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[ShadowSoldier89]

I like how his explanations for things are the same as the interpretations we derived. Really shows how well he conveyed them.

EDIT: Also to his point about about why the save data deletion thing. I think its an interesting sentiment, but I think the medium really helps with that feeling anyway. Being a participant in the story as a whole adds a layer that being a passive viewer doesnt.

 

[How About No]

Yoko Taro Speaks On The Varied Endings & Meanings Of NieR: Automata

We've all been there with carts deleting saves, Taro ;_;

 

[Slater]

I'd normally agree with you if it weren't for Drakengard 3 and Accord being a thing
(To make it clearer: Drakengard 3 basically posits that all endings are canon in some way or another. Its very much an SMT kind of situation i guess.)

I'm talking about the machines becoming the watchers, that shit is rawwwww fanwank and is not hinted at all in the endings

 

[Nasbin]

I'm talking about the machines becoming the watchers, that shit is rawwwww fanwank and is not hinted at all in the endings

Well I don't think we know what happens but I don't think it's a coincidence that the Copied City looks like the futuristic Cathedral City that's summoned into Iberia and triggers the Drakengard timeline or that Eve has the Cult of the Watchers tattoo on his body. While Adam is the brother who really seeks to emulate humanity and goes so far as to dress like them, Eve is much more animalistic and dresses himself in increasing amounts of what looks like dragon bone as you fight him (for some of his attacks he even summons machine parts to construct what look like dragon wings). I am imagining some Taro-esque scenario where something happens to Adam or Eve splinters off and some magic fuckery with the Flower pulls them into the Drakenverse.

There'd also be something poetic about the machines who killed their creators going on to create the dragons who killed their creators. It's false gods all the way down. But yea, I'll admit it is fan wank.

 

[Mailbox]

I'm talking about the machines becoming the watchers, that shit is rawwwww fanwank and is not hinted at all in the endings

oh, yeah, i agree to that.

 

[Clov]

I'm talking about the machines becoming the watchers, that shit is rawwwww fanwank and is not hinted at all in the endings

I wouldn't say that the machines become the Watchers at all. I do believe that the aliens had some sort of connection to them though, given the use of the celestial language, Eve's tattoos, and the machine network consciousness resembling Manah.

 

[Philippo]

Wonder if nier 3 will tackle the end of the last gestalt and replicants. Wonder if that story is worth telling

Hhummmm.....

 

[OniBarubary]

Sorry everyone! I'm a disappointment to you all.

Don't worry, we'll just reprogram you to feel guilty about it for all eternity.

 

[LotusHD]

Don't worry, we'll just reprogram you to feel guilty about it for all eternity.

*hides

 

[OniBarubary]

*hides

Twinsies!

...get back here

 

[RubberLuffy]

I think we can all agree that Father Servo is best new character 2017. Best character 2017 is of course Emil. But he's not new.

So, speaking of Emil, I'm looking for streams/youtubes of people encountering him for the first time in the shopping mall, who haven't played the first NieR. Their reactions are pretty funny. Only found a few so far, though.

I'm a little obsessed with this dumb game

 

[darkwing-buck]

Picked A2 my first time as well. Nines was a goner by the time he stepped into the tower.

 

[LotusHD]

Twinsies!

...get back here

Lol, I'm good

I think we can all agree that Father Servo is best new character 2017. Best character 2017 is of course Emil. But he's not new.

So, speaking of Emil, I'm looking for streams/youtubes of people encountering him for the first time in the shopping mall, who haven't played the first NieR. Their reactions are pretty funny. Only found a few so far, though.

I'm a little obsessed with this dumb game

Servo is great, but best new character is Jackass. Or maybe Pascal.

 

[OniBaka]

They should had made A2 call 9S nines at the end, would had poured more fuel to the fire.

 

[DreamedLint]

Something that's bugged me for a while is the ghostly holograms of a young girl that appear in route B. I assume that it's one of the N2 pair that appears very overtly in the strangulation scene. I remember two sightings, the first being when 9S and 2B are boarding their flight units (I think to fight Engels in the city, I thought it was a bug at first) then again in the bunker's hangar. Did anyone else notice other points where these figures show up in Route B? Is it fairly certain they're N2?

