Hot off the heels of my coverage of Ludonarracon, I was in quite the mood for adventure/narrative titles. Thankfully, I received a key for Don’t Forget Me, which I more than welcomed (especially after having the time of my life with similar game Before Your Eyes). Immediately, I was drawn in with the eye-popping pixel art capturing a living, breathing jazzpunk environment. It is a true feast for the eyes. So, how unforgettable is the story within Don’t Forget Me?

Arriving at the doorstep of a clinic is Fran, a young woman with no memory at all. She is welcomed in by Bernard, the owner of the clinic, and is allowed to stay there so long as she assists in his work. What does he do? He manages to tap into his patient’s memories to create a carbon copy of them, leaving a specific time in a physical capsule forever. As such, the most treasured/integral moments of one’s life can be preserved, hence the name of the game.

Gameplay consists of Fran delving into willing patient’s minds to troubleshoot Bernard’s work when he’s in a pinch. You will have to find the key part of the memory blockage by typing the hidden keyword in what Bernard presents. Often, there are multiple “right” answers that can lead down several paths, giving further exposition and background to the patient’s memory. Completionists will want to find all possible paths, which isn’t too much of a challenge if you’re able to locate the right nouns/pronouns that Bernard hints towards.

When not in the memory procedure, you control Fran’s dialogue choices throughout Don’t Forget Me. Typically a contentious point for adventure gamers, they’ll be pleased to hear that the choices are wildly different from one another, and very much influence the outcome of the ending. It’s often that “choices matter” games don’t have a significant bearing on the final point of a title, but there are multiple endings to see. Each ending is solely based on key moments that stem from the player’s decisions.

Unfortunately, after a brief two hours my adventure was over. Like most short-form games, it’s packed to the brim with engaging content and little to no filler, but I’m left wanting more. My initial ending felt like a flash in the pan. It was not rushed, but lacked an emotional punch necessary to stick with me in my thoughts for ages like the genre’s classics. Nevertheless, it’s still a thrill ride from start to finish with a breakneck pace and plenty of memorable moments.

Even with a lackluster ending, I found myself enjoying the majority of Don’t Forget Me. Its art made the pixel enthusiast in me satisfied and it was a stellar one-sitting experience. The game currently sits at a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, with most ire also drawn towards the ending and briefness of the adventure. Still, at a cheap $14.99, I’d say those interested in the genre will have a great time with Don’t Forget Me and will have it for a steal whenever it eventually goes on sale!

A PC Review Copy of Don’t Forget Me was provided by The Moon Pirates For this Review.

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Don't Forget Me

$14.99

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Compelling Narrative
• Clever Game Mechanic
• Fantastic Pixel Art

Cons

• Grammar/Spelling Mistakes
• Lackadaisical Ending