NieR: Automata's Permadeath Mechanics: Understanding and Recovering from Death
NieR: Automata, despite its seemingly straightforward gameplay, incorporates unforgiving rogue-like elements. Death carries significant consequences, potentially resulting in the permanent loss of valuable items and significant setbacks, especially in the late game. However, a recovery system offers a chance to mitigate these losses. This guide explains the death penalty and how to recover your lost equipment and experience.
Death Penalty in NieR: Automata
Upon death, you lose all experience points (XP) earned since your last save. More critically, you lose all currently equipped Plug-In Chips. While Plug-In Chips are replaceable, some are rare and expensive to acquire, making their loss a considerable blow. Respawning leaves your equipped Plug-In Chip slots empty, requiring re-equipping or selecting a saved preset.
Crucially, these lost Plug-In Chips aren't permanently lost. You have one opportunity to retrieve them. Failure to recover your body before dying again results in the permanent loss of those chips.
Recovering Your Body in NieR: Automata
After respawning, your immediate priority is retrieving your body. A blue body icon appears on the map, indicating its location. Interacting with your body restores all lost Plug-In Chips. You then face a crucial choice:
Repair: This option doesn't restore lost XP, but transforms your former body into an AI companion that will assist you until it's destroyed.
Retrieve: This option restores the lost XP earned since your last save.
Regardless of your choice, your previously equipped Plug-In Chips are restored and can be re-equipped, overriding your current setup. Alternatively, you can choose to simply add the recovered chips to your inventory.