 

[Philippo]

I think we can all agree that Father Servo is best new character 2017. Best character 2017 is of course Emil. But he's not new.

So, speaking of Emil, I'm looking for streams/youtubes of people encountering him for the first time in the shopping mall, who haven't played the first NieR. Their reactions are pretty funny. Only found a few so far, though.

I'm a little obsessed with this dumb game

Dude, Father Servo is the GOAT NPC.

Also, i want entire reaction video compilations about this game.
So many moments both sad and crazy i'd love to see everyone's faces when playing.

 

[Ferrio]

Something that's bugged me for a while is the ghostly holograms of a young girl that appear in route B. I assume that it's one of the N2 pair that appears very overtly in the strangulation scene. I remember two sightings, the first being when 9S and 2B are boarding their flight units (I think to fight Engels in the city, I thought it was a bug at first) then again in the bunker's hangar. Did anyone else notice other points where these figures show up in Route B? Is it fairly certain they're N2?

At the end right? After the Eve fight? They're on each side.

 

[Bowlie]

^

Nope, they're talking about something else. it's a white hologram. I only caught it in the hangar, as 9S is leaving the Bunker. I don't know what's up with that! I wanna say the girl's model is similar to the Terminal's, but I'm not sure.

 

[Clear]

I like how his explanations for things are the same as the interpretations we derived. Really shows how well he conveyed them.

EDIT: Also to his point about about why the save data deletion thing. I think its an interesting sentiment, but I think the medium really helps with that feeling anyway. Being a participant in the story as a whole adds a layer that being a passive viewer doesnt.

Playing a game gives a sense of "ownership" (for want of a better word) to the whole experience. Even if you are guided and constrained by the story, by reaching the end you have literally and figuratively "played along" with it.

Hence the deletion of data at the end of the original Nier feeling like a redemptive act of penitence for the tragedies you in a ludic sense have been complicit to. The wonderful thing about Automata's rendition of the same mechanic, is essentially that its an act of defiance, a rebellion against the rigid order of the game's story.

Brilliant stuff, especially how it dovetails with the themes of the story in regards to the very human need to make meaningful connections with others.

 

[Nasbin]

I think we can all agree that Father Servo is best new character 2017.

That's not how you spell Pod 042!

 

[RubberLuffy]

That's not how you spell Pod 042!

Father Servo could definitely beat up Pod 042!

 

[Astral]

So is there a link to that stream where 9S's VA plays the game? I'm hoping it's archived. The guy did such a fantastic job voicing 9S. It was heartbreaking watching 9S's descent into madness.

 

[Tetsujin_MK]

So is there a link to that stream where 9S's VA plays the game? I'm hoping it's archived. The guy did such a fantastic job voicing 9S. It was heartbreaking watching 9S's descent into madness.

Here you go: https://www.twitch.tv/kylemccarley/videos/all

 

[Nasbin]

Father Servo could definitely beat up Pod 042!

*rubs touchpad*

 

[Astral]

Here you go: https://www.twitch.tv/kylemccarley/videos/all

Thank youuuu.

 

[Hypemaster]

I picked A2 to finally kill that dweeb.

He was no dweeb.

 

[Sapientas]

Just got ending E and not sure what to make of it. Was expecting lots of answers and feels, but didn't get any of it. I guess I might be missing something and should do more sidequests (did only 40).

Though I never felt too strongly towards Nier's ending either, so maybe something's wrong with me.

 

[OniBarubary]

Though I never felt too strongly towards Nier's ending either, so maybe something's wrong with me.

The first step is acceptance.

Nah homie, for real, if it didn't affect you it didn't affect you. Some things just won't resonate with some people.

Uncharted 4 didn't make me feel anything so to each their own.

 

[Sapientas]

The first step is acceptance.

Nah homie, for real, if it didn't affect you it didn't affect you. Some things just won't resonate with some people.

Uncharted 4 didn't make me feel anything so to each their own.

It's weird though, cause I adored the entire plot and all endings from Drakengard 3. The main endings from the Nier games feel way too samey in comparison.

 

[OniBaka]

Just got ending E and not sure what to make of it. Was expecting lots of answers and feels, but didn't get any of it. I guess I might be missing something and should do more sidequests (did only 40).

