Remember Me is an interesting game I'd been following since its announcement at Gamescom two years ago. Originally titled 'Adrift,' it began development in 2008, when Dontnod Entertainment was formed. It introduces players to a futuristic, self-titled Neo-Paris in which you meet Nilin Cartier-Wells, a 'memory hunter.'
Memory Hunter
mem·o·ry hunt·er
/ˈmem(ə)rē/ˈhən(t)ər/
Noun
· A person who hunts for memories to access information otherwise unbeknownst to aid in a secret agenda.
It's 2084 and Neo-Paris had been segregated by social and financial status decades prior. Everyone has a levitating device called a Sensen installed on the back of their necks; it allows people to remove, add and modify their memories thanks to a company called Memorize. Similar to the Catwoman film in theme - the cosmetic product Beauline that had nasty side effects if you stopped using it - messing with your memories has hostile, zombie-like effects in the long run. Those who can afford treatment are saved, but the less fortunate are cast out like the leper. Memory alteration proves to be the [enter recreational drug here] of the future, as it appears to have addictive side-effects as well; players might walk past citizens in slums asking others for a memory upload just so they can experience something.
Nilin begins the game in the Bastille, a prison, with no memory of who she is - before we meet her for the first time, her memory has been erased. The Bastille in Remember Me is a prison of sorts, most likely named after the Parisian fortress, Bastille Saint-Antoine. Nilin soon gets her memory tantalised when Edge, an activist friend of hers outside of the Bastille hacks into her Sensen and provides instructions for escape.
Shortly after, Edge floods Nilin with piles of exposition and missions to help the activists' cause. As it seems, Nilin was the best memory hunter before her memory wipe and her escape has pinned her once more as Public Enemy Number One. As Nilin's old persona returns to her in bits and pieces, she finds herself with an internal struggle of what's right and what's wrong as well as which parts of her past she still identifies with. Throughout the game, Nilin wrestles with her past, but also with what she has done to others for the sake of the “cause.”
The theme and narrative is much like a futuristic, dystopian version of V for Vendetta; the meek have not inherited the earth and Edge and his group of activists are out to make the government as well as the upper classes fear the redemption of the castaways. However, it's almost as if the activists in Remember Me have never experienced a revolution before, as the violence and trauma they inflict do more harm than good.
Remember Me is a mixture of combat, traversal and the occasional touch of puzzle-solving. The combat attempts to take a similar fluid approach as made famous in the Arkham trilogy and Sleeping Dogs, pitting you against various memory-corrupted savages - think Doomsday and Hills Have Eyes - with combat styles that Nilin will remember throughout the game. These can then be chained to various combinations in Nilin's Sensen's "Combo Lab" to create a wide array of attacks fitting for nearly every situation you'll encounter, from chains that heal Nilin to dealing extra damage to enemies.
It's a nice concept, but as the seams show and the flaws leak out, it's blatant that it is not as good as it could have been. Remember Me's controls feel clunkier and much less responsive than that of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. When fighting large groups of hostiles, Nilin must spend more time leaping about on the defensive than being aggressive in order to avoid getting surrounded. When she does - which is annoyingly often - the slow combat style and bizarre camera shifts prove problematic. You'll find yourself growing annoyed with the combat as enemy after enemy pour in just when you thought the area's fight scene was over. The more enemies there are, the more pointless the "flowing combat" really is, as it proves to be virtually useless.
Some have compared the traversing in Remember Me to that of Mirror's Edge and Tomb Raider. I disagree with that ludicrous statement for the aforementioned reason: Remember Me does not know what the terms 'fluidity' and 'flowing' truly mean. The game's mechanics are not at all up to par for that comparison. The lack of fluidity in Nilin's overall movements combined with the wonky camera angles often have you moving in an unintended direction and it is not ideal when you are being pursued. In fact, it almost seems as if the traversal elements were simply included to show you around the rather beautifully crafted Neo-Paris. The platforming elements are nothing special nor challenging and it is certainly disappointing, as they could have had much more potential than being a plate filler.
The platforming elements seem to be simply put in place to show you around the beautifully crafted Neo-Paris, and while slick, are certainly nothing challenging. Conversely the puzzle sections contain a few interesting ideas, specifically that of rearranging and tweaking a set of memories to get a different outcome, but sadly they're mostly just for show and not really exploited in any significant way.
