Walkthrough | Nier Replicant Wiki

Summer, 2053

Achievements:

• Combo Fanatic - 50 hit combo
• Combo Master - 100 hit combo 

Prologue

The point of the prologue is to introduce the game controls to the player. Clearing the section is simple. Clear all the Shades in the area using the control instructions provided. (This is also an opportunity to complete the 50-100 combo Achievement Trophies. 

During combat, Sealed Verses will also be introduced one by one for trial. Try out all the Sealed Verses, as they will no longer be available for use after the prologue. 

Attack Gauges will also be introduced. They are the timed attack targets that must be prioritized during combat.  

After clearing the first set of Shades, return to the inside of the building and tend to his sister, Yonah, located behind the shelf towards the back. The discovery of her illness concludes the prologue

Village

 

Locations

• Northern Plains
• Southern Plains
• Eastern Road

 

Act I Introduction

Village 

The main story begins in NieR's home Village with Yonah. Begin by speaking with Yonah and head downstairs. Collect the indicated items in the house before leaving. The next location to progress in the main storyline is always marked on the mini-map with an X. 

Speak to the Devola. She will be seated by the fountain and singing. Devola is the voice you hear singing in the background as well.  Then head to the library towards the upwards path on the hill. On the second floor on the door to the right will be Popola, Devola's twin. Speak to her as well. 

Popola will send NieR on a quest to retrieve some mutton from the Northern Plains, and she will provide a map. She will also ask Nier to purchase three medicinal Herbs from the client. 

On the way out of the library, Yonah will be spotted near the exit. Speak to her, then leave the library. This will trigger a cutscene introducing the premise of this game. 

For mutton, head to the northern gates to get to the Northern Plains. Get started on Popola's requests.

 

Northern Plains

Exploring the Northern Plains can be saved for later, as this location will be visited plenty of times. There is also a bridge that is still broken at this time that will become available for use later on.  

Sheep are abundant animals that inhabit the Northern Plains. To get mutton, kill sheep and harvest them.  Avoid attacking them from behind as they have the ability to kick and attack. Once they are killed, harvest their bodies to retrieve either wool or mutton. 

Mutton will be needed in other Side Quests, so harvesting more than the requested amount would not hurt. There is also an achievement for killing 100 Sheep called "The Sheep Whisperer" This can be done anytime in Act I in the Northern Plains.  

Very few small shades can also be seen roaming around the Northern Plains at this time. Once enough mutton are harvested, head back to the Village. The Item Shopkeeper in the Shopping District will take the mutton in exchange for the Medicinal Herbs. Medicinal Herbs can be purchased from the Item Shopkeeper at any time. The Aerie Map and the Forest of Myth Map can also be purchased from him at any time. 

Return to Popola with the Herbs.  

Lost Shrine

1F

Rooftop

 

Main Story Objective

• Locate Yonah and return her home safely
• Accept the assistance of Grimoire Weiss

 

Items

• Lost Shrine Map
• Nirvana Dagger

 

Achievements

• The Book of Legend - Grimoire Weiss joined your party.

Grimoire Weiss

Lost Shrine 

Obtain the Lost Shrine Map from the crate on the spiral staircase. On top of the stairs, go through the broken archway in front of you and you’ll find a locked door. The bronze key to the door will be located in a crate 5 rooms down through the archways behind you. The rest of the crates will be empty. Through the big doors, you will go through a series of rooms where you need to defeat the shades to pass. Continue till you reach a ladder. On top of this platform, the Nirvana Dagger will be located inside the crate. Continue through the doors till you trigger a short panoramic scene of the location.  Here, push the blue box to where the ladder is broken so you can reach the top platform. Once you climb the second ladder, go through the empty door frame, and below to your right, there will be a mailbox where you can save. Enter through the doors into the book chamber.

Hansel and Gretel

Clear the Shades in the area and eventually, NieR will obtain a Sealed Verse. The twin guardian statues, Hansel and Gretel, will trigger a boss sequence. 

 

Boss Fight

• Hansel and Gretel each have a defensive barrier that circles around them, they are unable to move when the barrier is in place
• They will take turns putting up the defensive barrier, so focus on the other
• Both of them have a long charge before their forward charge attack, so NieR has a lot of time to evade them
• Stay close by behind them as after the charge attacks are dealt, it will be the perfect time to deal damage while they are temporarily stunned
• When their attack gauges come up, focus on breaking them before the timer ends

Clear the room and run up to Yonah to initiate a cutscene and return to the Village.

Main Story Objectives

• Obtain more information on the locations of the Sealed Verses
• Defeat Hook

  

Items

• Sealed Verse

 

Side Quests

• Herbal Remedies
• The Gatekeeper's Errand
• The Lost Eggs
• Old-fashioned Home Cooking
• Shopping List
• A Return to Shopping
• Book Smarts
• The Tavern Keeper's Grandmother
• Boar Hunt
• Yonah's Home Cooking
• On the Wings of Eagles
• Fragile Delivery
• Fragile Delivery 2
• The Ballad of the Twins
• A Dog Astray
• Yonah's Gift
• Fragile Delivery 3
• The Runaway Son 

Village

Speak to Devola who will be singing at the Village fountain, then speak to Popola for more information on the song she is singing. According to the Song of the Ancients, the white book, Grimoire Weiss, and his Sealed Verses will be the solution to the chaos caused by the black book, Grimoire Noir.

NieR's new objective will be to obtain all the Sealed Verses in order to potentially rid Yonah of the Black Scrawl disease 

Popola will suggest speaking to the Chief of The Aerie for more information of the whereabouts of the Sealed Verses. Leave the Library and NieR will also be prompted to activate some Quests.  Now will be a good time to begin the Act I Village Quests. 

 

The Aerie

The entrance to The Aerie is through the Northern Plains. It will look like a minecart tunnel, and there will be two to pass through. In the area between The Aerie and the Northern Plains, there will be a small deserted tent NieR can examine for Grimoire Weiss to make a small comment. Continue through the next tunnel towards the Aerie. The initial visit to the Aerie will initiate a cutscene showcasing The Aerie and the location of the Chief's hut. 

Save at the mailbox at the entrance before making your way to the chief's hut. Make your way by crossing the suspension bridge to cross the canyon towards the center platform and cross to the opposite wall of the canyon. The Aerie will also be under attack, so clear any Shades in your way. NieR will be able to hear the residents of The Aerie make unwelcoming comments as he passes their huts. At the other side of the canyon, climb up the ladder to the right to get to the upper level of the village. Turn back and cross the long suspension bridge. 

The Chief's hut can be seen from here. It will be the highest hut in the village to the right of your viewpoint. Once NieR crosses the bridge climb the last ladder towards the Chief's hut. He will be just as unwelcoming and unhelpful as all the other villagers of The Aerie. 

Use the same path back to report back to Popola. 

 

Kainé

This time on the way back, the deserted tent can be examined and Kainé will initiate a Boss fight 

 

Boss Fight

• Kainé is immune to most magic attacks, so melee attacks are recommended for use against her
• She also deals a lot of magic attacks of her own, so be prepared to dodge those 
• Once her HP bar is sufficiently depleted, the boss sequence will be disrupted

 

Hook

Hook is the reptilian Shade boss that lingers around The Aerie and regularly wreaks havoc on their village.

