11-11 Memories Retold

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 249 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
11-11 Memories Retold Game Cover
Spending the evening of Armistice Day playing 11-11: Memories Retold – a moving narrative-driven game about the first World War – couldn’t have been more apt really.
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"11-11 Memories Retold" is a narrative-driven adventure game that explores the lives of two soldiers during World War I. Navigate the war-torn landscapes of the Western Front as you uncover their individual stories, and experience the emotional impact of war. This game features stunning visuals and a moving orchestral score, immersing you in a poignant and unforgettable journey.

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Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 249 reviews
story125 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautiful and unique art style that resembles impressionist paintings, enhancing the emotional experience.
  • The story is engaging and thought-provoking, providing a poignant look at the human side of World War I through the perspectives of two characters from opposing sides.
  • The voice acting, particularly by Elijah Wood, adds depth to the characters and helps convey the emotional weight of the narrative.
  • The gameplay can feel simplistic and lacks challenge, often reducing to walking and collecting items rather than engaging mechanics.
  • Some players found the art style made it difficult to distinguish important objects and collectibles, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • The narrative can become predictable and at times veers into melodrama, which may detract from the overall impact of the story.
  • story295 mentions

    The game's story is a poignant exploration of World War I, told through the intertwined narratives of a Canadian photographer and a German soldier, highlighting the human experiences behind the conflict. While some players found the plot engaging and emotionally impactful, others criticized it for being overly fantastical or riddled with inconsistencies. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, complemented by strong voice acting and a unique art style, though some felt it could have benefited from a more focused narrative approach.

    • “This is a beautiful story, giving some unreal feeling for its coincidences, yet still very real with all its controversy.”
    • “The story is touching, showing the human side to the inhuman atrocity of war.”
    • “11-11 Memories Retold has a gripping story set in the trenches of World War I, that combines with the stunning art style, making this a truly unique game.”
    • “I expected the main story to be realistic, but they went too far in their imaginations and mixed things that do not make sense at all!”
    • “The gameplay mechanic is rarely used (most of the attention is given to the story), the story itself is extremely weak and riddled with more plot holes than Swiss cheese.”
    • “Unfortunately, while the story starts off strong, I felt it started to feel flat towards the end as the game takes a more fantastical approach after the two main characters meet each other and form a friendship.”
  • graphics136 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique impressionist art style that evokes a painterly aesthetic, often likened to oil paintings. While many players find the visuals stunning and immersive, some critique the style for making it difficult to discern details and collectibles, leading to mixed opinions on its effectiveness. Overall, the art direction is praised for its originality and emotional resonance, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.

    • “This game is gorgeous, using a photo/painting-like art style throughout the entire narrative.”
    • “The visuals were unique, stunning, and fit the atmosphere of the game very well.”
    • “The impressionist visual style is great, and it comes across better when you are by a river, or in Paris, or at a field of poppies, or during the flying sections that exist with the sole purpose of displaying such visuals.”
    • “The graphics are stylish, trying to make everything look like an oil painting is a neat idea, but doesn't work very well in my opinion.”
    • “The impressionist art style is pretty but at times can make it a bit hard to notice or distinguish collectibles.”
    • “The gameplay mechanic is rarely used (most of the attention is given to the story), the story itself is extremely weak and riddled with more plot holes than Swiss cheese, and the impressionist art style might look pretty for the first ten minutes, but becomes a huge eye-strain for the rest of the gameplay.”
  • gameplay60 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal mechanics, focusing heavily on storytelling and atmosphere rather than action or complex interactions. Players engage in simple tasks like collecting items, solving light puzzles, and experiencing character-driven narratives, but many find the gameplay dull and uninspired, often detracting from the emotional weight of the story. While the visuals and narrative are praised, the overall gameplay experience is seen as lacking depth and innovation.

    • “The gameplay is smooth and the story is engaging, with a very important moral lesson about war and loss.”
    • “There were some gameplay elements that were very satisfying and added to the experience; switching between characters for puzzles made it feel more like these people were working together.”
    • “Compared to most narrative-led games, this has a bit more gameplay mechanics in the form of taking photos, doing simple puzzles, exploration, and some very simple movement/stealth-based action sequences.”
    • “Dull, frustrating scavenger-hunt gameplay and slow pacing can't distract from a stunning visual approach that delivers achingly beautiful vistas and blasted wastelands alike, with some thoughtful character writing and narrative turns.”
    • “The gameplay is somewhat spiced up with slight reaction and sneaking sections, but the movement is too clumsy and imprecise to really work out here.”
    • “The problem however is that the game is too much about its story and too little about gameplay.”
  • emotional41 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting its touching and heartfelt storyline, exceptional voice acting, and the ability to evoke deep feelings related to the human experience of war. Players appreciate the game's unique art style and music, which enhance the emotional journey, while the multiple endings add depth to the narrative. Overall, it is described as a powerful and moving experience that resonates with players long after they finish the game.

