You're wandering through the scorching sands of the Desert Zone, dodging those annoying explosive small flyers, and you run into an Resistance researcher who seems way too obsessed with old junk. That's basically how the NieR Automata Heritage of the Past quest kicks off. It's one of those side missions that feels like a chore at first—a glorified scavenger hunt in a sandbox full of angry machines—but actually ends up being a massive piece of world-building lore. Honestly, if you're just playing for the combat, you might skip it. That would be a mistake.
Most players get stuck because the game doesn't give you a map marker for the items. You’re just told to go find "heritage." Thanks, Square Enix. Very helpful. But this quest is actually the bridge between the original NieR Replicant and the world of Automata. It’s a love letter to fans who remember the world before the aliens arrived.
How to Actually Start the Quest
You need to be in Chapter 08-01 or later. You’ll find the Resistance Researcher standing near the entrance of the Desert Zone, close to the vending machine save point. He’s looking for four specific artifacts. He gives you a scanner. Well, technically, you should already have the A170: Scanner pod program from the main quest line involving the search for 9S. If you don't have the scanner equipped, you are literally blind out there.
The quest is tedious. You walk. You beep. You dig. But the rewards? They include the Spear of the Usurper, which is a top-tier weapon once you level it up.
Finding the Four Artifacts
Locating the items for NieR Automata Heritage of the Past is a test of patience. The first one, the Aged Badge, is usually the easiest. It’s tucked away near the Desert: Center save point. You’ll see a few collapsed ruins; scan the ground near the northern edge of the search zone.
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Next up is the Girl’s Doll. This one is a gut punch if you know the lore of the first game. It’s located deep in the desert, towards the area where you fought the massive multi-leg machine boss. You have to head toward the far west. The scanner will start chirping like crazy near some debris. Finding it feels rewarding until you realize you’re just holding a dead child's toy from thousands of years ago.
The third item is the Ancient Pipe. Head toward the Desert: Housing Complex but stay in the open dunes. Look for a large rock formation that looks a bit like a natural bridge. It’s buried underneath.
The final item—the Mysterious Lithograph—is the one that usually breaks people. It’s far to the north, almost at the edge of the map where the sandstorms start to get thick. Once you bring all three back to the researcher, he asks for this final piece.
Why the Spear of the Usurper Matters
If you're wondering if the trek is worth it, look at the Spear of the Usurper. It's not just a stat stick. At Level 4, it gains the "Turncoat" ability. This has a chance to brainwash enemies when you hit them. Watching a massive Goliath suddenly start punching its friends because you poked it with an old stick is genuinely one of the highlights of the NieR gameplay loop.
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Plus, the lore attached to the spear connects directly to the King of Facade. For anyone who spent hours crying over the ending of NieR Replicant, seeing these items again in Automata is a weirdly emotional experience. It reminds you that while 2B and 9S are fighting a "new" war, the bones of the old world are still right under their boots.
The Philosophical Gut Punch
Yoko Taro never makes a quest just for the sake of gameplay. The researcher in NieR Automata Heritage of the Past eventually reveals his true motivation. He isn't just a history buff. He’s trying to find a reason for the Resistance to keep fighting. By finding these "useless" items, you’re providing proof that a culture existed before the machines.
It’s a bit meta, isn't it? We, as players, are digging through digital sand to find references to a game we played years ago. The characters are doing the same thing to find a reason to exist.
Quick Tips for the Desert Scavenger
- Keep your Pod close: The scanner's beep frequency increases as you get closer. If the red light on the pod is flashing rapidly, stop moving and hold the button.
- Clear the mobs first: There’s nothing worse than being 90% through a scan and getting hit by a desert dweller.
- Check the map borders: Most of these items are not in the center of the desert. They are tucked against the invisible walls and rock formations.
Common Misconceptions
People think this quest is required for the "true" ending. It’s not. You can get Ending E without ever touching a grain of sand. However, you do need it for 100% weapon completion. If you want to fight the secret "Emperor" boss or see the final secret shop, you’re going to need that spear.
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Another mistake? Thinking you can find the items without the quest being active. The items simply won't spawn. You have to talk to the researcher, get the prompt, and then start your desert trek.
Tactical Next Steps
To finish this quest efficiently and get the most out of your gear, follow these specific steps:
- Upgrade your Pod: Before heading out, make sure your Pod is at least Level 2. It makes the scanner range slightly more forgiving, although the impact is mostly psychological.
- Equip Movement Speed Chips: The Desert Zone is huge. Stack some +Movement Speed chips (aim for at least 10% or 20%) to cut down on the travel time between the artifacts.
- Focus on the Spear: Once you receive the Spear of the Usurper as a reward for the first three items, immediately take it to Masamune in the Forest Castle. He is the only one who can upgrade it to Level 4.
- Read the Item Descriptions: Don’t just hand the items over. Open your inventory and read the lore snippets for the Aged Badge and the Girl's Doll. They provide the context that makes the final dialogue with the researcher actually hit home.
- Save the Lithograph for Last: Do not wander off looking for the fourth item until the researcher explicitly asks for it after you've turned in the first three.
Getting the NieR Automata Heritage of the Past quest out of the way early in Route A or B will save you a lot of backtracking later in the game when the world state starts to change. It's a quiet, contemplative mission in a game usually defined by high-octane violence. Enjoy the silence of the desert while it lasts.