 

Boss Fight

• Hook lets out a shock wave on the ground that resonates outward when it stomps its feet. Be prepared to jump over them once you notice its feet lifting
• It also lets out a scream that projects magic orbs. These can be attacked with melee to restore some of the MP meter
• The attack gauges will also appear on its feet so keep a convenient distance to run in and finish off that target
• Once in a while Hook also spits out Shade balls that are fairly easy to clear. Leaving these shades for too long will allow them to turn in to regular Shades. 
• Repeat using Sealed Verse magic when attacking its face and, run in to perform some melee attacks when his feet are within range
• Continue the process until his HP bar is depleted 

Kainé will deal the final blow to ward off the Shade and she will pass out. When she awakens, Kainé and NieR will have their first official introduction, but she will tell him to leave. Defeat Hook, and NieR will obtain another Sealed Verse. 

Returning back to the Northern Plains will prompt NieR with two options 

• Report back to Popola
• Check on Yonah

Either option will progress the storyline the same way, but speaking to Popola adds a bit of additional dialogue. 

 

Check on Yonah and NieR will find she is feeling very ill. He needs to go to Popola for advice. Popola will send him to Seafront to retrieve a Shaman Fish that is said to have painkilling medicinal properties. 

Before heading to Seafront, now would be the time to activate some of the Village Quests as some of them require a trip to Seafront anyway. The Quest Boar Hunt would also allow NieR to gain access to Boar controls which would allow him to mount Wild Boars and cross the Plains much faster. 

Head to Seafront through the Southern Plains.

 

Southern Plains 

A Large boss Shades can be spotted roaming around the Southern Plains, but with NieR at a very low level, one hit from the Shade would instantly kill him. So, it is recommended to come back to the Shade at a later time. 

A guard can also be found fending off a small horde of Shades. Clear the shades for him and he will reward NieR with the one-handed sword, Moonrise. 

The Southern Plains will lead to one other location other than Seafront, but the mansion will have no available activities yet at this point of the story. Poisonous Spiders can also be found around that area. 

Head down the path and continue towards Seafront.

Seafront

Main Quest Objective

• Obtain a Shaman Fish for Yonah 

 

Key Items 

• Shaman Fish

 

Side Quests

• The Fisherman's Gambit
• The Fisherman's Gambit, Part 2
• The Fisherman's Gambit, Part 3
• The Fisherman's Gambit, Part 4
• The Fisherman's Gambit, Part 5
• The New Merchant in Town
• The Postman's Request
• The Lighthouse Lady's Wrath
• Closure
• The Belated Letter
• A Signature Dish
• Bon Appetit!
• The Pride of a Lover

  

Seafront 

Shaman Fish

NieR will want to ask around for information on where to retrieve the Shaman Fish, but the only person you need to speak to is the old Fisherman by the Seafront pier. He will be found by the shore near the beaches. Speak to him and he will give NieR a fishing rod and Lure. He will tell NieR to fish by the beach. Your first instinct might be to fish at the beach close to the fisherman, but the Shaman Fish will not be available there. There will be a hidden beach closer to the lighthouse. The location will be also indicated by the red "X" on the minimap. Players have also complained that his fishing instructions are not clear. Refer to the Fishing Guide for more information on Fishing. 

 

Fish on the beach until NieR catches a Shaman Fish. 

The Fisherman will also offer a number of Fishing Quests. Fishing is required to complete all the Achievements in NieR Replicant.

If she hasn't stopped you already, on the way out of the city an old lady near the lighthouse will try to get your attention and she will task NieR with retrieving her mail.  This will prompt a series of other Seafront Side Quests, and you will later know her as the Lighthouse Lady.  Now would be a good time to activate the other Seafront Quests available in Act I as well. 

Return to the Village back through the Southern Plains.

 

Village

Give the Shaman Fish to Yonah and it will jump to the next morning. She will already start feeling better. NieR will want to speak to Popola to find out where to go next. But before leaving, if you haven't already, speak to Yonah to activate one of her own Quests, Yonah's Home Cooking. 

Speak to Popola next and she will want you to return to The Aerie, but before you do, NieR will need a weapon upgrade. She will send NieR towards the shop towards the Junk Heap who will do it for a fee of around 1000 gold. If you are short on cash, Popola will recommend finishing more Side Quests. A number of Quests can be started at the Village Tavern when you speak to Devola. 

Before leaving the Library, ensure Popola does not have any more additional Side Quests for NieR by speaking to her. 

Head to the Junk Heap. It is accessible through the Northern Plains towards the northwest. The cliff will cut off and there will be a large body of water surrounded by waterfalls on the level below.  Head down towards the remnants of an iron bridge for railroads. There will be a ladder to climb. Climb up the bridge and this will lead to the Junk Heap. The Junk Heap area will be just past the iron grate gates. 

Junk Heap

 
1F

2F

B1

Main Story Objectives 

• Upgrade your weapon to be able to reenter The Aerie
• Retrieve three pieces of Titanium Alloy for the Weapon upgrade
• Locate Jakob and Gideon's mother who was lost in the Junk Heap
• Defeat Defense System Gepetto
• Defeat Hook

 

 Items

• Junk Heap Map
• Weapon Upgrades
• Sealed Verse

 

Achievements

• The Wild Companion -  Kainé joined your party.

Junk Heap

Two Brothers Weaponry 

Enter the store, Two Brothers Weaponry,  just beyond the gates toward Junk Heap. Jakob and Gideon will be manning the store, but he will say he does not have the sufficient materials to upgrade NieR's weapon so he must first go into the Junk Heap to gather them. They will need three pieces of Titanium Alloy. 

 

Junk Heap

Titanium Alloy is a rare drop more commonly dropped by the ground Robots with red lights. Farm the robots in the Junk Heap until three pieces are obtained, then return them to Jakob. He will upgrade NieR's Nameless Blade. 

• Quick note: Junk Heap is great for farming metal materials and mice for mouse tails for quests. While you are in the area, make sure to collect some rat tails if you intend to finish all the side quests. 

NieR will have to return back into the Junk Heap because he volunteers to search for their missing mother. Jakob will give him the necessary passcodes to access the different floors from the elevator. Take the elevator down to Basement 1. The Junk Heap is riddled with different defense robots and contraptions like floor and wall turrets. Clear each room of them to move on. Some doors will also be blocked and inaccessible, the game will feature them as the tutorial 'breakable fences'. Timed bombs will be provided to clear them. Quickly place or toss the bombs at the blocked doors to clear the way. 

A unique feature of the Junk Heap is also its mine carts. NieR will need to use them to cross to the other side. The main cart rail path is also equipped with turrets and flying defense robot drones. Speed up to avoid them or slow down the cart if you want to take your time to clear them.

Upon exiting the mine cart, it will lead to only one other available door to the right that leads to another room.  Clear the room of robots and turrets to receive the bomb and clear the next path. There will be an open area to cross through one of the doors where NieR has to air dash to get to the next door. If he fails, falling will spawn NieR back in the previous room. Continue forward until you reach a mailbox save point. Save and prepare for the upcoming boss sequence.  

 

Defense System Gepetto

Gepetto's Defense system triggers an intruder alert and begins its extermination sequence.  

Boss Fight

• The palms of the robot's hands are his most vulnerable points. Melee attack these points when the path is clear. 
• This area also has the ability to spawn more robots and turrets from underneath the circular platforms. Clear these first so that you can focus on the head. 
• The robot's head and Its fingers will shoot out lasers. The fingers will create a laser pattern that must be avoided
• His hands also hover away from his main body and can crush NieR, but the shadows on the floor can predict which areas to avoid. 
• The first depletion of the Boss' HP will release a cluster of robots that can also individually project magic orbs. Cut through them if you can, to replenish the MP meter
• Be aware of the circular platforms as they not only release robots but sometimes extend to become turrets that shoot a line of magic orbs.

