NieR: Automata - All Playable Characters

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• All Playable Characters In NieR: Automata

• How To Switch Characters In NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata's narrative unfolds across three distinct playthroughs. The first two playthroughs share similarities, but the third playthrough unveils an expansive story that continues well beyond the initial credits. To fully experience the game, you'll want to complete all three main playthroughs, each offering multiple endings, some more detailed than others. Certain endings require playing as a specific character and performing particular actions. Here’s an overview of the three playable characters and how to switch between them.

All Playable Characters In NieR: Automata

The heart of NieR: Automata's story centers on three characters: 2B, 9S, and A2. 2B and 9S, as partners, feature prominently throughout the game, though the extent of their presence can vary based on your progression through each playthrough. Each character brings a unique combat style to the table, ensuring a fresh experience even with the same plug-in chips across playthroughs. All three characters—2B, 9S, and A2—are playable, but switching between them isn’t always straightforward.

How To Switch Characters In NieR: Automata

In your initial playthrough, you're locked into playing as a specific character at different stages:

• Playthrough 1 - 2B
• Playthrough 2 - 9S
• Playthrough 3 - 2B/9S/A2, with the game dictating when you switch between these characters.

Upon reaching one of the main endings, you unlock Chapter Select mode. This feature allows you to choose which of the game's 17 chapters to revisit and, crucially, which character to play as. The right side of the screen in these chapters indicates completed or incomplete side quests, and if a character has associated numbers, you can replay the chapter with them.

For the later chapters, especially in playthrough 3, you're limited to playing specific chapters with specific characters, and this cannot be changed. However, through Chapter Select, you can switch characters freely by choosing a chapter where that character was playable in the main storyline. Just remember to save your progress before switching chapters; all actions in Chapter Select mode will carry over, allowing you to level up the shared levels of all three characters as you aim for the maximum level.