Nilin (Remember Me)

Last updated
Nilin Cartier-Wells
Nilin (Remember Me).png
First appearance Remember Me (2013)
Created byJean-Maxime Moris
Designed byMichel Koch
Voiced by EN: Kezia Burrows [1]
FR: Jessica Monceau [2]

Nilin Cartier-Wells is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the action-adventure video game Remember Me , designed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Capcom in 2013. Born as Nilin Cartier-Wells, she is an amnesiac freedom fighter recruited by a mysterious man named Edge to bring down Memorize, the corporation that created the memory-changing technology known as Sensen. During her mission, she must recover her stolen memories and expose the crimes committed by Memorize before finally setting out to bring them down.

Contents

Nilin was created by the game's creative director Jean-Maxime Moris, who conceived her as a believable character who would not be over-sexualised or ineffectual when compared to both other female characters and male characters in other games. The character has received mixed reviews. On the one hand, the character has been praised as breaking away from many stereotypes attached to female characters in video games. Others criticized her as being poorly portrayed and characterized, while a few saw her as reinforcing some of the genre's less desirable traits for such characters.

Concept and development

Nilin was conceived by Jean-Maxime Moris, the creative director of Remember Me . When asked in an interview why the team took the decision to make the protagonist of the game a woman, Moris stated: "It was not a decision. It was something that just felt right from the beginning. It's one of those things that we never looked at from a pure, cold marketing perspective because that would have endangered the consistency of the whole game." He also stated that he wanted to portray Nilin's private and romantic life at one point, and that making the character male might also entail making him gay, which would have presented its own problems. [3] Another reason behind the character's gender was that they were building the story to be "much more about emotion, intimacy, identity, and the way technology would intersect those." This was designed to contrast with the traditional cyberpunk theme of transhumanism, so that it "just felt like the other side of the coin, the yin and the yang, and it just made sense to us that it would be a female character." [4] The creators wanted Nilin to stand out, so they crafted her as having a mixed ethnic origin. This meant that the character was difficult to market, as many publishers felt that a mixed race, female character would not sell as well as the stereotypical male protagonist. [5]

Michel Koch, the game's art director, said that the team wished to "create a believable character grounded in the now, but with the addition of strong sci-fi and cyberpunk characteristics. We wanted her to feel real and slightly casual, so [the team] tried to avoid as much as we could the overly sexy approach." This resolution made the character problematic to design, as many early designs seemed too unrealistic. He also admitted that Nilin shared superficial similarities with Lisbeth Salander, the main protagonist of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. He stated that the team wanted to take a similar approach, wishing to make Nilin a strong, independent character. [6] The character went through several redesigns during the game's development. While Remember Me still revolved around the idea of global warming, she was dressed in a transparent cape similar to costumes seen in Blade Runner . As the game's theme changed to one of memory, the design also changed. The second main iteration of Nilin's design was designed to look more like a spy, including carrying a briefcase. A third design was created later on, but was considered too close to the character designs in the Mass Effect series. Her final design was meant to reflect a realistic evolution of then-current styles, such as including a leather jacket and jeans. [7]

Nilin is voiced by Welsh actress Kezia Burrows. When people took to forums online criticizing her performance at the game's reveal, Moris commented that "I don't mind the criticism. It's constructive and I definitely listen to it." He decided to use the feedback to judge how the performance could be refined. [1] The game's composer, Olivier Deriviere, created multiple musical themes for Nilin, designing each track so as to include cues related to her. The theme that actually bore her name, 'Nilin the Memory Hunter', was scattered in pieces throughout the game's score, mirroring Nilin's journey to recover and restore her memory. [8]

