NieR: Automata - Sacrifice and the Meaning of Kindness - Extra Credits

[@extrahistory]

It’s pretty easy to make the “good guy” choices that games ask of us. NieR: Automata, however, offers an interesting choice that suggests players to be kind for its own sake, not just to please a game mechanic. Check out Wisecrack’s video: "The Philosophy of NieR: Automata!" kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5qyhYaBd95pg6c

[@corruptlime6572]

Man, you missed the opportunity to say good boy points.

[@許進曾]

man do you know in the game when doing this act gives you a achievement. this is what i heard from other people who play the game if i am not correct please say

[@dinotoothbarzaga8620]

Extra Credits can you guys talk about horizon zero dawn

[@LappenVI]

All through the video I felt the love you put into your work, and how big games are in your heart. I feel your motto "because games matter". Thank you.

[@diegoviniciomejiaquesada4754]

Oh Crap! I bought this game like half month ago and haven't even open it. I heard "Spoiler" and now I am closing the video. Will see it later once I play the game. The problem is that now I know that Nier:A is a sequel of other 3 games. Now I need to play those games before so I will probably play N:A on a year XD

[@renookami4651]

"When making a game, the game itself isn't important. What really matters is to make players feels emotions." -Yoko Taro

[@playerhateroftheyear1084]

Exactly what Mr. Clemps says these games evoke from players.

[@ObservatorioRS]

At least make those emotion feel good man. This was depressing... Anyway, great game.

[@iaxacs3801]

Said the man that throws the Square Enix headquarters building at the player in one of his games/crossovers

[@BoWeava]

*Brilliant!*

[@ZeranZeran]

and this is why I love Kingdom Hearts but I'm still mad about KH3..

[@DanielRM92]

To Sora-Kun from Canada, if you ever read this: I did it man, yours was the first message I got. I did it thanks to you! Thank you for this!

[@jayvhoncalma3458]

You got someone else's save data from nier automata?

[@JukkaETC]

My message goes like: its hard, i needed help too but what if we got further.

[@googol1664]

yo i think you should try a text message or an e-mail.

[@sjonnieplayfull5859]

@@googol1664 i think there is some filter to prevent 18+ content in the game. Not sure, but there should be one.

[@yanfeimain9135]

sjonnie playfull pre made messages*

[@TheAlin1213]

I remember a situation from The Witcher 3. I met some thugs harassing an elf in a city. I immediately reacted and drove them away but I got no thanks from the elf. Instead, she asked me what I had done this for. She made me aware of the fact that I don't give a shit about her safety as I would leave her in a moment letting thugs come back to her. And then I realized she was right. I only wanted to have a feeling that I behaved properly. Or didn't want to see bad things around me.

[@hitmanwolf]

Games encourages selfishness... cause we allways expect something from helping others. True Heroes are the ones you see leaping to save someone without any hesitation. he didn't stop to think how much EXP and GOLD he was gonna get from it... he did cause that is what Heroes do.

[@dnw009]

@@hitmanwolf That, good people don't seek reward for something that they have done. You probably won't even hear about them at all unless the people they helped wanted to share their act of kindness. As opposed to doing something good and then posting it on social media to show the world how good you are, and in effect making it more about what you got out of it rather than the act of kindness itself.

[@christophersimms9128]

@@hitmanwolf Alright deku

[@gangstashanksta]

@@christophersimms9128 lol..Stain complex.

[@damianstarks8974]

When I encountered that I actually got her to thank me if I'm remembering correctly well I do like those elf girls XD

[@real_krai]

Thank for your sacrifices, guys. You all helped me a lot! I hope I can help someone too. Cotni_Ho([BC]Wren), chalupa, Haise, koopacrazy, Moxy, 2B(akaimiruku), oyuyak9, Waldeinsamkelt, Tyrann, LOVE-QAQ, J4(Cosdark), Ricodouga, Leomund, NotTheRiver, FloJoAdern, YoRHa2B, naked_trap, patrick, Eva-02, Arimane, AA, MaRbLe, Codelex, Catherine, Vexin, Kaiki, Undyne, HaoGeWu, Arkanrichie, Kizuna, namaniku, Morggotth, UltrA, Ramenyumyum, Ghost, alice, Ashkers, thank you!

[@scienceforthesciencegod8212]

How many people did you get killed?

[@themaddoctor5304]

@@scienceforthesciencegod8212 they made their choice. They chose to help. God bless them.

[@kkelus]

@@scienceforthesciencegod8212 He didn't, they choose to help all by themselves. They were gone long before krai started the game :)

[@seriousbusiness334]

A short story on this subject that I was dying to share: The Person that I helped out at the end actually added me on steam. I got a random steam friend request a couple of days after finishing the game, and my heart was filled with delight when I saw that they uploaded a couple of screenshots of my motivational message and my little ship helping them. I now have a new friend, half a world away, because of Nier. Somehow, this always leaves me in awe when I think about it.

[@Poki3]

Wow, that's pretty awesome :D

[@megatom7052]

The power of a masterpiece game!

[@Vania1669]

I did not delete my Save File the First time i beat the Game. I didnt want to give up something Incomplete, so i kept going Collecting endings, beating side-quests I even Defeated Emil's 2 Bossfights, which was insane. Then, i replayed the finale and gave up my save data To whoever got my Data, Good luck!

[@Kitajima2]

I just got the game, and I'm planning on doing the same. So good, and I never thought a video game would make me feel the way that game does

[@vicelcia9470]

Planning the same.

[@Al-cm8ny]

planning on doing the same

[@DavidFerneau]

Well, if you accepted the help on the second playthrough of the finale, you basically stole an extra save file to donate your own, so essentially you haven't helped anybody. How "good" do you feel now?? 😂

[@vicelcia9470]

@@DavidFerneau that's why i still haven't finished the ending credits

[@cameronjs222]

This last fight hit me hard. SPOILERS... When I was fighting the boss and died, I had no idea that all of the messages were from actual players. I thought it was just something the developers put in. And when the game offered help, I didn’t realize it was was coming from other players. I though it was just the game saying, in a patronizing tone, “would you like me put it on easy for you?” But after a dozen or so deaths, I accepted the help. It wasn’t until the game asked me to write my own message that I understood the help I received came from other players. When I understood the many, many ships that were sacrificed to protect me came from the deletion of others save data, I nearly cried. I had no idea that I had just been flippantly using up peoples sacrifices. As soon as it gave me the chance, I had to offered up all of my save data to help whoever came next, even though I had plenty that I wanted to do and knew I wouldn’t have time to go through it all again. It was completely worth it.

