Title: 2064: Read Only Memories
Available On: PS4 (Eventually Xbox One and PC)
Publisher: Midboss
Developer: Midboss
Genre: Visual Novel, Point and Click Adventure, Indie
Official Site: 2064: Read Only Memories
Release Date: January 17th, 2017
Where To Buy It: PlayStation Store, Steam
There’s nothing better than a modern version of an old favorite. Whenever I play point and click adventures, I can’t help but feel nostalgic about a simpler time in gaming. 2064: Read Only Memories is a title that brings the nostalgia but still has an edgy, modern vibe to it. This cyberpunk adventure is a pleasure for anyone who enjoys a good story, point and click adventures, or pixelated games in general!
2064: Read Only Memories is a colorful, beautifully detailed, cyberpunk point and click adventure game that takes a look at some pretty serious issues. The game takes place in the year 2064 in Neo-San Fransisco. Scientist have developed the technology to genetically manipulate someone’s body. It is not unusual to see people with robotic limbs, green skin, or cat ears (or the people protesting their modifications) as you traverse the city. ROM’s, almost sentient robots, are also readily available for conversation or help throughout the world. Your character is a journalist who’s apartment gets broken into by Turing. Turing, a robot a little different from the other robots, has come to ask for your help in finding Hayden, his creator and a personal friend of yours. From there, you are swept into a story of murder, secrets, and shady characters. Hopefully, you survive to write your big story!
It would be impossible not to first comment on the sound design for the game. Everything about the sound design is just perfect, from voice acting to the soundtrack itself. The voice acting throughout the game is just amazing. With voice actors like Melissa Hutchinson, Austin Creed, Erin Yvette, and many more on board, how could the voice acting be anything less than perfection? Each character has a unique personality that is only made brighter and more distinct with these very talented voice actors behind them. Aside from some impressive voice acting, the soundtrack is super immersive and provides the perfect background music for the game. The music is pretty catchy and it really does its part in setting the place and mood for the game. Each area’s music is a little different, and the music also changes depending on what is being said by the characters. The voice acting and the soundtrack blend together beautifully to provide an immersive experience.
There’s nothing worse than fabulous voice acting and bad writing; thankfully, 2064: Read Only Memories does not have this problem. The writing is smart and witty and the player actually feels like their choice of words make a difference. For example, you spend a lot of time in the game talking to Turing. In your responses to him, you can be nice, mean, or indifferent. Turing actually reacts to you and treats you differently depending on how you answer him. Throughout the game, you must choose who to trust and who the best person would be to discuss the current problem with and these choices actually have consequences. The writing keeps you intrigued in the story and is a great mix of humor and information.
That being said, it is a ton of reading. Like, mostly reading. Which isn’t a problem, but I had to take breaks often due to information overload. Every time I would actually have a small mini game or I would have to physically do something in the game, I would get super excited. 2064: Read Only Memories could definitely use a few more puzzles. As I stated before, the writing is fabulous, but the game would definitely benefit from a few more breaks from all the words.
One of my favorite things about the game is all of the little things. There is nothing I enjoy more than a game that pays attention to the small details, and this title does that exceptionally. Every item in a room can be looked at, touched, or listened to and each one has its own little story. From the extensive list of cocktails to choose from in the bar to Turing’s love of Bob Ross, it’s obvious that the developers really thought of everything. Not only did they think of everything, but they took their time making it happen. It’s obvious from all the little details just how passionate the developers of this game are, and it’s always a pleasure to be a part of an experience like that.
The game is bright and beautiful and the art style is a pixelated dream. The genetically modified characters are fun and were obviously crafted with extreme care. The game, in general, is just charming. From the facial expressions of the characters to moving about the town, everything looks crisp and sharp. As is the trend with 2064: Read Only Memories, graphically the game was made with a lot of care and hard work.
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Overall, 2064: Read Only Memories is a colorful, well thought out, witty experience that I would highly suggest to anyone. If you’re not a huge fan of a lot of reading, I would suggest taking the game in smaller chunks. It is too much fun, too well made, and too interesting to be overlooked for being a bit wordy. With numerous different endings, I hope you enjoy 2064: Read Only Memories over and over again!
- Gameplay: The controls are pretty straightforward. And while there isn’t actually much in actual gameplay, there are a few puzzles and there’s a lot to explore in each area of the game.
- Graphics: The game is so bright and colorful and the pixelated art is extremely well done. The game is definitely a lot of fun to look at.
- Sound: The soundtrack and the voice acting are just superb. 2064: Read Only Memoires stars some pretty talented voice actors and they did not disappoint.
- Presentation: Overall, the game comes together beautifully. The developers crafted each aspect, from writing to graphics, with such care. 2064: Read Only Memories is a true pleasure to play and it is so much fun seeing something made with so much passion.
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