As a seasoned gamer and critic with a soft spot for cyberpunk narratives, I’ve played my fair share of games that promise to deliver a gripping story set in a dystopian future. However, few have managed to capture my heart like Read Only Memories: Neurodiver.
Cyberpunk stories, known for their innovative spirit, frequently reveal that the imagined future may succumb to the same flaws as our present. Read Only Memories: Neurodiver, in keeping with this theme, tells a moving story about fresh starts and personal growth amidst the oppressive forces of capitalism and otherness within its universe.
Luna Cruz, also known as ES88, finds herself swiftly immersed in the role of protagonist at MINERVA. MINERVA appears to be a simple science and data archival organization from an outside perspective. However, beneath the surface, this team is dedicated to investigating psychic abilities with unyielding determination and will travel great lengths to achieve their objectives.
Born with a unique genetic trait, ES88, who is an Esper, has golden eyes and blood, and an extraordinary ability to read and understand other people’s thoughts. In partnership with the Neurodiver, a sentient artificial being resembling a cuttlefish, ES88 possesses the power to delve into a person’s mind and recover lost memories. Her work is invaluable, especially when it comes to addressing conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
1. A significant aspect of ES88’s role involves piecing together shattered memories, a skill she demonstrates proficiently from the start. However, many of her tasks lack excitement, and she’s frequently assigned tedious chores such as reminding her colleague about his forgotten password. Despite their monotony, these tasks offer an insightful introduction to ES88 as a character. She’s charismatic and often implicit, allowing her expressive facial animations to convey her thoughts effectively.
Until she’s given the case of the Golden Butterfly, she has been able to hide as a villain in people’s minds, making them forget and leaving them in a state of misery and confusion.
In terms of gameplay, reconstructing memories involves ES88 delving into the depths of the memory and searching for hints. These shattered memories are conveyed through intense feelings and frequently lack coherence. For instance, one of the earliest memories you unravel is depicted by a baby in a diaper tending bar. While this may seem routine in Birmingham, here it functions as a signal from the game that an issue requires resolution.
As a gamer, I’ve discovered that in Neurodiver, I can only mend fragments once I’ve uncovered the essential hints. These clues aren’t difficult to come by, but as you delve deeper into the game, they become more intricate and demanding to decipher than before. Initially, I was hesitant about this puzzle-solving aspect due to my disinterest in puzzles. However, I’ve found that these clues are straightforward, and keeping a keen eye on the story will help you intuitively guess which ones to employ. That being said, it can be frustrating to meticulously comb through every location with your mouse, searching for the elusive clue you might have overlooked. But as they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease – so be thorough and reap the rewards!
2064 Neurodiver shares a similarity with its predecessor, 2064 Read Only Memories, by being set in an intriguing world that mirrors the contemporary era, making it enjoyable to traverse and uncover. Many of the memories you unearth touch on issues such as whether controlling android bodies by the government is justified or not, or if standing up peacefully against oppressors who seek your demise is sufficient. Given my identity as a queer individual living in an era where governments strive to complicate the lives of transgender people, these scenarios resonate poignantly. Although these moments may not always be tactful or subtle, it’s gratifying to engage with a game that tackles such subjects head-on.
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Neurodiver’s story doesn’t dwell on the injustices it encounters, but rather highlights the brighter aspects of some of its sadder character narratives. It doesn’t eliminate the negative experiences, but through the unique lens of ES88 – who has spent her entire life confined to a corporate office and thus is naive to the ways of the world outside – we can observe how each encounter with Golden in the recollections of these individuals impacts her perspective.
It’s fortunate that ES88 doesn’t work alone in her investigation. She is accompanied by individuals such as TRACE, a knowledgeable information expert, and FORTUNA, who holds a significant position within MINERVA. The interactions between ES88 and these characters are intriguing, but none compare to the bond she shares with GATE. GATE is an android and security specialist who takes care of both ES88 and the Neurodiver, offering support during tense situations throughout the game. Whether ES88’s feelings for GATE deepen beyond a simple crush is left to the player’s choice, but this potential romance certainly adds an engaging layer to the Neurodiver’s narrative.
For enthusiasts of the earlier game, 2064: Read Only Memories, it’s great news that several familiar faces make an appearance once more. As a supporter, I was thrilled to come across figures like Lexi Rivers again. However, I couldn’t help but feel that her presence could have just as well been filled by someone else, since her involvement in the Golden Butterfly investigation was rather insignificant and infrequent. At times, it even hindered the burgeoning conflict between Golden and ES88.
My main issue with Neurodiver is the inconsistent pacing. The narrative is frequently disrupted by typos and spelling errors, pulling me out of the story. Additionally, ES88’s relationships outside of GATE aren’t fully developed, preventing the story from reaching its full potential. Sadly, just as I was becoming engaged with the plot, it suddenly ends in a way that feels abrupt and unearned. The twist revealing Golden’s identity is surprising but leaves little time for reflection before the story concludes abruptly.
ES88 frequently sets aside her own struggles to help others, leading to the tension between her and Golden not fully developing. As a result, the resolution feels underwhelming rather than climactic, despite her longing for a romantic relationship with GATE and her aspiration to become a magical savior of the world.
Despite its uneven tempo, Read Only Memories: Neurodiver remains a heartfelt tribute to the allure of cyberpunk: the gritty setting notwithstanding, it reveals authentic emotions and human connections among ordinary individuals and their narratives. If you’re in search of such a story, look no further than this game.
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2024-07-30 14:11