• Magic will have no effect on the head of the robot but it can be bombed
• At the next stage, these platforms will provide a bomb to throw into the robot's mouth. Time it for when his mouth opens while avoiding the tracking missiles it releases

Defeating the robot will reconnect the path and reward NieR with another Sealed Verse. The next area will reveal the location of their mother. Examine the bodies. NieR will have the option to tell the brothers about his discovery. 

• She's in heaven
• I couldn't find her

It won't affect any outcomes except their response. It will turn out Jakob already knew about her secret lover.
NieR can come back to Two Brothers Weaponry at any time to upgrade his weapon. 

With his newly upgraded weapon, he is now ready to return to The Aerie as Popola mentioned. Make your way back to the Aerie. 

 

The Aerie

On the way to The Aerie, Kainé can be found fending for herself against a horde of Shades. Help her out and she will say the Shades are all over the village. Go ahead and head into The Aerie and Kainé will follow. Clear the Shade in your way. The mailbox save point will be unavailable for the moment. Proceed through the Village and it will trigger a cutscene for the Boss sequence 

 

Hook

Hook will have the same attack sequences as the first encounter, except this time he will be repositioning from time to time around The Aerie. NieR will have to chase him down as he relocates, clearing the Shades along the way. The second section will bring NieR to the footbridges and Kainé will say she can handle him. Clear the Shade orbs to progress to the next sequence. Hook will join Kainé on the larger platform. Continue clearing the shade and then join her on the platform with Hook. Clear the Attack Gauges that appear in on Hook's hands then another cutscene will be triggered. Hook will have a hypnotic mist that it attempts to unleash on Kainé.  This will be followed by the last section of the boss fight.  Finish off the last of his HP bar. He will spit out more sphere Shades and they will individually be able to project magic orbs. Continue striking him until the last Attack Gauge appears. Finish him off, and then run to Kainé to tend to her. 

Kainé will finally join NieR, and NieR will receive another Sealed Verse. Kainé will suggest a lead on a city working on a cure in the Desert. This will be their next destination. 

Facade

Main Story Objective

• Gain an audience with the King of Facade to find out what they know about the Black Scrawl

 

 Items

• Royal Compass

 

Side Quests

• The Littlest Hero
• Apology from a Fool
• Item Unknown
• The Missing Girl
• The Tangled Message

 

 

Facade

Desert

Enter the Desert through the Eastern Road passage towards the right, and then head to Facade through the Desert. The Desert will be inhabited by Wolves and the occasional poisonous Scorpion. Sometimes you can catch a sighting of the wolves' pack leader, the Shade Wolf, Roc. After fighting off some wolves, he will appear and call them away and the wolves will no longer attack. Scorpions can be identified by a cloud of smoke just above the sand. All other aspects in the Desert are not available to be interacted with at this point. Continue towards the entrance gates of Facade and a cutscene of the city will commence. Then, they will already be in Facade. 

Facade

Save at the mailbox at the entrance. If NieR interacts with anyone, he won't be able to communicate with them as they speak a different language. Move inwards and it will pan to the location of the King's Manor. Use either the left or right stairways to make your way to the Manor. Examine the entrance. The Manor will be unavailable for entry so when prompted to return to the town entrance, do so. 

Head back towards Kainé and a young Masked Person will fall. Help pick up the belongings that she dropped then speak to her. Her name is Fyra. Grimoire Weiss will be able to communicate with her since she uses some sort of sign language.  She will take NieR on a tour around the town. Follow her. Eventually, you will be given the option to skip the rest of the tour and it will be up to you. 

She concludes the tour at the entrance of the King's Manor, but the advisor will say the prince still currently not taking any outside visitors. Return to the entrance where Kainé is. Fyra will be elated to see her as apparently Kainé had saved her life in the past. This is reunion is cut short when the Masked Soldiers run in in panic announcing that the Prince is missing. He has gone into the Barren Temple.

 

 

Barren Temple

Main Story Objectives

• Locate and retrieve the Prince of Facade from the Barren Temple
• Clear the Temple chambers
• Defeat Shahriyar

 

 

Items

• Barren Temple Map
• Rebirth

Barren Temple

Desert

To avoid breaking any of the town rules, only NieR is permitted to go after him in the Barren Temple. Attempt to exit, and they will have you turn back around and speak to Kainé and Fyra again. Fyra will guide you through the Desert to the Barren Temple. Wait for Fyra, stay close to her through the sand storms till you reach the temple. Clear any wolves along the way. Fyra will provide Barren Temple Map at the entrance just before you enter.

 

The Barren Temple

The Barren Temple is comprised of a series of puzzle rooms, each with a set of rules to follow. Breaking the rules or getting hit by the magic orbs in these rooms would also cause an immediate reset of the room. The goal is to reach the glowing block usually across the room in front of the next set of doors. Break the block by hitting it to clear the room's rules and obstacles. Clearing the rooms will unlock the sealed doors and allow NieR to exit and progress. 

 

First Chamber

Rules:

• Leaping Rabbit: Jumping in this room is not permitted 

Get to the other side of the room without jumping. Push and pull the dark blocks to block out the path of the projectile orbs, and clear a path for NieR to reach the glowing block. Break the block to proceed. Enter through another set of unlocked doors. 

 

Second Chamber

This is where NieR will first see the Prince. It appears he has broken a rule of the room. One of the temple blocks will escort him out, and NieR will have to find him again. 

Rules: 

• Stationary Owl: Standing still in this room is not permitted

Run through the room without stopping. Run in circles if you have to. Wait for the breaks in between projectiles. There will be an opening for NieR to run across. Break the glowing block. Continue through the next doors and jump down on the sinking block platforms to get to the next room. 

 

Third Chamber

Rules:

• Racing Wolf: No running
• Magic-Spewing Bat: No magic

 This is where Kainé loses her patience and meets the same fate as the prince by breaking the rules. 

Slowly walk across the room, and clear the projectiles with either your block or melee attack. There will be openings to the projectiles as well in this room, and evade rolls are still permitted.

 

Fourth Chamber

Rules: 

• Protected Turtle: No blocking or defending

The temple blocks can be moved around to block the projectile cannons, to clear a path to the other end.  It is also possible to run ahead of the start of the trial as soon as it starts before projectiles start emerging. Break the block to continue. 

 

Fifth Chamber

Rules:

• Magic-spewing Bat: No magic

Either hop on top of the blocks or wait for the openings from the projectiles and NieR will easily make it through to the glowing block. Projectiles also surround the glowing block, but the cannons do take a moment to pause. Wait for the opening and break the block. 

 

Sixth Chamber

Rules: 

• Blade-Wielding Tiger: No melee attacks

This room will contain more than one glowing block to break this time. Use Dark Blast or Dark Lance to aim at the glowing blocks and destroys them. Proceed through the next doors. Cross through another set of sinking block platforms. The doors will lead you outside. 

 

Seventh Chamber 

Rules:

• Evasive Mouse: No evasive rolls permitted

This will be the final puzzle room, but this time it is filled with Shades. Clear the Shades without rolling to clear the room. A Large Shade will spawn after clearing the first set of Shades. Exit the chamber and turn to your left. Cross back to the other side on the second long bridge. Enter through the next set of doors and there will be a mailbox save point down the stairs. The next doors will contain a boss fight sequence. 

 

Shahriyar

This final room will reveal where the prince is. Shahriyar will stand in your way. Shahriyar is a guardian made up of the temple blocks. He takes up three different forms during his boss fight sequence. The goal is the same as the puzzle rooms. Aim for the glowing temple blocks and destroy them to progress. Use Dark Blast to shoot forward or Dark Lance so you have a crosshair for aiming when the blocks are not within range.