[@bernardoheusi6146]

The credit scene was fantastic. Will never forget this game, I´s my GOTY 2017

[@ShePudding]

Lzy Nerd: That’s amazing. I had nearly this exact same experience, including having more to do. This decision was so much easier to make in... a different Yoko Taro game >.> ... because you could just say no and redo the boss battle after making a backup save file. You’d feel like shit, but nothing was really lost. It seems Taro set up the final fight this way because he’d heard about our tricks and found a way to up the stakes. Good on him. It’s almost disappointing that there’s still a way around it.

[@TheHej2]

I am crying when reading your story

[@Goldmos1]

I'm not sure what ending he is talking about, didn't need any help in my playthrou IIRC. Which figth is it?What chapter?

[@anothernoob9110]

I said no because I would give up my save when I was done doing everything I would try to do in the game first. Since you can theoretically give up that save whenever you want, just have to choose the last chapter in the chapter select and do the boss again.

[@erutz5190]

I actually looked up one of the people who helped me and thanked him. EDIT: Only managed to remember one name, though.

[@AegixDrakan]

That is so damn cool. :) I wish I remembered their names, but there were too many bullets flying around to really commit any of them to memory. ; _;

[@xxxvi7954]

I wish I could have done the same

[@retro_marmota]

I wish i could do that too. Didn't think of that possibility

[@TheGFFA]

Bless you!

[@RifetOkic]

How’d you find him/her ?

[@HammerspaceCreature]

"I AM SO GOOD. LOOK AT HOW MANY GOOD POINTS I HAVE" would be so useful as a 5 second reaction video against half of the people on social media.

[@michaelmorales1602]

We need a "clip" function on KZbin

[@cluelessmastermind7091]

You want to use the video about kindness and giving as a comeback in an argument?

[@dnw009]

@@cluelessmastermind7091 No people on social media claim to be good when it was hardly an inconvenience for them if it was at all. It was for themselves to show the world how good they are. Actual good people don't post the good things they do online, other people do it for them. Or it is never mentioned at all and the only reminder that you did a good deed is the good feeling you have and the person you helped remembering you for it.

[@Razor4884]

A gif could work. But I don't have the talent to make a good one.

[@georgesheng5500]

@@michaelmorales1602 Aged like fine wine

[@pineappleguy7495]

Short story time: I was 17 and I was doing my second run on the campaigns of Black Ops 2 on the hardest difficulty. I'm ok at the game, but definitely not good, so I spent many hours trying to do it. I was close to ending the game when my girlfriend at the time, came after school, she had had a awful day, basically her friend turned on her, so she wanted to play (she almost couldn't play FPSs) so I let her try. Every time she try to move she got killed, so I took the controller and ask for one life, and without her noticing... I changed the difficulty to recruit... Locking all the trophys for finishing the game in X difficulty, then in died and gave her the controller. I remember how happy it made me seeing how her face changed after she finished the area and started moking me. It was a really big sacrifice to me, and I couldn't let her now I did that.

[@claravinas9265]

Exactly, it wasnt for you, it was for her,

[@pineappleguy7495]

L'Homme Éveillé is there any truly altruistic action? No, but that kind of thing does get close I think

[@vacri54]

This is a story of an actual sacrifice, not a "I've completed the game, do I want my name to be in other people's games for a save file I might never use again". You fucked your run for someone halfway through your game, not after you'd just finished it. That's actual sacrifice.

[@dnw009]

I was about to say like I would never do anything with the save file of a completed game. It is virtually worthless to me as the journey to getting to finish the game was the enjoyment and my memories of it. Giving the safe game up so that someone else can also have an easier time at the end boss? Sure why the heck not.

[@Roadk1ll21]

"Wisecrack sent you" "Extra Credits sent you" Damnit I've been subscribbed to both for years. I'm so confused now 🤣

[@extrahistory]

We're super happy that we got to do this collab!

[@LaborVoicesInc]

word. YEARS.

[@seanurbik5158]

Extra Credits Are you thinking about a collab with matpat? Thank you for this episode by the way!

[@aoli8142]

Sean Urbik MatPat does theories, not really alike to Extra Credits. MatPat's pretty busy too.

[@McFloT]

same

[@awdrifter3394]

Someone solo'd the final boss fight, it is possible. You just need to be really good at bullet hell games.

[@SebastianHaban]

It MUST be possible because who should help the first person fighting the bossfight?

[@AegixDrakan]

Probably the developers themselves. They likely put their gamertags in there to save the first wave of players.

[@youtoober2013]

It was devs and game testers.

[@ajimit8669]

But that's not how Nier Automata be played though

[@XzaroX]

This is also why I wonder if half of those names are made up and would always show up, regardless of what players do.

[@mrmacken]

I had several of my friends criticize and laugh at me for choosing to delete my save file for the idea of helping someone. I still feel good about my choice.

[@CorinneO.O]

those friends are bad ones

[@Xenowave]

You're a real one for that.

[@TheGFFA]

The ending brought me to tears. I'm not too proud to say that I sobbed uncontrollably. As someone who suffers from severe depression, the ending spoke to me on a deeply personal level, in a way which no other form of media ever has. I'd already been studying Japanese for a year but the ending of the game gave me a goal: to become fluent, so that when I travel to Japan, I can personally thank the writer and composer for literally saving my life.

[@squidsona8509]

I like to just say the end credits song is titled "the weight of the world" which just makes ending E even more beautiful

[@JohnJRM]

So happy to see this moment get an EC episode, as it's what made this game special to me. See, I made the sacrifice, but at first I reasoned that I could do it without sacrifice because I had PS plus and my save was backed up. I told myself that if I wanted to go and get the rest of the trophies or see the parts that I had missed, I could just reload that back up and be set. This was right before I went to bed at around 2 in the morning. I barely slept that night. The question kept nagging at the back of my head of whether or not I would be willing to do that if my save wasn't backed up. I kept thinking about parallels of my actual life where I like to think of myself as someone who helps others whenever possible and puts others above myself when reasonable. But would I be willing to do that in my actual real life job if I was told that I had to sacrifice a 40 Hour Work Week worth of things that I had created in order to help someone out? Would I be okay with myself if I explicitly said no to someone who really needed my help, just because it would require a sacrifice of me that, in the end, probably wouldn't matter that much in the scope of my life? I came to the conclusion that I would not be okay with myself in that situation, and only after deleting my backup save did I return to cognitive equilibrium. I'm not sure any other game ever affected me to that degree.

