Memoria is based around Europe’s pen and paper game called The Dark Eye and is a point and click RPG game from Daedalic Entertainment. Geron, our hero from the present must solve a puzzle to save his beloved. He is told a story that is roughly under 500 years old about a princess named Sadja and a mysterious talking staff. Memoria takes two main characters and connects them in a very interesting tale. In the present, you have the hero Geron who wants nothing more than to help Nuri. The one person who can help him is a traveling merchant that requires a riddle to be answered first. Four hundred and fifty years ago you have Sadja, a princess who wants greatness and to be remembered.
I think I was trolled during my first game of Memoria. I was speaking to an old man in a tent and I answered that I did not like riddles. Achievement was unlocked and the credits started to roll. When I ended up at the menu screen, I could only choose to start a new game. Okay, interesting way to start off a game. Humor is good in a game. I was in a state of “what the heck just happened” before it hit me. Makes sense to end a game based on puzzles if you’re not into puzzles in the first place.
Memoria is a puzzle RPG game. Do not go into this game thinking you’re going to be fighting monsters ala Final Fantasy or Dragon Age. You will not fight in this game per say. You will do battle against puzzles and the environment around you. You must solve puzzles to continue with your quest. The gameplay is simple, you point and click your way through the game. You use the environment around you and your inventory to solve puzzles. Everything is done with the mouse from walking to casting spells.
The downside to Memoria is that the game is very short, roughly ten hours. This game has potential to be much longer and more in depth than it already is. I’ve never played any other game from the Dark Eye series and even though playing the other games is not necessary, I do feel like some of the dialog is lost on me. There are conversations with Geron and Nuri about past adventures that makes me internally scream for more. Good news is that I do want more and this has sparked an interest in Daedalic Entertainment‘s other games. The dialogue can be funny and quant and the voice acting isn’t half bad. Add in the sounds and music and we have a great atmosphere to play in.
I was shocked at how much I was pulled into Memoria. I’m not a fan of puzzle games, save for Portal. Memoria‘s puzzles and use of the environment and inventory that incorporated the puzzles within the game made Memoria that more fun. However what really made me want to keep playing Memoria was the story. I would play for a few hours before work and then while at work I kept thinking about Memoria‘s story. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what was going on and why. This is key to any game based around a story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I wanted to play more of Memoria thanks to the story and characters.
I recommend Memoria for any fan of the texted based, point and click RPG game. If you enjoy puzzles and a good story then check out Memoria starting on August 29th via Steam. On the other hand, if you are looking for fighting monsters with swords, guns and magic, you might want to look elsewhere.
