I didn’t have very long with Nier Reincarnation’s beta, perhaps just a couple of hours here and there until I reached chapter three during its very brief beta period. It combines two of my biggest loves, mobile games and anything Yoko Taro had a hand in. To be quite honest, I still have no idea quite what’s going on yet, and I suppose I shouldn’t this early into the game’s life, but what I do know is that I love Mama, Reincarnation’s darling little ghost-like creature. God knows what secrets she’s actually hiding, being a Taro creation and all, but I’m smitten. Her constant mothering of the game’s little girl fills the hole in my heart left by gaming’s 10 million father figures.
It’s weird, I don’t know if I’m just starved for a mother figure or two in games, or if Mama is just that good, but it’s probably a combination of the two. Finding the stern, guiding hand of a beloved gaming pops isn’t a difficult task, but I struggle to count my favorite moms in these stories who weren’t dead or dying. Mama isn’t your conventional mother, and that’s okay, it’s just her name, anyway. I reckon Taro will have some big reveal at some point to explain why she’s picked Mama as her alias, but until then, I find it fitting.
Related: Nier Replicant's Kaine Is Yoko Taro's Best Work
In my adventures with the beta, Mama was my guardian. Her gentle voice cooed soft comforts to the tiny girl I controlled, warning her of dangers and explaining confusing new obstacles along the way. Reincarnation’s setting is quite intimidating, too, somehow made more daunting by the fact you’re controlling the frail silhouette of a child. If you’re familiar with Nier, then you understand that Taro often crafts harsh, unforgiving worlds—perhaps best demonstrated by the tragic Emil—and these are stories unafraid of condemning the most vulnerable to cruel fates. Mama almost reminds me of Kaine’s softest moments, the moments when she’s obviously distressed over Emil’s pain.
It’s that maternal comfort, the concerned chastising, and soft guidance that immediately warmed me to Mama. As I navigated The Cage, Reincartion’s towering enigma, the guardian ghost would stop to explain points of curiosity. She taught me about the game’s crows and how they would reward me for investigating and delivered a gentle scolding when I began to mess with the menu earlier than she would have liked. There’s a warmth and doting tone in Mama’s English performance that makes The Cage somehow less intimidating, a little less afraid of what dangers may Reincarnation’s Girl of Light.
Nier Reincarnation’s battles were interesting enough, but those weren’t the bits that resonated. When you finish up some of Reincarnation’s bizarre side stories, Mama again explains in her gentle tone, that this will all make sense in time. I still don’t have even the slightest idea of what she’s talking about, but Mama remains comforting.
Introducing Mama.
Preregister for NieR Re[in]carnation.https://t.co/5Smqiz1ARg#NieR #NieRReincarnation #NieRReinEN pic.twitter.com/RgKb5E7V8D— NieR Re［in］carnation EN (@NieRReinEN) May 13, 2021
Perhaps that’s the point; ultimately, I figure this new addition to the Nier universe will find some way to rip my heart out and laugh at my sorrows—Replicant was quite good at that. But for now, it’s Mama’s performance as your little maternal ghosty partner that has me the most intrigued. So here’s to you, Mama, please don’t secretly turn into a Shade, or something more tragic.
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