NieR: Automata‘s main story is split up into three playthroughs. While there is a good bit of overlap during the first two playthroughs, the third makes it clear there is still a lot of story to see even after the credits roll the first time.
While there are three main playthroughs you’ll want to complete, there are many endings to see, some more fleshed out than others and some requiring you to play as a specific character and do something specific. Here are all three playable characters and how to switch between them.
Related
NieR: Automata – Fishing Guide
Fishing is an optional pass time in NieR: Automata which can help players earn money quickly; here’s how to do it.
All Playable Characters In NieR: Automata
The story of NieR: Automata revolves around 2B, 9S, and A2. 2B and 9S are partners, and the two of them will arguably get the most screen time depending on how much time you spend in each playthrough. Each character has their own unique combat style, with a few ins and outs to make playing as each one a new experience even if you have the same plug-in chips equipped throughout all three playthroughs. 2B, 9S, and A2 are all playable characters throughout the game, but changing who you’re playing as may not be so straightforward.
Related
NieR: Automata – Death Penalty Explained
Dying in NieR: Automata can be catastrophic if you don’t recover your body; here’s what may happen and how to recover your body so it doesn’t.
How To Switch Characters In NieR: Automata
During your first playthrough of the game, you can’t switch characters whenever you want. Who you play as during each playthrough is:
- Playthrough 1 – 2B
- Playthrough 2 – 9S
- Playthrough 3 – 2B/9S/A2, switching between each character as the story dictates.
After choosing one of the main endings to the game, you’ll unlock Chapter Select mode, which will now let you choose who you play as. Using Chapter Select mode, you can choose any of the 17 chapters of the game to jump back to. In a lot of these chapters, you’ll see the numbers along the right side of the screen change based on completed or incomplete side quests. If a character has any numbers during that chapter, you can choose to replay that chapter as that character.
Some of the later chapters, most of playthrough 3, will only let you play specific chapters as specific characters, and that won’t change. Through chapter select, you can change your character at any time, but you’ll also need to change where you’re at in the story to anywhere that character was playable during the main story. As long as you save before going to another chapter, anything done in chapter select mode will carry over, letting you level up all three characters’ shared levels as you work toward the max.
- Released
-
March 7, 2017
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
22 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty