Nier Re[in]carnation Comes Stateside July 28

Now that the Japanese have had a couple of months to stew in Yoko Taro’s first mobile journey into the Nier universe, it’s time for North America, Europe, and Korea to have a go. Free-to-play role-playing game Nier Re[in]carnation launches in those territories on July 28 for iOS and Android devices.

Launched in Japan in February of this year, Nier Re[in]carnation tells the story of the Girl of Light, a young woman who awakens in a strange world known as The Cage. Guided along by a creature that refers to itself as Mama, which isn’t super-creepy at all, the Girl must navigate this mysterious place, recover her memories, and atone for her sins. In case that wasn’t a vague enough description for you, here’s the game’s opening cinematic, which doesn’t explain much more.

What it does show is some of the other characters the Girl will encounter on her journey, including the white-haired Prosthetic Hunter, who is on the lookout for replacement limbs, or the white-haired Wanderer, who’s a young boy who travels with a mechanical clockwork soldier. It’s a Nier game, so expect plenty of white-haired characters, along with the occasional dark-haired figure to try and balance things out. The game features a gacha-style mechanic for recruiting new characters to your party, so there will be plenty of bizarre Yoko Taro creations to glom onto.

You’ll also be able to collect and upgrade weapons for use in the game’s turn-based battles, which take place inside recovered memories. Battles play out automatically, with special attacks activated by tapping on-screen icons when they’ve charged.

Nier Re[in]carnation is a free-to-play mobile game, and I know how many of you feel about those. It is, however, set in the same universe as Nier Automata and Nier Replicant, so a chance to catch up with old friends might just override the natural urge to flee. You can pre-register for the game at the official website for the opportunity to get additional in-game resources at launch. Or just hit up your phone’s app store on July 28. It’ll be there.