[@Michael-fd1gx]

Are you really helping someone or is the game tricking you into thinking you are. Because, how can anyone help you if it requires them to beat the final boss, which requires help to beat? Think about it, how did the first player to beat the final boss, do so when it cannot be done without the help of those that beat it, of which there were none?

[@Chameleonred5]

@Michael MAnville They were helped by the developers and playtesters, of which there are many but still a finite amount.

[@youtoober2013]

@@Michael-fd1gx I was going to say. It was the developers that designed the game. They circumvented it by design for others to be able to have the experience. @John Morelock I applaud your admiral attempts at cognitive equilibrium. Never easy, always worth it.

[@MrFrig24]

I supported this game on day 1 by buying it digital at full price and that is something I don't do often. The director of this game Yoko Taro said in a GDC conference something along the lines of him wanting to push his game beyond the boundaries of what we currently think a game should be or how a game should be. I think this idea is really necessary and support it to move the art of game creation forward and beyond the realm of just entertainment. In my opinion indies have been in the forefront regarding this aspect and I have tried to support them by buying digital copies of the games on different platforms, but, I also wanted to support a AAA title like this because I wanted to encourage big companies to take more risks with directors and developers with weird ideas like this one.

[@alrightagain4605]

Franklin Isalguez Agreed

[@FaliusAren]

um It's a regular jRPG with Platinum combat and the occasional funky mechanic... Hardly revolutionary in any way.

[@goldenlokosian3740]

While that may be true, it doesn't make it any less cool for what it did do

[@yaoipool8361]

Extravagant Sobriquet no, it’s actually incredibly revolutionary if you actually play it. I’m guessing you haven’t, seeing as there’s no way you can play it as NOT see how it’s at least slightly revolutionary

[@jarnMod]

I cried for the first time in years when those guys offered the help. And when the game asked, I offered without a second thought. Maybe the way to encourage people to give, is for them to receive.

[@sunbro9076]

Good old Dark Souls. When you sacrifice your character to save the host. Jolly cooperation at its finest or something.

[@E-102_Gamma]

gr8 b8 m8.

[@C454D]

When a boss annoyed you. When it infuriated you. You then, now having risen above it seek to return the favour. I will still remember one sunbros desperate act, as my character fell (the host), he didn't give up and ran in and finished the last hit. Winning the fight. To you sunbro, I salute and I made sure to help 10 more before I proceeded onwards and see them win or at least make it that much easier for them. While it may not be a great sacrifice, it is a sacrifice of our time we could spend elsewhere. It isn't much, but not much can be all the world to others. Remembering that while this video does talk of sacrifice being something meaningful, always remember that even those sacrifices you make that have little impact on you, may be the biggest moment of someone elses life or playthrough.

[@OuterRing]

The host is the reason why your there, if the host dies you gone anyway

[@Carltoncurtis1]

☀️PRAISE☀️

[@insaincaldo]

I mean, yah..You do your sworn duty. Any sunbro who wouldn't die for the host should turn in their sun badge.

[@npc6817]

"when you are plaiyng dark souls and you see a blodstain somewhere on the map where you died before" so you mean every single inch of the map or what

[@LucasTigy2]

well no, some of them are just idiots trying to get you killed

[@anonymousanonymous9587]

Reset a bunch of times around a treasure chest, then leave a "Mimic, don't go here" there.

[@harmonlanager2670]

That means the first guy to offer himself up must have been a badass. He got through the final boss without the option to call in help.

[@heinrichdubloon3139]

U562 Uh, bug testers, quality control checkers, employees of Square Enix???

[@anonymousanonymous9587]

Him or her: All that hardness, it's impossible to do this unless you're a master like me! That's too hard. I have to do this. I have to give up my save file, so others weaker than me can see this.

[@themaddoctor5304]

@@anonymousanonymous9587 they must have been some of ultra Instinct level of gamer!

[@gonzalodiaz6206]

" But that's love, to give away everything, to sacrifice everything, without the slightest desire to get anything in return" - Albert Camus, The Just.

[@MrBioWhiz]

I remember that moment where i finished that boss. I legitimately sat there afterwards and debated with myself if i could do what those players did for me. If I could be good. I couldnt. And i walked away from my computer, lit a cigarette, smoked it, and sat outside staring into the early morning night sky wondering who i really was for a further 15 minutes. Never before had a game quite managed to punch me in the gut like that. And that is why nier automata is one of my top 5 fave games of all time

[@sisco5153]

That was me as well besides the smoking part

[@anitasarsazi7114]

U spoke my mind

[@soyUsernameWasTaken]

I don't usually do any of these... but when those encouragement messages start showing up on my screen, my tears was flowing down like crazy, i can't see anything. Probably it's the damn gorgeous music. Probably because it's always nice to know that people care. Probably because i already know that these people deleted their saves just to help me... Yeah, i'm a completionist. I read spoiler-free faqs before finishing automata. So i know damn well what was waiting at the end of that journey. But in the end, i wiped those stupid tears and smiled. Without any doubt whatsoever, i deleted my save. My 100% save where i've acquired everything in the game. Got my platinum. Best damn platinum ever in my gaming career.

[@youtoober2013]

WHOO! Platinum! I was thinking... why would anyone ever finish it before doing everything? lol Congrats. My best is Skyrim I think, I can only imagine...

[@fucknuggectmegee5579]

Off haded but the "awaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!" Was so freaking cute omg

[@canine8284]

reminded me of another channel. "MAN ON THE INTERNET AWAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY" go check em out they're doing a chrono trigger musical (and they did an undertale musical to great effect)

[@egoborder3203]

goddamn I cried so hard at the ending of Nier: Automata and now I'm crying again watching this! NO REGRETS

[@ethand2731]

This reminds me of Terry Town is Zelda: BotW. I helped them build the town not because I wanted a reward. But because I wanted to see a town build from the bottom up then as the NPC's there started to become a community I wanted to help even more.

[@Quonzer]

Same here. Watching it grow and develop was fun. :3

[@GoreSpattered]

I beat the game today and left it with a heavy heart, not only for my save but with an understanding that all of those ships were people who did the same. Thank you all. I know it's just a game but it feels like it meant so much more.

[@Poki3]

When I learned that the save will be deleted I declined, since I had some things to finish up (interestingly you have to confirm your intention to delete many, many times, but if you say no the game immediately is like "OK, got it"). But after I did the other side quests and achievements, and after playing the entire game over again (yup) I said Yes. ...you do get a new Title Screen though :P

[@recon441]

Poki#3 I did the same thing. I couldn't go through with it the first time I encountered the credits. There was still so much I wanted to do so I went back to chapter select, did all the side quests, found the info caches, finished the DLC, and earned my platinum. Then I went back when I was ready to "die" to finish the credits and give myself up.