Appearances

As introduced in Remember Me, Nilin is the daughter of the founders of Sensen technology, Charles and Scylla Cartier-Wells. After being in a car crash that injured and embittered her mother, her father designed the Sensen to help Nilin forget her part in it. [9] Nilin becomes a memory hunter, someone who can enter and steal memories: because of skills taught to her by her father, she could also 'remix' them to create a false memory and potentially change a person's outlook and future actions. Under unknown circumstances, she joins the Errorists, an underground movement opposed to the Sensen technology. [10] After she manipulates a target into committing suicide, she is imprisoned in the Bastille and her memories erased. The unseen Errorist leader Edge breaks her out of prison and acts as her guide and helper during her missions. Nilin follows his orders in order to recover her lost memories, although she finds herself doubting herself and fearing recovering her memories because of what more she might have done. [11] Eventually, she finds out her origins, and ends up remixing the memories of her parents to make them see the harm the technology is causing and allow Nilin entrance to H3O, the Memorize central server and the core of the Sensen technology. [12] When she reaches the Central Server, Edge confirms her growing suspicion that he and H3O are one and the same, and that he led her all the way to the central server for the expressed purpose of having her kill him. [13] Due to common use of Sensens to remove painful memories from their human users, the H3O computer had essentially become a horrific repository of countless negative memories and experiences; when it unexpectedly gained self-awareness, it found itself experiencing incredible suffering, leading to its wish to be destroyed. Nilin links mentally with the server and is confronted by H3O, a sentient entity that had developed in the Memorize servers from the vast collection of painful memories, who informs her that Edge was an aspect of him, created and released into the world specifically to bring down Memorize by organizing the Errorist movement, and in the process, put an end to H3O. He also tells her that as long as he exists the horrors of Sensen abuse will continue until they eventually overwhelm the entire population, meaning that Nilin must destroy H3O. When Nilin expresses reluctance at the prospect of killing him, H3O spawns multiple hostile remembrances to force her to fight him. Nilin finally destroys Edge/H3O, releasing the stored memories into the general population. In his last moments, H3O thanks her for putting an end to his pain. With her mind now restored, Nilin resolves to help heal the damage Sensen has done to the world. [14]

Critical reception

Nilin has received mixed reviews from gaming sites. The review for Edge Magazine was very positive, calling Nilin "a powerhouse of a protagonist, instantly likable and remaining self-aware throughout. She’s a beguiling mix of strength and sensitivity, sarcasm and fire, external certainty and internal conflict, despite a few cheesy lines and missteps." [15] Game Informer's Ben Reeves called Nilin "a capable warrior and memory hunter", but stated that she "[failed] to have much of a personality of her own". [16] GameTrailers's Justin Speer commented that Nilin "treats the insanity of the world around her with unwavering seriousness." [17] Polygon's Arthur Gies called Nilin one of Remember Me's "greatest strengths". [18] GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd cited the character as the most memorable section of the game, saying that her skills made her "an appealing game lead", while her story made her "an intriguing individual." He also praised Burrow's performance in the role. [19] Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell called Nilin a "compelling lead", saying that despite rough writing "whenever the game takes her out of a fight and has her fiddling with memories or talking to grown-ups, there's a good bit of heart and pathos." [20] In an article concerning her, Kotaku's Evan Narcisse praised the fact that Nilin did not have racial stereotypes attached to her character, and that her quest in the game was not driven by an ethnic-derived social situation. [21]

In contrast, VideoGamer.com's Nick Akerman was highly critical of Nilin's role in the game, saying that she was a "damsel in distress and sacrificial lamb for a greater good that will only aid a capitalistic dystopia produced by the science of men. It’s a step back for females in games, as while deemed capable enough of fighting against France’s underbelly, Nilin does so in a narrative that is apparently beyond her intellectual capability; even though she's shown to be more than smart enough to work it all out." [22] Destructoid's James Stephanie Sterling was also quite critical, calling her "as bad as, if not worse, than many of the villains", and finding her unexplored darker side in the face of her heroic portrayal "immensely troubling." [23] Complex called Nilin "one of the most poorly written characters of the year (whom in very Crofitan fashion does an emotional 180 from simpering victim to inexorable killing machine in about five minutes)." [24] Brenna Hillier of VG247, in an article concerning the character as a whole, praised the idea behind Nilin and the potential for the game to break many conventions surrounding female characters in the medium. However she also felt that the character was let down by the expectations of the industry and much of what was done to promote the game and character, and that following a man's instructions throughout much of the game weakened her independent image. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>Devil May Cry 4</i> 2008 video game

