What if you could alter your memories to remove things you’d rather forget, or insert fresh memories to make your life more exciting? That’s the sci-fi premise behind Remember Me, Capcom’s latest action adventure for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, developed by new French studio Dontnod. one that’s part Thief, part Assassins’ Creed. Does the concept deliver, or has this game forgotten basics of the genre? You’re about to find out.
The good
Creating a new IP in a market packed with sequels is a brave move, but Remember Me offers up a world that is so well-realised that you’d swear it was part of a pre-existing franchise. Neo-Paris is brilliantly rendered, mixing together the old and new in a way which is alluring and unique. Dontnod’s talents also stretch to creating convincing characters, with protagonist Nilin presenting a female lead who is both attractive and strong-willed.
The outlandish storyline is also worthy of praise; although sci-fi novels and movies have explored the notion of messing about with memories, the angle used here is innovative and gripping – especially during the moments when Nilin is tinkering with memories to impact the eventual outcome.
The bad
In her fight to liberate the city from an evil mega-corporation, Nilin encounters plenty of hostile characters intent of stopping her in her tracks. It’s here that Remember Me makes it first misstep – the combat engine encourages skillful play and expert timing, but doesn’t feel as fleshed-out as it possibly could be. Unlocking combination attacks and creating your own is fun, but once you’re in the groove it comes across a curiously unexciting.
Another problem is that the story is largely set in stone, and you’re pushed down a linear pathway to the conclusion. Most games adopt a similar structure of course, but here – given the central theme of the game – a little freedom would have worked wonders.
The bottom line
When you consider that Remember Me is a new game from a new studio, it’s an incredible achievement and one that we hope publishers take note of. It’s not perfect by any means, but the intelligent narrative and stunning visuals go a long way to making you overlook its other, relatively minor failings. If you’re disenchanted with the stream of “me too” sequels which clog store shelves, Remember Me is well worth a look.