 
Form 1

• The first form is a cylindrical figure that projects magical orbs at NieR's level. Focus on the layer on the bottom each time and clear the glowing colored blocks. 
• Block out the magic orbs until there is a clear shot of the colored cubes
   

Form 2

• The second form is a human figure with glowing cubes placed where his hands would be. His cubes will continue to shift around in patterns, so be prepared to avoid them 
• Its arm smash will also send out a shock wave of damage that can be double jumped over 

Form 3

• The third form is made up of four layers of squares that will rotate. Focus on the topmost later each time. 
• Continue clearing the colored cubes until the final cube shows an Attack Gauge

Destroying the blocks and clearing the last target ends the boss and frees the prince. A cut scene will begin and they will end up back Facade. The prince will ascend to become the King of Facade. He will give you the one-handed Sword, Rebirth, and briefly mention the Black Scrawl. NieR will also leave with another Sealed Verse.

Speaking to the advisor before you leave will grand NieR access to the sandspouts located around the Desert for faster travel. Speak to the guard on the right of the Manor, and he will provide NieR with a compass that allows him to navigate through the Desert sandstorms. 

 

 Return to the Village. 

Checking on Yonah will prompt NieR with two options when Yonah asks if he will stay the night. 

• I'll stay with you
• I can't stay today

There will be no difference in progress, but choosing to stay with Yonah will reveal a dream NieR is having about the Forest of Myth and a Sealed Verse. 

The next morning, speak to Yonah again. She will also have a dream related to someone from the Forest of Myth. Go to the Library and speak to Popola. She will show you a cryptic letter full of "dreams" from the Mayor of the Forest of Myth.

Head to the Forest of Myth through the Northern Plains. It'll be on the far northwestern side. There will be a stone gate entrance to the village. 

Forest of Myth

 Main Story Objectives

• Investigate the Forest of Myth and find an explanation for Popola's letter.
• Clear the Deathdream

 

Items

• Faith
• Sealed Verse

 

Deathdream

Forest of Myth

Head to the Forest of Myth through the Northern Plains. It'll be on the far northwestern side. There will be a stone gate entrance to the village. There will be a red X indicator on the minimap. 

Enter through the gates, a scene of the location will pan across the Forest of Myth. Speak to the Mayor seated near the entrance to enter his dream. The Forest of Myth section will be entirely text-based. 

 

Mayor's Dream

Read through the dialogue. They will talk about the Deathdream and how NieR and Grimoire Weiss managed to enter it. Eventually, you will come across three riddles and you are given three choices to answer them. The questions and answers are below:

• One with it suffers. Two with it is ideal. Three with it is dangerous. What is it?
  • A secret
• I  enter through the window, but I break no glass. When night falls, I vanish. What am I? 
  • Sunlight!
• I have four legs in the morning and two at noon, but I end the night with three. What am I?
  • A man

He will congratulate NieR for cracking the seal of the Deathdream and he will task him with helping the other Villagers trapped by the Deathdream. NieR will also be rewarded with Sealed Verse for clearing the Mayor. 

 

Woman Villager's Dream

Her dream will be about a flooding castle. When given the options always select north and East. Choosing the wrong option will backtrack, and taking too long might result in a game over and having to restart her dream. 

• North
• East
• North
• East
• North

 

Man Villager's Dream

His long dream will lead to one riddle from the statues. There are three forms. You are to determine which of the forms are real. The real form will always speak the truth, and the false ones will only speak lies. 

• Alpha: Please! You have to get me out of this nightmare! I am real!
• Beta: Stop lying! Alpha's a fake, you know. I'm the real one!
• Gamma: Beta is a fake! Everyone knows I'm the only real one around here.

Answer: 

It cannot be Alpha, because then Gamma will still hold some truth to his statement. It cannot be Gamma, because Beta calling Alpha fake would be a true statement. There can only be one answer. 

• The real one is Beta. 

 

Speak with the Mayor again. He will reward NieR with the one-handed sword, Faith. 

Return to the Village.

 

Village

Report back to Popola she will say Yonah was looking for him. Check on Yonah. She needs a favor. She has a new penpal from the big house down south who needs help and wants you to go help him. You will be prompted with two options

• I'll do it, I can't say no to her.
• No way! She's too young for a boyfriend! 

The game will not allow NieR to decline Yonah, and choosing to not help will prevent you from exiting the dialogue until you agree. Agree to help, then head to the Southern Plains towards the manor. 

It will be surrounded by poisonous spiders that can only be countered with Antidotal Weed. 

Emil's Manor

 

Main Story Objectives

• As per Yonah's request, check on her penpal 
• Look for a cure for Emil
• Defeat Grimoire Rumbrum

 

Key Items

• Moon Key
• Star Key
• Light Key
• Darkness Key

 

Items

• Manor Map
• Blade of Treachery

 

Achievements 

• The Mellow Companion - Emil joined your party.

Emil

Emil's Manor

The manor is right through the small opening in the Southern Plains. It will be surrounded by poisonous spiders that can only be countered with Antidotal Weed.

• Reminder: All Act I Quests must be completed before this point. Progress forward, and you will be unable to return to complete anymore Act I Quests.  Act I Quests will bring the Quest progress total to 51%. 

Enter the gates and speak to the Butler standing outside. He will welcome NieR into the Manor and bring him to the dining room. He may tell you to wait there, but go ahead and head to the other end of the dining room and exit through the door near the fireplace. The only accessible door will be to the kitchen. Examine the door until Grimoire Weiss recommends returning to the dining room. Kainé will no longer be there.

 

Moon Key

Return to the door that Grimoire Weiss prevented NieR from entering. It leads to the courtyard. Pass through the courtyard and enter through the door across it. At the end of the hall, NieR will eventually reach the bathroom. The Moon Key will be in the sink. 

 

Star Key

Head back to the Moon door back across the courtyard again. This time, there will be Shades in the way. Clear any Shades and spiders in the halls and rooms. 

The Moon door will open the room to Emil. He will provide NieR with a Manor map and the Star Key. 

 

Light Key

Use the Star Key on the door at the end of the hallway where Emil says the butler's quarters are. You will find the butler in one of the rooms. In one of the other rooms of the same hallway, there will be a Light Key on the desk.

 

Darkness Key

Enter each room until you see the butler again. Emil will join you and the Butler will admit that he wrote the letter. NieR will obtain the Darkness Key. 

Go through the end of the hallway with Emil. At the end of the next hallway will be more Shades. Use the Darkness Key on the last door of the second hallway and it will be full of more Shades. Clear the Shades in the hall and there will be one crate at the end of it. You will obtain the one-handed sword, Blade of Treachery from it. 

Enter through the next doors and it will lead you to the study. The doors will be locked and there will be another horde of Shades to clear.  Exit through the doors and there will be a mailbox save point at the end of the hallway. The next room will contain a boss fight sequence. Emil won't be able to help during this fight, but Kainé will be able to join for combat.

 

Grimoire Rubrum

Grimoire Rumbrum is a Grimoire like Grimoire Weiss. She will be hidden on the shelves of Emil's Library. Their arrival will trigger the boss fight. 

• Grimoire Rumbrum can initially be easily hit with melee attacks before she begins her attack sequences
• She has a charge attack that projects herself forward and an attack where she surrounds herself in her pages, as well as a defense barrier
• Keep a distance to be able to dodge her charge attacks, and when she surrounds herself in her pages, clear them to be able to reach her.
• Hitting her while her defense barrier is up will not deal any damage
• She will have a lot of stagnant moments, so hit her with magic when it is clear as this does a lot of damage.

