A Memoir Blue Reviews
This will probably be held up as anti-intellectual in some way, or part of the crowd who scream every time they see a "walking simulator" (a grossly reductive label), but really, this just isn't good art. Of course that's subjective and sure, maybe you'll be profoundly moved in a way that we didn't experience, but we'd wager it's unlikely. It's a game that seems to coast along and then just... fizzle out with no major revelation or real hook. What's a generous word for that? Meditative. It's meditative. Really meditative. Sort of like... sleeping
However, while A Memoir Blue has all the characteristics of a low-key hit–and certainly offers enough for a lot of players who like interaction-light experiences–the sum of its parts doesn’t quite match its intriguing concept, and you may leave it feeling a little empty, with few memories of the memoir.
A Memoir Blue is a short, touching, interactive adventure about a complex mother-daughter relationship. It's a very interesting sensorial experience which translates memory mechanisms into gameplay, even if interaction sometimes feels a bit too driven. Anyway, Miriam story on the memory lane is authentic, mature and compelling.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A Memoir Blue is over before you know it, so it doesn't quite earn a gold medal. However, for a debut effort, this is a solid outing for Cloisters Interactive, one worth dipping your toes in.
An Olympic swimmer explores the roots of her compulsion to succeed in this dreamlike 'interactive poem'
Overall, even with these limitations A Memoir Blue excels at its core purpose. Its poetic story choices and at times beautiful combination of visual and sound design elements make it an intoxicating blend for players who want something a little more cerebral. It's not the most taxing game for those after an interactive experience, and its short run time may leave some players a little disappointed that it's over so fast, but it successfully completes the goals that it aims for.
A Memoir Blue has a beautiful, varied visual style, emotionally resonant music, and a sincere — if not terribly deep — narrative. The changing and mysterious relationship of parents and children is relatable. It’s a wonderful story to experience, told via haunting, surreal images. Where A Memoir Blue collapses is in its arbitrary and often unnecessary game mechanics. I get that the main character is trying to make sense of her puzzle-like memories. Pixel hunting and awkward object manipulation don’t make me feel invested or immersed. I’d argue they work against it. A Memoir Blue could and should have been a touching short animated film.
Like most art, A Memoir Blue has its fair share of flaws. However, like art, it has you thinking about its strengths and intentions instead of its mechanics. A Memoir Blue succeeds more than it falters, and everyone needs to give this game their time.
A Memoir Blue is a strange video game. A story closely linked to the aquatic element that wants to tell the memory of a unique relationship as it can be what there is between mother and daughter, deep as the sea and stormy as the stormy ocean.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If we lose our memory, we are left adrift from a foreign world, and games like A Memoir Blue reveal the mental capacity to which we resort the most, and to which we demand the greatest effort, through a videoludic work in which we recover images and scenarios from the past, preserving our experiences and emotions, and elaborating a personal story.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A Memoir Blue is an interesting, emotional journey with a great atmosphere to go alongside it. Even though the story demands a little more time, the journey is worth it.
Ultimately, A Memoir Blue isn’t necessarily going to revolutionize video game storytelling. It is a fairly simple story of mother-daughter reconciliation, after all. However, it tells that story with an extremely thoughtful blend of 3D and 2D visuals that are densely packed with additional meaning. A Memoir Blue is in every sense a finely crafted piece of art, and that’s a pretty good way to start a new game studio.
A Memoir Blue is an interesting case study for where the future of indie games may be heading within the next 5 years. While both visually striking with a seemingly simple narrative core, A Memoir Blue is able to deliver an experience that evokes emotional sympathy and combines its game concepts directly with its themes of family and estrangement. Despite being a short experience with limited opportunities for interesting gameplay scenarios, I sense this is only the beginning of an exciting style of video games.
A Memoir Blue’s aspirations as an interactive poem feel undone by shallow execution.
There’s plenty of space for engaging narratives that don’t rely on traditional gameplay and opportunities to craft smaller tales. A Memoir Blue manages both very well in the process of pulling at the heart strings in just the right way.
Don't call it a walking simulator: A Memoir Blue is a poetical tale of a mother and her daughter. Through it's not a perfect game, A Memoir Blue is a simple and intense adventure that makes you overcome all its flaws. Although we've seen such its type tale one million times, A Memoir Blue retells it in a sincere and autobiographical manner, which makes the game worth playing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There’s a lot to praise about A Memoir Blue. It looks and sounds beautiful, and feels almost experimental in its design – it’s always a joy to see small developers trying something new. But it does leave a little to be desired; its short narrative fails to deliver any real punch, and when the credits roll you may be left thinking “…is that it?”. But considering its small asking price, we can’t really complain. If you enjoy narrative-led journeys, particularly those that deal in human emotion, A Memoir Blue is worth picking up.
While paying 8 dollars for only an hour of gameplay experience might not be for everybody, if you appreciate top notch story telling then A Memoir Blue could very well worth your money.
Review in Persian | Read full review
If you love Florance, you'll definitely like A Memoir Blue. It's a pleasant, very personal story that may not pull you out of your shoes, but it will definitely enrich your day.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A short and personal story, wrapped in the form of an interactive poem - touching, graceful and emotional.
Review in Russian | Read full review