Remember Me's strongest sequences are Nilin's memory remixes; she can change someone's personality and motivations by tapping into their Sensen and altering their memories of past events, both small and large. These sequences play out much like a film reel of data in which the player must view the memory, rewind to find points of interest and alter a combination of moments and objects to produce the desired result. For example, moving a cart into someone's intended path of travel or unlocking a wrist restraint. Players can deliberately create an incorrect combination just to view the would-be outcome before applying the correct one. Nilin just keeps changing the story until she can get the result she wants, almost like a sort of God-mode.
I had hoped for something a bit more special than what Remember Me actually brought to the proverbial table. It's certainly something innovative and original, but the overall execution is depressingly poor. Conversely, players get the opportunity to step into the shoes (or rather follow behind as this is a third-person experience) of an anarchist woman of colour - a rare commodity - fighting to reclaim her identity in a stylised world with real-world themes.
It's almost ironic when you consider the themes of Remember Me when compared to present day: consumerism is dominating society in a world where the meek have not inherited the earth and it was instead snatched away by the upper class that can afford to live in such luxury, the world around them does not exist outside their materialism. That and the rather humorous fact that Remember Me arrived near the end of the seventh console generation, as gamers chew on the idea of the future of used games and which next-generation console is a better bargain; class consciousness and a world obsessed with alluring technology.
Clocking in at between eight and ten hours long, Remember Me might not feel like enough to players seeking a long-term experience to hold them over until Grand Theft Auto V or Watch Dogs, but for those willing to overlook its missteps, it offers a lot narratively and thematically. There are quite a few video games that are metaphorically about...well, video games, but Remember Me goes beyond that to bring a narrative that addresses class, corporations, systems of power and consumerism.
While it's a pretty short foray into a future we're well on our way to in the real world, the game's ideas and visuals are ambitious and innovative. With that being said, if Capcom and Dontnod Entertainment are willing to correct Remember Me's issues for a future sequel, we could be looking at a wonderful new IP.
A Capcom classic, Remember Me, has ironically been forgotten in the 10 years since its release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Sadly, Remember Me is not a forgotten Gem but a case of wasted potential. The best idea the game had was the Mind Remix Segments and the New Paris World setting, neither of which where really exploited or used well. Instead everything comes down to this just being pretty Beat'em Up and nothing more.
It does deserves a re-imagining though. Make it in first person and use something like the current Sherlock Holmes like gamedesign. Use some of that Deus Ex/Hitman mechanics and go all the way with the Memory Remix as the center piece.
Each case takes place in the mind of a victim, either dead, dying, or alive, and each level should be design like a Hitman level. Contained but chock-full of details. Investigating in the real world give you hints and clues as to how you can help or mess up a person's memory. Make this a player's choice. You can add combat but make it tasteful and short IF combat is required. Make the combat fit the narrative and the setting. Like a Boss fight taking place in the Mind of a CEO that's hiding a dark secret. Or a victim injected with some nasty Nano Machines trying to erase her memories so she can't be scanned by the Memory Remix Agent. Stuff like that. Again, make these short, sweet and to the point.
The potential for a classic is there but the original wasn't even close to being it.
I liked the game, couldve been better but you can say that for every game or movie.
Some may not remember Capcom and Dontnod Entertainment's Remember Me, but GotGame does, making it a part of another Bring it Back retrospective.
I agree. Personally, Remember Me, imo, was quite underrated. The game was linear and beautiful Neo Paris wasn't available to be explored as much as I would've liked, but as a whole, it was enjoyable.
Graphics were excellent, the art style was terrific and Nillin was a tremendous character that was voiced beautifully. It even had a solid story. Combat was attacked, but going back recently, I rather enjoyed it. The pressen system was genius and the basic flow to action worked. Platforming was terrible, but the overall package was one that i loved and I'd rather DontNod make more titles like this then become complacent making knockoff Tell Tale games. They are going down the same road as TT, using old tech and pumping out inferior products consistently. I know they had interest in a sequel and had already written the script. Capcom just doesn't want it, but I do.
Yeah their walking simulators do nothing for me. Funny that Quantic Dream seem to be going in the other direction. I wouldn't be surprised to see some actual gameplay in their next game.