Defeat Grimoire Rubrum to obtain the last Sealed Verse. A page for Annulling a petrification curse will be found but unusable as it is written in code. 

A cutscene will follow. Head back to the Village. There will be a cutscene panning over the village and the overcast weather. 

 

Village 

Main Story Objectives

• Retrieve Vapor Moss for Yonah's medicine 
• Clear the Shades from the Village
• Defeat Jack of Hearts
• Defeat Grimoire Noir

  

Key Items

• Vapor Moss

Overcast Village

It will cut to Yonah. NieR will need to go to Popola for more medicine. Popola will ask NieR to retrieve Vapor Moss that will be growing near the southern gate. There will be an indicator for it near the walls. Retrieve and Emil will arrive through the gates. Check on Emil and it will cut to Popola's study, 

Crashes will be heard during the dialogue. Exit the library to trigger another cutscene of the Shades storming the Village. Head to the shopping district and you will find the area in chaos with Shades rampaging through. Clear the Shades. They will manage to shut the gates, but that is when the biggest Shade comes through and initiates a boss fight sequence.

Jack of Hearts

Boss Fight

Jack of Hearts is the large regenerating Shade that storms the Village. There will be sections of the fight divided by the cutscenes. He will regularly reposition himself through the sequence and NieR will be able to do the same. Continue the attacks until the Shade gets pushed to the Library. 

• The Jack of Hearts smashes his hands to the ground, sending shockwaves that must be jumped over. This will also open up an opportunity to attack his hand on the ground
• Shades will also be surrounding the area during this fight
• Save the magic attacks for the attack gauges that appear out of range
• It also has the ability to spit out balls of Shades that when left too long become regular Shades
• The priority to land melee attacks on his hands and attack gauges when they are within range while fighting off the other scattered Shades

The fight continues towards the hill.  There will small cutscene and he will start to make his way up. Continue the sequence until you reach the Library. Jack's climb and is inevitable. This section ends with an attack gauge. Hit him from the library wall entrance. Breaking the Attack Gauge will initiate the next brief cutscene, and you will have to enter the Library. 

Library

Clear the Shades in the Library, and the Jack of Hearts Shade will follow. Clear the set of Attack Gauges that appear and another cutscene will commence.

The Shade will be thrown in the basement of the Library and only Kainé will be keeping it sealed. The Shadowlord and Grimoire Noir will make their first appearance. The Shadowlord has Yonah in his arms Grimoire Noir tries to speak to Grimoire Weiss and convinces him that his purpose is to join together until Kainé's voice interrupts this section. Grimoire Weiss continues to pledge his loyalty to his friends. The cutscene will end. 

Grimoire Weiss will have temporary powers, but he will slowly gain them back as his sequence progresses. Continue clearing the Shades then a boss fight with Grimoire Noir will be initiated. 

 

Grimoire Noir

• Like Grimoire Rumbrum, Grimoire Noir releases pages that can be cleared so that he can be directly attacked except this time these pages can also line up and each individual page can release a stream of magic orbs. He also has the occasional charge attacks and defensive barrier.
• The book itself can still be attacked at this time. Focus on hitting Grimoire Noir himself and finish off the Attack Gauges when they pop up.
• The fight in the Library will also cause the roof to slowly collapse to be wary of the roof fragments falling on NieR

His defeat will trigger another cutscene. 

NieR is pierced by the Shadowlord and the Shadowlord leaves with Yonah. Kainé forces Emil to petrify her in place in order to seal the Jack of Hearts Shade in for good. 

This concludes Act I 

Village

Items

• Transience
• Kusanagi

 

Side Quests

• Thieves in Training
• A Bridge in Peril
• The Contract for a Contractor
• The Creaky Waterwheel
• The Faded Fountain
• A Child's Final Chance
• The Despicable Man
• Search for the Shade
• The Damaged Map

 

Act II

Village

This next part occurs after a time jump of five years. Act II begins immediately with a combat sequence. It serves as an introduction to the newly armored Shades and the now obtainable Two-handed Swords, and One-handed Swords. You will start the new chapter with a new weapon from each category, Transcience, and Kusanagi.

Defeat the armoured Shades and speak to the villager that was under attack. A cutscene will then begin to introduce what the situation of the Village and their world is like as of now. 

Follow the marked indication on the minimap, and it will lead you to Popola in the Library again. She will show NieR a letter from Emil asking NieR to come back so they could hopefully find a cure for Kainé's current petrified state. 

A new set of village Quests will be available for Act II now as well. 

 

Underground Laboratory

B1

 
B2

B3

Main Story Objectives

• Explore the Underground Laboratory and look for any leads

 

Key Items

• AA Keycard
• KA Keycard
• SA Keycard
• TA Keycard
• NA Keycard
• MA Keycard
• YA Keycard
• RA Keycard

 

Achievements

• Release -   You freed Kainé from her petrification.

Anulling a Petrification Curse

Emil's Manor 

Head to Emil's Manor and enter the gates. The butler will welcome NieR in again. He will take you directly to Emil and Emil will show you some documents from the Snow White Plans that he discovered. It mentioned a facility below the manor and Emil hopes they would find information on how to harness the ability to control his own powers. 

The entrance is located in the courtyard. Examine the fountain in the middle of the courtyard and a passage underneath the stairs will open up. 

 

Underground Laboratory B1 

The perspective changes. Don't let Emil fall too far behind you. Collect the AA Keycard and use it on the first set of doors. Clear the Shades in the rooms. The Underground Facility Map can be found next to the set of doors towards the end of the area. The KA Keycard will be on the bottom right corner of the last sections of rooms. Use it on the next set of doors. 

 

SA Keycard

Clear another round of Shades. The SA Keycard will be located at the very end of the backward "S" shaped hall, tucked away in a corner. Destroy the crates in your way. There will be some recovery items in the crates around the facility, so make sure to check them if you're in need of some recovery items. 

Move through the archway on the left. The hallway is not visible until you go through. Use the SA Keycard and clear the Shades in the next hall through the next room. Move down the stairs and NieR will find another document. They will discover that this facility was once a magical laboratory. Continue on to the next level down. 

 

Basement 2 

TA Keycard

Clear the Shades in the next room. The TA Keycard will be at the northwest corner from when you enter the first small set of doors to your right (east). There will be a small transitional hallway to the next room.

 

NA Keycard

It will be a maze-like room. Go through the natural route of the maze. The NA Keycard will be in another corner at the very end just after the next set of doors. The set of doors behind the NA doors will open up to a bunch more Shades NieR will need to clear. There will be another set of doors that will lead to a small transitional room to go through and there will be more Shades. There will be one other room of Shades before you reach the end of the maze. Continue through the maze until you reach another transitional hallway.

 

HA Keycard

This next area is sectioned off into three large rooms and three smaller rooms side by side. Shades will be hiding in some of these rooms as well. The HA Keycard is in the large room at the southeast corner of the map. It is also tucked away in the southeast corner of that room. Head through the next set of doors to the next transitional hall. 

 

MA & YA Keycard

This section will also be made up of smaller rooms. This time some of the doors to these rooms will be also locked. The south most large room will require the MA Keycard. The MA Keycard is in the smaller room just above that large one,  in the middle of all the other rooms. Though the MA doors will be the YA Keycard, but once you exit that room a large Shade mini-boss will appear. Defeat him first then unlock the upper right (northeast) room with the YA Keycard. It will lead to another set of stairs, and you will obtain a new document.

