Amnesia Memories – by BijouxDemon
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Idea Factory, Design Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Release Date: Aug 25, 2015
What I absolutely love is that visual novels are becoming more popular in America. More of these games are being localized and translated for the fan base to enjoy, and it grows with every new VN that comes out. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of getting the chance to try a VN that I’ve been wanting to play for quite a while. Amnesia: Memories is an otome (female protagonist/multiple male love interests) VN.
The story starts off with you, the heroine, encountering a spirit by the name of Orion who is trapped within your mind. All of your memories have disappeared due to a specific incident which also cannot be recollected. Until your memories are restored, Orion and the main character are trapped together. During the intro, you pick between 4 cards, each based around the houses from a deck of cards. Once chosen, you have to reclaim your memories without letting anyone know that you have amnesia, nor that you have a spirit linked to you. If you raise too much suspicion in the game through your choices, you can be sent to a hospital which stops your investigations and ends the game. From choosing between the 4 card houses, you have 4 possible love interests linked to the suits. A fifth option does appear, known as the Joker card, but it is only unlockable through getting a good ending with the other 4 story lines.
The game’s story has honestly surprised me. I feel as if otome games aren’t really given a lot of love and it’s rare for the good ones to get localized. The story immerses you and makes you invested in its characters, their pasts, their emotions, and their connections with you as the main character. Though I do have one thing to bring up about one of the story paths. I won’t spoil or give away too much, but it does involve kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome. While it is more of a common story trope used in Japanese stories and manga, in other places it may be disconcerting. To those put off by things like this, you may want to be a bit cautious when pursuing the paths in the game. Aside from that, the other paths follow very similar tropes in anime/manga, and though they may seem a bit either empty or lackluster at first, build up through experiencing the story and pursuing the protagonist’s memories.
Graphically, I couldn’t praise this game any higher. From the character’s designs, to the color schemes and soft backgrounds, this game is absolutely beautiful! I adore every aspect, and the scenes during special events in the story are beautifully illustrated. I give the soundtrack high praise as well. It’s so well done, and is fitting with all the moods and settings, and helps immerse you into the story and characters. All of the characters are fully voiced in Japanese with wonderful inflection. Sadly, the main character isn’t voice acted at all, I was hoping for at least a few spoken lines.
Truly, Amnesia: Memories is a fantastic VN that any person who is a fan of the genre will enjoy. Aside from one story touching on a rough subject, it still is a very enjoyable game. I hope that steam continues its pattern of green lighting more localized VNs, especially ones from the otome genre. You can pick it up now on steam for $29.99 and I can definitely say this game is worth the price.
Pros:
- Great design and artwork
- Fully voiced (In Japanese)
- Lengthy story content
- Plenty of story endings dependent on your choices
- Fantastic Soundtrack
Cons:
- Main character has no voice lines
- Some parts, based on the path you take, have some very dark events
- Reference to Stockholm syndrome/kidnapping
Recommendation: It’s a great VN, especially if you’re into otome games. Definitely give it a shot!
BijouxDemon gives Amnesia: Memories a Drastik Measure 9 out of 10 (90).
