***This review is 100% spoiler free. Some words have been removed to avoid spoilers.***
Whenever a fresh game comes into the mix of each year's latest sequel, it's always nice to - in simple
Remember Me is set in 2084 in a futuristic Paris called (Wait for it) Neo-Paris and follows the story of Nilin. She is a Errorist (A gang of rebellious youths) who has dedicated her life fighting Memorize, a company that has harnessed the ability to record the memories of a person inside a device at the back of their necks called a Sensen. With this technology, Memorize have complete control over everything; from the media and advertisements up to the military and government.
The game begins with Nilin waking up in the Bastille Fortress, near everything forgotten except her own name. Confused, dazed and with nothing but the voice of Edge (the leader and fellow Errorist) to guide her to freedom, the game and the story begins.
Let me begin with the storyline; while it does start out rather slow, the eventuality definitely a decent payoff. While the name "Neo-Paris" is a cringe-worthy, unsettling name, it doesn't deter to the fact that world around you is one filled with story. Remember Me is one of the only games that comes to mind that fleshes out the stories of even the lowliest NPC. With Nilin's special ability to write new memories and re-write old ones, the game definitely takes you on a twisting tale that the voice cast tries to bring a more meaningful depth.
"Tries" is such a big word for the voice cast, yet the proper term would be "attempts". The voice cast, which consists of generally newer actors in this profession, I'm being extremely generous when I say half of the cast was mostly successful in their roles. Nilin (Voiced by Kezia Burrows) has mostly a flat voiced expression when it comes to a large majority of the game. Unless an extreme emotion is being expressed, her voice is flat and straight to the point. Granted, as her first video game role, it is terribly hard to express many emotions with just voice but a teeny bit more emotion would have been appreciated. Whereas her helpful partner Edge (Voiced by Nathan Nolan, NOT to be confused with Nolan North), while brings much needed lightness and definitely helps set the mood to each new Episode, can tend to be a teeny bit Melodramatic at points while the rest of the cast does help to ease into both the feel and development of the game, storyline and plot.
Gameplay is a great mix of some of the more modern games of this generation. The best way to describe it would be this; with the combat style of Arkham City, parkour and free-run of Assassin's Creed and leveling system similar to Prototype, the game is familiar to the touch of gamers, especially with controls that are simple and easy to remember. This being said, the controls can tend to do you over with the camera angle changing with each step and move, being very similar to the issues with Assassin's Creed. That being said, many of the in-game moments such as rewriting memories are something to look forward to and become more frequent as the game rolls on. This truly is an innovative type of gameplay, allowing the gamer to rewrite and replay a single moment how they choose it to happen.
The leveling system allows players to shape the way they like to play the game and I absolutely love that feature. With healing, extra damage, chain fighting and more as you fight onward against the enemies. Combat is fun and addictive but it can be quite so frustrating against the few enemies that the game presents. With the main three, two specials and the few varieties that the game presents, each are easy in their own accord or simply frustratingly overpowered, with much emphasis on "frustratingly" as there is now a permanent crack in my controller.
The only true issue was the sound effects and musical score. Running and movement was simple enough but when it came to the grander moments it seemed almost lacking. The Leaper monsters to the mechanical kind, sound effects seem to fade or distort almost as if an ending for one wasn't possible. The musical score wasn't much to shake a stick at either sadly; while staring at this beautiful and gorgeous recreation of Paris (with graphics similar to Deus Ex Human Revolution), the slow and stiff classical music was beautiful in itself but did not suit the mood, tone or severity of the game in a whole. The more meaningful and deeper moments are captured perfectly by the music but these moments are few and aren't seen until near or right at the end of the game. A clean classical music score doesn't truly suit a boss fight without heavy trombones, tuba or bass line.
With graphics to follow a story and immersive world to lose your head into, Remember Me will bring you a world where everyone's memories are just fingertips away. Despite all it's faults and failures, Remember Me is a game you will definitely remember for years to come.
Out of 10, I give Remember Me a 8/10
+ Fleshed out story and characters
+ Rewrite memories as you see fit = gameplay genius
+ Controls are simple and very similar to the touch
+ Customisation in fighting style is a massive plus
+ A believable and gorgeous looking world.
- Acting was lacking in place
- Sound effects weren't too great
- Musical score even less so
- Some enemies are harder than boss fights
- Forever a crack in my controller = Not happy Jan.
Remember Me is out now for the standard price of $70
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