Memory's Dogma CODE:01

About

"Memory's Dogma CODE:01" is a sci-fi visual novel set in a futuristic society where memories can be shared and relived. The story follows a man named Hitomi, who along with his companions, delve into the memories of the past to uncover a conspiracy and save a friend. Through interactive dialogue and exploration, players uncover a complex narrative with multiple endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 240 reviews

story128 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The art style and graphics are stunning, drawing players in with beautiful visuals.
The voice acting is top-notch, enhancing the emotional depth of the characters.
The initial premise of digitizing memories is intriguing and sets up a compelling mystery.

The story shifts from a sci-fi mystery to a fantasy/action narrative, which may disappoint players expecting a consistent genre.
Many plot threads are left unresolved, leading to a feeling of incompleteness and frustration.
The character development is lacking, with side characters introduced but not fully explored or utilized.

story
492 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
71%
3%
The story of "Memory's Dogma" begins with a strong sci-fi premise but quickly shifts into a more fantastical narrative, leading to mixed reviews from players. While some appreciate the initial world-building and emotional depth, many criticize the plot for becoming convoluted, introducing numerous characters who ultimately lack development, and leaving several plot points unresolved. Overall, the game is seen as a promising start to a larger narrative, but its abrupt genre shifts and reliance on clichés detract from its potential impact.
- “It's a humane story that started as depressing and finishes on a bittersweet note -- because, literally, this is a story of going forward despite losing our loved ones.”
- “I would love to recommend it for its story, the worldbuilding it did, and how 'realist' it can be at times.”
- “The story is intriguing and the voice acting is stellar.”
- “The game was cancelled, and I cannot with a clean conscience recommend the beginning of a story that will never see an end.”
- “However, somewhere in the middle, the story suddenly got derailed.”
- “The story then became some cheap X-Men-style superhero movie with a purely evil antagonist...”
music
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its ability to set the tone and enhance the atmosphere, while others find it generic or forgettable. Some standout tracks are noted, particularly the opening theme, but there are criticisms regarding mismatched styles and a lack of memorable pieces. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally considered good, it may not be compelling enough for players to seek out outside of the game.
- “The music is pretty good, it sets you in a good mood for the current scene and there were some pretty lit soundtracks too.”
- “Now, the best part of this visual novel is the audio overall; music and sound effects are very well done and implemented.”
- “The soundtrack is also pretty awesome, with some quite memorable tracks to be found.”
- “In this regard, it feels far more like an endless wall of text with some soundtrack in the background, as opposed to a voice-acted visual novel.”
- “Music was entirely mediocre and forgettable.”
- “With some exceptions towards the end, where I liked the pieces themselves, but the almost chiptune-y style or the occasional use of dubstep didn’t fit the scene or even the whole previously established musical themes at all.”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
37%
4%
The graphics of this visual novel are widely praised for their impressive artwork, clean art style, and attention to detail, including synchronized expressions and subtle animations that enhance the overall experience. While some users noted issues like aliasing and a low number of CGs, the visuals are generally considered beautiful and well-executed, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Overall, the combination of good voice acting and striking visuals elevates the game, despite some criticisms regarding the plot and pacing.
- “The graphical side is very good, though, and lots of little details are added (like syncing expressions to the dialogue and small animations to indicate movement) that give it a lot of life.”
- “The novel visuals are beautiful, and the scenarios are really amazing.”
- “As for the game itself, the visuals and storytelling are top-notch.”
- “Despite the amount of time that was clearly spent on all the artwork, you can also see aliasing all over the place where the dev clearly upscaled some low resolution artwork.”
- “The artwork is pretty despite the slightly simple feeling to it.”
- “Art style and general UI design, although slightly generic, are really well done.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
Character development in the game is notably inconsistent, with some reviewers praising the rapid growth of certain characters like Hiroki, while others criticize the overall lack of depth and reliance on clichés. Despite the appealing character designs and art style, many feel that the narrative suffers from minimal character exploration and weak dialogue, leading to a disappointing experience. Overall, opinions on character development range from "good" to "barely any," highlighting a divide in player satisfaction.
- “Of course, they don't get bored during these 5 days and I'm really surprised by the fast character development Hiroki goes through, but I can't say I didn't like it.”
- “- good character development.”
- “I liked most of the art and character designs, and the voice acting was mostly well done as well.”
- “As a result, the plot gets reduced to the bare minimum - no additional character development, world building, or deeper mystery, with the finale relying solely on shock, surprise, and a cheap climax straight from any cliché shōnen anime.”
- “It's awful: bad story, bad character development, bad dialogue, forgettable soundtrack, and while the art is pretty good, there's nothing else to praise about the title.”
- “There is barely any character development.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The atmosphere in the visual novel is generally considered decent, bolstered by good graphics and voice acting. While the music effectively contributes to the ambiance, it is often described as generic and occasionally mismatched. Overall, the precise descriptions of movements and settings enhance the atmosphere, but some reviewers feel it falls short in supporting the story.
- “The music was quite atmospheric and I personally liked it a lot.”
- “But the atmosphere and the mostly interesting characters can't save the story.”
- “Music is alright and does its job building atmosphere, but it gets mismatched from time to time and is rather on the generic side.”
- “Every movement and atmosphere is described precisely without any visual character effects.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is met with mixed reactions; while some players appreciate the nuanced performances and heartfelt moments between characters, others feel that the shift from sci-fi to supernatural elements undermines the depth of the narrative. Many expected a serious exploration of grief and loss, but found the execution lacking, leading to a perception of emotional themes as tired or lazy. Overall, the game struggles to balance its emotional weight with its genre expectations.
- “Everyone did a stellar job, delivering a nuanced and emotional performance.”
- “If he believed the only way he could stand to see her was to atone with his life, then he was delusional with self-hatred and grief, which leads to an emotionally unstable main character.”
- “If you expect a serious, emotional sci-fi/mystery story about how to cope with loss and grief, with a few clever twists and turns, maybe even throwing in some moral dilemmas… yeah, this is not that game.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Gameplay in this visual novel is criticized for its limited choices and minimal impact on the story, leading to a sense of frustration. However, the inclusion of a timed decision-making mechanic adds an engaging layer of immersion and tests players' reading and memory skills. Overall, while the gameplay may not be groundbreaking, it offers some entertaining elements that could benefit from further development.
- “It sometimes misses consistency though, but the mechanic of choices with a limited time is quite entertaining, because it forces us to be aware of what is happening and immerses us more into the game.”
- “For mechanics, I like the timer on the branches, making it even more of a test on how well you are reading and how well you remember.”
- “Yeah, okay, no one plays a visual novel to experience the pinnacle of gameplay, but the choices were few and far between and had next to no impact on the story.”
- “Even though I waited a year and a half for this game, I would have willingly waited for more if the gameplay extended to 10-30 hours.”
- “Another source of irritation was gameplay.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization is noted for its impressive visuals and strong voice performances, which create a compelling initial experience. However, it ultimately fails to maintain this potential, particularly in character development and narrative depth.
- “Voice performance is well-matched.”
- “Everyone did a stellar job, delivering a nuanced and emotional performance.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has limited replayability, primarily due to its episodic nature, with players reporting an average playtime of around 5.3 hours, suggesting that once completed, there isn't much incentive to revisit the content.
- “This takes away some of the replay value, though it makes sense as it has been stated that this series is episodic.”
- “And... it looks like I have 5.3 hours as my time, and that's pretty much everything (not much replay value here).”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly as they approach the end, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “And finishing it can be tedious, especially towards the end.”