Part 121: Episode CXVI: Play With Us!

Episode CXVI: Play With Us!


Music: Pascal (Vocal)



Since A2 is a directionless bum, our new objective is to just fart around the Machine Village. Or... just follow Pod 042’s directions since it has taken the reigns on driving A2’s storyline since she’s too much of a hot mess to do it herself. With that in mind, a handful of sidequests have cropped up around the neighborhood. The first one being from Pascal himself. Let’s take a look...



I appreciate all the time and effort you took for our children. Every one of them is a singular treasure to me. Indeed, they are treasures to the entire village! Our very future rests in their little hands. I imagine you find it odd for machines to speak of the future like this.
I dunno.
I trust that our children can stand strong against the senseless conflicts of this world and blaze a new trail for our people. However... One of the children is suffering from a faulty storage element. If we don’t do something for the child—
So repair it already.
Alas, we lack the parts to do so. They can only be found deep within the abandoned factory, and that area is swarming with terrible machines... It pains me to say this, but you, A2, are the only one we can turn to.
<Help Pascal.>
Thank you so much. The required part is in the area known as the abandoned factory. I truly do appreciate this.



Thus begins the Storage Element sidequest. A2 is the only one that can help now, huh? Guess word of 2B’s death has reached the village and 9S has been written off as a lost cause already. The machines work quickly in being up to date with events.



As Pascal said, this quest will take us back to the Abandoned Factory area. But we’re not gonna go looting the Neo Junk Heap today. That’s because we’re not done picking up sidequests. Unlike my usually suggestion to get one sidequest at a time back in Route A/B, it’s best to just pick up every quest immediately and do ‘em promptly in Route C since cut-off points are fast and loose this time around.

Anyway, as soon as A2 advances a few steps past Pascal, she encounters...



Huh?
C’mon, Big Sis! Play with us!
I don’t play with machines. Now get lost.
C’moooooon! I wanna plaaaaay with you!
I’m an android, weirdo. I’m your enemy. So do what I say before I kick your sorry ass!
Tee hee hee! You’re funny!
That’s not supposed to make you happy!
Big Sis! Make us something to play on, Big Sis!
What? No.
But we need something to play on!
Yeah! It’s boooooring right now!
Seriously...?
They sell stuff in the tool shop, so go buy us something!
Yeah! Buy something for us!

We have a decision to make here. Is A2 gonna let herself get hustled by these robot kids? Well...



<Keep your money.>
I’m not buying you squat.
Noooooo! You have tooooo!
Dammit...

Either way still results in the sidequest progressing because A2 sucks at social interactions. So let’s just be nice instead...

<Purchase something for the children.>
All right, all right! Just quit bugging me already.
Yaaaaaay! We did it!



So begins the Play with Us! sidequest. We’ll also get to this one in a minute. If you’ll look to the right of these hustling machine children, you’ll see there’s another quest marker. This is actually the plot progression main quest. But we’ll pick it up too while we’re filling up our quest log.



I mean, he’s the one who thought to build this village for us outcasts. I really need to show him how thankful I am! If oooooonly there were some way to thank him... Soooooome way...
<Stick around and hear him out.> <Leave before you get dragged into something.>
Yeah, yeah. I can take the hint.
No hint! I just want to show Pascal how appreciated he is. Anyway, I was thinking he might like a new philosophy book. I hear they have such things over in the Resistance Camp...
<Agree to get the book.> <Tell the machine to get bent.>
All right, I’ll get your book. I owe that little clunker a favor or two anyway.
Oh, that’s wonderful! Apparently someone named “Anemone” has a large collection of such books, so you just need to go steal one!
Uh, yeah, no. I think there’s a better way.



The next main plot quest takes us back to Anemone. Since that’s plot progress, we’ll do that one last. Which leaves a trek to the Abandoned Factory and... one to the machine merchant right on the lower level. I think Play with Us is winning out our attention for this session. Let’s go speak to the Tool Shop Machine...



