NieR: Automata's captivating story unfolds across three distinct playthroughs. While the first two share some narrative overlap, the third playthrough reveals significant new story elements, extending the experience far beyond the initial credits.
Although the game features three main playthroughs leading to multiple endings, accessing all content requires playing as specific characters and completing certain actions. This guide details the three playable characters and explains how to switch between them.
The core narrative of NieR: Automata centers around 2B, 9S, and A2. 2B and 9S are partners, and their perspectives dominate much of the gameplay, depending on the playthrough. Each character possesses a unique combat style, offering a fresh experience even with identical chip configurations. While all three—2B, 9S, and A2—are playable, switching between them isn't always straightforward.
Character selection is fixed during the initial playthroughs:
Completing a main ending unlocks Chapter Select mode, allowing you to choose your character. Chapter Select lets you revisit any of the game's 17 chapters. Numbers displayed to the right of each chapter indicate completed or incomplete side quests. If a character is associated with a chapter (indicated by numbers), you can replay that chapter as that character.
Note that later chapters, particularly in Playthrough 3, restrict character selection. Chapter Select allows for character changes, but you must select chapters where that character was playable in the main story. Saving before changing chapters ensures progress carries over, allowing you to level up all three characters' shared levels towards the maximum.
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