NieR: Automata - Death Penalty Explained

NieR: Automata's Permadeath Mechanic: How to Recover Your Lost Chips and XP

NieR: Automata's seemingly straightforward gameplay hides a brutal, rogue-like death penalty. Dying can mean permanently losing valuable items and significant progress, especially in the late game. However, there's a window of opportunity to recover your losses before they're gone forever. This guide explains the consequences of death and how to retrieve your body to minimize the damage.

Understanding the Death Penalty

Death in NieR: Automata results in more than just a respawn. You'll lose all experience points (XP) earned since your last save, and critically, all Plug-In Chips equipped on your current preset. While you can find replacement chips, some are rare and upgrading powerful ones requires significant investment. Respawning leaves your equipped chip slots empty.

The lost chips aren't gone permanently. You have one chance to recover them. Failure to retrieve your body before dying again results in the irretrievable loss of those chips.

Recovering Your Body: Repair or Retrieve?

Upon respawning, a blue body icon appears on your map, indicating your previous location. Locating and interacting with this icon returns your Plug-In Chips. You'll then face a crucial decision:

Repair: This option doesn't restore your lost XP, but transforms your old body into an AI companion that will assist you until it's destroyed.

Retrieve: Choose this to regain the XP lost upon your death.

Regardless of your choice, you can re-equip your recovered Plug-In Chips exactly as they were before your death, overwriting your current setup. Alternatively, you can leave them in your inventory.

By understanding and utilizing the body recovery mechanic, you can mitigate the harsh consequences of death in NieR: Automata and continue your journey with minimal setbacks.