You're running around the Desert Zone in NieR: Automata, squinting at the sand, and wondering why on earth you’re looking for old junk. Honestly, it’s one of those quests that feels like a chore until it doesn't. Heritage of the Past NieR is more than just a scavenger hunt; it’s a direct bridge to the 2010 original NieR and the wider Drakengard timeline. If you haven't talked to the Resistance Researcher standing near the entrance to the Desert, you're missing out on some of the best world-building Yoko Taro ever hid in a side mission.
It's tedious. You need the Scanner program. You have to listen for that annoying beep-beep-beep while avoiding those annoying small explosive flyers. But the payoff? It’s massive for lore nerds.
Starting the Hunt: The Resistance Researcher’s Request
Basically, you find this guy hanging out by the ruins leading into the desert. He’s obsessed with "human" history. Since 2B and 9S are basically programmed to be interested in anything involving their "gods" (the humans), you get roped into finding four specific relics.
You need the A170: Scanner Pod program. If you don't have it yet, go finish the main story missions in Flooded City. You literally cannot complete this quest without it. Once you have the scanner, you head back to the dunes. The quest area is huge. Like, frustratingly huge.
Most people just wander aimlessly. Don't do that. The relics are buried in specific spots, and while the scanner helps, knowing the general topography saves you about twenty minutes of circular running.
Finding the Relics: Aged Stats and Lore
The first three relics can be found in any order, but the fourth only shows up after you've turned the others in.
💡 You might also like: All Barn Locations Forza Horizon 5: What Most People Get Wrong
The Aged Stick is usually the first one people stumble upon. It’s tucked away near the center of the desert, north of the fast-travel point. When you find it, 9S gets all excited about it being a "weapon," which is a cheeky nod to the starting weapon in NieR Replicant.
Then there’s the Commandment Slab. This one is a bit further west. It represents the rules of Facade, that weird masked city from the first game where everyone had to follow thousands of laws. It’s a bittersweet find. For players who remember the King of Facade, seeing a piece of his culture reduced to "heritage of the past" in a sandy wasteland hits hard.
The Filthy Mask is located toward the pit area where you first fought Adam. It’s another Facade reference. It’s dirty, broken, and completely useless to a machine or an android, yet the researcher treats it like gold.
- Aged Stick: Located near the center-north.
- Commandment Slab: Search the western ridges.
- Filthy Mask: Near the entrance to the housing complex/pit area.
- Statue of a Girl: The final piece, located near the desert oasis.
The Statue of a Girl is the kicker. You can't find it until you give the first three to the researcher. It’s way out by the Oasis. Finding it triggers a bit of dialogue that recontextualizes the entire history of the desert. It’s a statue of Yonah. Or at least, it’s a statue of a girl who looks exactly like her.
Why This Quest Breaks Your Heart
Yoko Taro doesn’t do "fetch quests" just for the sake of gameplay hours. He uses them to twist the knife. By the time you’re doing Heritage of the Past NieR, you’ve probably realized that the world is a graveyard. But these items specifically highlight the death of culture, not just people.
📖 Related: When Was Monopoly Invented: The Truth About Lizzie Magie and the Parker Brothers
The researcher is trying to piece together a puzzle where half the pieces are melted. He gets things wrong. He interprets these items through an android's lens, which is inherently flawed. It makes you realize that even if the androids win the war, the humanity they worship is already gone. They are chasing ghosts.
The rewards are decent—you get the Spear of the Usurper. It’s a solid weapon with a unique "turn enemies to your side" ability on crit. But the real reward is the Archive entries. Read them. They fill in the gaps between the collapse of the Project Gestalt and the arrival of the Aliens.
Dealing With the Ambush
When you go for that final relic, the Statue of a Girl, it’s not a peaceful walk. A group of high-level machines will jump you. If you’re under-leveled (below level 35 or 40), this can actually be a tough fight because the desert sand makes dodging a bit more sluggish than the paved streets of the City Ruins.
Use your Pod’s shockwave or gravity programs. Keep them grouped up. The enemies here are aggressive, almost as if they’re guarding the last remnants of a world they helped destroy. There’s a poetic irony there that 9S usually comments on if you’re playing as him during this segment.
The Reality of the "Relics"
Let’s be real: most players hate the scanner. It’s clunky. You have to hold the button, walk slow, and listen to the pitch change. It’s the antithesis of NieR’s high-speed combat.
👉 See also: Blox Fruit Current Stock: What Most People Get Wrong
But that’s the point.
Archaeology is slow. Understanding the heritage of the past NieR requires you to slow down. You can’t dash through history. You have to stand in the wind and wait for the signal. It’s a mechanical way of forcing the player to respect the ruins they’re standing on.
Actionable Insights for Relic Hunters
If you're stuck or just want to get this over with, follow these steps to maximize efficiency:
- Upgrade your Pod: A higher-level pod makes the scanner radius slightly more forgiving, or at least makes the inevitable combat encounters end faster.
- Fast Travel is Your Friend: Don't run from the Resistance Camp every time. Use the Desert: Center vending machine as your hub.
- Check Your Archives: If the researcher isn't taking your items, you might have missed a dialogue trigger. Make sure you’ve actually "inspected" the items in your inventory.
- Equip Movement Chips: Since you’ll be doing a lot of walking with the scanner active, Movement Speed Up chips are a godsend. They don't affect the slow-walk speed of the scanner itself, but they help you zip between search zones.
- Don't Ignore the Small Gear: While searching, you'll find plenty of "Natural Rubber" and "Stripped Screws." Pick them up. You'll need them for weapon upgrades later, and the desert is one of the best places to farm these low-level materials.
The quest ends with the researcher basically admitting that he'll never truly understand humans. He has the objects, but he lacks the soul. It's a perfect microcosm of the entire game. You have the heritage, but the past is a foreign country.
Once you turn in the final statue, you're rewarded with the Spear and a hefty chunk of EXP. Take that Spear to Masamune in the Forest Castle. Upgrade it. It’s one of the few weapons that feels "weighty" enough to handle the end-game bosses.