I wish I could forget.

Remember Me, the debut title from Parisian studio DONTNOD, is a lesson in how to make an almost-good game. The setting, the combat, the plot and script all contribute to an overwhelming sense of mediocrity. Unfortunately, there’s little more to be found than that.

Any attempt at expanding upon the game’s ideas is done through an in-game journal and collectable (but easily missed) fact sheets, all written in an illegibly small font. The idea of having control over the memories of both yourself and others is a fascinating one, but the lack of any fleshing out, accompanied by the weak plot, leaves you ultimately disappointed. It demands sympathy for the very same people that infuriate in combat; it never gives a clear reason for the villains’ motives; and none of the plot twists have any noticeable impact (as well as being visible from a mile off).

Part of that is down to the lack of any significant character development. The pacing of the game is such that you never become particularly attached to any character, even your own. The poor voice acting contributes to this: emotions aren’t conveyed when they should be on multiple occasions. Yet I feel that the actors achieved the best possible result when presented with such an atrocious script. The game consistently takes itself too seriously, with no jokes at all, and the monologues which attempt, in vain, to attach a deeper, world-saving meaning to your actions. Plot devices are introduced without warning, characters will act completely uncharacteristically, and emotional outbursts appear from nowhere. It’s a complete shambles, really.

THE COMBAT TRIES SO HARD TO BE FLUID, BUT ENDS UP FAILING DRAMATICALLY AND DISASTROUSLY

It’s nigh on impossible to maintain a ten hit combo whilst being surrounded by upwards of ten enemies, let alone remembering the specific button combination for each of your combos. The whole thing would have worked, perhaps, if the dodge feature was implemented slightly better, a la Arkham, or even if the camera worked decently enough to give you a vaguely usable viewing angle, but in its current form it ends up being clunky, disrupting any semblance of fluidity in the process.

The ‘S-Pressens’, which amount to nothing more than superpowers, would be a lot more useful if they weren’t limited to certain enemy types, and if their cool down times weren’t so ridiculously long. The ‘Spammer’, the game’s version of a long range gun, also adds little to the combat, ending up unwieldy and underpowered. In fights against drones, the Spammer becomes your only means of attack, making for some of the most terribly designed battles I’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing.

In fact, the only good thing I can say about the combat is that the ‘finishing’ moves are rather enjoyable, if only because they signify the end of another monotonous battle.

The game isn’t all bad. For a start, the Spammer has some brilliant implementations outside of combat, allowing you to control and manipulate the world around you. Moving panels, opening doors, activating elevators: it gives you a real sense of power over your surroundings, which is always welcome in a pseudo-superhero game such as this. This all ties in nicely with the platforming sections, which I actually found quite enjoyable. Whilst they’re overly simplistic, with bright orange chevrons to ensure you never get lost, DONTNOD have managed to capture an element of calm, relaxing fun that serves as a lovely break from the rest of the game.

The soundtrack is equally delightful, especially its integration with the combat. When you do somehow manage to string a few moves together, the music crescendoes, before dying away if you get hit yourself. This, coupled with the memorable and dramatic theme tune, serves to breathe life into the vibrant and beautiful world that DONTNOD have created, which is undoubtedly the standout feature of the game. The essence of a future city has been perfectly encapsulated, with everything detail from font choices and bold icons to hovering text and drones clearly considered with care. Whenever you’re wandering through the city, you feel fully immersed in this realistic vision of the future, and it’s a shame that you don’t get much of a chance to explore it. An open-world version would be glorious.

And at the end of the day, that’s what Remember Me ends up feeling like. A game with so much potential, but poor execution. It’s a lot like the original Assassin’s Creed actually: a game that aimed higher than it could reach, before exceeding all expectations with a sequel. If Capcom and DONTNOD have faith, a polished and refined followup could be brilliant, and I sincerely hope that we see a sequel. Until then, however, we’re left with this: a mediocre game that is, ironically, forgettable.

SCORE

Remember Me is out now on Xbox 360, PS3 (reviewed) and PC.

Review copy kindly provided by Capcom.