NieR: Automata — Beginner's Guide: 2B, Combat, Chips and Endings

NieR: Automata — A Beginner's Guide

NieR: Automata, from PlatinumGames and Yoko Taro, is an action RPG that begins as a stylish slasher game about androids and ends with one of the most poignant stories in video game history. Alien machines have taken over Earth; humanity has fled to the Moon; and the androids of the YoRHa squad are fighting to reclaim the planet. This guide will help you get your bearings in the first few hours and make sure you don’t miss what makes Automata worth playing all the way to E’s ending.

2B, 9S, and A2—Three Faces of One Story

The game’s flagship character is 2B (YoRHa No. 2 Type B): a combat android in a black dress with her signature visor and snow-white hair. Akihiko Yoshida’s design has made her one of the most recognizable characters of her generation—graceful, seemingly cold, yet incredibly human as the story unfolds. Almost always by her side is 9S—a young prototype scanner whose curiosity and emotionality drive the story forward. The third key figure is A2: a long-haired prototype model with a rough “combat” past, who plays the game very differently and reveals the story from a different perspective.

It’s important to understand: Automata doesn’t end with the opening credits. Route A (2B) is just the beginning. Route B shows the same events through 9S’s eyes and adds meaning to what’s happening, while Routes C/D are a true continuation with new locations and the ending that the whole story was built around. Don’t quit the game after the opening credits.

Combat System: Easy to Learn, Deep to Master

Combat is built around combos of light and heavy attacks, dodging, and firing Poda—a flying satellite drone. A few rules for beginners:

• Dodging is more important than blocking. A perfect last-second dodge slows down time and opens a window for a counterattack—this is a fundamental skill for the entire game.
• Fight with two weapons at once. Combine short swords, spears, combat gloves, and greatswords in the light and heavy attack slots—the combos differ drastically.
• Don’t neglect Pod. Pod’s programs (laser, hammer, time slowdown) and his fire-on-the-run ability solve half of the tough fights. Level up the programs at merchants.
• Self-destruct isn’t just a joke. The explosion rips 2B’s skirt off and deals massive damage to the surrounding area—early in the game, this is a legitimate way to deal with a crowd.

Chips are your real progression system

Character level is secondary: power comes from chips in a limited memory slot. Equip chips for damage, attack speed, auto-looting, and displaying enemy health bars. Sell excess chips to the merchant at the Resistance camp, combining identical ones into more powerful versions. Tip: The “Auto-Heal” chip and the slow-motion dodge can take down almost any boss on medium difficulty.

The World and Its Secrets

The open areas—ruined cities, an amusement park, a desert, and a flooded coastline—are full of side quests that truly bring the game’s theme to life. Don’t miss the vehicle quests from Pascal’s Village and the chase to “avenge” the mechanoids—they’re more important than many of the cutscenes. And yes—fishing with Pod works in any body of water and yields rare materials.

Quick Tips Before You Start

1. Play at least until Ending C—that’s when the game “shows its hand.”
2. Save manually at access points: the autosave is unreliable.
3. Buy evasion and health chips first.
4. On Route B, use 9S’s hack as your main damage source against crowds.
5. Don’t sell upgraded weapons—the weapon stories in the Compendium are just as moving as the main plot.

NieR: Automata is a rare example of a game that gets better with every playthrough. Give it three routes—and it will reward you with an ending that players will remember for years to come.