They Deserved Better! | NieR: Automata Ver 1.1a Episode 22 Reaction/Review

[@Phantom_Izuku]

As for Devola and Popola, their story was told very well. My heart went out to them.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@@Phantom_Izuku they just wanted to help others😭

[@Kai_2053]

I'm going to try explaining better what was shown at the start of the episode: NieR's world was identical to ours until June 12, 2003. The Giant and the Dragon fell out of nowhere, this is what happened during Drakengard 1's True Ending. As explained there, they fought, and when the Red Dragon won, Japan's Air Defense Forces sent missiles, and left no survivors from that battle. Shortly after, an unknown decease that came from the dead Giant, was slowly affecting humanity with a 100% mortal rate. As explained here, when infected, you either turn into salt, and die, or become a violent monster (it wasn't said there, but these monsters were named "Legion.") Mankind was cornered, and during their research on the Dragon's corpse, magic became a reality to this world. Project Gestalt started developing in 2014, but it wasn't until the whole humanoid vessel thing was announced that it was taked seriuously in 2032. When this happened, the original Devola and Popola models were designed to supervise all of this when humans weren't there anymore. Jumping forward in time, what was briefly explained there is that the vessels started developing their own sentience, when the souls tried to go back into their new bodies, these Replicants saw them as monster that wanted to posses them, and this is why Devola and Popola failed, they couldn't control the conflict, and essentially the Replicants won, and doomed mankind. I left the spoilers at the bare minimum, as you said you wanted the order to play these games: (Drakengard 2 isn't taken into consideration as it was done by a different headwritter.) Drakengard 3 - Drakengard 1 - NieR Replicant - NieR Automata (There is NieR Reincarnation as well, this game finished this whole storyline, but it is a gacha game that died during this year, it cannot be played anymore. Yes, because of finishing the story on a service game, it was a polemical topic.) If you don't care about Drakengard just skip them, the only significant connection between them is the Dragon and Giant thing, Yoko Taro made these stories to be enjoyed as standlone as possible, but ironically, it was those thin connections between games that made his franchise so popular.

[@wongnexus7716]

As the player of Nier Replicant, i have a word for Devola and Popola...... I'm sorry.....I am so sorry......

[@Kimisdomain01]

@@wongnexus7716 not my nurse androids. We could have taught them to make flower crowns😭

[@vj7248]

9S is going through it Either of the NieR games be great starting points. I prefer the story of Replicant, but Automata has some wild gameplay.... actually the only thing I want to give a heads up on with the games is to definitely check out doing the sidequests. They might seem simple, but they typically have some type of plot twist to them. Automata especially has alot of fun side quests. But... the DrakeNieR rabbit hole goes DEEP. And most of the games aren't even available on modern platforms (Drakengard 1 & 3) or cancelled mobile games (Sino Alice & NieR Reincarnation) or behind an entire MMO (FFXIV NieR Raid).. And even then the actual full context for the series well... there's actually alot of overarching mysteries that remain unsolved. Yoko Taro has been working on a new game so hopefully that's officially announced soon. OH, I'll give a shout out to Voice of Cards too. It's a lil RPG trilogy that Yoko Taro worked on that's actually available. Nothing flashy, but they are fun lil games.

[@WisnuWicaksono1202]

Hang in there Kimi its 2 more episode

[@Kimisdomain01]

As "Between the Lions" used to say. I can't hold on much longer

[@amazingyolo8494]

9s still need more truth xD

[@Kimisdomain01]

Nah he needs therapy

[@Relleno95]

For someone who haven't play nier you really have some nice theories and remember details, because even me who have watch all of nier lore this anime still manage to surprise me. For example a comparation of today's episode with the game, the biggets and most important change here is how 9s learns about his executions, in game we varely have any mention of the types E (Like its only mention in TWO SIDEQUEST and in the very end of the game) also that in game its say in a really short phrase that 9s knew unconsciusly about 2b identity. And as much that I love nier this always bother me, so seeing this whole new scene and also all the forshadowing they have been doing it's really neat and adds a lot of info for everyone Hope you continue to enjoy the anime because they really made a fantastic job at telling this tragic tale 🥲

[@Kimisdomain01]

@Relleno95 I try my best to remember as many details on stories I read or watch cause I know for a fact they will bring them up one way or another later on. And it helps if I enjoy what I'm consuming. So you mean to tell me, to know vaguely of how 9S knows of his many deaths, I have to play a side quest? 😭😭 Those are the hardest! At least to me, that is.

[@Phantom_Izuku]

The conversation that 9S had with The Copied Data reminded me of Neo's conversation with The Architect in The Matrix Reloaded. Except that Coped Data was much friendlier to 9S.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@Phantom_Izuku was the Architect destroyed by Neo? I don't remember much of The Matrix, but I wouldn't be surprised if NieR used that as inspiration too.

