Remember Me brings many concepts to light. What if we lived in a time where memory can be stored and recollected? What if we can gain access to new memories? In this futuristic world the premise is not only pretty clear but it’s pretty good as well. Somehow the limitation of exploration makes you not really think of this further then a pipe dream but the rest of the games faults becomes easier to spot as a result.
You are Nillin, a girl who has just had her entire memory wiped and as you dive into why this happens, the chain reaction of events and help you receive become evident that something is clearly going on. The most interesting portions of the game is when you have to initiate Memory Remixing. This basically enables you to channel someones inner thoughts to a single memory and change the outcome of events that’ll lead them to believe the altered memory actually happened. Throughout this sequence you can put objects out of place or order to directly effect what will happen, resulting in some very interesting scenarios. Issue here is they are very far and in between. It feels like they’ve only scratched the surface of this type of gameplay.
Aside Memory Remixing the combat in the game seems like it has a good thing going for it. You fill in several combos with hits you unlock which will give you various bonuses for doing so. The ability to heal, deal more damage, gain skill points and double the output of a combo. The problem here is there isn’t that many at all, making the combat feel somewhat repetitive after awhile. You also gain special skills which will give you a burst of power in the form of S-Pressens. Unblockable combos, distorting all electronics and taking over them to name a few. Their is a separate meter that allows you to do this which can be regained after some time.
Remember Me does some things right, the futuristic Paris setting is gorgeous to look at. The combat makes you feel like your actually a highly trained fighter when aligning your skills and doing the big ticket combos. They ad some climbing to get between areas as well. There are sections where the game is graphically impressive as well but with its linear gameplay makes the city feel so out of reach.
It’s crazy but I really enjoyed the time I had with Remember Me. It’s not forgettable.. no pun intended and with some challenge along the way made everything feel very smooth and Bourne Identity-ish but I think I’m also hanging on to the game that could have been more then the game that is. It has a lot of promise and with a sequel could truly be something special but what you have here is a shell of that promise which might not make it to the next iteration all by itself.