 

Basement 3

RA Keycard

The only room that will open is the center large one. This room will have an invisible hall that will lead to the room on the left. The hall is just one the bottom left (southwest) corner of the room. Clear the shades in the rooms and collect the RA Keycard. Go ahead and progress to the next circular structured room.  

 

WA Keycard

If you try to exit through the next set of doors, the doors will be locked and Shades will start appearing. Clear the Shades and the mini-boss Shade. Then, there will be a document to examine next to the doors to the left. It will also give you the WA Keycard. This will open up to one final corridor with a mailbox save point. Continue through the next set of doors and enter the isolated room.

 

Number 6

A cutscene will be triggered. Emil will suddenly remember the significance of this lab and how he received his powers. Complete the cutscene and speak to Emil again. He will initiate another cutscene and then a boss fight sequence will begin when Number 6 takes Emil

Boss Fight

• Number 6 is able to spew out and a stream of magic orbs along with one large one, jump up, and climb on walls, and conduct charge attacks
• Use melee attacks while she is on the ground and magic attacks for when she is on the walls and out of range.
• Shooting her down off the walls with a magic attack will cause her to fall and create a shockwave.
• Be aware of the radial orbs that she shoots out as the magic projectile waves curl back inwards
• Slash the magic orbs to replenish magic and finish her off by breaking the Attack Gauge.

The boss fight will end in another cutscene and Emil would have undergone a beastial transformation that causes him to look more like his sister, but also provides him with her powers. Approach him to initiate another cutscene.

 This will bring them back directly to the Village Library as they attempt to reverse the petrification of Kainé. This unseals the Library basement doors and unleashes the Jack of Hearts again, initiating another boss fight.

 

Jack of Hearts

Fighting the Shade will be much easier this time. Attack Gauges will appear and you just need to clear them all. Melee attacks deal a lot of damage this time. Finish him off to trigger the next cutscene. 

 

Lost Shrine

Main Story Objectives

• Investigate the whereabouts of the Shadowlord's lair at the Lost Shrine
• Defeat Gretel

 

Key Items

• Mysterious Stone Fragment

 

Items

• Beastlord

 

Achievements

• King of the Lost Shrine - Defeat a certain boss within two and a half minutes.
• A True Friend - Defeat a berserking Shade within one minute.

 

Lost Shrine

Village

Unfortunately, Popola informs them that on behalf of the villagers, Emil and Kainé are not welcome to stay because they are afraid. This leads to a text section of NieR's thoughts during his restless sleep. He wakes up the next day wanting to speak to Devola and Popola again.

Speak to Devola and Popola. Devola will be singing at the main fountain. Popola will be at her study. Speak to her and she will tell NieR about her discovery of the Shadowlord's lair at the Lost Shrine. She will also tell you about the availability of fast-travel boats.

• Fast-travel will now be available.

Take the path above the entrance to the shopping district to the boat landing. Tell the guard manning the boats that you want to go to the Lost Shrine Rear Path. 

 

 Lost Shrine

Continue down the path and then climb all the ladders towards the Lost Shrine. Head all the way up to the rooftop where you first encountered Grimoire Weiss. If you like, clear the Shades along the way, but they won't affect your path. Keep entering the large doors through the arches and remember that when solving these push and pull block puzzles, you can still jump over the blocks. 

Towards the higher levels, the Shades that ambush you in rooms must be cleared to open the next set of doors. A large Shade miniboss will also appear near the center stairwell. 

 Go through the same route to Grimoire Weiss's chamber. There will be a crate just before the large doors where you can find the two-handed sword, Beastlord. Save at the mailbox save point then head into through the large doors to initiate the next boss fight Sequence

 

Gretel

At this time the sunlight will be shining through the room, and the Shades do not survive direct contact. Lure the Shades into the sunlight and fight off Gretel. She will still maintain the same attacks from the first encounter except she will no longer have a defense barrier. Avoid her projectile fire orbs and continue to do a combination of melee and magic attacks until her HP bar is depleted and the Attack Gauge finishes the fight. This will initiate a cutscene. Be prepared for another boss fight against Kainé's Shade.

 

Kainé's Shade

• Kainé's Shade form leaps quickly with agility. She has the ability to project magic orbs as she climbs walls. She also has a quick melee attack
• NieR will mainly have to use his magic attacks to strike her down. Magic attacks will also keep her from attacking. 
• When she is struck from the walls, she is stunned for a few seconds and opens the opportunity to attack
• Before the HP bar is fully depleted the Boss sequence will end with an Attack Gauge. 

Kainé will return to her regular self and a door at the altar will open up. You can examine the object in front of the seal.  It will be a mysterious stone fragment. Obtaining the mysterious stone fragment will take you back to Popola. 

 

She will say that this could be the key to unlocking the Shadowlord's castle. NieR will need to obtain four more keys, and Popola will suggest two different locations for two keys: 

• Junk Heap - Law of Robotics
• Forest of Myth - Memory Tree

You will be able to select the next destination. This will also be an opportune time to activate more Act II Quests. There will be no main reason to visit Seafront, so those quests can be activated at any time. 

 

 

Junk Heap

 B2

Main Story Objectives

• Upgrade the Iron Will

 

Key Items

• Memory Alloy

 

Junk Heap

Speak to Gideon twice. He will give you a new weapon as well as the B2 passcode in order to retrieve the memory alloy to upgrade your new weapon, Iron Will. 

Head into the Junk Heap and take the first elevator down to B2. 

Destroy the first turret in your way. Then clear the robots and the turrets in the next rooms. Eventually, a bomb will be provided to clear the next door. 

You can also choose to go ahead and take the mine cart across. The next rooms will still lead to the giant miniboss P-32 type robots that will drop what you need. Clear the rest of the robots in the rooms. Continue until you reach a dead end with a mailbox and a blocked-off door. Drop down the hole and it will eventually lead to the elevator. Take the elevator and return to the surface to give Gideon the Memory Alloy. 

He will tell you that it will take a while and that he will send you a letter once the weapon is ready. Return when you receive the letter. 

Return the village and speak to Popola at any time and she will mention that you have a new letter. The King of Facade invites you to his wedding. You will still have the option to head to Facade or the Forest of Myth first. 

 

Facade

Main Story Objectives

• Attend the King of Facade's Wedding
• Defeat Roc and the Wolves
• Obtain the Loyal Cerberus Key

 

Items

• Ancient Overlord

 

Side Quests

• Life in the Sands
• The King's Mask
• A Shade Entombed
• A City Reborn
• Disturbing the Sleep of Kings
• Nightmare and Dust

 

Achievements

• Protector of Facade - Defeat a certain boss within three and a half minutes.

King of Facade's Wedding 

Head to Facade after you have received the wedding invitation from the King of Facade in the mail. 

Once you are at Facade, head straight to the King's Manor. This will be the first time NieR and company will be invited into the Manor. The King will greet you and introduce you to his bride who turns out to be Fyra. 

Speak to Emil and Kainé who will be in the different rooms of the Manor. Leave through the archway after speaking to Emil. Speak to the King and it will bring you to the day of the wedding. Interact with the Advisor for a cutscene. 

Unfortunately, the wedding is disrupted by the pack of wolves. 

 

Boss Fight

A brief boss fight will be triggered. Clear the wolves then target the last large black wolf. This wolf is also a Shade so he is able to deal some magic attacks. Continue fighting the wolves until a cutscene begins. 