...You’re looking for play equipment for the children? I’m afraid we don’t have anything like that in stock at the moment. However, I’m sure I could build something with the proper materials. Tell you what—here’s a list of what I’ll need. Bring me those materials and I can get to work.
......
Everyone around here is weirdly pushy.
Don’t be absurd! We are not.
Fine, I’ll do it. You’ll just bug me about it every waking minute of my life otherwise.
An excellent choice! You should be able to find what you need at the amusement park.
Oh, hell. That’s forever from here!
Safe travels!



A2 is one of those types that just mainlines the main plot missions, skipping all the cutscenes while doing so and then loudly complains that the game was too short. You know the type.



Our destination is indeed the Amusement Park. That’s also just next door to the Machine Village, so we can huff it there...


Music: Amusement Park (Quiet)



Mostly, it’s just an excuse to see the horizon clusterfuck on the way back which is now crowded with the Machine Space Program, the Resource Unit tower and one of The Tower’s support struts. That’s gonna look like shit on a postcard. The Disney corporation cannot be pleased.



It... hu... it... it... hurts...
...Guh...

The viral infected machines still aren’t fairing any better since 9S briefly passed through here on a sidequest.



Machine on a Break is still perfectly fine. NieR 3 is actually going to be about a team-up of Machine on a Break, the two drugged out YoRHa androids and the Oasis girl all finally getting their shit together and going “Wait WHAT did we miss?!” This will all happen just in time from the Martian hell demons disturbed by the Scientist Machine’s space program to arrive and invade earth. You heard it here first!





This is a fairly standard fetch quest. Five items have appeared in the southwestern corner of the Amusement Park. The first two components are found at ground level on the ride behind the Access Point.





The next one is on the roof just past the platforming segment to go over to the Party Tank’s territory.



The next Toy Material is just where we drop down to get to Party Tank town. The Party Tank has been repaired and has resumed party protocol if you’re wondering. They’re lousy with the mysterious machine virus too. But they’re still having a fun time.

The final piece for collection is up by the rollercoaster. A2 has something to say when she gets ‘em all.



This should be everything I need to make those bratty kids happy. Better take it to that creep in the tool shop...



Job’s done. No extra enemy encounters or hiccups along the way. We just need to make our way back to Pascal’s Village.


Music: Pascal



Just give me a moment...




Music: Treasured Times



That was fast.
By the way, the children said they wanted to thank you personally. They’re at the top of the village playing near the slide. They’ll be happy to see you, I’m sure.



We made a slide for the little dinguses.



Up past the Recluse Machine’s permanent tomb, a new ladder has appeared leading to the highest level of the Machine Village. Apparently the machines haven’t been clued in on playground safety procedures. But I’m sure they’ll learn... after you know a dead robot kid or two. Anyway!



Thanks for building this, Big Sis!
Yeah, thanks!
Uh, sure.
Hey, Big Sis?
Huh? What now!?
Um... we just wanna... give you something? ‘Cause you helped us? It’s a thank-you present!
Yeah! Thank you!



None of our quest rewards are particularly noteworthy. But hey, it’s the thought that counts. And the Level Up. You’re welcome you cute little dorks.



That concludes the “Play with Us!” sidequ—wait, who is talking and interrupting the quest clear screen?

Pascal zooms down from the sky behind A2.



I apologize if I scared you. I heard you built some play equipment for our children and wanted to thank you in person.
Don’t worry about it.
Try not to overwork yourself, all right? Feel free to pay us another visit whenever you like.
<begins zooming off>



Hypothesis: Forming a harmonious relationship with Pascal and the villagers may help unit A2 to obtain more materials. Proposal: Investigate the village.
Hmph.



Tune in next time as A2 begrudgingly continues to be nice to machines. After... just a couple more turns on this slide. To make sure she didn’t get ripped off by that tool shop creep, ya know...?






Video: Episode 116 Highlight Reel





NieR: Automata Soundtrack Reverse Cover – Prime bomb container right there, I’ll tell you what.