Despite its promising premise and an engaging protagonist, Remember Me fails to fully deliver an established concept.
Remember Me is a futuristic action-adventure game which boasts a very cool concept regarding memory mixing and the establishment of commercialism centering within it. A favorable protagonist, meaty combat, and an established atmosphere all seem to build up for a would-be adventure. If only so, the world itself could open up and avoid being restrictive. While the game's surface elements are properly crafted, it is the overly linear structure of the game that demotes the sense of exploration and mystery which could have been felt in such a tragedy-filled dystopia.
Nilin is a good choice for a protagonist. Amidst the female stereotypes normally found within the genre, Nilin isn't overly sexualized in her features so as to giving her a huge rack with a huge skin to cloth ratio. Instead, they chose to ground her down with humanity. She's unattractive, thin and certainly lacks charm but, as the game progress, starts to gain the female prowess she's got as a memory hunter.
The combat is straightforward yet, satisfying and instinctive. Flurries of kicks and punches grace through the screen as Nilin dances around enemies finding opening in the attacks wherein she herself could inflict damage. Activating fury mode further amplifies the intensify as every strike becomes even more powerful resulting in punching enemies like they're made of glass. Convincing sound effects, from the crunchy sound you get whenever striking an enemy to the whoosing of the final blow sets the stage right for the player to push on. Combo customization adds depth to the overly simple system of evading and attacking.
Basic adventure elements are present here. Nilin could climb walls, jump from them and traverse from one towering ledge to another. While it is not that anything good, it still gives out a sense of progress as you trace all the objects you leap out of, running through here and eventually climbing there. Numerous data caches serve as collectibles, hidden in not-so-obvious spots so as to give you the chance to stop and review the current location whether to continue moving on or check the spot under the bin.
While all may seem in favor for a wonderful adventure, this not actually the case here. Remember Me is an excessively linear game in which it throws closed doors, un-climbable ledges and narrow corridors at you all the time. At times where it could have opened up, such as the first bar location, it still keeps you in its palm, making you mindlessly follow its orders. Ledges aren't actually climbable except those which lead to the objective and reaching out for other surfaces is but an afterthought.
Still, with the player kept in such a leash it is hard to totally dislike the game for it. The combat system works in a logical way, making you think of when to attack and what combination to perform. The game also looks good as it utilizes unreal engine 3. Models look slick, shining in a luster-like coat which convinces the player that they are truly inhabitants of this world. Environments look great, and the consistent floating texts instill a meta-futuristic vibe to it.
Remember Me blew such an opportunity. It got a compelling premise, a wonderful protagonist, and a beautiful yet disturbing location. All the while packing a cool and deep combat system. Exploration is only an impression, not an experience. If only we get to fully see the whole city in all its splendor, it could have been far, far greater.