[@Darasilverdragon]

Man, it is SO hard to get through this episode without tearing up

[@christophpoll784]

I did not play that game (yet...) but I saw a let's play of it. The player (a girl, she liked 9s quite a lot) was totally.... broken by this question. I really want to play that game someday... maybe just to help someone else. Sometimes, I wish this game mechanic would be there for other rpg`s too.

[@Not.a.bird.Person]

You may not realise this yet, but without this game, your life is incomplete. Play it.

[@christophpoll784]

Kevin White just bought it yesterday... the first hour is already amazing...

[@i.147]

The game really is worth every cent. It's just mindblowing in terms of storytelling, scenery, animation and gameplay.

[@arcticgalegamer8139]

I plan on getting the game this summer. Honestly. . . . maybe I'm too selfish. . . I want to say that without hesitation I'll help someone. . . But I don't know. . . Maybe once I actually get through the game I can.

[@letsgococo5192]

"'But why do you take in a stranger such as myself?' Said Taleswapper, 'when you don't know me to be good or evil?' 'Because once, we were strangers, and good folk took us in"' -Alvin Miller, Seventh Son

[@metametodo]

I watched the wisecrack one first, I found it deep and thoughtful, I was already touched a bit, but then I came to this one, and started feeling emotional right from the beginning, halfway I was in tears. Damn. I wish I could play this game, such a strong philosophical content, with a really deep meaning. I'm really crying.

[@CSLucasEpic]

I would say that Wisecrack sent me, but I am subscribed already to both channels and I often watch videos from both so...

[@obblivionkr]

God, I actually got teary eyed in this video because I was reminded of the moment when help swooped in.

[@jonnrussell3766]

I wasn't expecting to be impacted so strongly by what this games does, just by hearing about it in this video made me want to cry, I'm going to have to go by Nier: Automata as soon as possible.

[@jonah5329]

i baught it and for the later half of the game i had 100 plus cash it was pretty easy

[@baldman3845]

I highly recommend it. Currently it is my favorite game that I've played. It's not for everyone, and it does have its flaws, but it's a game everyone has to at least try.

[@JM-vl3cy]

Play this game he's freakin awesome. Probably became my favorite game of all time, but for very personal reasons that you may end up not understand or just not being impressed with. So do not hype yourself too much about it to avoid any dissapointment (maybe it won't fit your definition of a good game, who knows), but at least get to try it and see by yourself

[@santi3574]

It made me cry 9 fucking times. NINE!

[@recon441]

I cried when I played the game and still cried watching this and Wisecrack's video almost a year later 😭 it's too beautiful to miss

[@greensmurf221]

"Emotions are prohibited."

[@Athalwolf13]

Is it odd that I get very, very emotional when I remember? Especially the song? I love how this is framed...Not only did you endure for the sake of 3 characters who you played, saw their experiences, their struggles and if you watch the YORHA stage plays even their reason why they are so apathetic to this all, so filled with rage and regret.... I genuinely kinda want to replay Nier Automata, because no, i didnt see everything yet...but...i want to have the three to have their chance. A chance to live in a better world.

[@holyflutterofgod]

I don't think it's odd at all, I absolutely get the same feeling.

[@ihappy1]

I loved it, both the words of encouragement from other players and how the song gets a choir behind it really made a single player game feel communal. Also if you haven't yet go check out the lyrics to "Weight of the World," they encapsulate 2B's character and story so well

[@Athalwolf13]

Oh i know Weight of the World though i can't listen to it without crying.

[@dafaqu694]

ihappy1 each of the weigh of the world represent the character The english was 2B, the japanese was 9S, and the chaos was A2

[@FullCircleTZ]

I get chills every time I see or hear the ending. Thanks for making this video.

[@DKCR64]

This is one of my favourite games, just for how different it was in its attitude towards 'what makes a game'. The parts you brought up were especially meaningful I found, as well as (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) little pieces of dialogue scattered throughout such as when the woman in the resistance camp complains about the pains of having to retrieve your old body once you've died. It manages to connect perfectly with what you as a player have to do, as well as remain completely in-universe due to what the characters have to do once their memories have been re-uploaded. I desperately want to see more games take this attitude towards their storylines, it would make for some incredible games.

[@FaliusAren]

There's an attitude toward "what makes a game"? Nier: Automata pretty much plays the "being a game" card straight if you ask me

[@DKCR64]

Perhaps I worded this a little badly. After all, Automata never denies being a game or shies away from it. The final words are proof enough of that. What I meant is the game manages to tie the actions that characters have to perform with those that a player has to perform. Without directly breaking the fourth wall in quests or most of the gameplay, it still draws your attention to the fact that your actions are being mirrored in the game, creating a state of semi self-awareness at times. As well as this, I think it plays nicely into the same sort of genre as works such as Bladerunner, which I personally enjoy as a concept. The progression of black and white good vs. bad which slowly merges over time makes for good stories.

[@sencgremory]

Thanks everyone for all the help! It was a very emotional moment seeing everything just banishing.... but my memories for the game will always be cherished.

[@BenGJerome]

I'm a huge fan of both of your channel and was thrilled to see both your videos about the same topic and that you guys did a collab. Love it!!

[@jonasmemborg4196]

There was this one time in WoW, when a new player approached me, asking for a few silver to buy some armor on the auction house, which he thought looked cool. - During my own earlier days with WoW (late Vanilla, early TBC), I fell in love with this armor set, the Overlord plate set. It took me a long time to gather all the different pieces, and sometimes I needed just that few silver for a piece of the armor on the auction house. Certain pieces were really rare, and having little luck with drops, I saved up coin. I struggled through and got the complete set. - In that moment, as this guy asked me for a hand, I was reminded of how far I'd come, how this used to be me, and how often I'd been just a minute late before an armor piece was gone. Smiling, I thought back on all those adventures I'd had, and proceeded to give the guy 100g, wishing him memorable adventures in WoW as well.

[@Keln02]

Nier Automata? Best game of 2017. Never had such an experience :) The ending in itself is a masterpiece.

[@TheIinLiyzz]

When I first played through Nier and struggled through that final fight I was overcome with emotions. From the music, the help you receive, and the cheers from all the other people. It isn’t just a fight/ending it is art

[@ArthurTaytSohn]

Well, the Forest King was a good exemple of kindness. He sacrificed himself to give his parts so other machines could live. He never expected anything in return...

