If you think back to when you were a child, you’ll probably remember your imagination running rampant. No normal object or task was as it seemed; something extraordinary was always just beneath the surface when looking at the world through fresh, young eyes. Somewhere along the course of our lives, we tend to lose the ability to find the extraordinary from the ordinary which is probably why so many of us live our day to day lives with an ever present sense of disenchantment yearning for something more, even though all it requires is a change of perspective. This is the overarching theme of My Memory of Us.   

The story begins with a young girl en route to her local bookstore in search of new stories to feed her young imagination. Upon finding an old, unique looking book within the shop, the shopkeeper is reminded of the tales he embarked on from his younger days with his young partner in crime, which coincidentally resembles the girl standing before him. The similarities result in him taking the time to sit her down and tell her the stories of his childhood in a war torn land, where nothing is as it seems.

The game may look like a platformer from screenshots, but has much more in common with older adventure style games in the vein of Monkey Island. You’ll play as both the young girl and the younger version of the shopkeeper in unison, while having the ability to change between characters as you see fit, or push them to hold hands, moving both in unison. Each of the young protagonists have their own skillset, with the girl being more nimble, allowing the pair to run quicker in addition to having her trusty sling shot available; the boy, being the stealthier of the two, quietly sneaks up on NPCs or past guards as needed. The pair will be split from time to time, requiring you to master both character’s mechanics in order to progress.

Switching between the characters is smooth and effortless, which is a godsend due to most similar games failing when it comes to controlling multiple protagonists in tandem. With a single press of the button you can tell the pair to hold hands, allowing you to move them both and switch between the characters to use their abilities with one another. The one downfall is the game does not remind you in the event you leave one of the children alone; requiring you to backtrack to wherever you last left them.

The gameplay is focused on puzzle solving, with light exploration elements in place and helpful hints that pop up at regular intervals to remind you of what items you need to appease those who block your path. While these are typically straight forward, the quick flashes of the image coupled with the smaller size of the icon can make finding just the right item a bit of a chore at times. NPCs will greet you with text boxes full of jumbled symbols, much like the adults in Charlie Brown, but you’ll have no idea what they are saying. The single bit of voice work comes in the form of Patrick Stewart’s voice, and he narrates the story as well as the smaller tales that make up the bulk of the game. I’m not sure if there’s much of a market for kid’s books on tape, but he has my vote to narrate each and every one of them.

The presentation is downright amazing, with highly detailed yet cartoonishly stylized visuals, opting for black and white tones with hints of red, resulting in a kid friendly version of Sin City, or Monochroma. The finished product comes across much like a storybook came to life, narrowly avoiding looking all too juvenile. This suits the game well, as it hides the all too true and dark elements of the story that revolve around Poland during the second world war, replacing the Nazi’s with soldiers that look like Nazis and… robots. Knowing that, perhaps a more keen comparison would be Schindler’s List. The end result may leave some gamers with a sour taste in their mouth, due to the fact that at its core, the story boils down to Disney Presents: The Holocaust.

The one area that doesn’t hide the historical events whatsoever is the collectibles, or memories. These are hidden throughout the levels, often just off the beaten path or behind smaller optional objectives. All of these are written documents that detail the events from the perspective of other survivors. These are the singular reason to revisit the title once completing the story which runs just a few hours, as they offer the token achievement or trophy for finding them all. If you’re a history or holocaust buff, they might provide some knowledge or facts that interest you, but otherwise fail to elevate the narrative in any meaningful way.

Even if My Memory of Us fails to match the tone of the historical events that inspired it, it is a prime example that no matter how bad it seems, children will find a way to make the most of a bad situation. Whether you’re a child with little knowledge of the holocaust, or an adult who maybe needs to reminded of what it is to look at the world through the eyes of child, this is a game that shouldn’t be missed.

8 out of 10

Pros

• Charming Presentation
• Makes Controlling Two Characters Effortless
• Fun Puzzles
• Patrick Stewart’s Narration
• Most Thematic Elements Work Well

Cons

• Vague Hints
• The Theme is Often Too Light for the Subject Matter

My Memory of Us was developed by Juggler Games and published IMGN.PRO. It was released on PC, PS4, and X1 October 9th, 2018. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of My Memory of Us, check out the official site.

 

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