We recently posted an article about the greatest cyberpunk games available to play right now, but one game that just missed the cut was Remember Me. This game is heavily influenced by cyberpunk anime such as Ghost in the Shell and Akira and features the futuristic setting of lowlife and high tech that is indicative of the cyberpunk genre.
The game received mainly positive reviews, though it did come in for criticism for certain aspects of its gameplay and fluidity. Read on for our Remember Me (video game) review and find out where the game succeeds, and where it fails.
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Page Contents
What is Remember Me?
Remember Me is an action-adventure cyberpunk game released in 2013 that was developed by Dontnod Entertainment – the same creators of Life Is Strange. The game was originally planned as a PlayStation 3 exclusive called Adrift, before being cancelled in 2011, and resurrected by Capcom as a multiplatform game.
Remember Me is set in the futuristic version of Paris in the year 2084. Paris, or Neo-Paris, is home to megacorporation Memorize, who have invented a brain implant called Sensen that allows the majority of people to share their memories in cyberspace, as well as eliminate any unwanted memories from their past.
Memorize has, thus, established itself as an Orwellian surveillance state capable of intricately monitoring the entire population. A group of rebels, called Errorists, have formed to bring down the company. Memory-addicted humans, called Leapers, have also been subjected to living in the cesspits of Neo-Paris as the Sensen has caused them to mutate into subhuman beings.
The game received average to good reviews, and it was names by The Daily Telegraph as one of the best cyberpunk video games around.
Remember Me – Story
Players begin the game as protagonist Nilin, a rebel Errorist who is in the process of having all of her memory wiped by corporate giant Memorize. Before she has all of her memories erased, she is aided by the leader of the Errorists, Edge, who contacts her over a comm device to help her escape.
Edge helps Nilin regain memory of her previous life within the Errorists and informs her of her talent for remixing and stealing memories. After escaping Neo Paris, Nilin teams up with fellow Errorist Tommy, but both of them end up being targeted and attacked by a bounty hunter, Olga.
After Nilin remixes the memory of the bounty hunter, she continues on a mission to bring down Memorize and infiltrate their Bastille fortress. Players encounter many Errorist allies along the way and eventually encounter Memorize’s central base to try and halt the damage that the Sensen technology is causing to the world.
Without giving too much away, Nilin becomes more involved in the story than first realised and ends up with a difficult decision to make between saving her family, or the wider population. The story takes various twists and turns and becomes an enjoyable ride that covers some profound concepts and can have a lasting impression on the player.
Remember Me – Gameplay
Remember Me – Setting
Remember Me is played from third-person perspective, looking over the shoulder of Nilin. The game uses melee combat and contains a memory remixing mechanic that is very enjoyable, if at times a little tedious.
One cool and unique aspect of the game is the ability to replay memories in real-time in order proceed in the game. To do this, Nilin accesses memoires from points called Remembrances and must utilize them in order to avoid hazards and solve puzzles that further the quests.
The combat system is bold and expansive. There are over 50,000 combinations of fighting moves, or Pressens, that Nilin can use to defeat enemies. Combos can be created using the Combo Lab and can be selected from four different categories – Regen, Chain, Cooldown, and Power. Various ranged weapons are also available to Nilin throughout the game.
The Good
- Cyberpunk World
At the time, Remember Me was one of the most stunning games around and the visuals still hold up well in the present day. The futuristic sci-fi setting gives rise to some beautiful cyberpunk imagery and it’s a great shame that more of the world isn’t explorable. - Story
The story in Remember Me is an engaging and immersive one that draws you in to the futuristic Neo-Paris setting and makes you feel the emotions of the characters. Nilin is also a strong protagonist with depth, and the developers should be praised for sticking with their pursuance of a female lead, despite an insistence from some investors that a male character would help the sale of the game.
The Bad
- Linearity
As mentioned above, the cyberpunk world in Remember Me is stunning. The biggest flaw in the game is that the plot follows a linear route with limited areas being accessible to the player. It seems like a wasted opportunity to not be able to explore more of the game, though it is understandable as having a larger world increases the development time and costs greatly. - Combat
Although the combat plays a secondary role to the story of the game, it can be quite boring at times. Despite the large combination possibilities, it seems that players end up using the same punch-kick combo that becomes monotonous as the game progresses. Camera angles can also end up in some awkward positions during combat in the game.
Games Like Remember Me
If you’re a fan of cyberpunk games and are looking for something with a similar feel, check out these games like Remember Me:
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Observer
- Life Is Strange
- BioShock
Is there a Remember Me Sequel?
The creative director of Dontnod has stated that there is a strong possibility of a sequel to the game, and that Remember Me 2 story has already been written. That being said, the decision to make a sequel lies with the publisher, Capcom, and it is reported that they are no longer pursuing this as a project.
After the success of Life Is Strange, though, the financial situation of Dontnod could put them in a better place to push for Remember 2. There is still hope.
Get In Touch
If you enjoyed reading this Remember Me (video game) review, you might also like reading our review of What Remains of Edith Finch.
Have you played Remember Me? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section and join our Blog of Games video game blog
community. If you have any questions, please get in touch below or contact me at richard@blogofgames.com