Every year a handful
of worthy games fly under the radar during the months leading up until their
release. For whatever reason, some titles fail to generate the buzz they
probably could harness under optimal conditions.
Remember Me might be
the prime example for such a game this year. It's a game that surprised me when
I began playing and presented enough interesting gameplay and narrative that
kept me wanting to discover more about its beautifully realized world of
Neo-Paris 2084.
The title
comes from Dontnod Entertainment, a developer comprised mostly of former
Ubisoft Paris veterans. You play as Nilin (the palindromes are strong with this
one), a former memory hunter who has recently had her memory wiped of her
thieving past.
(Credit: Dontnod Entertainment)
The year is 2084 and Neo-Paris is a city where memories serve as a
commodity. With the right cash, citizens can share and learn new memories to
feel things they couldn't before.
Of course there's one evil corporation called Memorize that's monopolized
the memory market with a product called Sensen. Because she can't remember most
of her past, Nilin is "re-recruited" by the leader of a resistance
faction that aims to bring Memorize down.
The futuristic city of Neo-Paris is an astonishing achievement not in just
design but also in character. Remember Me draws influence from a handful of
sci-fi franchises. It's equal parts Minority Report and The Fifth
Element with moments that resemble Blade Runner and Aeon Flux
(the cartoon, thankfully). The narrative is presented in ultra-stylized
cinematics and fictional commercials, all of which are reinforced through the
digital propaganda projected on the sides of buildings and emblazoned in alleys
through graffiti.
Neo-Paris is so impressive and complex that it makes Remember Me feel like
an open-world game that's trapped inside a linear game. There's a clear path to
follow that's exemplified by the breadcrumb markers that denote where to jump
and climb. It's a shackling feeling at times because you'll pass so many
interesting locales that you can't explore. It's simply not an option.
The times that I
wanted more out of Remember Me were easily overshadowed by the inventive and
satisfying mechanics the game introduces. The melee system is somewhat
customizable, in the sense that you can decide which links in a combo chain
offer perks when executed. You can design combos that work to regenerate health
or cause more damage. It's a fresh take that really shines once you wrap your
head around it, even if at times it can feel clunky.
The game also
attempts to test your own memory. You'll be confronted with a still image
floating in a level that gives away the location of a hidden item. Using the
information detailed in the still, you must keep an eye out as you travel.
But by
far the most exciting element in Remember Me has got to be what's called memory
remixing. Nilin can scrub through other people's minds and alter their
memories. Using a unique set of controls similar to a DVR, you'll need to
interact with the right moments in a cutscene so that a specific objective is
completed. The catch here is that not everything that can be changed is part of
the correct formula. You'll need to rewind, fast-forward and pause to line up
the right combination of details.
(Credit: Dontnod Entertainment)
A lot of the scaling of buildings and making your way through the
different environments of Neo-Paris are presented with fluid, cinematic camera
movements. Remember Me exudes a polish that goes above and beyond most action
titles. That said, the controls can occasionally feel sluggish. It doesn't ruin
the experience, but I wish things played tighter than what's presented.
The visuals in Remember Me are top-notch. The game looks awesome on Xbox
360 and even better on a high-end gaming PC. I played a few hours on a Digital Storm gaming laptop that bumped up the
framerate and improved texture quality and smoothness. If you have the means,
PC is the way to go.
I was also very impressed with Remember Me's graphics packaging. There's a
defined style throughout that makes effective use of a Helvetica-based
typeface. The world is littered with this aesthetic. There's also a unique set
of dazzling visual effects -- mostly during combat -- that separate the look
and feel from other melee-heavy games you might have played before. It's also
worth noting the masterfully engineered sound design in Remember Me that
successfully delivers a futuristic tone on par with some of the best works in
sci-fi film and games.
Remember Me is sure to make for a unique gameplay experience that should
resonate with any type of gamer. Interestingly enough it's hitting right before
E3, a time of the year devoted to the future of games. So while it's easy to
get caught up in what's ahead for gamers, Remember Me reminds us that there's
still plenty of fuel left in the tank of current-gen software.
It's not perfect, but it's different. And in my opinion sometimes that's
worth more.
(Credit:
Dontnod Entertainment)
Remember Me is breath of fresh air that's fantastically realized through a futuristic projection of Neo-Paris 2084. It's smart, uniquely designed, and best of all brings new and exciting ways to play.
If there's anything
to criticize, it's that Remember Me's brilliant setting is dying to be further
explored and perhaps held back by a mostly linear experience.
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