Devil May Cry 4 is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows platforms. It is the fourth installment in the Devil May Cry series and is written by Bingo Morihashi and directed by Hideaki Itsuno. The story follows Nero, a young man possessing demonic powers who is on a mission to stop the series' main character, Dante, after he assassinates the leader of the Order of the Sword. The player assumes the role of both Nero and Dante as they fight enemies using their demonic powers and a variety of weapons.

<i>P.N.03</i> 2003 science-fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom

P.N.03 is a 2003 third-person shooter developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Set in a space colony compound, the game follows a female mercenary fighting against berserk robots. It was directed by Shinji Mikami and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. To avoid similarities with Devil May Cry and Resident Evil, the game designers emphasized defensive and rhythmic maneuvers and a "feminine" game world.

<i>Lost Planet: Extreme Condition</i> 2006 video game

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan in December 2006 and worldwide in January 2007. Originally intended to be an Xbox 360 exclusive, it was later ported and released for Microsoft Windows in June 2007 and PlayStation 3 in February 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Philips</span> Fictional character in Grand Theft Auto V

Trevor Philips is a character and one of the three playable protagonists, alongside Michael de Santa and Franklin Clinton, of Grand Theft Auto V, the seventh main title in the Grand Theft Auto series developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. He also appears in the game's multiplayer component, Grand Theft Auto Online. A career criminal and former bank robber, Trevor leads his own organisation, Trevor Philips Enterprises, and comes into conflict with various rival gangs and criminal syndicates as he attempts to secure control of the drugs and weapons trade in the fictional Blaine County, San Andreas. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Steven Ogg, who provided the voice and motion capture for the character.

<i>Record of Agarest War</i> 2007 video game

Record of Agarest War, known in Europe as Agarest: Generations of War, is a tactical role-playing game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The game is a collaboration between Idea Factory, Red Entertainment and Compile Heart. An updated port of the game was released in Japan for the Xbox 360 on November 27, 2008. HyperDevbox Japan released an Android port on December 19, 2013, and an iOS port on May 16, 2014. A Nintendo Switch port was released on March 9, 2023.

<i>Dead Rising 2</i> 2010 video game

Dead Rising 2 is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Blue Castle Games and published by Capcom. It was released between September and October 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. It is a sequel to Dead Rising, and is the second entry in the series of the same name. The game features a number of new features and improvements to its predecessor, including multiplayer options.

<i>Super Street Fighter IV</i> 2010 video game

Super Street Fighter IV is a 2.5D fighting game produced by Capcom. It is an updated version of Street Fighter IV and has been said to mark the definitive end of the Street Fighter IV series. Having been deemed too large an update to be deployed as DLC, the game was made into a standalone title but given a lower price than that of a full retail game. It was released in April 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition was released as one of the launch titles for the Nintendo 3DS, with 3D functionality, on February 26, 2011, in Japan. The game has sold 1.9 million units worldwide, while the 3D Edition for the 3DS has sold an additional 1.1 million units worldwide.

Juri (<i>Street Fighter</i>) Street Fighter character

Juri Han (ハン・ジュリ), full name Han Ju-ri (한주리), is a fictional character in the Street Fighter series. She made her first appearance in 2010's Super Street Fighter IV. In the series, she is a South Korean Taekwondo fighter employed by S.I.N. and an underling to the main antagonist of Street Fighter IV, Seth.

