The Dark Eye: Memoria
- August 30, 2013
- Daedalic Entertainment
- 10h median play time
A rich and vivid fantasy point and click, Memoria's engaging puzzles will draw you in, even when the hit and miss writing doesn't
Get on Steam"Memoria" is a fantasy-themed adventure game based on The Dark Eye universe. The story follows two characters, Geron and Sadja, in their quests to break a mysterious curse and conquer a legendary war. Gameplay features point-and-click exploration, puzzle-solving, and dialogue-driven choices that impact the narrative.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The story is excellent and captivating, with intriguing twists and character development.
- Beautiful hand-drawn art and graphics that enhance the fantasy atmosphere.
- Engaging puzzles that are mostly logical and provide a satisfying challenge.
- Some puzzles can be overly complex or illogical, leading to frustration.
- Occasional technical issues, such as crashes and lag, detract from the experience.
- The voice acting quality varies, with some performances being less convincing.
- story1,086 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Memoria" is widely praised for its depth and complexity, weaving together two intertwining narratives: one following Geron and Nuri from the previous game, and the other focusing on Sadja, a princess from the past. While many players found the storytelling engaging and emotionally resonant, some noted that the plot could become convoluted and challenging to follow, particularly for those unfamiliar with its predecessor, "Chains of Satinav." Overall, the game is celebrated for its rich character development, beautiful art, and a satisfying conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.
“The story is woven amazingly!”
“The story is captivating and unique and pulls you in quite fast.”
“The story is rich and engaging, with plenty of small unexpected twists throughout.”
“The story is very convoluted and I struggled to keep up with and understand all the numerous plot points.”
“The story is complicated without reason.”
“The story's barely about Geron and Nuri; it feels as if we spend at least 70% of the game following a newly introduced and, unfortunately, rather annoying flashback character on her quest to a war we'll never see.”
- graphics170 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and vibrant detail, creating a captivating fantasy world that enhances the storytelling experience. While many reviewers highlight the beauty and quality of the visuals, some note that the graphics may feel somewhat dated in 2023 and mention occasional performance issues. Overall, the artwork is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Memoria's graphical style is beautiful.”
“The game boasts stunning hand-drawn art and detailed graphics, bringing its fantastical setting to life in vibrant color and intricate detail.”
“The graphics are stunning, the sound and music are top-notch, and almost all voice acting is superb.”
“Graphics and animation are much worse than the previous part.”
“Needs updating, you can't play without lag and graphical glitches on the newest graphics cards... shame.”
“The graphics were mediocre and the story was extremely dull.”
- gameplay110 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Memoria" is characterized by a blend of traditional point-and-click mechanics and innovative magic spell systems, which enhance puzzle-solving experiences. While many players appreciate the logical and visually appealing puzzles, some find certain challenges overly complex or frustrating, leading to reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the game offers a polished experience with beautiful graphics and engaging storytelling, though it may lack significant replay value once the main narrative is completed.
“The gameplay is easy to grasp, hints and interactions are curiously enjoyable, puzzles are nearly always challenging.”
“A rich, well-written story, beautiful graphics, puzzles that actually make sense, and new and innovative game mechanics make Memoria one of my favorite modern point-and-click adventures.”
“From a pure gameplay perspective, it is a masterfully crafted classic point & click adventure with puzzles both interesting and reasonably challenging.”
“Like many adventure games, the story itself has moments where it's just downright thin, as the bulk of your gameplay is not experiencing the story so much as it is solving the puzzles.”
“[b]🔍 Puzzles may be overly complex[/b] Some players may find certain puzzles in Memoria to be overly challenging or convoluted, leading to frustration and potential gameplay stagnation.”
“Sadly, the gameplay doesn’t reflect the greatness of the writing.”
- music92 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it average or forgettable. Several players highlight the soundtrack's fitting nature and emotional impact, contributing positively to the overall experience, though some note a lack of variety or presence in certain scenes. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong aspect, complementing the game's stunning visuals and engaging story.
“The music is beautiful, totally pulls you into the scene.”
“The graphics are stunning, the sound and music are top-notch, and almost all voice acting is superb.”
“Emotionally touching, atmospheric and mesmerizing tale with good voice acting, great music and beautiful art.”
“The music and ambient sounds are largely forgettable.”
“The soundtrack, like in the first game, is there, but you won't remember anything from it. Again, it's better than having nothing; at least it adds atmosphere.”
“But the music in Memoria seems to have slipped in quality and doesn't quite have that melancholy atmosphere it once had.”
- emotional43 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the story touching and capable of evoking strong feelings, particularly in its conclusion. However, the lack of voice acting and some narrative flaws detract from the overall emotional impact, leaving certain moments feeling underdeveloped or hollow. Despite these issues, the character dynamics and well-crafted storytelling resonate deeply with players, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate heartfelt narratives.
“The emotional impact is there; the twist and Sadja's behavior throughout the game meld together beautifully, and the conclusion ends up making total sense in a simple but clever way.”
“When I finally got to the ending, I cried so hard that I was literally trembling.”
