@@TheDocbach Nah... Even if the Shadowlord didn't do his job, Noir and Weiss were the failsafe.... Thing is that Weiss didn't want to co-operate with Devola and Popola, so yes the protagonists ensured humanity's doom..
@@NickStrife Shadowlord's DNA was corrupted (could also be a sabotage, it is not said in straightforward way). Many humans relapsed before discovering Nier (every single one, it's just not clear how many gestalts were created). From the rest, around 70% relapsed despite Nier's maso provided. Add to that Gestalts that relapsed between year 2000 and 3000 + many gestalts killed, and the number seems to be very low. Even if they would use emergency merge, it could not be enough to ensure humanity's survival, especially because they would still need to kill remaining gestalts that relapsed, which is majority of gestalts. Plus, the project was rigged, because somebody decided to give Replicants their sentience, so most Replicants rejected their Gestalts, including Nier. Add to that the fact that Gestalt Nier didn't wait longer as he should and decided to try to save Yonah ASAP, it couldn't end well. Both of them cared about Yonah and were fooled into an unwinnable game, because Yonah couldn't be saved. Either Gestalt or Replicant one. And even if they would wait for other generations and Shadowlord wouldn't trigger his own death wish, then more gestalts would relapse over time, resulting in less human souls that can merge into true humans anyway. And probably having two personalities in one body is a great way to create more problems. So I would say that it was not protagonist that ensured humanity's doom, it was the one who sabotaged the project. Without sentience, Replicants wouldn't develop their own personalities and wouldn't reject Gestalts. Funny thing is that not all of them did, in side material it mentions that some replicants merged with their gestalts. Seems to be not enough for humanity's survival. So protagonists only did the final blow to the project that was sabotaged and had so many variables that believing it will succeed was being a fool. I guess there is a small chance that it would somehow succeed enough for humans to survive, but overall unfair game. If anyone would be to blame, other than scientists, it would be Devola and Popola, as it was their job to ensure the Project will succeed. It was also Grimoire Noir who used cryptic riddles instead of explaining what needs to be done. Overall, Nier should be the last to blame, he only did what he felt was right to save his sister. Imagine you're like 20 or 25 and someone tells you that you're not human and we need your body so those monsters you slayed for years could be saved. Damn, I didn't mean to write such a wall of text.
@@Fihfjxoiwhbbciosbf No, they didnt. Much like the Androids, replicants had no soul but a will. It was this free will that led to the central conflict in the story. Also replicants cant reproduce since they have no soul, its why humankind became extinct. The only reason their kind even existed has long as it did was because their bodies were re created thanks to the information of their gestalt counterpart. Since all gestalts went insane and died, it meant the replicants were living on borrowed time.
the Shadowlord song is fucking fantastic, first time I heard it I wanted it to keep going forever, and I still do. It portrays everything the Shadowlord means, the sadness and anger, but still a will to fight even if nothing looks right. I was actually sad the route both him and Nier took, humanity went to shit because of their love.
I just finished it today. This was one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had in a while. It's such a tragic, touching story. Now time for ending B, C and D!
Project Gestalt was flawed from the start, it isn't even essentially NieR or Shadowlord's fault, they both had their relapse. Shadowlord was the original Gestalt, however during his gestaltization there was an error which in turn came to affect all other Gestalts since Shadowlord was basically their 'father'. In truth, it's absurd to blame either of the characters. Both are as equal of a villain as they are heroes. Humanity was already set up for failure more than a millennium back.
Just finished the game tonight. When it fades out from Yonah and the Shadowlord, and the beautiful singing comes in with the credits... Man, the feels. I was immediately crying. Beautiful game. I am so excited for Nier 2.
However it's the opposite seeing as Nier and co. killing the Shadowlord, Noir, Popola and Devola has essentially ensured the end of all human life.... Nier's ignorance and selfishness, as well as Kaine' selfishness, is tragically horrific when the second playthrough reveals that they are, in a sense the "true villains" of this story. Let's also not forget the fact that they casually made little of the fact that they committed mass murder in the Aerie. All that makes this game a wild experience!