The King of Facade will want to seek revenge. You will still have the option to choose where to go next

• Head for the Forest of Myth. 
• Check to see if a letter's arrived from the younger brother
• Go meet with the King of Facade

If continuing to the King of Facade- proceed to the Loyal Cerberus section below

 

Loyal Cerberus

Enter the King's Manor proceed through the archway to meet the King. Go through the series of dialogues and cutscenes and it will cut to the wolves' den. 

 

Boss Fight (Roc and the Wolves' Den)

 

• Roc, the Shade wolf will be surrounded by his pack of wolves. It'll be easier to clear them out first so that the battle with Roc can be focused on
• The wolves can be cleared with 1-2 melee attack hits each
• Roc himself can jump to the center platform and deal a charge attack, he is very quick so it's easy to miss a Dark Lance magic attack
• Hit him with a combination of Dark Blast and melee attacks until the final Attack Gauge pops up and the King finishes him off.

 A cutscene will end the boss fight sequence NieR will obtain the Loyal Cerberus Key

 

There will a short dialogue sequence dedicated to Fyra then NieR can choose his next destination

• Head for the Forest of Myth
• Check to see if a letter's arrived from the younger brother

 

Junk Heap

B2


1F

Main Story Objectives

• Retrieve the newly restored Iron Will
• Avenge Jakob's death for Gideon
• Obtain the Law of Robotics Key

 

Items

• Iron Will

 

Side Quests

• The Shade Army

 

Achievements

• Boss of the Junk Heap - Defeat a certain boss within four and a half minutes.

Law of Robotics 

Two Brothers Weaponry 

Return to the Two Brothers Weaponry after the first visit in Act II, and you receive the letter that says your weapon is ready. Speak to Gideon and he will hand you the newly restored Iron Will. He will then ask you for a favor. He wants to avenge his brother by killing a robot and Shade pair in the Junk Heap.

Junk Heap

Take the elevator down to B2 again. Clear the first room of robots and turrets again. Proceed forward, ignore the other doors and take the mine cart across. After the mine cart track, take the door on the right. Eventually, you will reach another giant P-32 robot. Clear the robot first and then proceed forward. Turn right and exit towards the northwest direction from the map. 

Turn right and head up the spiral staircase. You can ignore the flying robots if you like, as you won't be able to collect their loot if they fall down. Take the elevator to 1F and you will end up in the same area with the whole and the save point mailbox.  Jump down the hole to initiate the boss sequence. 

 

P-33 & Kalil 

P-33 & Kalil are the robot Shade pair in the Junk Heap. You will find Kalil sitting atop P-33's head throughout their battle. Defeat them to receive the Law of Robotics Key. 

• P-33 has a stomp attack that sends out shockwaves of electricity. These shockwaves can be double-jumped over 
  halfway through the battle, he transforms with wings and gains the ability to fly
• During the second part of the sequence, be mindful of the debris that will also fall from the ceiling
• With his wings, he is able to perform dive attacks and shoot magic orbs, but he will still be a fairly easy target with Dark Lance magic
• Defeating the robot in this state will throw the Shade off his head. Finish off the Shade and then an Attack Gauge will appear. This will end the sequence

Gideon will begin a short dialogue. Speak to him and this will bring NieR back to the Two Brothers Weaponry entrance. Gideon will have one available Side Quest. 

• The Shade Army
   

Forest of Myth

Main Story Objectives

• Investigate the Forest of Myth
• Obtain the Memory Tree Key

Memory Tree

Forest of Myth

Speak to the Mayor in the Forest of Myth. NieR will ask if he feels anything unusual and he will mention the Divine Tree - The Legendary tree that exists in the heart of the Village. 

Examine the large tree.

•  If you find some berries, this would be the next step to one of the Village Side Quests, A Child's Final Chance.

 

Examining the tree will initiate another text-based sequence. Complete the text. Answer the questions based on the Questions. It will give you three options, but the answers will be different every time so you cannot skip through the story.

• "What was the color of lost envy?"
  • The color of the girl's eyes from the first memory.
• "I implore you: How many were lost by the warrior who fought the red-eyed beasts?"
  • Her daughter, and the number of friends, from the second memory story.

You can pick either option for the third question as they will all be a variant of "Yonah." Get the answers wrong and you will have to restart the text sequence again. 

Complete the text sequence to obtain the Memory Tree Key. 

Return to the Village and speak to Popola  

The Aerie 

Main Story Objectives

• Speak to the Village Chief of the Aerie and ask him about the letter
• Obtain the Sacrifice Key

 

Achievements

• Scourge of The Aerie - Defeat a certain boss within eight and a half minutes.
• Key Collector - You unlocked the key to the Shadowlord's castle.  

Sacrifice

Speak to Popola after collecting the other four Key Fragments. She will reveal a new letter from the Village Chief of The Aerie. The next destination would be to head to The Aerie. 

If you haven't already, now would be a good point to start finishing up all the Act II Quests

 

The Aerie

Once at The Aerie, head straight to the Village Chief's hut. Cross to the other side and climb up the ladder on the right, cross back over on the upper-level suspension bridge and climb another ladder to the right. Interact with his hut. He will prove to be of no use again. 

They will suggest investigating and asking other villagers, but interacting with any of their huts will only initiate a brief unwelcoming statement from them, as before. Cross back over the long footbridges. Head to the second large suspended platform where the Merchants are. Purchase anything from the merchants first. Speaking to the guard will trigger the next sequence. 

It turns out the guard is a Shade, and the town will once again be ambushed by Shades. Clear the Shades and a Boss fight sequence will ensue. It will eventually lead you back to the first platform and then there will be another cutscene, and then a boss fight sequence will begin. 

Wendy

• Wendy sends out magic orbs from the center of her eye, but it also acts as a weak point.
• Though she is suspended above the ground, she actually comes within range to be able to perform melee attacks on her eyes.
• When she is out of range, use Dark Lance to arm directly at the eye. Shooting magic at her tentacles will make no effect.
• Her tentacles will also bring down hordes of Shades so be prepared to clear them. Defeating them will have no effect on Wendy.
• About halfway down her HP, she will bring out an attack gauge, which will be the main priority. This will be not within melee range, so make sure the MP meter is not empty. Missing the Attack Gauge will restore a significant amount of health
• Eventually, Emil and the next part of her sequence will begin. She will spin and shoot lasers from her eye. Emil will hold her off so NieR can reposition himself
• Get to the bridge directly behind her, where her eye is still projecting magic orbs. Continue to use Dark Lance on her eye until she repositions.
• Follow her to her next location and continue focusing on her eye until the HP bar is depleted. Emil will finish her off

 

Emil loses control of his weapon abilities and makes the final devastating blow that affects the whole village. He is guilt-ridden, but NieR reassures him that he did the right thing. The sequence ends with the Final Key Fragment,  the Sacrifice Key now in NeR's possession. 

Shadowlord's Castle 

 

Main Story Objectives

• Locate the Shadowlord and rescue Yonah

 

Items

• Shadowlord's Castle Map
• Phoenix Sword
• Dragoon Lance

 

Achievements

• Permission Granted - Defeat the betrayers within two and a half minutes. (Devola & Popola)
• A Dirge for the Hero - Defeat a certain boss within two minutes. (Shade Wild Boar)
• Soul Crusher - Defeat the betrayers again within three and a half minutes. (Devola & Popola)
• Book Burner - Defeat the world-saving tome in one and a half minutes (Grimoire Noir)
• The Once and Final King - Defeat the Shade inside you within three and a half minutes. (Shadowlord)
• The Strongest Bond - Defeat someone you care for within three and a half minutes. (Kainé's Shade)
• A World in Flux -  You defeated the Shadowlord.
• Call Her Back -  You viewed the first ending (Ending A).
• Lingering Memories - You viewed the second ending (Ending B).
• Thank You - You viewed the third ending (Ending C).
• Something Very Special - You viewed the fourth ending (Ending D).
• Lightspeed Fighter - You completed the game within fifteen hours.
• The Final Verse - Congratulations! Thanks for playing!