    • “The game itself was an emotional ride; it's about a horrible war, so not exactly enjoyable but moving and at times inspiring.”
    • “The story is touching, showing the human side to the inhuman atrocity of war.”
    • “An absolutely incredible and emotional story about the terrors of the Great War.”
  • music33 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional orchestral soundtrack that enhances immersion and complements the beautiful art style. Composed by Olivier Deriviere, the soundtrack is described as integral to the game's emotional impact, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players. Overall, the music stands out as one of the game's strongest elements, contributing significantly to the storytelling experience.

    • “The orchestral soundtrack is exceptional and helps to create the right atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack by Olivier Deriviere is fantastic: actual war movies don't have music such as this.”
    • “Without this music, the whole game would be empty.”
    • “The only downside is that they don't have the soundtrack for sale on Steam!”
    • “The music is very beautiful.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and exceptional orchestral soundtrack, which together create a deeply immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the impactful storytelling and the thoughtful integration of historical elements, enhancing the overall ambiance and emotional depth of the game. Despite its simplistic gameplay, the atmospheric narrative and artistic presentation contribute significantly to its appeal.

    • “Overall, I found it to be a short but impactful game that excels in storytelling and atmosphere, despite its simplistic walking simulator gameplay.”
    • “The visuals were unique, stunning, and fit the atmosphere of the game very well.”
    • “The orchestral soundtrack is exceptional and helps to create the right atmosphere.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing crashes and performance issues that hindered their enjoyment. While the storytelling and voice performances were praised, the technical execution left much to be desired, impacting the overall experience for many users. Despite these challenges, some players still found value in the game's emotional depth and narrative.

    • “An experience that will stick with you for a while, it adds to the year 2018 more depth in gaming history for me. I admire a lot of its aspects even with simple graphics, as others might say. I enjoyed it a lot and highly recommend it to a certain class of gamers who cherish a touching storytelling experience with a heartwarming performance from even the smallest team member or role in the making of this masterpiece. While a bit short, it still entertained me and I won't hesitate to replay it in the years to come.”
    • “I loved being able to experience the story on two opposing sides of the conflict, and the performances were well-done the entire way through.”
    • “Also, the performances by Elijah Wood and Sebastian Koch are breathtaking.”
    • “It's not to convey some kind of point about morality or loss because it doesn't convey any such thing beyond 'it's bad when someone you care about dies, and also killing is bad.' The point is certainly not to tell a good story, because this game only tells an increasingly preposterous and incompetent story that needed any number of rewrites but didn't get them.”
    • “One of the main characters is completely undermined by a school play-caliber voice performance from Elijah Wood, who must literally have phoned it in because at no point was he ever within 100 miles of a director.”
    • “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the game offers multiple endings, a variety of collectibles, and unlockable achievements, all of which contribute to its strong replayability. The engaging exploration further enhances the incentive to replay, allowing players to experience different outcomes and discover new content.

    • “There are several different endings to the story, which, along with more collectibles to be found and other achievements to be unlocked, adds significant replay value.”
    • “The exploration is engaging, and the replay value is enhanced by all the different endings available.”
    • “There must be several different endings to the story, which, along with more collectibles to be found and other achievements to be unlocked, should make for some replay value.”
    • “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game suffers from stability issues, with players experiencing bugs that necessitate reloading checkpoints to progress. Additionally, some users reported janky controls, though there is a possibility that these issues may stem from individual installations rather than the game itself.

    • “It is buggy and made me reload checkpoints twice just so I could progress.”
    • “My only gripe is the controls; they felt janky and sometimes buggy - although that could've been due to my own installation and not the game's fault.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The unique art style effectively supports the storytelling and character development by prioritizing charm over realism, allowing for a more budget-friendly approach that enhances the overall narrative experience.

    • “The art style is very unique and covers a multitude of sins, allowing the developers to keep the budget down by not needing realism. This focus on story and character development is quite charming.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

Buy 11-11 Memories Retold

Play time

14hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-17hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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