Bright Memory Reviews

Bright Memory is ranked in the 14th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Lee Mehr
Top Critic
4 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2020

FTQD Studio's first outing is a playful shooter/slasher hybrid that's far too finite to feel worth its retail price.

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4 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2020

Those who decide to spend some time with the title will not be disappointed as long as they know what to expect. Otherwise, those who are really thirsty for titles to enjoy the new generation, can definitely check this one out.

Review in Greek | Read full review

4 / 10.0
Nov 25, 2020

Bright Memory shouldn’t be played; it’s just not ready. The one-person developed action is a decent concept, but it should have been released as a demo in anticipation for Bright Memory: Infinite. The Xbox Series X version adds nothing to the experience, but if you’re eager to spend an hour mindlessly shooting enemies and rolling your eyes, then, by all means, pick this up.

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4 / 10.0
Nov 23, 2020

"It's not very good overall, but it's fun"

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4 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2020

Bright Memory is a profoundly bland experience riddled with hints that the game was never meant to be played anywhere but PC.

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Dec 12, 2020

Bright Memory for Xbox Series X|S is an extremely unoptimized and poorly polished launch title. However, the future looks bright for the game. The foundation for something truly special is there.

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5 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2020

Although Bright Memory is utter nonsense, in a good way, it is still just a gloried tech-demo

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5 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2020

Plagued with a plethora of issues, but still occasionally fun, Bright Memory is one of the most confusing games I've played in some time.

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5 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2020

Bright Memory is a short, janky blast of fun that almost makes up for in ambition what it lacks in execution.

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5 / 10
Nov 9, 2020

Bright Memory is a rare good-bad game that's enjoyable partly because of its oddities and flaws, but there's signs that its sequel Bright Memory Infinite could actually just be good.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
5 / 10
Nov 11, 2020

One of the few games that can accurately be described as so bad it's good, with a gleefully bizarre mix of bad voice-acting, appalling console optimisation, and surprisingly decent gunplay.

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53 / 100
Nov 11, 2020

The technical razzle-dazzle and the interesting gameplay proposal can't hide a flawed, graphically simple experience. Although it feels poor at the moment, it has the potential to become something really better.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

5.5 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2020

The fact this was accomplished form a single person is enough to be impressed by. As a tech demo, this is spectacular, however, this is being sold as a game for $8 on the MS store, and it is not worth the asking price. Playing this did get me more interested for the upcoming Bright Memory Infinite, but be aware that you’re paying for a 30 minute teaser.

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55 / 100
Nov 18, 2020

Bright Memory is a very, very short game. I played through it twice, each time the total game time was between 30-40 minutes in length. There isn’t a lot of reason to replay the short campaign either, save for earning Achievements – they even included an Achievement for finishing the game three times. You can dress Shelia up in four different costumes, including the ever-popular school girl outfit, but you really only see them during cutscenes. The game hits a lot of high notes visually, but some design choices, like the bizarre water drop issue and the screen tearing issues, detract from the overall presentation.

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
5.5 / 10.0
Nov 10, 2020

Bright Memory isn't inherently bad, but it feels like a demo for a game that promises to be bigger and better. In addition to that, it's not the best showcase for the new features of the Xbox Series X|S. Regardless, it's a fun romp, but you shouldn't go in expecting this to feel like a full-fat action shooter, because it's not that, not yet.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2020

The prologue to Bright Memory: Infinite arrives on Xbox Series X to represent one of the few exclusive experiences available at launch. We are aware that we cannot evaluate this experiment in the same way as a triple A production but we have noticed too many critical issues to be able to go beyond a stretched sufficiency.

Review in Italian | Read full review

6 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2020

While Bright Memory isn’t going to win any awards, it’s still a pretty commendable effort from FYQD. The trailer for the remake looks promising, as it seems to already address some of the issues in the original game. Looks can be deceiving, but we’ll still keep an eye on Infinite to see if it can change our minds. As for this entry, it’s not a terrible experience for $8, but it’s not exactly one we recommend.

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Nov 10, 2020

While there are plenty of rough edges and frustrations here, these are all somewhat balanced out by the cost of Bright Memory on Xbox Series X; AU$11.95.

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VGN
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2020

However short, Bright Memory lets you glimpse its capabilities but does not have time to apply itself thoroughly given its brevity. Many clever ideas, weapons at a distance and melee, environmental puzzles, quasi-platform phases and huge bosses to face give hope for the future of this "one-man saga". It brings home sufficiency, which wants to be not only an encouragement but also a recognition of a promising future and a product that, despite being quite short, is playable and fun.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Heavy
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Nov 10, 2020

As a playable teaser for Bright Memory: Infinite, Bright Memory sadly underwhelms. Some of its default control methods feel unwieldy, your foes take far too much damage to put down, and the completion time tied to it is extremely short. While its combat mechanics and graphical output shine, the litany of issues present within Bright Memory will keep you from enjoying yourself for too long. Here’s hoping that Bright Memory: Infinite irons out all the kinks and realizes its full potential in 2021. You might be better off watching a playthrough of this teaser and waiting for the full release instead of ruining your hype for it by playing this disappointing first episode.

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