The Dark Eye: Memoria

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,754 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Dark Eye: Memoria Game Cover
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
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"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
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,754 reviews
story984 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • The story is excellent and captivating, with unexpected twists and emotional depth.
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art and graphics that enhance the immersive experience.
  • Engaging puzzles that are mostly logical and provide a satisfying challenge.
  • Some puzzles can be overly complex or illogical, leading to frustration.
  • The game suffers from occasional technical issues, including crashes and glitches.
  • The character animations can be stiff and poorly synced with voice acting.
  • story2,172 mentions

    The story of "Memoria" is widely praised for its depth, engaging narrative, and emotional impact, often described as a captivating blend of two intertwining tales—one following Geron and Nuri, and the other focusing on the ambitious princess Sadja. While many players found the storytelling to be rich and immersive, some noted that the plot can become convoluted and challenging to follow, particularly for those who haven't played the prequel, "Chains of Satinav." Overall, the game is celebrated for its beautiful art, strong character development, and a satisfying conclusion that resonates with players.

    • “The story is amazing!”
    • “The story was intriguing and charming.”
    • “The story is rich and engaging.”
    • “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 only downside for us is that the story can get too complicated at times, too many sub plots woven in one story, the plot twist is not strong enough and sometimes it can get confusing.”
  • graphics341 mentions

    The graphics of "The Dark Eye: Memoria" are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and vibrant detail, effectively bringing the game's fantastical world to life. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful artwork as a standout feature, although some note that the graphics may feel somewhat dated in 2023 and experience occasional performance issues. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, complementing its engaging storytelling and gameplay.

    • “Memoria's graphical style is beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the music is beautiful and the game overall has a magical feel.”
    • “The artwork is absolutely beautiful, even better than the tough-act-to-follow chains of satinav.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay220 mentions

    The gameplay in "Memoria" is characterized by a classic point-and-click adventure style, featuring a mix of logical puzzles and innovative mechanics, particularly the use of magic spells that enhance interaction with the environment. While many players appreciate the beautiful graphics and engaging story, some find certain puzzles overly complex or unintuitive, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the game offers a polished experience with a reasonable level of challenge, though it may lack significant replay value once the main story is completed.

    • “From a pure gameplay perspective, it is a masterfully crafted classic point & click adventure with puzzles both interesting and reasonably 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 & click adventures.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to grasp, hints and interactions are curiously enjoyable, puzzles are nearly always 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.”
    • “[h3] cons: [/h3] [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.”
  • music184 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. Some players highlight the soundtrack's fitting nature and emotional impact, particularly in relation to the game's art and story, while a few note a lack of sufficient background music in certain scenes. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are stunning, the music is beautiful and the game overall has a magical feel.”
    • “The music draws the player into the story, and above all I hope there will be a further sequel.”
    • “The soundtrack blends itself perfectly to the look of the game, bringing tears to my eyes in places.”
    • “The music and ambient sounds are largely forgettable.”
    • “In fact, I can't remember if there actually was music or not.”
    • “They should have background music for the whole game; in parts, it's just completely absent and in others, it seems out of place with the actions happening on screen.”
  • emotional86 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching storytelling and character depth, with many players expressing strong emotional responses, including tears during the ending. However, some critiques point to a lack of voice acting and character development that can diminish the overall emotional impact, particularly in the latter parts of the story. Despite these downsides, the game is praised for its heartwarming narratives and the ability to evoke genuine feelings, making it a compelling experience for fans of emotional storytelling.

    • “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.”
    • “A beautiful story with a surprising and emotional ending.”
  • atmosphere58 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its fairy tale-like quality, beautifully drawn environments, and engaging dark fantasy elements. Players appreciate the combination of a captivating story, well-developed characters, and a soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, despite some noting a decline in musical quality compared to previous titles. Overall, the atmosphere is described as relaxing, immersive, and integral to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature.

    • “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.”
    • “Memoria is a supreme example of its type, with logical puzzles, beautiful atmosphere and art, and a story that should linger in your memory; Memoria is highly recommended!”
    • “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.”
  • humor36 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 from the developer, there are still memorable funny moments that enhance the overall experience. However, a few critiques mention that the humor is not consistently strong, with some parts feeling passable or lacking in comedic impact.

    • “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.”
  • optimization30 mentions

    The optimization of "Memoria" has received mixed reviews, with players reporting occasional technical issues such as glitches, crashes, and performance inconsistencies. While some users managed to achieve smoother gameplay after adjusting settings, others noted that the game struggles with performance, particularly on lower-end systems, and criticized the interface for not being user-friendly. Overall, the game shows improvements over its predecessor but still suffers from notable optimization challenges.

    • “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.”
    • “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, so it's not a major problem, though people with the minimum specs might have trouble.”
    • “A game this simple shouldn't be stuttering or maxing out my graphics card memory.”
  • replayability28 mentions

    Overall, the game exhibits limited replayability, primarily due to its narrative-driven and linear structure, which offers 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 runs.

    • “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.”
    • “Replay value isn't high, but I might go back to get some of the achievements that were missed the first time through.”
    • “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.”
    • “There is almost zero replay value.”
  • stability26 mentions

    The game "Memoria" has been reported to have occasional technical issues, including glitches, crashes, and performance inconsistencies, particularly on newer graphics cards. While some players experienced significant bugs that affected gameplay, others reported minimal issues, suggesting that the stability may vary depending on individual setups. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, it may require updates to improve stability and performance.

    • “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.”
    • “Also this game has some minor glitches; the first time I played it, it crashed right after the prologue (never happened again). At one point, there was no voice during conversation, and another time they spoke in German even though my settings are English.”
  • grinding26 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Memoria" is frequently criticized for being tedious and slow-paced, with many puzzles described as unintuitive and requiring excessive trial-and-error. While some players enjoyed the story, they found that the latter parts of the game dragged on, often necessitating the use of guides to navigate through frustrating sections. Overall, the grinding experience can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel laborious at times.

    • “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 development22 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as excellent and well-integrated with the storytelling and gameplay, while others find it weak and lacking depth. The character designs are generally well-received, showcasing beautiful art and animation, but there are criticisms regarding certain aspects feeling forced. Overall, players who appreciate a solid narrative with satisfying character arcs may find enjoyment, despite some inconsistencies.

    • “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 subpar 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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
5-11hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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