NieR: Automata - Death Penalty Explained

NieR: Automata's Permadeath Mechanics: Understanding and Recovering from Death

NieR: Automata, despite its appearance, incorporates unforgiving rogue-like elements. Death carries significant consequences, potentially resulting in the permanent loss of valuable items and significant setbacks, particularly in the late game. However, a recovery window exists, offering a chance to mitigate these losses. This guide explains the death penalty and how to recover your lost items 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 and upgrade. Respawning leaves your equipped chip slots empty, requiring re-equipping or selecting a preset.

The lost Plug-In Chips aren't permanently lost. 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 in NieR: Automata

After death, your immediate priority is recovering your body. A blue body icon appears on the map, indicating its location. Interacting with the body restores all lost Plug-In Chips. You then face a crucial choice:

Repair: You regain your Plug-In Chips but not the lost XP. Your former body becomes an AI companion until it is destroyed.

Retrieve: You regain both your Plug-In Chips and the lost XP.

Regardless of your choice, you can re-equip your recovered Plug-In Chips, overwriting your current setup, or simply add them back to your inventory.