[@NuculearFallout1]

This actually almost made me cry like twice man

[@Daisho32]

Doing this thing at the end of the game (I'm trying not to spoil it) is also a good way to say farewell, have closure. The game is asking us to make the ultimate sacrifice a player could make, and it's a great way to move on. NieR Automata was the greatest video game I played in a very long time, but there are other games to discover. That said, I don't know if any game will passionate me that much in the future.

[@AegixDrakan]

That one moment took the game from a fairly competent 8/10 to me and bumped it up to a 9. It was genuinely clever. It's really rare for a game to really do something that affects me on a personal and emotional level, and this one delivered in a truly great way. spoilery bits below - - - - - I did the thing. I hesitated for a moment, but was like "I'm done with the experience. I've seen all I need to see. And this? This means something. Sign me up." Interestingly, as I was going through the game, I was thinking about how refreshing it would be to see someone get shown in no uncertain terms "Everything is meaningless", only to respond with "So what? I make my own meaning" and go on to prove that. And then that segment happened and I realized...That I could be that person. I have barely the slightest hint of regret (there was one thing I had left I could have done that I'll likely never get to do now), but I'm glad I did it :). So...I guess all that's left to say is "[I thought it was hard too.] [But in the end,] [fight for what you believe in]." And if you see my name show up somewhere unexpected, you're welcome. ;)

[@w.kuiper316]

I think I did, Can't go back and check though.

[@abbysaito5348]

Still lurking streams for my 4 save files...

[@thelneffableus3236]

Why not play it again?

[@hitmanwolf]

...and that was the most genius "Anti-Piracy" thing ever. i wasn't able to beat it, cause i am a Pirate... no help for me. :C

[@yukariyakumo8300]

It's really disappointing that you pirated this game.

[@hitmanwolf]

@Yukari is fine... after that ending, i went and brought it out of shame. Full-Price btw.

[@yukariyakumo8300]

Thats cool. In that case your pirating is fine with me.

[@kerricaine]

same...i just thought it was really hard as an anti piracy measure, but then i read about the fight is supposed to go. that alone made me go buy it.

[@TheGFFA]

Bravo.

[@notsosmolkween1433]

This gives an additional layer of understanding of the ending for me. Originally me and a friend did think about it being about cooperation and being selfless but then i heard how yoko taro admitted that the ending had been inspired by a coca cola commercial that wanted to inspire unity and understanding despite racial differences and difficulty. This was during one of the recent GDC sessions he took part in. Its somewhere online. He wanted to make a game mechanic that would make everyone work together and help each other because ultimately, we are all the same: we are all humans and we are all players struggling to finish. Its also very humbling... By making it about sacrifice by being selfless, its still about feeling good about yourself in helping others. Empathy is beyond that and not about yourself at all. While its hard to teach, sometimes debated to be impossible to teach empathy, if things we consume from the media as well as discussions continue to expose us to the idea and how it really is, at least it would make people aware of it and try to practice it in their lives.

[@HebaruSan]

Alternately, a morality tale about the importance of off-site backups.

[@AegixDrakan]

I feel like that also applies to the actual story of Nier Automata as well. XD

[@bitemyshinymetalass7393]

and the call me mad for having multiple backups for my po.. very important project files.

[@CJWproductions]

It's interesting - at first, your androids can back up to the Bunker and be safe. Then, some nodes go down momentarily. Then the Bunker goes down and your lifeline is gone. Then the save files. Meanwhile, the machines are networked at first, but then the network goes down. This has a profound effect on the machines. Then Pascal's village loses their backups. And the Tower, too. In it you can find things that certainly seem like trophies for YOU and YOUR progress. And the Tower's AI tells you it's meaningless. It was all for nothing, and it'll all be erased so the cycle can restart. So really the whole game was preparing you for this moment and trying to get you ready to accept the annihilation of your progress.

[@FolieaDeux2x]

One of my favorite things about Nier is that the ending is more about giving more than you take. During the final fight when you get the ships to help you, when each of them die it says data was lost. However by sacrificing your own data you don't save until everything is deleted so it prevents all those people who helped you complete the game from having their save sacrificed.

[@shibukamiya8428]

NieR : Automata? You mean existentialist simulator?

[@luisgabrieldelgadorivera4404]

this remembers me from something my gramps told me, what is important is not what you get from doing a job, is what you left at the end of the job. As we age even our minds fails us, we keep nothing as we part. But in this world whats left of us remains, memories from all the people we got to interact with.

[@extrahistory]

This episode was inspired by a blog post James wrote for iThrive, if you want to read more about empathy in Nier Automata: ithrivegames.org/nier_automata_true_kindness_requires_sacrifice/

[@johnnyvanheteren963]

This war of mine does the "give someone something to help them" a bit better, in that the medicine or food you give can be really important to you. Yes, they might return your kindness, but you may not live long enough to see it.

[@rowtow13]

This was such an amazing moment. But it's still smoke and mirrors. "Helping" just means someone sees your name and message. If you don't sacrifice your save data, that doesn't mean someone's going to be left hanging in the future. Also, you probably have PS+, which means your save data is probably backed up and you can just redownload it.

[@jh-wq5qn]

rowtow13 if everyone took that route though and assumed somebody else will pick up the slack, you're then creating the problem, and some other player would eventually indeed lose and not have any backup. Its not even saying one way is better than another, its just asking if when you played the game, did the meaning you found along your journey make you decide the sacrifice is worth it or not? Also when something is deleted purposefully from the ps4 hard drive, I believe it deletes in the could as well.

[@vegetalss4]

No, it wouldn't that's rowtow13's point. Even if nobody, _ever_, choose to help the game would send ships with names from the list of pregame names it included when it was released, just like it did for whoever was the first to get that far. Nowadays it might choose a name from the list of people that have already helped once instead. Because of course it does that, several helpers dies each time on the way to each victory, if the help was actually limited it would have run out a long time ago. You do lose something, the memento of your playthrough that your savegame represents, but you doing so only affect the name attached to the help other players receive not whether they receive it or not.

[@TheMaflan]

I cried like a lil witch at that final ending, making extra hard to fight and win. Each time I saw those words of encouragement, I tried harder and harder to beat. When I knew the truth about those messages... it hit me. It hit me harder than the music and the ending, and how it becomes a chorus when you are fighting with those faceless friends. I hittted yes, as I saw my save file deleted... it didnt hurt as much, it hurted more knowing what those other people, wich I can never thank at all, gave up so as I can overcome this challenge. This was the greatest moment in my gaming history, and Yoko Taro and Nier delivered...

