The Let's Play Archive

NieR: Automata

by The Dark Id

Part 104: Episode C: Onward to War




New Music: Significance v3

Episode C: Onward to War



Here we are... Route C, for lack of a better term, has arrived. Mind you, there is no Route D. This is the rest of the game incoming hot. We could have just stopped at Route A or B. Everything ended on an OK note. The machines’ leaders were killed. Nobody we cared about died. The world was in an as alright a state as a post-apocalyptic earth that has withstood several millennia straight of a world war can be. It would have been fine.



But no. We just had to keep going... You know it’s not going to end well. You know this... We all know this... We’ve got to fill out that ending list, don’t we? It has to be done. I mean look at this...


That’s terrible looking. All those missing entries... Ugh. Fine. Fiiiiiine... Let’s jump right in. No one stops... It’s way too late to stop. The rollercoaster has already begun its descent...



We’ve confirmed that the network core units known as Adam and Eve have been destroyed.



The enemy’s chain of command has been thrown into complete chaos.



As such, humanity has chosen to seize this opportunity and launch an all-out attack against the machine forces.



Of course, the forces of YoRHa will participate in this endeavor.



Remember your pain. The pain of having your homeland stolen!



We will never give up our struggle.



We will take back the seas! The skies! The land!





We will take back our world from the scourge of the machines!



We will not fail in this mission...



Here and now, we will put an end to this goddamn war!





Glory... to mankind!





Welp. Things have escalated since the conclusion of Route A/B. What? It’s not like Adam and Eve were a Dracula holding together all the enemy forces. This is year 6,933 of war since first contact with the aliens and the 14th total world war against them. It’s easy to forget that when taking photos of flowers for our secretary or being asked where babies come from by child machines.



We’re back to playing as 2B, who has gone from her Gothic Lolita inspired casual outfit to real business Sexy Kerberos Panzer Armor cosplay, as we finally make it to Chapter 11.



Server administrator 3S. Server administrator 3S. Please return to the server administration room as soon as possible to handle a capacity issue. End transmission.
Command to all YoRHa units: Upon descent to surface, proceed to follow all pre-programmed instructions and carry out your operations. To prevent data leakage, communication from the surface is prohibited, except in case of emergency. That is all.



Our current goal is to access the Hangar and get on our Flight Unit to participate in the planetside invasion with the rest of YoRHa. But there’s not actually a rush to do so. Let’s check a few things while we’re back on the Bunker. First up, we did receive a mail we couldn’t access during the Route B ending. Let’s check that out...



It was just a heads up about the imminent earth descent from the non-existent Council of Humanity. If there was ever a time to use their military jingoism sock puppet to boost morale, now is the time.



While we’re on the Bunker, we can talk to other YoRHa soldiers preparing for battle. Nobody has anything particularly interesting to say. They’re all just psyched to go take the fight to the machines and hopefully end the war. There’s quite a bit of “Glory to Mankind!” being thrown around in the process.



With that in mind, we’ll just limit our chat with the named characters present on the Bunker. Starting with the Operators for our duo.



Join up with him on-site and lend support however you can.

I get the feeling 9S is banned from ever setting foot in a flight unit ever again after he kamikazed that last one like a dipshit for absolutely no reason. Heck, murdering the shit out of both machine lifeform leaders and being a war hero is probably the only reason 2B is still allowed to man one.



I... I don’t want you to die!

It’s been a long time since we’ve spoke to 6O and her terabyte folders of flowers and rainbows clogging up the YoRHa data servers. Maybe now in Route C we’ll hear some more out of her since we’re back to playing as 2B.





It’s worth noting that not all the YoRHa troopers get the Nazi Stormtrooper helmet for their war equipment. Some of them have OctoCamo gimp suit mask from Metal Gear Solid 4 instead. Weird. Creepy.



Head out from the hangar.
......
...And good luck.

We’ll try, Commander. But it’s the final storyline path of a Yoko Taro directed game and that’s a dire track record of things going well for anyone involved.



Before we depart and get back on track, it’s worth noting that this military operation is apparently titled “Operation Berlin 046” according to the main command screen. They never mention this outside here. Just a neat factoid. No idea of its significance.



Anyway, that’s about all there is to do on the Bunker. To progress, we need to head up to the hangar and hop aboard our flight unit to get Operation Berlin 046 underway.



Um, can you please try not to puke while we’re in the deep vacuum of space? It’s super gross.



YoRHa remains a very professional military organization. But that’s enough for antics on the Bunker. Our way is clear this go around. No creepy ghost hologram girls loitering on the runway. I’m glad the maintenance crews got on top of that issue.





Good luck!



...our final major operation had begun. Still, at the time, I knew nothing. Not how the battle would end... Nor what fate stood in wait for us.



Fucking giant cannibal space babies dropping in the middle of things... I mean, honestly... Who could have seen that coming?


Music: The Tower (Quiet)



Um... The Scanners are going to hack into the enemy’s anti-air system and shut it down in advance of an all-out assault, right?
That’s right. Good job, 9S!
Why are you talking to me like I’m a child?
What? That must be your imagination.
......
Look for machines that are receiving signals from the anti-air system. They should be located in elevated areas with good signal reception. I’ve forwarded the general position of the machine lifeforms you need to hack.
Roger.
<disconnects>



We now have “Air Defense System Operational Level” meter at the top of the screen. So that’s new.



There are six locations scattered across the City Ruins region that 9S has to take care of before 2B and the other YoRHa frontline troops drop onto the battlefield to commence the operation. We can complete these in any order we want, as long as the Operational Level meter is depleted.

Let’s get to it... As soon as we do, Operator 21O contacts 9S again.



No killing the target. Got it.
<disconnects>



OK... You know what? This whole thing has a really bad vibe to it already. That’s not music you play ahead of a large scale battle when things are going to go as planned. No sir...



Not at all. You know what? We’re gonna hop 9S on this moose...



...And skip town. Stuff it, Pod 153. Fuck this noise. I know how these games go. We’re out! Let’s go hang with those drugged out YoRHa girls out in the desert and party until this whole thing blows over. Peace!



...Well, except for the really selfish ones. They were fine.





Friendship has ended with 2B. It’s just 9S and moose from now on. Fuck y’all.






Video: Episode 100 Highlight Reel (You should watch this.)





YoRHa Assault Uniform Concept Art 1 – If you saw this and your first thought was the Helghast from Killzone, please get the fuck out of my office. You’re finished here.



YoRHa Assault Uniform Concept Art 1 – Glad they went with the Stormtrooper look instead of Quarian hoods.