With ‘Remember Me,’ you’ll always have Paris — more or less
By CHRIS CAMPBELL
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Action
Publisher: Capcom
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 3 stars (out of 5)
Paris remains a visual wonder, even in the far-flung future. “Remember Me” provides every tease and titillation of what the futuristic French capital could be, but still feels like it’s holding back on delivering the goods. After standing on yet another balcony or precipice and seeing the soaring architecture, you’ll most likely find yourself asking the same question I did: When do I get to see all of this?
From a narrative perspective, “Remember Me” gives gamers a fresh story featuring a heroine who has athletic prowess that equally matches her wits. Unlike Lara Croft, she doesn’t need 15 guns at her disposal. You play as Nilin, and in this vision of the future, memories can be purchased and traded like other goods and services in order to share and create new experiences. This technology, of course, leads to people hacking into others’ memories to alter their actions. This danger is ever-present for Nilin until her memory is wiped clean and she escapes to join a rebel movement called the Errorists. Nilin follows the instructions of Edge, who acts as a guide and chimes in with story bits and helpful clues when necessary, though Edge’s intentions seem murky.
While many of the game’s plot sequences follow usual video-game traditions, there are times when hacking into memories feels powerful. The ability to rewind and replay someone’s memories, and altering small elements to see the varying outcomes, are among the game’s better moments in its under-10-hour running time. “Remember Me” works on almost every level and gives you a real sense of the plot and how Nilin’s decisions affect the world around her.
Most of the game’s other elements fall into familiar territory. The combat moves quickly, and a menu system exists to create your own combos and fighting moves for Nilin to execute. But the limits of the system are reached rather quickly and you are left wishing “Remember Me” was more expansive. The visuals are fluid and interesting, but a tricky camera gets in the way, often ruining your enjoyment of the action. And as I mentioned, you’re presented with stunning views of an elaborate Paris, but the missions are often constrained into tight corridors or interior spaces with no ability to explore this massive city that looks so amazing. The game does all the nominal game-play stuff well enough (light puzzling, decent platforming elements, etc.), but nothing breaks the mold and attempts to transcend.
Nilin’s journey is certainly worth playing to the end, even if you end up wishing there were more. Perhaps a sequel or two will allow this fantastic setting and plot device to be expanded into something amazing; the foundation exists and should be explored more deeply.