[@lostbutfreesoul]

What I find interesting is this: When you pressed yes, you are chemically rewarded and richly so. When you pressed yes, you are able to watch the delete occur and carry memory of it away. This creates an interesting little problem, as chemical reward and memory are ultimately personal things. Pressing 'Yes' could be to trigger our own brain's reward systems, and nothing more. That moment to reflect on the ability to replay the game would even strengthen this reward system when we did press 'yes,' knowing we might never be able to reach this point again due to time restraints. I was going to ignore this but felt the need to add it: When you pressed yes, you knew you could tell others about it Not only can we can go on to proudly state 'we did this sacrifice,' but there is a period to add a message prior to the choice. While I am sure it is something only those with spoilers would know going in, that it occurs after leaving a message would still allow for a 'I was here' moment. This begs the question; how many people clicked 'yes' knowing very well they can tell others they pressed yes? Yet, even if it is nothing more then 'Chemical, Boast and Memory' trigger, it is presented sooooo very well! BRAVO.... now off to watch Wisecrack.

[@timberlord1637]

well, every single person who does something does it with the intent of their brain. so even if they dont get recognition from others, everyone will atleast get a little reward from themselves. which is perfectly fine and understandable considering that as long as you know that you did good and well, recognition from others come second or later.

[@johnny11895]

This game affected me on the deepest emotional level of any experience I've had with any media in my entire life. The decision at the end was simultaneously one of the most difficult and yet somehow, the easiest decisions of my life, and it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

[@SovietRipper]

when i finished automata in march 2017 i didn't played any game for like 6 months lol

[@seanmurphy3430]

Kalameet is judging you, Dan.

[@shawnheatherly]

A wonderful examination of a game that's stuck with me for months. I don't think I'll ever get over how good Nier Automata was at delivering its story.

[@Glockenspheal]

Hmmm, this two videos just tell me something, I'm not the kind of person that empathizes through video-games, or at least, in-game characters, because I know they are meaningless, however, if I'd played this game, you bet I'd give my save-file, no backup either, which leads me to thinking, is there a way to make a completely artificial NPC worthy of empathy?

[@onrev]

There is a wonderful mind body philosophical experiment you can do that calls into question why you place such an importance on humans/biological creatures (not sure where you stand specifically) as the sole arbiters of consciousness. I encourage you to do reading on the topic and a lot of it is touched on by the "Chinese room thought experiment" that you can use as a jumping off point. But know that it is very nuanced and i'm only touching on a SMALL portion of the implications that thought experiment wants to examine. What the thought experiment forces you to conclude (or at least one of it's solutions) is that a room full of people who speak Chinese, can collectively translate English into Chinese, but you would not say "the room, understands Chinese". in which case when extrapolated to AI, while the individual algorithms and programs that translate one word to another as a input/output machine, the machine itself can never truly understand Chinese. This is a solution alot of people intuitively arrive at, but you are given pause when you realize the same can be said about you and neurons, or your brain activity. So then we explore the other path, that consciousness is an emergent property of otherwise understood phenomenon, and that we do indeed say "the room understands Chinese". Which means you must accept that, a robot who can, by all intents and purposes, emulate human emotion to a near perfect or indistinguishable degree, will then be merited ALL of the same affordances we give our fellow man. We are forced to acknowledge that even if we PROGRAM or hard code (or much more likely use a neural network to teach it) each input/output, if it is indistinguishable from a human response, then it becomes or gains this nebulous notion of consciousness. I Cannot stress enough that I am a layman delving into topics well above my pay grade. I encourage you to read the literature directly or at least from someone more qualified then me. But it is a fascinating starting off point if you're interested in the topic.

[@genybr]

Why do you empathises players, but not NPCs? Probably because they are basically immortal and can't suffer enough. They have no future for smiles and their tears are nothing. But hey, in the VNs you can feel empathy to the characters, even in GTA I you will feel RAGE for the Diver from the VC1. Probably live emotions is the key?

[@Glockenspheal]

Thanks for all the input so far, soon after I posted my comment I started thinking back to NPCs or characters that have made me empathize for them, there are quite a few actually, so far I've seen that having either a strong bond or a relatable scene really helps which comes as quite obvious to be honest, but even then, why do I feel empathy for a select few while the vast majority I don't really care that much? I'm gonna reflect on this more, I'll post my thoughts then.

[@sophiejones7727]

Depends: do you empathize with movie and book characters? If you do, then you will eventually encounter a video game character you can empathize with. The difference is mainly in how hard video game writing is, and the fact that most video game characters are not that well written. If you don't empathize with movie or book characters, then you will likely never empathize with a video game character. Your brain just doesn't work that way.

[@Wolfwood2057]

I feel like the answer is: No, not without installing malware onto your computer. I feel Undertale got close to it, giving people characters they loved and the idea that if they went too far, they might never see those people again. The problem being basically....you can still find the save data, even if it's hidden on your computer. You can delete everything that makes the game know of the bad things you've done. There's still a reset button even when the game tells you there really isn't. The idea that the game can 'rob' you of your happy ending goes away when you find out you can get around it. So, basically...without a game that went into malicious territories, it's be difficult to impossible to make a truly empathetic NPC. Because if you really feel bad about your decision you can always reset and start over, no matter what the game tells you.

[@ricodc6529]

I am VERY late to the party but I just finished the game a couple of days ago and to be honest, I really felt hesitant to delete my save. Not until I remembered that someone told me that 2B and 9S risked and sacrificed themselves so I should try my best too. That was the selling point. I agreed to delete my save not because thousands of other players already did but for a moment, I felt like I was 2B, 9S or A2. And I was given the wonderful opportunity to be like them, even for a short while. Those three, after learning the truth, they decided to still fight for what they believe and they knew that there was no going back from their decision and I am so happy that I got to be like them. It's not everyday that you are given an opportunity to really step in the shoes of your characters because other games' scenarios still feels scripted even you were the one that chose a specific decision. But Nier: Automata went above and WAY beyond. You weren't just a player playing the game, you were a part of something that fought against what you were destined to do. Yoko Taro, you're not just a genius but you're a madman and you may never read this. But you have all of my support.

[@marcpuzon]

Other Dan placeholders will make this REALLY confusing for the people who haven't played Nier Automata but decided to watch this anyway.

[@Poki3]

Eh, they got the point across. All the better for people that decide to play Nier after since even if they remember this it'll be vague at best.

[@LemonMoon]

I haven't played or watched the game, but it made sense to me.

[@lordzaboem]

Far too few KZbinrs collaborate on anything. Due to the business structure, the cultural obsession with continuous growth, and the limited quantity of eyeballs out there, it's more of a competitive than cooperative in the community of KZbinrs. I am surprised and pleased to hear that a collaboration happened here. Although I have never played the game and very much doubt I will ever have time to do so, I found this video fascinating.