Though I never felt too strongly towards Nier's ending either, so maybe something's wrong with me.

Did you know 2B had a hard life?

 

[Sapientas]

Did you know 2B had a hard life?

That's a clever twist that gives an interesting new perspective for new playthroughs, but kinda badly implemented into the explicit narrative of the game, considering that all the times that the player sees 2B kill 9S aren't really murder of her part ( black box explosion at the beginning and suffocation at ending A and B).
2B's quick attachment to 9S got my attention right off the bat, but even so I didn't expect any of that.

 

[Nasbin]

aw I just found Animal-loving Machine :3

 

[OniBarubary]

It's implied, almost outright stated, that she's killed him way more times than before the game begins.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Just got ending E and not sure what to make of it. Was expecting lots of answers and feels, but didn't get any of it. I guess I might be missing something and should do more sidequests (did only 40).

Though I never felt too strongly towards Nier's ending either, so maybe something's wrong with me.

Ending E was up and down for me. The pods' conversation, the music, fighting the credits, and the messages from all over the world that ranged from encouraging to hilarious floored me, but I was really let down by the assistance. I was really fired up to do my best and get through it - partly because of all the encouraging messages - but then you accept the help and breeze through it.

It felt worse than youtubing the end of D3, because at least someone had to wade through hell and high water to get that ending. Instead, it's just kind of served on a silver platter here. It wasn't until the game revealed that people sacrificed their data to give you that assistance that I appreciated it, but at that point the emotional high had already been hobbled.

This is a greater point that I'm really divided on. A lot of Automata is dependent on you viewing things from a certain point in time: things like 2B's characterization and the [E]nd assistance only work in hindsight, while things like the game's "route" structure only works as you're going through it for the first time.

I don't want to say it's a bad thing, but I'm not sure if I like it.

It's implied, almost outright stated, that she's killed him way more times than before the game begins.

The problem is that we never see this, and when A2 drops the 2E reveal, we just get a clipshow of the scenes that Sapientas mentioned, which works against the reveal.

 

[RubberLuffy]

Ending E affected me more than probably any game I can remember playing. Like, actually encouraging a sadbrain broken person (me) to want to change his life for the better. It's sad to think a video game is what did it, but there it is.

Life is a constant stream of embarrassment.

 

[Wesley-Sigma]

I still can't get over your encounter with Emil.

He is driving like a maniac with absurd music.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Ending E affected me more than probably any game I can remember playing. Like, actually encouraging a sadbrain broken person (me) to want to change his life for the better. It's sad to think a video game is what did it, but there it is.

Life is a constant stream of embarrassment.

I had that same experience with a Japanese cartoon about giant robots. You're in good company, buddy.

 

[OniBarubary]

Honestly I think that feeling like you've been ripped off or whatnot that you can't just "win" the end of Route E through your talent alone feels like why people don't like it.

Which to be honest is going to be a huge separation between why people play video games. I loved it because narratively it is astonishing and gameplay wise I've never placed importance on the feeling of accomplishment from beating something through my own skills. I didn't care that it asked if I needed help after all the stuff it said because I understood what it was doing and beating it by myself wasn't anything I cared about.

I'm not going to say someone angry they couldn't beat it is playing the game wrong, that's asinine, just that the effectiveness of the ending and accepting help is going to be based on what's important in a game to you.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Honestly I think that feeling like you've been ripped off or whatnot that you can't just "win" the end of Route E through your talent alone feels like why people don't like it.

Which to be honest is going to be a huge separation between why people play video games. I loved it because narratively it is astonishing and gameplay wise I've never placed importance on the feeling of accomplishment from beating something through my own skills. I didn't care that it asked if I needed help after all the stuff it said because I understood what it was doing and beating it by myself wasn't anything I cared about.

I'm not going to say someone angry they couldn't beat it is playing the game wrong, that's asinine, just that the effectiveness of the ending and accepting help is going to be based on what's important in a game to you.

I mean, I wasn't angry and I didn't feel "ripped off". Just kind of disappointed. And like I said, I youtubed the end of Drakengard 3. I'm not the type of person who feels that he has to win all the things.

I cared about beating it myself because all these people were cheering me on and telling me to persevere, even if it seemed impossible. It was a powerful unification of narrative and gameplay for me.