I will always see Remember Me as one of the most underrated games of the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. I had a blast with the game. I would love a sequel.
BY JOHN SANTINA: As adult gamers, it can be difficult to find the joy that we once found in exploring every nook and cranny in a video game world. Speaking personally, I’ve found that even minor deviations from the main plot can quickly begin to feel like a needless chore.
I’m determined to recapture the joy of exploring and discovering as an adult gamer.
Should really check out Outward, it's very good at rewarding exploration with tons if great things to discover. Also while pretty much the opposite of hand holding, it's also pretty forgiving replace death and reloading with "defeat scenarios" that picks a random scenario after being defeated that keeps the game moving. You can be saved and given a weapon by a mysterious being, or dragged into an animal den needing to crawl your way out alive an refind your gear
In the same boat, but for me it’s the linear story driven games that I just can’t get into anymore. After 25 years of them, they seem very formulaic compared to something like Siege or PUBG where I’m playing against real humans and the adrenaline is pumping. I’ll always have a place to be immersed in something like Xcom 2 or fallout 4, but I haven’t clicked with a story driven linear game since TLOU. Could also use some of these tips on how to enjoy a story game like you’re a kid again ha ha. Looking forward to TLOU2!
SOMA
INSIDE
What Remains of Edith Finch
Observation
Dishonored
Tomb Raider 2013
6 great story-driven games for you. You can pick them all from the current Steam sale for probably less than 20 bucks combined.
Also, Dark Souls and Bloodborne for the pure joy of exploration and discovering.
Thanks! I really enjoyed the soulsborne games and INSIDE as well. Is Dishonored 2 also recommended?
What Remains of Edith Finch surprised me. I will never forget playing her brother at the cannery.
EDIT (Bloodborne and Dark Souls are amazing)
Oh, forgot to also recommend Hollow Knight and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Great games for exploration and discovering.
It's interesting because I find myself in a similar situation lately. There are still those exceptions where I'm interested in gaining that linear, engaging experience, but I'm finding myself being drawn away from those experiences more and more.
Sometimes it gives me a weird feeling of obligation and anxiety. Like I'm more focused on completing the game then enjoying the path to get there.
I've become an open world enthusiast more and more because of it. If I know I have X amount of time to game or just don't want to be heavily invested in something, I look to those games first. Maybe I clear out a base, do a side mission, or just explore. Maybe I play story missions for hours at a time. It's the variety that I like.
Similar thoughts about MP. I can drop in and drop out, play some competitive round of something and be on my way.
Dark Souls and Bloodborne are the best games for exploring and discovering. In these games you will actually find cool shit as you explore. Straight up big hidden areas with unique enemies and bosses, etc.
There's only so much to explore in those, though. You're still very much kept on a general path. There's exploration but it's more along the lines of a Metroidvania-style exploration where you're just peeking down every path put in front of you. I love those games though. The very first one, Demon's Souls, may have been the most interesting in that sense, because there were a few secret areas that would only open up if the world tendency was dark or light enough, which relied on the behavior of other players. They did away with the world tendency mechanic in the other games and that always bummed me out.
The problem is by a certain age you've seen enough games that you start seeing the patterns and design limitations that flew over your head as a younger gamer. And game developers haven't been able to take that next step in their open worlds to make truly interesting emergent gameplay, nor do they want to spend a lot of time on content that is purely optional...everything tends to feel shallow, e.g. "the Ubisoft/Far Cry problem". They need more randomness, better AI interacting within that randomness, and more hidden content, that is actually well thought out and elaborate, buried out in the world to make exploration rewarding (even knowing that most players may never even come across it). Otherwise you end up with a game where only the main plot has anything memorable.
One thing The Witcher 3 did well is it had lots of purely optional quests that actually took time to complete, with their own little storylines. I want to see that sort of dedication to optional content, but in a more exploration-oriented game design. Not everything has to be quest-based.
The author's complaint near the end about just not having time to even TRY some games is weird and a different topic entirely. Not sure what he was getting at there.
am a very big fan of Deus ex human revolution and the cyberpunk genera .
if i enjoyed Deus ex , will i enjoy Remember me ?
Friend and I decided to split a new copy between us. Haven't had much time with it but I gotta say...the combat seems quite interesting and the soundtrack sounds like one of this year's best thus far.