Game:

Nier: Automata (2017)

Duration: 36:43

70 views

2

This was such an emotionally powerful quest that I wanted people to also be able to experience it raw, without my distracting text on the screen.

I also had so much to say about the emotional impact that the story of the fight had on me that I hit the EXACT character limit, but there was more I wanted to say. In that video I was talking about the story and its emotional weight/impact, but here I wanna talk about the fight itself.

First off, I was aware that the "thing" that happens from getting all the weapons maxed has a joke ending involved, and after having done the quest, I'm pretty sure I know how to trigger it. Even though I did save the game after completing the quest, I didn't back it up online, so I do still have an older version of my save, in order for me to go back and get that ending (and cry again).

Also while their attacks hit really hard, you can do this at like Lv75. I didn't have any Max HP Up chips or Ranged Defense Up chips, and you can also use the M Shield Pod Program to nullify ranged damage, which you can have on all 3 pods and rotate. That and def-boosting/healing items.

I also like how everything in this game has been completely tech-based with rockets, EMP blasts, lasers, programs, etc.. But here, Pod 153 just flat out says "Magic from the old world". No machines, no technology. This is straight up MAGIC from the old world, from the first NieR, from DRAKENGARD.

Anyway, I think I know why the Hegel boss fight and this Emil Clones boss fight use the same music, with the only difference being that this one has the vocals and the Hegel fight is instrumental only.

I mean... what business does Hegel have using Emil's theme?

Well it also ties into both of their designs. I don't think that it was Yoko Taro or Platinum Games being lazy. The first Emil boss was unique, and neither are DLC. They were already programmed into the game. I think that there's a very good story-related reason why the Emil Clones seem to be a clone of Hegel.

Or rather, the other way around.

Remember, when the aliens first touched down to invade Earth, they were met with little opposition. For a while (like 12 years), Emil was fighting the aliens all by himself. When their numbers became too much for Emil to handle on his own, he began making copies of himself in retaliation. As a result, Emil began kicking the aliens' asses so hard that he forced them to retreat (likely underground) and resort to bolstering their forces as well.

That's right. Emil's the one who forced the aliens to begin manufacturing machines to fight with. They didn't arrive on Earth with an army of machines already. They were manufactured on Earth. The aliens had managed to capture a single Emil and used him as the basis for their machines' designs, which is why they all have round heads with their inner workings almost perfectly resembling Emil's face.

Well, since they're both encountered in the desert, I think it stands to reason that Hegel was a prototype the aliens made in an attempt to copy those specific Emil Clones in the desert. Hegel is like a lesser version of those Emil Clones, and flat-out calls himself a "test unit". The aliens couldn't perfect their recreation of the being they basically revered as a "god". They could only do their best, and Hegel is basically their one machine that came as close to an Emil recreation as possible. He's not as strong, but is basically the same.

One difference I noticed is that, the only time the Emil Clones are in the air is at the beginning of the fight. Hegel is the only one that will repeatedly link up and take to the air, which may be to make up for it having less defense/HP than the Emil Clones.

And keep in mind that this boss is not ALL of Emil's clones. Emil made at least one (if not SEVERAL) billion. And the little "flashback" we get at the end of Emil's Memories (and in the tribute at the end of this video) shows he has clones of many shapes. So these are just a small few of a specific type of Emil's clones that the aliens tried to mimic with Hegel. I wouldn't be surprised if some other machines were made to mimic other different Emil clones.

So while the bosses are almost identical, there is a story-based reason for it. Or at least, this reason makes sense to me, and it lines up with other info we're given. I don't think it's a coincidence that both bosses are found in the desert. So I'm 100% sure they made the bosses intentionally similar. The machines were already basically prototypes designed after Emil. Hegel is literally like a machine prototype of the Emil Clones boss.

Difference is, this boss is MUCH more emotionally-impacting. Since completing this quest, I've loaded up the game a few times (without doing much or even saving), and I haven't seen Emil's shop spawn once...

He really is gone :(

Other Statistics