Lightning (<i>Final Fantasy</i>) Fictional character of the Final Fantasy series

Lightning is a character from the Final Fantasy video game series made by Square Enix. She first appeared as a playable character and the main protagonist in the role-playing video game Final Fantasy XIII, in which she is a resident of the artificial world of Cocoon. After her sister Serah is declared an enemy of Cocoon, Lightning attempts to save her and is chosen by divine powers to destroy Cocoon. Lightning reappears as a supporting character in Final Fantasy XIII-2, acting as protector of the Goddess Etro. She is the sole playable character in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, wherein she sets out to save the people of her dying world. Outside the XIII series, Lightning has been featured in multiple Final Fantasy games and had cameo appearances in other video games.

Lost Planet is a video game series of third-person shooters published by Capcom. The series follows a number of protagonists on E.D.N. III, a planet in the process of an ice age, as they survive and fight the environment, various alien creatures and those planning to colonize the planet.

<i>Street Fighter X Tekken</i> 2012 video game

Street Fighter X Tekken is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows and PlayStation Vita. The game features characters from both the Street Fighter franchise and Namco's Tekken series. In the game, each player selects two characters respectively and face other as duos in tag team fighting matches, with the objective to knock out one of the members from the opposing team. In addition to the game's multiplayer modes, the game also features a single-player Story mode with a plot revolving around a mysterious object called the "Pandora".

<i>Dragons Dogma</i> 2012 video game

Dragon's Dogma is a 2012 action role-playing hack and slash video game by Capcom. First released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, an enhanced version subtitled Dark Arisen was later released for the same consoles in 2013, with ports releasing for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in the ensuing years. Set in Gransys, a high fantasy world inspired by Sicily, the player takes on the role of a human protagonist dubbed the Arisen on a quest to defeat the dragon Grigori, a being said to herald the world's end, while uncovering a deeper conspiracy along the way.

<i>Remember Me</i> (video game) 2013 video game

Remember Me is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Capcom. The game's plot focuses on Nilin, a memory hunter working for an underground resistance called the Errorists. When the game starts, she has been stripped of nearly all her memories by megacorporation Memorize. With the help of a mysterious man named Edge, she goes on a quest to bring down Memorize and recover her lost memories. Throughout the story, she is permitted to use her Memory Remix power to ultimately refurbish people's recollections. The combat consists of a modified combo system called Pressen.

<i>Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition</i> 2010 video game

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition is an update to Super Street Fighter IV, originally released in 2010 for the arcades. It has been ported in 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

<i>Life Is Strange</i> (video game) 2015 episodic video game

Life Is Strange is an episodic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The first installment of the Life Is Strange series, the game was released in five episodes periodically throughout 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It was ported to OS X and Linux in 2016, and iOS and Android in 2017 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Nod</span> French video game developer

Don't Nod Entertainment SA is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in June 2008, it started development on Remember Me (2013). Because of its poor return on investment, Don't Nod entered "judicial reorganisation" in 2013. With the help of French agency funding, it developed Life Is Strange, whose successful release raised Don't Nod's industry status. It began third-party publishing with Gerda: A Flame in Winter in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Price</span> Fictional character

Chloe Elizabeth Price is a fictional character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by French developer Dontnod Entertainment, she first appears in the 2015 video game Life Is Strange and its prequel Life Is Strange: Before the Storm as the main protagonist. She is portrayed by Ashly Burch and Rhianna DeVries.

Life Is Strange is a series of adventure games published by Square Enix's External Studios. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the series debuted with the eponymous first installment, which was released in five episodes throughout 2015. It was followed by a prequel, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, which was developed by Deck Nine and released in three episodes throughout 2017, with a downloadable content (DLC) bonus episode released in early 2018. The sequel Life Is Strange 2 and its spin-off The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit were developed by Dontnod and released between 2018 and 2019. A third main installment, Life Is Strange: True Colors, was released in its entirety on 10 September 2021. A fourth installment, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, was released on October 29, 2024. Additionally, a remastered collection of the original game and its prequel was released in February 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Caulfield</span> Video game protagonist in the Life Is Strange series

Maxine "Max" Caulfield is a fictional character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by French developer Dontnod Entertainment, she is the player character in Life Is Strange (2015) and its sequel Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (2024). She is portrayed by Hannah Telle.

