NieR: Automata - Death Penalty Explained

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 lifeline. This guide explains the death penalty and how to recover your lost items and experience.

The Death Penalty: What You Lose

Dying in NieR: Automata results in the loss of several key elements:

• Experience Points (XP): All XP earned since your last save is lost.
• Plug-In Chips: All currently equipped Plug-In Chips are lost. While you can find replacements, some chips are rare and expensive to acquire, making their loss impactful. Respawning leaves your equipped chip slots empty.

The lost Plug-In Chips aren't permanently gone. You have one chance to retrieve them. However, dying again before recovering your body results in the permanent loss of those chips.

Recovering Your Body: The Retrieval Process

Upon respawning, your immediate priority is retrieving your body. A blue body icon appears on your map, guiding you to its location. Interacting with it restores your Plug-In Chips. You then face a crucial choice:

1. Repair: This option doesn't restore lost XP. However, your old body transforms into an AI companion, assisting you until it's destroyed.

2. Retrieve: This option restores the lost XP earned since your last save.

Regardless of your choice, you can re-equip your recovered Plug-In Chips, overriding your current setup. Alternatively, you can leave them in your inventory.