Even if it is a week defence, almost everyone in the Airie deserved it, all the other shit was just an awful case of misunderstandings and miscommunication.
blackmanwithcomputer not completely accurate ,the replicants became humans with a soul thus it's just normal that they fight the shades ,it's a fight 4 survival
I think the brother and sister dynamic works a bit better for comparisons to Emil's story with his sister. Same goes for Brother Nier having to grow up due to Yonah going missing, he had to give up his innocence in order to seek more violence (which fits better with Kaine and Emil both losing loved ones and suffering physically due to the trauma they've been exposed to)
He did understand the story of the Replicants. Its just that he does not care because he is his very own individual and wants to protect his own Yonah. The original Yonah was one of the only people in the game that respected the clones as valuable lifeforms which is why she sacrificed herself. Clone Nier was just like Original Nier: All he cared about was his Yonah.
@@Cetra29 Yes I know he understands the replicant story, but does he understand that the shadow lord is/was him or that Yonah was "possessed" by her original soul? That's what I'm asking. As far the dialogue goes, he doesn't seem to connect the dots, nor show empathy for his original soul doing the exact same thing he would do in his position.
@@Jungy_Mungerson Why would he not understand that? It just does not matter to him because and that is why I do not like phrasing like "is/was him", it technically is not him at all. He has his own instance to perceive reality, his own self-awareness, his own Freudian ego, making him his own entity (even while being connected to the original). Also the Shadowlord looks exactly like him and the reports that they got piece by piece at one point mention father/daughter/brother/sister. It is really just very easy. OG Nier did not give a flying crap that it was their new shells getting their own life and so the clone was no different (I personally rate OG Nier as even worse because Clone Nier only acted out of defense while OG Nier was all "who cares you were not supposed to live" - does not mean that OG Nier does not have an understandable position at all because he nevertheless wants to be there for his child/sibling. OG Nier was not sympathizing enough with Clone Nier and so Clone Nier would of course not be too different which is why he more or less even told him that he does not have sympathy for him - and we both know as they are both Niers, it is not even that simple. Clone Nier even hesitated to kill his origin for like 2 seconds before he dealt the death blow.
@@Cetra29 I think the battle would be even more hardhitting if OG Nier would just lie down for the rest of the battle once OG Yonah disappeared, too sad to fight back. The gameplay is mediocre at best anyway.
just finished the game today...couldn't stop crying, Jeez man it really a beautiful game, I'm so lucky I decided to pick it up from the store since its super rare to find at the stores *Brand New*
@Hate24 if you play again through playthrough B they put subtitles on the bosses so when you fight the shadowlord it will show what hes saying and trust me it is fucked up
Man, this game had one of the most Epic Tales i've experienced, the characters had very clear almost blunt roles but they played them SO WELL! The Voice-acting was fantastic! The Gameplay was Awesome! All the Side-Characters had meaning and a good story! and the Main-Story was Epic! Overall, this game is deservant of more Praise and more buyers. Thanks for Sharing, Lookin' Forward for the NG+ and Ending B.
You know its pretty cool the fate of the world isnt at stake for once. This is a nice ending for a great game. =) Wonder what the other endings are like...
lol I watched this with the samurai costume on. made the final flashback super weird xD (cuz in my mind, the samurai armor was something I got on my travels. then suddenly it appears in the past lol.)
the comments people wrote already express my gratitude. at first i thought this was a GOW clone, from different reviews but after watching this walkthrough, i'm like SCEW EM thank you
This game is funny at some parts ahah i remember one part we were against a book and Kainé was like : where were u guys?! Desya (me) ; We were getting our asses kicked by a floating dictionarry xD man i love this game
Is the shadowlord Caim from Drakengard? He resembles him, the sword, the dragon wings, his hair...except it wasnt parted in Drakengard. Teh only exceptions are that Caim didn't have a daughter...and his hair wasn't parted. Lol
Pretty much yes. He got injured badly enough and used up so much of his energy that he lost his ability to speak, lost his physical form, and eventually disappeared entirely.
Both, Nier and Shadowlord both wish to save her, yet with different means, Nier wants to save the world and save her, while Shadowlord wishes to get rid of all things to hurt her, both wanting to save her, yet the life would be Nier's own, and the world would be Shadowlord destroying it to save her from evil, yet becoming evil through his own efforts
ACTUALLY if the shadow lord dies the world ends . in this ending the worlds ends both NIER and yona are dead , because that world was created by shadowlord its a clone and the real world ended , u can see at the begining of the game , thats the shadowlord ur playing with
+kakishisfriend1126 Every time you hit the Shadowlord int he final phase instruments are removed from the battle music till all you're left with is a music box