Thematically, life doesn't suddenly become a cakewalk for the characters who learn to depend on others. Friendship isn't an I-win button. Life is still a struggle, and the weight of the world is still immense. Others just make that weight bearable, like in the case of Devola and Popola.

 

[Astral]

Some of these alternate endings are hilarious. From ending Q:

"9S suddenly lost interest in 2B. No one knows why - he just didn't care anymore."

 

[How About No]

I still can't get over your encounter with Emil.

He is driving like a maniac with absurd music.

da do de do

da de da de de da de de do

<3

Is it true you can get him to drive by during the big Devola and Popola scene?

 

[Ferrio]

Did you know 2B had a hard life?

I plan to do an A run before deleting my save for this reason alone.

 

[OniBarubary]

I mean, I wasn't angry and I didn't feel "ripped off". Just kind of disappointed. And like I said, I youtubed the end of Drakengard 3. I'm not the type of person who feels that he has to win all the things.

I cared about beating it myself because all these people were cheering me on and telling me to persevere, even if it seemed impossible. It was a powerful unification of narrative and gameplay for me.

Thematically, life doesn't suddenly become a cakewalk for the characters who learn to depend on others. Friendship isn't an I-win button. Life is still a struggle, and the weight of the world is still immense. Others just make that weight bearable, like in the case of Devola and Popola.

Well...life didn't really become a cakewalk either. You literally only make it because other people sacrificed their data for you; they died for you. They certainly didn't get through it scot-free and you didn't win without giving up anything.

Friendship didn't make you win, sacrificing other people did.

 

[Mr. Smiley]

I still can't get over your encounter with Emil.

He is driving like a maniac with absurd music.

Every day's a sale.
Every sale's a win.

 

[Samikaze]

I still can't get over your encounter with Emil.

He is driving like a maniac with absurd music.

It's even stranger when you realize it's him making lyics to his theme in the first game.

I still don't know how I feel about that...

 

[OniBarubary]

Motherfucker needs to stop hitting me when I'm talking to other people.

 

[Jintor]

I actually felt like the assistance in e made things in some ways more difficult.

If it was just me, I would be fine throwing myself against a wall over and over. That's gaming.

But risking other people's saves for my own fulfillment?

That was a different feeling altogether

 

[How About No]

I actually felt like the assistance in e made things in some ways more difficult.

If it was just me, I would be fine throwing myself against a wall over and over. That's gaming.

But risking other people's saves for my own fulfillment?

That was a different feeling altogether

Literally "I'm gonna kill everyone and then I'm gonna kill myself"

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Well...life didn't really become a cakewalk either. You literally only make it because other people sacrificed their data for you; they died for you. They certainly didn't get through it scot-free and you didn't win without giving up anything.

Friendship didn't make you win, sacrificing other people did.

There was no struggle. No challenge. On the other hand, look at D&P's novel segment. They're able to persist because they have each other, but life is still an uphill battle.

I did appreciate it more once it was revealed that people gave up their saves to provide assistance. In the moment, though, it just feels like cheesing.

I think it would have worked better for me if you could still die, but each time you ask for assistance, you get an additional helper ship, and the choir becomes louder and louder.

It would make more sense too, since deleting people's data is unsustainable and probably not actually happening.

 

[Sapientas]

I mean, I wasn't angry and I didn't feel "ripped off". Just kind of disappointed. And like I said, I youtubed the end of Drakengard 3. I'm not the type of person who feels that he has to win all the things.

I cared about beating it myself because all these people were cheering me on and telling me to persevere, even if it seemed impossible. It was a powerful unification of narrative and gameplay for me.

Thematically, life doesn't suddenly become a cakewalk for the characters who learn to depend on others. Friendship isn't an I-win button. Life is still a struggle, and the weight of the world is still immense. Others just make that weight bearable, like in the case of Devola and Popola.

My main gripe is not related to the gameplay part of the ending, but I agree with you on this. Realizing midway that they were going full "bullet hell" was awesome. I fully expected a crushingly hard sequence in line with Drakengard's, initially refusing to accept help after dying repeatedly to that "Square Enix CO" logo.

Accepting that assistance and breezing through it wasn't really that fun though.