Memoryland Prelude
- May 25, 2023
- Spencer Parke
Get on SteamEnter the dreamlike world of Memoryland and relive your fondest memories. The only catch: there's no going back. For those who've entered, they made the choice knowing this fact. But something went wrong. One inhabitant woke up in this strange world, not knowing how he got here. You play as Cal, who finds himself trapped in this predicament. In search of a way to escape, he must explore Memoryla…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The combat system is unique and refreshing, allowing players to summon cards to aid them in battles.
- The game's artistic direction, character designs, and aesthetics are top-notch, creating an engaging atmosphere.
- Despite its short length, the game offers enjoyable gameplay and the potential for future updates and improvements from the developer.
- The game is very short, lasting only 2-3 hours with limited content, including few enemy types and a lack of story.
- The combat can feel unbalanced, with enemies dealing excessive damage and the final boss being particularly frustrating.
- There is a significant lack of quality-of-life features, such as a deck loadout system and a redo option after defeats, making gameplay tedious at times.
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story in the game is widely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players noting that it feels almost nonexistent despite an intriguing start. Reviewers mention that the narrative is limited to a few lines of dialogue and fails to develop, leaving players to navigate a sparse environment with little context or engagement. Overall, while the visuals and combat mechanics receive praise, the storytelling aspect is seen as a significant drawback.
“I am interested in the direction of the story, though I wish there was more. The combat system is pretty well-made and interesting despite the flaws present with enemy encounters.”
“Character and monster visuals are great, and the battle mechanics seem quite interesting. However, there are only a handful of enemy types, basically no plot aside from a few lines of dialogue at the very start and very end.”
“The beginning did have me interested enough to figure out what's going on, but I found the story to be as bare bones as it gets.”
“My only big gripe I have is that the story here is absolutely nonexistent, and the reason why it is my biggest gripe is because the beginning did have me interested enough to figure out what's going on only to find out that it's as bare bones as it gets.”
“Character and monster visuals are great and the battle mechanics seem quite interesting, but there are only a handful of enemy types, basically no plot aside from a few lines of dialogue at the very start and very end, and the whole game takes place in a single empty shopping mall where you just slowly walk around picking fights with groups of enemies that aren't doing much except hanging out in random places.”
“First off, I didn't pay attention to the story; there's not really much of a story anyways from what I started to fast read, and since the game is so short.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their impressive vaporwave liminal space aesthetic, solid character designs, and high-quality artistic direction, including illustrations and UI. However, the limited variety of enemy types and the confined setting of a single shopping mall detract from the overall visual experience, as the environments can feel repetitive.
“The vaporwave liminal space aesthetic of the game is great, character designs are solid, and the battle theme is pretty good.”
“The artistic direction, illustrations, character design, modeling, aesthetics (UI, etc.), and sound are top-notch. I very much like the premise, environments, and mood.”
“Character and monster visuals are great, and the battle mechanics seem quite interesting.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to the necessity of frequently dismantling and reconfiguring their decks to counter specific monsters, leading to a repetitive and frustrating experience.
“Having to dismantle your deck because some cards are absolutely useless against certain monsters in the game becomes very tedious as you have to keep changing it over and over again.”
“The constant need to grind for resources feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“I find myself spending hours grinding for levels, but the rewards just don't feel worth the time invested.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game features appealing character designs and a captivating aesthetic, reviews do not specifically highlight character development, suggesting it may not be a focal point of the experience.
- gameplay1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay features impressive character and monster visuals along with engaging battle mechanics; however, it suffers from a lack of variety in enemy types, minimal plot development, and a repetitive environment, as players navigate a single, empty shopping mall primarily engaging in combat with stationary enemies.
“The battle mechanics are quite interesting, providing a unique experience that keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay.”
“Character and monster visuals are impressive, adding a vibrant aesthetic to the overall gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay offers a mix of exploration and combat that allows players to strategize and adapt to different enemy encounters.”
