Sunday, June 9, 2013

MashButtons reviews Capcom's latest IP, Remember Me

Capcom’s has just released their latest IP, Remember Me, and what better time to play through something that is fresh and not a sequel than just before E3. Remember Me takes place 71 years from now, in Neo-Paris, and memories can now be bought, sold, and traded. The main character Nillin, previously elite memory hunter had the ability to hack into people’s memories and wipe or alter them at will unfortunately your memory has been wiped so that doesn’t sound like it helps so much, but that is where the story begins on this 3rd person action title.

I must admit I was not really sure what to expect from this title, as when it was first announced it sounded great on paper but there wasn’t much publicity so I had some doubts. Much to my apprehension, it was a lot of fun from the gameplay to the story. While action is both fast and fluid it is also has customizable combos based on your fighting style. Combos can be set up to replenish life, boost strength, and other perks, just be sure to to keep an eye on the bottom of the screen to time your inputs right. The story, while not unique, reminded me of a number of my favorite sci fi movies and not a budget knock off either, it looked great, had a number of plot twists, and a likable cast.

Like most series’, they don’t all start perfect and Remember Me is not exempt. Their first speed bump is the linearity, as there is no straying off the beaten path to discover secret places. Luckily, the story and gameplay is what had me coming back for more. Along the twelve hour quest to get from point A to point B, quick time events are also included in this package along with the invisible walls. Lastly, the soundtrack felt like it had a bit of an identity crisis, because it’s soothing somber music to loud, hard, and fast throughout the story made my head hurt. The types were not the problem, it was the constant rapid crossover between styles that didn’t mesh with the gameplay.

Remember Me was a lot of fun and easy to play through without getting boring. The story and gameplay are a solid enough formula that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Though the linearity was my biggest concern as Neo-Paris is a sight to see. After playing through though, there was not much reason to go back. Had it been an open world environment it would have gotten a lot more use from me. If this does become a sequel, I look forward to what it could be capable of and learn more of Neo-Paris, especially it’s inhabitants.