Don’t Forget Me

Don’t Forget Me is a point-and-click graphic adventure set in a cyberpunk world, where players wake up as an amnesiac named Fran in a clinic after their memory chip was examined. With only fragments of their identity, players explore indoor environments, solve text-based puzzles, and uncover the truth about their past in a dystopian society, delving into profound themes of memory and technology.

Don’t Forget Me: Review

Introduction

Don’t Forget Me is a game that dares to ask profound questions about memory, identity, and the ethical dilemmas of a future where technology can manipulate the very essence of human experience. Released in 2021 by The Moon Pirates, this cyberpunk narrative adventure game blends text-based puzzles with point-and-click exploration, creating a unique experience that oscillates between introspection and urgency. Drawing from the legacy of games like Her Story and The Red Strings Club, Don’t Forget Me attempts to carve out its own niche in the adventure genre. However, its ambitious themes and innovative mechanics are undermined by a rushed narrative, flawed localization, and a puzzling system that often feels more tedious than engaging. This review will dissect the game’s development, narrative depth, gameplay mechanics, and its lasting impact on the gaming landscape.

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Development History & Context

The Studio and Its Vision

Don’t Forget Me was developed by The Moon Pirates, an independent studio based in France. The game emerged from a successful Kickstarter campaign, reflecting a growing trend of crowdfunded narrative-driven titles that prioritize storytelling and thematic depth over graphical spectacle. The studio’s vision was to create a game that explored the ethical implications of memory manipulation in a dystopian cyberpunk setting, drawing inspiration from classic adventure games and contemporary cyberpunk literature.

Technological Constraints and the Gaming Landscape

Released in 2021, Don’t Forget Me arrived during a resurgence of narrative-focused indie games, a period marked by titles like Disco Elysium and Kentucky Route Zero that pushed the boundaries of interactive storytelling. The game was built using the Unity engine, a popular choice for indie developers due to its accessibility and versatility. The decision to use pixel art was likely influenced by both aesthetic preferences and the desire to create a visually distinct identity in a market dominated by photorealistic or stylized 3D graphics.

The gaming landscape at the time was also characterized by a growing interest in cyberpunk themes, fueled by the success of Cyberpunk 2077 and the enduring popularity of Deus Ex. Don’t Forget Me positioned itself as a more intimate, character-driven exploration of cyberpunk tropes, focusing on the personal rather than the grandiose.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot and Characters

The game’s narrative centers around Fran, an amnesiac who awakens at the doorstep of Bernard, a memory specialist operating an underground clinic. Bernard takes Fran in and employs her as his assistant, a role that involves delving into the memories of clients—some seeking to preserve their pasts, others hoping to erase painful experiences. The plot quickly escalates when Fran and Bernard become entangled in a conspiracy involving a totalitarian government and a resistance movement known as the Forgotten.

The narrative is structured around Fran’s journey to uncover her own identity while navigating the ethical complexities of memory manipulation. The game’s cyberpunk setting is characterized by a world where memories are stored on implanted chips, controlled by a megacorporation that uses them to suppress dissent. This premise raises thought-provoking questions about free will, privacy, and the nature of identity.

Dialogue and Themes

The dialogue in Don’t Forget Me is a mixed bag. While some exchanges are poignant and thought-provoking, others suffer from awkward localization and clunky phrasing. The game’s themes are ambitious, tackling issues such as the ethics of memory alteration, the tension between individuality and collective control, and the fragility of human identity. However, these themes are often underdeveloped, leaving players with more questions than answers.

One of the game’s most compelling aspects is its exploration of moral ambiguity. Players are frequently presented with choices that have no clear right or wrong answer, reflecting the game’s central theme of ambiguity. However, these choices often feel inconsequential, as the branching narrative does little to alter the overarching plot.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The game’s narrative strengths lie in its exploration of personal stories, particularly in the memory sequences where players delve into the lives of clients. These segments are often the most engaging, offering glimpses into the lives of fully realized characters whose struggles resonate with emotional depth. However, the overarching plot is rushed and underdeveloped, with key plot points introduced abruptly and without sufficient context.

The game’s ending is particularly disappointing, offering little resolution to the central mysteries. This abrupt conclusion leaves players feeling cheated, as the game’s ambitious themes are never fully explored or resolved.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Gameplay Loops

Don’t Forget Me blends text-based puzzles with point-and-click exploration, creating a hybrid gameplay experience that is both innovative and flawed. The game’s primary mechanic involves entering the memories of clients by inputting keywords into a text-based interface. This system is inspired by Her Story, but with a more linear progression that reduces the sense of discovery and agency.

