Familiar platforming and basic action

I really want Remember Me to do well. It has an awesome Bladerunner-esque setting going for it, a strong, interesting female lead, and it takes some interesting risks to boot. But based on the hands-on demo I tried today, it still has a ways to go.

I took control of the protagonist Nilin, who was actually my favorite part of the demo. It's clear that she's going to be a big hit when it comes to "new favorite characters of 2013" lists, and her iconic look and attitude ensures potential cross-promotion with future Capcom IPs.

But as an action fan, I just wasn't digging the combat system. It was all fairly simplistic, with less than average AI to boot. Basically, your standard combos are enacted with the X/Y (Square/Triangle) buttons, with the A/X button functioning as a dodge move. There is an emphasis on timing (think Phantasy Star Online), but it's not absolutely necessary for success, as I had no issue beating down the baddies in question with standard attacks, and simple one button dodging.

The demo featured a lot of killing of mindless enemies fairly early in the game, as well as a few unique battles, like one in which I squared off with a ton of little enemies that buffed and protected a larger enemy. It wasn't anything special (basically a kill the adds then kill the big bad encounter), but I get the feeling that Remember Me will expand and diversify these encounters as the game goes on.

From a platforming perspective, it's basically Uncharted lite. There's a bunch of scripted happenings, like enemies falling off a cliff over your head, or bursting pipes, but none of it is nearly as impressive as say, the opening truck over the cliff climb in Uncharted 2, or most of the climbing sequences in the new Tomb Raider. It's also even easier than all of those games, with yellow arrows showing you the "correct" path.

Neo-Paris however, the game's setting, is gorgeous looking. It's sufficiently atmospheric, and really gets the job done at showing off a unique, bleak sci-fi setting that isn't really utilized that much in this current era of media. I really dug the feature that allows you to see memories of hidden areas that have yet to come, forcing you to actually learn the layout of your surroundings with more than just "go here, do this" prompts.

Of course, the final version could have a much more intricate combat system, when the "Combo Lab" mechanic is fully realized, and faster platforming. But with the game releasing this June, I hope they take a look at some of these aforementioned issues.

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