“The story between Sadja and the staff is truly touching and will stay in my heart forever.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its fairy tale-like quality, beautifully drawn environments, and engaging dark fantasy elements. Reviewers highlight the effective use of voice acting and a supportive soundtrack that enhances the emotional depth of the story, creating a relaxing yet immersive experience. While some note a slight decline in musical quality compared to previous titles, the overall ambiance remains captivating and memorable.
“The game has a great atmosphere with good voice acting and a nice soundtrack.”
“The atmospherical adventure impresses with its beautifully drawn and lovingly detailed game world.”
“It was honestly fantastic, atmospheric; you can feel the relaxed, gripping, and quaint ambience.”
“The soundtrack, like in the first game, is there, but you won't remember anything from it. Again, it's better than having nothing; at least it adds atmosphere.”
“But the music in Memoria seems to have slipped in quality and doesn't quite have that melancholy atmosphere it once had.”
“After that, it loses a bit of its atmosphere but still remains exciting.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many praising the hilarious dialogues and likable characters, particularly the witty exchanges between the protagonist and her magical staff. While some reviews note a lack of over-the-top humor typical of other titles, the game still manages to deliver funny moments amidst its engaging storyline. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor with the game's more serious themes, making it an enjoyable experience.
“Good plot, hilarious dialogues.”
“The characters are funny and likable, and the dialogues are pretty enjoyable.”
“The dialogue between Sadja and the magical staff she picks up is funny and oftentimes snarky in a way I love.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Memoria" has received mixed reviews, with players reporting occasional technical issues such as glitches, crashes, and inconsistent performance. While some users managed to achieve smoother gameplay through settings adjustments, others experienced significant stuttering and loading delays, particularly on lower-spec systems. Overall, the game shows improvements in performance compared to its predecessor, but still struggles with optimization, particularly in graphics and animation during cut-scenes.
“Memoria does this, with its improved performance, smoother animations, larger scope and vision of narrative, and willingness to try new things.”
“- polished gameplay, more optimized game engine (compared to Chains of Satinav).”
“Great voice performances, rich story, and a mystery that was an unexpected challenge to unravel.”
“Well, the puzzles sometimes feel like a long shot; wild guessing can get you by quicker. However, the frequent short loading times and strange performance can be quite annoying.”
“The performance is still very weird, not surprising since it's exactly the same engine as the first game.”
“Just a notice, this game's performance is pretty bad for a point-and-click game. After messing with the settings, I got the game to run smoothly at 60fps, but people with minimum specs might have trouble.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits limited replayability, primarily due to its linear narrative and progression, which offer little variation in subsequent playthroughs. While some players may return to achieve missed accomplishments, the general consensus is that the replay value is minimal, with many feeling that the experience does not warrant multiple completions.
“Overall a great game that offers some replayability with some minor choices here and there.”
“While some puzzles may pose a challenge, and replay value is limited, the overall experience is sure to delight fans of the genre.”
“Once the main story is completed, the game may lack significant replay value for some players, as the narrative-driven gameplay and linear progression offer limited variation in subsequent playthroughs.”
“The replay value is close to none; only missed achievements can make you relaunch the game, but all the enigmas will be pointless.”
“Replay value isn't high, but I might go back to get some of the achievements that were missed the first time through.”
- stability13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game "Memoria" is mixed, with some players reporting occasional technical issues such as glitches, crashes, and performance inconsistencies, particularly on newer graphics cards. While many users experienced minor bugs that did not significantly impact gameplay, others faced more disruptive issues, including mismatched dialogue and crashes. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among players, with some enjoying a smooth experience while others encountered frustrating glitches.
“Some players may encounter occasional technical issues or bugs while playing Memoria, such as glitches, crashes, or performance inconsistencies.”
“It would lag and it would get graphics glitches in the first minute.”
“Needs updating; you can't play without lag and graphical glitches on the newest graphics cards... shame.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Memoria" is frequently criticized for its tedious and often unintuitive puzzles, which can lead to a frustrating trial-and-error experience. Many players found certain sections, like the forest maze, particularly cumbersome, prompting the use of guides to navigate through the more challenging parts of the game. While the story is praised, the overall pacing and puzzle design detract from the enjoyment for some players, making the game feel longer and more laborious than necessary.
“Memoria is a very long, tedious, boring, 'heavy' game that has most of the time difficult puzzles.”
“The puzzles are mostly tedious, unintuitive, and require a lot of thoughtless trial and error on the player's part.”
“For those of us used to modern, more interactive games, Memoria may seem a little slow-paced and tedious, and at times, the puzzles seem to be of questionable quality, involving trial-and-error more than anything else.”
- character development11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its depth and integration with storytelling, while others find it lacking or inconsistent. Many players appreciate the strong character designs and emotional narratives, highlighting a satisfying conclusion, though a few note moments where development feels forced. Overall, the game is recognized for its artistic quality and engaging character arcs, despite some criticisms.
“They perfectly married puzzles and gameplay with great character development and storytelling.”
“If you like a solid story with good character development and an ending that feels satisfying even if not what you expected (including minor changes depending on what you decide) then you will enjoy this game.”
“The game has excellent character development, art, and storytelling.”
“The character development is weak, and the story is a par fantasy story at best.”
“It felt a little forced and didn't compare well to the rest of the character development that had happened thus far.”