[@DJ5un]

No lie, that part of nier made me cry

[@Frank_havre_creation]

E-C, you guys just made my day. Both of those video where amazing to me and came to me at a moment in my life where I needed them the most. I, myself, made a sacrifice recently and scrapped a year worth of my creative life as a game designer in order to not fall to the false deity of ''progress''. It is really a long story and won't bother you with it, but know that you guys just made a big difference is my life. Thank you & much love!

[@OnLyStrahl]

Nier:Automata = Best singleplayergame I ever played.

[@Charon85Onozuka]

Just completed the final ending after getting 100% achievements. Thank you to the 7 who sacrificed themselves for me in the end sequence, I am truly sorry that I did not record your names, but I remember each of your sacrifices as I approached the finale. I too have now made the same choice, and even knowing full well what I was doing, I could not help but feel something while I watched my hard-earned data get erased line by line. I only hope that someone will appreciate the final message I left along with my data being sacrificed for them.

[@seanmurphy3430]

I feel like saying "this doesn't have narrative spoilers, but it does have mechanical spoilers" is one of those statements that reductively divides games into separate "gameplay" and "narrative" pieces, despite the fact that in a game like NeiR: Automata, that distinction is profoundly arbitrary. The moment you talk about IS as much a story moment as a gameplay one; you've just presented it without context. I mean, I don't personally care about spoilers in general, but I think that spoiler tag was pretty misleading to those who do.

[@Gef105]

Well the moment they are talking about is completly gameplay...there is no story(related to the game story), or do you consider credits story? There is some narrative happening but is your own and other player's. I thought the spoiler warning was well placed, and that they didn't reveal anything about the story really.

[@svenskapankako]

Yeah absolutely, I was wondering which "last boss" he was talking about. I had played the first ending. But it was not, so now I know basically how the story will be when I get to the true final boss. Which was not what I wanted. Hopefully I'll have forgotten this when I get to that ending. (It will take me a while)

[@owbu]

They said they would spoil a mechanic and then talkes about a mechanic. How is that misleading?

[@rgrimund2468]

Sean Murphy, that's really a sign of solid game design. The mechanics and narrative should be interlinked. I've garnered no information from the story, but it does give me an idea of what NIER is. That's something no other final boss fight description has ever done for me without needing far more context that would spoil the game.

[@Msoulwing]

@Swedishpancakes This "boss" has almost nothing to do with the actual story of the game. It's more of a bonus segment.

[@Soundaholic92]

I loved how the final ending theme alternated between languages as the supportive messages from around the world kept pouring in. When I accepted the help and the choir came in, tears started rolling. By the end of it all, I was profoundly sad because I realised it was a truly special moment I wouldn't be able to experience again in years, or maybe ever. Bless our lord and saviour Yoko Taro.

[@alexgiovannini5837]

I feel like I have to play this game. I literally just cried with happiness watching this video

[@NattMeng]

Yaaaa I have to say that last moment in Nier just wrecked me.... watching as everything was fading away. I spend a good hour staring into my screen. Now I'm on my 2nd playthrough.

[@mgraham0160]

Great, now I gotta play the game again. And bawl my eyes out. Again. Unless I eat the fish.

[@raytsh]

Loved the final ending and the choice the player gets! It was a great feeling to get help from other players, let go my save file and see it being deleted. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it. One of the greatest moments in gaming for me. But there is a small thing you get, from what I understand: The alternate title screen.

[@collindippel9636]

One of my favorite games

[@Recycledhero]

I'm glad you brought attention to this, it was a truly powerful moment. Gives that Virtuous Contract screen a deeper meaning of what was done.

[@jmalmis]

Near A tomato

[@kaelside]

Nier: Automata is the best example of post-modernism in gaming. So many moments there that I would equate to facing Vile in Mega-man X for the very first time. Like Metal Gear Solid 2, it can only be fully experienced as a video game.

[@akbarjunaedi5745]

Man I love everything about nier automata such a masterpiece game ever.

[@annieoplis7458]

GENERAL KENOBI!

[@FENomadtrooper]

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@PineappleLimonov]

I think NieR: Automata's quests also give this kind of feeling. Every single person I've seen talking about these side quests never talk about the rewards, and only about the story, and what choices are the most merciful.

[@hancocks3871]

I have been subscribed to both Wisecrack and Extra Credits for at least a year now. Great video. This video reminded me of the "Writing on Games" Nier Automata video. Have you ever reached out to him. He has some quality content.

[@hancocks3871]

and quick question, when will the next upload on the Extra Plays channel be?

[@thealexis6647]

I haven't even played the game and by just listening what happens made me emotional AF. What a beautiful and powerful game.

[@Churundala]

now i'm feeling guilty for saving my data

[@fracture4047]

I made the sacrifice when the game asked for it. And this was when I was convinved that thisbwas the best game I have ever played. But man, it really hurt when, after I begged for months to get my friend to play the game, they decided to keep their data in the end. They ,ever went back to finish their side quests or to get the platinum trophy. They just kept it for themselves. Man, it just felt so weird thinking, how could you not do the same for others

[@justinsmith4116]

This war of mine?

[@SquigglyTheAsianPotato]

I remember that fight.... when I was going through it I was stubborn and tried doing it solo but I was constantly dying and was getting frustrated so after a few dozen tries I finally accepted the help and it was awesome I lost a few that helped me and didn’t think much of it as more came to help, it wasn’t until after beating it that I realized all the messages were from players and not just randomly generated by the game and then I saw the end... asking me if I would like to help other people go through what I just did, watching my data get deleted made me cry honestly but it wasn’t because I lost everything I worked on (partially it is) but it’s that my sacrifice can help someone else with the struggle and frustration of that fight and so they can experience that beautiful ending

[@the11382]

I don't get that sacrifice part(but then again, I haven't even played the game), can't PC players back up their save file to prevent their save file from being deleted? It is a regular practice for some players.

[@CtisGaming]

It's also at the end credits. The story has many points-of-no-return where you can't previous quests and content. Restarting from nothing is your only option anyway since you can't go back from the ending tower or choose which campaign to continue from after completing the game.

[@yukariyakumo8300]

You could do that but you would only really be cheating yourself.

[@android19willpwn]

they can, but playing Nier on PC is enough of a sacrifice in itself that it's kind of a wash.

[@GoldenMechaTiger]

Android 19 Why is that?

[@mrrodgers0]

TheHermago Poor optimization, and the keyboard+mouse controls are clunky, making it miserable to play if you don't own a controller.