The text-based puzzles require players to input specific keywords to unlock memory “bubbles,” which contain snippets of dialogue or visuals. These puzzles are often frustrating due to their reliance on exact word matches and the lack of a log or hint system. Players are frequently forced to guess and check, leading to a tedious and unengaging experience.

Combat and Character Progression

There is no traditional combat in Don’t Forget Me, as the game focuses entirely on narrative and puzzle-solving. Character progression is similarly absent, as the game does not feature any skill trees or inventory management systems. The lack of meaningful progression mechanics is a significant weakness, as it fails to provide players with a sense of accomplishment or investment in the game world.

User Interface and Accessibility

The game’s user interface is clean and functional, but it suffers from a lack of accessibility options. The default font is difficult to read, and there are no options to adjust text size or color. The controls are clunky, particularly during exploration sequences, where players must navigate using keyboard controls without the benefit of a mouse.

Innovative and Flawed Systems

One of the game’s most innovative mechanics is the ability to delete memories, which allows players to physically explore the memories of clients in a point-and-click adventure style. These sequences are the most engaging in the game, offering a welcome break from the text-based puzzles. However, they are too few and far between, leaving players to contend with the game’s more tedious mechanics for the majority of the experience.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting and Atmosphere

Don’t Forget Me is set in a cyberpunk world that is both familiar and alien. The game’s pixel art style is visually appealing, with intricate details that bring the world to life. The cityscapes are rendered with a neon-lit aesthetic that evokes classic cyberpunk tropes, while the interiors of the memory clinic and other locations are equally detailed and atmospheric.

The game’s sound design is equally impressive, with a jazz and synthwave soundtrack that complements the cyberpunk setting. The music is used effectively to create a sense of immersion, particularly during the memory sequences, where the soundtrack shifts to reflect the emotional tone of the scene.

Visual Direction

The game’s visual direction is one of its strongest aspects, with a pixel art style that is both retro and modern. The character designs are expressive and distinctive, and the environments are richly detailed. The use of glitch effects during memory sequences is particularly effective, creating a sense of unease and disorientation that enhances the game’s themes.

Sound Design

The sound design in Don’t Forget Me is excellent, with a soundtrack that blends jazz and synthwave to create a unique and immersive atmosphere. The ambient sounds are equally well-crafted, with subtle details that bring the game world to life. The voice acting is generally good, although the localization issues detract from the overall experience.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical and Commercial Reception

Don’t Forget Me received mixed reviews upon its release, with critics praising its ambitious themes and innovative mechanics while criticizing its flawed execution. The game’s average critic score was 68%, reflecting a consensus that it had promising ideas but failed to fully realize its potential.

The game’s commercial performance was similarly mixed, with a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam but relatively low sales figures. The game’s short length and abrupt ending were particular points of criticism, with many players feeling that the experience was rushed and incomplete.

Influence on Subsequent Games

Despite its mixed reception, Don’t Forget Me has had a lasting influence on the adventure game genre. Its exploration of memory manipulation and ethical dilemmas has inspired subsequent titles, and its hybrid gameplay mechanics have been adopted by other developers seeking to blend text-based puzzles with point-and-click adventure elements.

The game’s legacy is also tied to its themes, which remain relevant in an era of increasing concern about privacy, surveillance, and the ethical implications of technology. Don’t Forget Me may not have achieved the critical or commercial success of its inspirations, but its exploration of these themes has contributed to a broader cultural conversation about the future of human identity in a digital age.

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Conclusion

Don’t Forget Me is a game of contradictions. It dares to ask profound questions about memory, identity, and the ethical dilemmas of a future where technology can manipulate the very essence of human experience. However, its ambitious themes are undermined by a rushed narrative, flawed localization, and a puzzling system that often feels more tedious than engaging.

The game’s strengths lie in its exploration of personal stories and its innovative blend of text-based puzzles with point-and-click adventure mechanics. Its pixel art style and sound design are equally impressive, creating a visually and aurally immersive experience. However, these strengths are overshadowed by the game’s numerous weaknesses, including its abrupt ending, clunky controls, and lack of meaningful progression mechanics.

In the end, Don’t Forget Me is a game that is easy to admire but difficult to recommend. Its ambitious themes and innovative mechanics are undeniably compelling, but its flawed execution leaves players feeling cheated. For fans of narrative-driven adventure games, Don’t Forget Me may offer a few moments of genuine insight and emotional resonance, but its shortcomings are too significant to overlook.

As a professional game journalist and historian, I would give Don’t Forget Me a score of 6.5/10. It is a game that is worth experiencing for its ambitious themes and innovative mechanics, but its flaws are too significant to ignore. Don’t Forget Me may not be a classic, but it is a game that deserves to be remembered for its contributions to the adventure game genre and its exploration of the ethical dilemmas of a digital age.