References

  1. 1 2 Yin-Poole, Wesley (2012-08-21). "So, who's the Remember Me voice actress?". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  2. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Scene: Credits; French Recording, Cast.
  3. ↑ Seppala, Timothy J. (2013-05-15). "Remember Me creative director discusses gender equality". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  4. ↑ Sophie Prell (2013-03-18). "How Facebook inspired Remember Me to drop global warming, and why its protagonist had to be a woman". The Penny Arcade Report. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  5. ↑ Rob Crossley (27 Nov 2012). "Interview: Can Remember Me prove everyone wrong?". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  6. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (2013-05-07). ""Believable": designing Remember Me's Nilin". VG247. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  7. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (2013-05-31). "Remember Me creative director explains the evolution of Nilin's design". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  8. ↑ Charles Webb (April 30, 2013). "Interview: 'Remember Me' Composer Olivier Derivere". MTV.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  9. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Edge: His work became the only way he could save the life he loved so dearly. [...] / Nilin: The power to remove painful memories... To forget a car crash... My God, he did all this for me.
  10. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Edge: You were a memory hunter, Nilin. The best. Other hunters merely pillage memories, but you can remix them. And above all, you are an Errorist, just like me./ Nilin: Why did they do this to me? / Edge: You were a revolutionary fighter, and my best agent. We all fought to ensure that no firm might built a monopoly on all human memories.
  11. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Nilin: The raid of La Bastille ended with nothing but more deception and emotional holes. [...] Without my memories, I have no choice but to follow Edge's instructions, with hollow conviction. And despite the atrocities I witnessed in that prison winning me over to the Errorist cause, the recovered memory of my crime is gnawing away at my soul. I pushed a man to suicide. What else have I done? Worse?
  12. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Nilin: That's why you sent me to remix them. Only they could allow access to the Central Server.
  13. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Nilin: Who are you, really? / Edge: I am Edge... I am a spontaneous entity born from the putrid pit where everyone flushed their horrible and painful memories. I am H3O. My first memories are the tears of a girl.
  14. ↑ Dontnod Entertainment (2013-06-03). Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows). Capcom. Nilin: My name is Nilin Cartier-Well. I am a memory hunter. [...] For the first time in my life, I remember exactly who I am. Outside my fortress, I now have a family to go back to and a world to confront. A damaged world... A world to heal.
  15. ↑ Edge Staff (2013-06-03). "Remember Me Review". Edge. Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  16. ↑ Ben Reeves (2013-06-03). "Remember Me: A Fun Adventure, But Not Entirely Memorable". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  17. ↑ Speer, Justin (2013-06-03). "Remember Me Review". GameTrailers. Archived from the original on 2013-06-08. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  18. ↑ Gies, Arthur (2013-06-03). "REMEMBER ME REVIEW: PAST IS PRESENT". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  19. ↑ Kevin VanOrd (2013-06-03). "Remember Me review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  20. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (2013-06-03). "Remember Me review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  21. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (2013-06-04). "It Doesn't Matter That Remember Me's Main Character Is a Black Woman". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  22. ↑ Akerman (2013-06-03). "Remember Me Review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  23. ↑ Sterling, Jim (2013-06-03). "Review: Remember Me". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  24. ↑ Welch, Hanuman; Lowe, Kyle; Rougeau, Michael; Haske, Steve (2013-12-22). "The Worst Video Games of 2013". Complex. Archived from the original on 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  25. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (2013-07-11). "Remember this? The sad dumbing down of Nilin". VG247. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.