11-11 Memories Retold
- November 9, 2018
- Digixart
- 14h median play time
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.
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- 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 and Sebastian Koch, is outstanding and adds depth to the characters and their emotional journeys.
- The gameplay is simplistic and often feels like a walking simulator, with minimal interaction and repetitive tasks that can detract from the overall experience.
- Some players found the collectibles frustrating to locate, as they are often hidden and can interrupt the flow of the narrative.
- The story can become unrealistic at times, with certain plot points feeling contrived or overly sentimental, which may not resonate with all players.
- story601 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "11-11: Memories Retold" 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 and riddled with inconsistencies, detracting from its realism. Overall, the game is praised for its unique art style and strong voice performances, particularly from Elijah Wood, making it a compelling choice for those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences.
“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 makes 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!”
“They try to show the horror of war but they never really try hard enough so a lot of the story feels happy when it really shouldn't or the vibes are just off for what's really happening.”
“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.”
- graphics277 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique impressionist art style that evokes a painterly aesthetic, often likened to walking through a living oil painting. While many players appreciate the stunning visuals and how they enhance the storytelling, some find the blurry textures and difficulty in distinguishing objects a drawback. Overall, the art style is a polarizing yet integral aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its emotional impact and atmosphere.
“This game is gorgeous, using a photo/painting-like art style throughout the entire narrative.”
“What sets this game apart, however, is the truly gorgeous impressionist artwork.”
“The graphics take a little getting used to (impressionist art style) but grew on me and added to the game's originality and charm, the voice acting is also very good.”
“Graphics-wise, the developer decided on an oil-painting look, 'a unique painterly style', surely beautiful, but at the same time frustrating because it results in blurry textures on some systems, obscuring detail.”
“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.”
“Only gripe I have is that the style the game's graphics are all done with makes things hard to make out sometimes.”
- gameplay124 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative 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 and solving light puzzles, but many find the gameplay dull and uninspired, often detracting from the narrative urgency. While the visuals and story are praised, the gameplay is criticized for being clunky and lacking depth, making it feel more like a means to progress the story than an engaging experience in its own right.
“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, and exploration, along with 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.”
“This game has, perhaps, the worst collectible-related gameplay I’ve ever seen, in terms of making the experience worse.”
“Because, for one, the gameplay is mostly uninspired and just there to fill the space between cutscenes.”
- emotional86 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "11-11: Memories Retold" is widely praised for its deeply touching narrative that explores the human side of war, enhanced by outstanding voice acting from Elijah Wood and Sebastian Koch. Players report being captivated and moved by the story's heartfelt themes, unique art style, and the ability to influence character fates through multiple endings, making it a memorable experience that resonates long after playing. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking an emotionally rich storytelling experience that thoughtfully reflects on the impact of World War I.
“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.”
- music67 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its orchestral soundtrack as exceptional and integral to the overall experience. Composed by Olivier Deriviere, the soundtrack enhances immersion and complements the game's beautiful art style and storytelling, creating moments of deep emotional resonance. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, elevating the narrative and leaving a lasting impression on players.
“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.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing crashes and performance issues that detracted from their enjoyment. However, many praised the engaging story and strong voice performances, suggesting that despite technical shortcomings, the overall experience remains impactful and memorable for those who appreciate narrative-driven gameplay.
“An experience that will stick with you for a while; it adds depth to the year 2018 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 gamers who cherish a touching storytelling experience, with heartwarming performances 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 from two opposing sides of the conflict, and the performances were well done the entire way through.”
“However, the strong celebrity performances and engaging story more than make up for this and create a really unique experience that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable.”
“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. Even if it had, 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 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.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative 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 game's ability to convey historical themes, making it a standout in the walking simulator genre. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a key element that enhances the emotional depth and engagement of the 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.”
“If I should say one thing that makes this game a masterpiece, it is its atmospheric storyline and the constant finding and collecting of items related to the war, which also provides a history lesson at the same time.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to multiple story endings, a variety of collectibles, and achievements to unlock, which encourage exploration and enhance the overall experience. The engaging nature of the exploration further contributes to the desire to replay the game.
“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.”
“Exploration is engaging and enhances the replay value with all the different endings available.”
“The variety of endings and collectibles encourages players to revisit the game for a fresh experience.”
“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.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users experiencing bugs that required them to reload checkpoints multiple times to progress. Additionally, some players noted that the controls felt janky, although they acknowledged that this might be related to 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; it felt janky and sometimes buggy - although that could've been in my own installation and not the game's fault.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The unique art style of the game effectively shifts focus from realism to storytelling and character development, allowing for a charming experience that enhances the narrative without straining the budget.
“The art style is very unique and covers a multitude of sins, as it allows the developers to keep the budget down by not needing realism. This focus on the story and character development is quite charming.”
Critic Reviews
11-11 Memories Retold PS4 Review
A gorgeously presented game taking us into the very human heart of WW1
78%11-11: Memories Retold Review
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.
90%11-11: Memories Retold Review
11-11: Memories Retold is an immersive, beautiful, and emotionally charged game. It’s at its best when it functions as a playable film, with you making the major decisions. Where it falls down is in its clunky gameplay and story beats that are locked behind secret item collection. However, the strong celebrity performances and engaging story more than make up for this and create a really unique experience that is both thought provoking and enjoyable. As the subtlest World War game ever made, there’s nothing more appropriate to play to commemorate the signing of the Armistice.
70%