[@Phantom_Izuku]

@@Kimisdomain01 No, he wasn't destroyed by Neo.

[@moffxanatos6376]

It reminds me even more of NieR Reincarnation's "Copied Floral Silhouette" Story where 10H goes through something similar with her "erased" memories. Memories and Consciousness are connected in NieR. Basically whenever a YoRHa's data is removed it's often separated instead. This makes it possible for YoRHa to have Conversations, even arguments and fights with their own memories that have been separated from them. This appears to be what happened to 9S just like it did with 10H in that story. Though with 10H she didn't lose bodies over and over again, just memories clipped from here and there. It was still enough for her to find them and have conversations with them, even confront her own repressed resentment at her situation. It also makes it possible for them to leave part of themselves behind through backups, so if their body dies they aren't completely dead (they aren't copies, though they do lose a part of themselves in the process.) The possibility to recover what was lost also exists, as 9S just did. "we are within you" his memory said.

[@jmameyugo]

Most people will tell you to start with the one they did. If you play Replicant first, some twists from Automata will be spoiled. But the same happens the other way around. Frankly, I would start with Automata for a few reasons. Gameplay is better, narrative structure is better, you are invested in the world already and you won't be disappointed by the fact that Automata is not 100% voice-acted, whereas the Replicant remake is, so it'll be a step up instead of down when you get to it. It also looks more polished overall. I played Automata first and I don't feel it spoiled that much. Not more than the anime already has for you in broad terms. Chronologically they're set millenia apart.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@jmameyugo I shall start with Automata then Replicant. I want to see if I can clear all the endings or not

[@seregios2753]

Either Nier replicant or automata are good entry points. While not needed the events of replicant will help you understand automata a lot more, if you don't have any preference I'd recommend you star with replicant. As far as the Nier series is concerned you don't have to play drakengard in order to understand it. Nier is a spinoff of a joke ending in drakengard, the games themselves don't really tie into the story of Nier aside from being their origin. If you like Nier i recommend giving drakengard a try, they're quite different to the Nier series but they're still worth experiencing. If you plan on playing them be aware that the dragenkard games are considered bad by many and people enjoy them for their story in spite of their gameplay. Drakengard 1 and 3 are the only ones that matter, 2 was made by different people and is widely dislked by the community.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@seregios2753 I'll look more into Drakengard to see if it's worth buying, but I'll take your suggestion about games 1 and 3

[@HealRD]

Better start with Automata for better gameplay and plot execution, although Replicant has superior storytelling and characters.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@@HealRD Roger that 🫡

[@gama103]

Poor Devola and Popola :c

[@Kimisdomain01]

@gama103 blamed for something they didn't do and ended up dying for it regardless in the end. They deserved so much better😔

[@HalimaSJW]

I’m so confused at this point. Did humans make androids to house their souls but then they messed up?

[@HalimaSJW]

This episode just solidified that humans are the cause of all of this. And why should androids still be loyal to an extinct species

[@manoel123ryan5]

pelo que eu lembre os androides antes que fosse ''possuido pela alma humana'' tinhas uma conciencia propria porem, as almas humanas ou o local onde estavam guardadas foi destruido colocando um fim no projeto e na humanidade. deve ter algum erro mas e o que eu lembro espero que eu tenha ajudado de alguma forma na sua compreenção.

[@Kimisdomain01]

@sayoalawode55443 to the best of my ability the way I interpret it is, humans wanted a another way to survive and so they created the first set of androids to be like minded to them and to find a way to host their souls for a revival of humanity, but it backfired when those "humans" mutated out of control. The many models of Devola & Popola were designed to help them but failed in their mission because it was out of their I guess you can say expertise. So, instead of accepting the failures of that creation, they instead blamed them, and humanity went extinct, and the resistance also hunted their models down and blamed them too.

[@jmameyugo]

@@HalimaSJW in short, no. Androids were created to oversee this process of separating bodies and souls since they were obviously unaffected by the illness described in the book. They were meant to be stand-ins for humanity, caretakers if you will. But not meant for housing those souls. Since that's what their whole purpose was, having Devola and Popola fail at it, also meant that every other android's mission had been in vain. Hence the absolute global animosity towards them.

[@habodea]

If you think Automata is depressing, play Replicant...

[@Kimisdomain01]

@@habodea .... no (I'm kidding, I'm going to play it once I replace my ps4 for a ps5😅. My poor wallet)

[@JRSA85]

I can't believe they spoiled Nier Replicant. The anime is doing a good work. The virus was created by the machines but the virus gained conscience like everthing in Nier. I didn't play Drakengard I only know about it because I watched videos of the lore of Nier. I listen drakengard is a bad game with a good story and dont motive me to play it. The dragon and giant are of an ending, Yoko Taro create games with multiple endings. You can to play any order, I recommend Nier first because the story is the best and the gameplay is good, Nier Automata fix the problems of Nier's gameplay and the story is good but Nier is best here