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NieR: Automata features unforgiving rogue-like elements. Death can result in significant setbacks, particularly in the late game, as it leads to the permanent loss of valuable items and upgrades unless you act quickly. However, there's a window of opportunity to mitigate these losses. This guide explains what happens upon death and how to recover your lost equipment and experience.
Death Penalty in NieR: Automata
Dying in NieR: Automata results in the loss of all experience points (XP) earned since your last save, and more critically, all currently equipped Plug-In Chips. While you can always acquire more chips, some are rare and require significant investment. Respawning leaves your equipped chip slots empty, necessitating re-equipping or selecting a preset.
The lost Plug-In Chips aren't permanently lost. You have one chance to retrieve them. Failure to recover your body before another death results in the permanent loss of those chips.
Body Recovery in NieR: Automata
After death, your immediate priority is retrieving your body. A blue body icon appears on the map, indicating its location. Interacting with your body restores all your Plug-In Chips. You then face a crucial choice:
Repair: This option doesn't restore lost XP, but your former body becomes an AI companion until it's destroyed.
Retrieve: This option restores the lost XP earned since your last save.
Regardless of your choice, you can re-equip your recovered Plug-In Chips, overriding your current setup, or simply add them back to your inventory.
