and then head out toward The Tower. There are quite a few high level robots at the elevator access of the tower area, but you can hack the robots and use them to access the tower.

You’ll need to locate the recovery units.

You can find the first recovery resource unit through the Forest Kingdom past Pascal’s village. You can resupply your wares at Pascal, who is now just a basic vendor.

Proceed to the resource recovery unit and go inside. Once inside, you’ll have to fight various waves of machines inside a giant arena-style boiler room.

Once the enemy waves are clear, take the elevator up to the next level. Rinse and repeat killing the machines and unlocking the elevators until you reach the top of the tower. Take out the machines to acquire the authorization key.

Proceed to the next resource recovery unit at the Flooded City location.

The second resource recovery unit will focus more on hacking than straight combat. 9S will also discover that the tower in the city of the ruined city is actually a launch platform. 9S also discovers that the black boxes that power the androids and give them consciousness are based on the same technology that gives the machines a consciousness through their cores.

Once 9S goes up and interacts with the main resource unit, he’ll receive the second of three authorization keys. Afterward his NFC combat module will fail and will require repairs at the resistance camp by Devola.

The last and final authorization key is located at the resource recovery unit in the abandoned amusement park.

Once 9S enters the tower the game will switch over to A2 who will have to travel to the tower as well. However, once A2 enters the teleporter the game will switch back to 9S.

There will be a mixture of platforming, hacking and combat leading up to the top of the tower, where 9S will face off against his former operator, who is infected with the logic cortex virus.

The fight can be difficult and you’ll have to whittle down her defenses while dodging a hailstorm of projectile fire. Once the bullet-hell segment is completed, you’ll have to fight Operator 210 in a one on one fight.

A2 will show up to fight the second boss, Augustus, after 9S falls off the platform.

Once the boss is defeated 9S will have all three tower authentication keys to access the structure in the ruined city. Head through the sewer back to the tower.

Activate the three sub-units located around the area leading to the elevator and then activate the elevator. You’ll have to wait for Devola and Popola in order to hack through the elevator door.

Follow the pathway through the tower across the platforms and fight the enemy YoRHa units on your to the top. After clearing out a room of YoRHa units, a short cinematic will play and then switch back over to A2, who will then have to investigate the tower.

When scaling up the tower there are simply platforms to move through as A2, no enemies will be present. There are some hacking mini-games you’ll need to complete in order progress before the action heats up again and the game switches back to 9S.

Fight through the waves of machines and kill the flight units. 9S will discover that all the androids and machines have the same basis in their construction.

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They also reveal to A2 that she was part of an expendable test group for Project YoRHa. During this segment, you’ll need to let the enemies begin to fill up on the screen as per pod 042’s request. Continue to dodge the enemy fire during this time until the cinematic plays.

The machine network will then fight each other and kill each other, allowing A2 to transcend up the tower. You’ll need to kill Ro-Shi and Ko-Shi, the Goliaths.

The game will bounce back and forth between A2 and 9S during this time, so keep fighting fast and hard and don’t let your guard down. Keep fighting them until they combine and become Ko-Shi and Ro-Shi, the mega-Goliath.

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At the end, after you defeat the mega Goliaths you’ll have the choice to either finish the game as either A2 or 9S.

Depending on who you choose will alter the ending of the game.

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