[@xDaBigBadWolfx]

I've never played Nier: Automata but I would jump at the option to help someone out at the end, just knowing that all those people gave up everything to help me out, there's no way i could pass up the chance to give someone else such an awesome experience as that.

[@johngard15]

While I really like this video and plan on trying to work true sacrifice and empathy into my D&D games, I'm still not 100% sold on the empathetic message of Nier: Automata. Kindness and empathy are as equally meaningless as cruelty and callousness in the framework of its nihilistic themes. The game is basically mocking you for thinking that your sacrifice has any greater meaning. In essence, it is saying "you think you're a good person and you can make this real sacrifice, but any significance you place on that sacrifice is an artificial construct of your mind." I still did it, and it was one of the most transcendent moments in my gaming history, but I don't think I necessarily displayed empathy. What I felt was a deep embrace of the pointless struggle to create meaning in a meaningless world both in the game and in life; it was the most profound way a video game could convey that message I've ever seen.

[@Michael-fd1gx]

Are you really helping someone or is the game tricking you into thinking you are. Because, how can anyone help you if it requires them to beat the final boss, which requires help to beat? Think about it, how did the first player to beat the final boss, do so when it cannot be done without the help of those that beat it, of which there were none?

[@CJWproductions]

John Gardner To me, it displayed a profound sense of solidarity in the face of the existential problem. Like, there's no greater meaning than what we make, and we're as capable of evil as we are of good, but in the end, we can stick together and help one another. We can. And I chose to. I don't think it's a 1:1 representation of reality. I'm not planning to donate all my money to charity or something like that. But I can keep my eyes open for things I *can* do, and I think it's a good message to carry with me.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

A Nietzschian idea of futility of progress? you sacrifice for nothing? is it self-negating because on completion there is only an end, so you sacrifice for others' completion of the game. and a self-negating outcome of exchanging something of value, for a reward to feel good? the point of the game is a struggle so Amor Fati, love the struggle and suffering, why sacrifice to make it easy!

[@youtoober2013]

Downer much?

[@kurosakikun96]

This game does such a good job of making you feel all kinds of conflict and emotion, I will openly admit I sat there a good few minutes with my hands shaking trying to decide if I was willing to sacrifice my data to help someone that was essentially a faceless nobody to me, I ultimately did it, but watching that data disappear was really hard on the heart "2B and 9S kept fighting, don't give up!"

[@robinvandemaele3430]

How about copying your save beforehand?

[@JM-vl3cy]

you can't, the game deletes ALL the saved files you have. There's probably a way of preventing this outside the game (with backups and stuff), but it's impossible in-game

[@robinvandemaele3430]

I see, but I was thinking in a way of saving, closing the game, backing u^the save on a usb drive, picking the help option (wich'd delete the save on the hard drive) and then plugging back in the usb and copying it onto the hard drive so you'd have the best of both worlds.

[@AndresLionheart]

Yeah, you can back up the save before going into the true ending, finish it and then restore your savefile. You won't have the true ending done, but you can still keep playing and do other stuff.

[@insertname1667]

AndresLionheart not to mention with the backup save you can keep continuously sacrificing and helping others.

[@Michael-fd1gx]

Are you really helping someone or is the game tricking you into thinking you are. Because, how can anyone help you if it requires them to beat the final boss, which requires help to beat? Think about it, how did the first player to beat the final boss, do so when it cannot be done without the help of those that beat it, of which there were none?

[@Matthew_Murray]

I love when single player games have community based mechanics. There are a lot of games that have the send avatar mechanic, or message in a bottle mechanic. They do wonders to turn what would have been an isolating experience into a communal one. However the implementation in Automata sounds unbelievably cool.

[@blacksun54]

orrr you just make a copy of your save file (if you play on pc)

[@Zlyde007]

congratulations, you missed the point.

[@blacksun54]

I disagree,is creating a backup of your save not a choice you can make? does the act of saving your save file past that kind of decision not make a statement about that person their desires and motivations? t osay that that's missing the point I feel is negating that other choices exist and that people aren't just black and white.

[@Zlyde007]

blacksun54 you missed the point again. key word "sacrifice".

[@Zlyde007]

blacksun54 oh yes it does say a thing about their desires and motivations. its that those people are not willing to help others if they have to sacrifice or lose something.

[@blacksun54]

I agree, but I got a completely different message from the game. there are millions of players playing the game and if even a fraction of those sacrifice their save data there are tons of people who have helped. but I don't feel that a sacrifice is necessary, they already play with the idea in the beginning of the game you die and get downloaded into a new body. Immediately the sacrifice of the main characters is rendered pointless, and to step away from the game a bit recently there has been a ton of analysis into the heroic sacrifice and more often than not there is a safer faster or more efficient way of getting the job done, the sacrifice in and of itself is pointless.

[@Yamazakura00]

This remind me of a story about how the past fallen heroes did their best for their present then sacrifice themselves for the future. Its at that moment when the present day hero themselves are losing hope, the spirit of those who sacrificed came back, even beyond the grave, their spirit continue to fight. This honestly remind me of an anime i just watched a few days ago.

[@Mad-Box]

So. Who sacrificed at the end of the game? I did. And i have no regrets.

[@samcherry4741]

Mad Box I honestly feel like I would have felt less satisfied if I didn't

[@Not.a.bird.Person]

I did too and I have no regrets. Never before did any game come close to make me feel this good about losing 50+ hrs of saved gameplay.

[@insertname1667]

I did but I had been habitually backing up my save anyway so not only did I help someone I was able to still keep my save and when ever I feel like it, I just sacrifice it again and redownload.

[@Zlyde007]

Dante McMahon but that isnt a meaningful act. it just means you will only help others, if you dont lose anything.

[@johngard15]

I did, and in my second playthrough I messaged the name of the player that sacrificed for me to thank him. Also, it doesn't let you sacrifice a second time

[@Zanyotaku]

I really liked how the game went through each and every menu to show you every single thing you're giving up. It deleted every quest you did, then moved on to your items, your weapons, the in-game archives you found, your fishing journal, the settings and preferences. It wipes *everything*. And it was one of the best moments I've ever experienced in a game. I also really loved how hard the game was trying to put you down during the fight ("Are Games silly little things? Do you accept there is no meaning to this world? Do you want to give up? Is it all pointless?") and how uplifting the messages filling the screen more and more each time you died were. They came in from everywhere, canada, france, japan, china, south korea, germany, the USA. Everyone filling up the whole screen with "don't give up!" and "I was right where you were, I know how hard it is!" like dang, I told my friends that this was game of the year in my heart.