Shadowlord's Castle

Lost Shrine

All the Key Fragments have been collected, Act II Side Quests should be done, so finally, speak to Popola then head to the Lost Shrine. Go all the way up to the rooftop once more where the book chamber was. 

Interact with the portal at the alter to open the path. You're now entering the Shadowlord's Castle

 

Atrium 

The path will lead to a large lass atrium structure. The Phoenix Sword can be obtained in the crate to the left of the next door.  The next step is to interact with the birds at the birdbath and answer their riddle. Skipping the interaction with the birds will cause NieR to enter a loop, and the door will only lead to the entrance 

The birds will ask: 

• "To whom does the true voice speak?
  To whom does the true form show itself?
  I ask: Why did humans disappear from the world? 
  • Because their lives are short
  • Because of the Black Scrawl Disease

Answer: Because of the Black Scrawl Disease

 

• Bird: "How can humans extend their lives?" 
  • By acquiring leaves of the sacred tree
  • By separating the body from soul 

Answer: By separating the body from soul 

 

• What is the destination of souls? 
  • They are placed in their corresponding shells
  • They are in the promised land bursting with light

Answer: They are placed in their corresponding shells. 

The Birds will say " Very well ... You are acknowledged as master. You may enter"

You will then be allowed to proceed through the next set of doors. 

 

Devola and Popola

Boss Fight

In the next room, he will be met with Devola & Popola from the Village and they will try to convince NieR to turn back around and this will trigger the next boss fight sequence against the twins. 

In the middle of the sequence, a cutscene will interrupt as they use their powers to copy Grimoire Weiss's Sealed Verses so they are able to use them as well. 

• Devola and Popola will absorb the abilities of Grimoire Weiss, so they will have the same magic abilities as NieR
• They will expel magic orbs and can teleport around the area.
• Slash any projecting magic they project
• They should undergo a lot of pauses enough to be able to land a chain of melee hits.
• Watch for the glowing circle on the floor to see where they will appear next, and position NieR to be ready to deal his melee attacks when they appear.
• Continue landing hits until the HP bar is depleted

 When their HP bar is depleted, they will provide NieR a map of the Castle and step aside, allowing him to pass.

 

Ballroom

The next room a ballroom full of ghostly figures doing the waltz, that turns out to be Shades. Clear the room and Kainé will manage to break through the next door only to get swamped with more Shades in the form of balls that will morphe together to create a giant Shade Wild Boar. 

 

Shade Wild Boar

The Shade Wild Boar is a morphed combination of all the little Shade. The amount of Shades it is made out of gives him the ability to regenerate multiple times.

• The Shade Wild boar is a combination of charge attacks and excretion of poison, but Antidotal Weed will not reverse the effects from the wild boar
• When she misses a charge attack, she usually hits a wall and is stunned for a period of time giving NieR an opening to approach and deliver some melee Attacks.
• From a distance, Dark Lance would be the best choice to aim.

Clearing the Wild Boar Shade once will replenish his HP and he will be fully rejuvenated with a set of armor.  This time it will be able to excrete a green fog and poison NieR. Defeating it again will replenish his health the last time with its broken armor, but NieR will be able to exit to the next area. 

 

Tower Staircase

The next door will lead to a spiral staircase up. The Dragoon Lance Weapon can be found in a crate to the right, just before entering the stairs area. 

Begin climbing the stairs. Have a spear equipped to clear any debris in the way and keep to the inner railing.  The Wild Boar Shade won't be far behind. race to the top and enter the room and the Boar will continue right behind. 

 

Boss Fight

This room is a continuation of the battle with the Wild Boar Shade. Continue with the same fighting methods, and halfway through its HP bar, Spears will come out of nowhere and pierce the Shade. The King of Facade and his Masked Soldiers arrive to help out.

The Masked Soldiers aid NieR against the Shade Boar and assist in unsealing the next door. Once the door is open, the Men of the Mask force NieR and his friends through the next corridor and seal themselves along with their fates with the Shade Boar, allowing NieR to progress towards the Shadowlord and leaving them to fight to their deaths. 

The corridor will lead to a series of corridors and crates with recovery items so that NieR can replenish his health. Beyond the last doors, the twins will be there to greet NieR again. 

 

Devola and Popola

Boss fight

Devola & Popola finally provide an explanation of what their purpose is and who they are and initiate another boss fight action sequence. Fight them in the same manner as when they were first encountered.  When they are defeated, Devola will be the first to go and Popola will continue to fight. Emil uses his powers one last time to push NieR forward and sacrifices himself in the process. 

 

 

Shadowlord & Grimoire Noir

Boss Fight

NieR will have to go through another few sets of corridors before entering the final room where he finally sees Yonah and the Shadowlord. He will enter another Boss fight sequence against Grimoire Noir, and then the Shadowlord. Fight Grimoire Noir the same way Grimoire Rumbrum was defeated. Use magic for ranged attacks when too far, and try to get close enough for melee attacks, because they are just as effective. Deplete the HP bar enough until the attack gauge circle appears, then break it. 

 

Shadowlord

Boss Fight

The battle with the Shadowlord will follow after Grimoire Noir is defeated. 

• Chain attacks so that the Shadowlord does not have an opportunity to strike back. Hop back when he leaps into the air, as he will land with an attack.
• For this section, focus on trying to avoid the Shadowlords magic attacks while trying to get close for melee attacks. Take advantage of the recovery items, and finish off any attack gauges that appear. 
• The Shadowlord has a series of defense mechanics so the most difficult part of the fight is to be able to approach him to attack .He will have most of the same abilities magic as Nier as well. 
• He has wings, so he is also able to fly and move at a quick speed, but during this fight, the camera will remain focused on the Shadowlord so you won't lose sight of him
• Use Dark Lance at a distance while trying to get in range to land a chain of melee attacks 

The fight is interrupted with Yonah awakening from her rest and disrupt their fight, calling the Shadowlord her dad. The Shade possessing her volunteers to leave, and they continue to fight. Mid-fight, Grimoire Weiss will become too weak to continue producing magic so NieR will have to continue without the help of the Sealed Verses.

• NieR will have no choice but to block and evade the magic from the Shadowlord to come close enough to perform his melee attacks
• Continue dealing melee attacks until his HP bar has depleted.

The section will conclude with Grimoire Weiss advising NieR to call Yonah back to him and she will ask who she loves most.

The answer to the question will be his selected name. 

The story concludes with a final cutscene and gives you Ending A after the first playthrough. The subsequent playthroughs will produce different Endings. 

 

Ending C & D

Ending D is the continuation of Endings A & B after Kainé leaves. Ending C and D both require the Weapons Collector Achievement where every weapon in the game must be attained before this ending is unlocked. Kainé's Shade begins to relapse and initiates another separate Boss fight sequence. 

• Shade Kainé will have a string of energy with two anchor points that each propel waves of magic orbs. These must be blocked if evading is not plausible
• NieR will no longer have the help of Grimoire Weiss and his Sealed Verses during this combat, but she will be fairly easy to land chain melee attacks on.
• Kainé will only perform a series of melee attacks herself, and often is stunned by NieR's repeated attacks.

Deplete her HP bar to be given the option to choose Ending C or D.