Best Of The PS+ Bunch: October 2018 – 2064: Read Only Memories

2064 rom

Before downloading the monthly PlayStation Plus offerings, I have a general idea of which game I will gravitate towards. Not that I don’t approach all of the games offered with an open mind, but the AAA games provided often overshadow the lesser-known cross-buy titles. Until this month, that is. I prefer single-player experiences, and as both Friday The 13th: The Game and Laser League are multiplayer focused, I decided to browse the cross-buy offerings before making this month’s pick.

I stumbled upon the indie gem 2064: Read Only Memories, and despite lacking a boisterous AAA experience, it excels in providing fantastic writing and self-aware humor.

Developed by Midboss, 2064: Read Only Memories is a cyberpunk point and click adventure set in a future rendition of Neo-San Francisco. You play a struggling journalist trying to make it in a society that is rife with contention regarding technology and how it is molding and forever altering society. Breaking the monotony of your daily life, a sapient robot named Turing appears in your apartment requesting you aid him in tracking down a kidnapped acquaintance of yours.

2064: Read Only Memories

In traditional point and click fashion, gameplay consists of visiting various locations and interacting with objects and characters to uncover clues concerning your quest. What initially stands out about 2064 is its intrinsic ability to make the player hang on to every single line of dialogue. Featuring some of the wittiest self-aware writing that is evocative of games such as Earthbound and Monkey Island, 2064 brings a modern flair to the point and click genre. Incredibly detailed and playful text pokes fun at the player, but also breaks the fourth wall at times by addressing society norms of our world. But more importantly than providing laughs, every piece of dialogue or text has meaning attached to it. It is deliberate in what it wants to convey to the player and is tied explicitly to items and characters.

For example, if you try to issue an action with an item that doesn’t make sense, instead of a generic message saying “it doesn’t do anything” the game opts for a more personalized response, such as, “I don’t think talking to the plant is going to yield the result you want it to.” This influenced me to interact with every item or point of interest in environments to uncover these humor-laced moments.

2064: Read Only Memories

Outside of the detective mystery, 2064: Read Only Memories’ plot address numerous qualms it has with our own world’s politics. Groups of protestors stand outside modification centers, holding signs that read “PURE” amongst other messaging attempting to deter those looking to take on changes. Intolerance and bigotry towards those who are different, as well as the subservient role robots play in society is a significant focal point of its story. The parallels to our world are apparent, and ultimately these moments help to make the point and click world of 2064 feel like a living place.

To my delight, much of the excellent dialogue is fully voice acted,with each voice actor bringing a flare to their muse further building a connection with the player. Turing in particular, voice acted by Melissa Hutchison, is a sidekick the player can’t help but form a big brother relationship with due to his smart-aleck nature and childlike mannerisms. The voice acting not only elevates the entire experience but demands the player’s complete attention. Had the game been a text-only affair, the fantastic writing and humor would have remained, but the voice acting compliments it so much that it bolsters the entire experience.

2064: Read Only Memories

2064: Read Only Memories’ entire aesthetic is reminiscent of 16-bit era games, not only from its pixelated graphical style, but furthering the nostalgia trip its soundtrack evokes. Its bubbly SNES era soundtrack is equal parts relaxing and exciting. A mix of techno beats with JRPG “town music” being a perfect pairing that brings some life to the point and click environments. The soundtrack is as responsible for selling the futuristic setting as its backdrops are.

As someone who is not overly fond of point and click adventure games, 2064: Read Only Memories’ use of humor and smartly crafted dialogue wholeheartedly won me over. Creating charming characters who entertain through what they say rather than what they do, makes for a level of engagement I seldom associate with the genre. By making the world and dialogue feel reactionary to the player’s actions, there was a connection that I had never experienced since the original Monkey Island. In a month when PlayStation Plus’ AAA offerings were severely lacking, a lesser known gem was there to save the day.

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