XBlaze Lost: Memories
- August 10, 2016
- Arc System Works
Get on Steam"XBlaze Lost: Memories" is a visual novel set in the BlazBlue universe, serving as a sequel to "Code: Embryo". As the pink-haired protagonist, you'll navigate a strange alternate reality with Nobody, seeking your missing sister and "Memory Fragments". These fragments reveal stories of their owners and aid your progress, combining for an engaging and mysterious adventure.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- Engaging story that builds upon the previous game, providing deeper character development and lore for fans of the BlazBlue series.
- High-quality voice acting and music, enhancing the overall visual novel experience.
- Offers a unique blend of visual novel and light gameplay mechanics, allowing players to collect memories and make choices that impact the story.
- Repetitive gameplay with significant portions of the game consisting of cutscenes from the previous title, which may frustrate players looking for new content.
- Some players found the dialogue and voice acting to be grating, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Limited interactivity and lack of meaningful choices throughout much of the game, making it feel more like a passive experience.
- story31 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of the game is engaging and builds upon the narrative established in the previous title, featuring a quest to collect memory fragments and reunite with a sibling, all set in a richly developed world. While it offers a mix of visual novel elements and interactive gameplay, some players found the pacing slow and the mechanics clumsy, particularly during mapping scenes. Overall, the writing, voice acting, and character development received praise, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the series, though newcomers may need to navigate some confusion without prior knowledge of the lore.
“On a quest to get to the bottom floor of this phantom field, collect scattered memory fragments with nobody to create keys to access more areas and finally reunite with her sibling.”
“Fantastic artwork, great storyline, superb localization, and a novel way of involving the player in the visual novel that goes beyond picking choices on a screen.”
“This game, Lost: Memories, presents itself as a much more unique experience that not only builds upon and improves the previous game's story, but also throws a few surprises that fans of BlazBlue will certainly appreciate.”
“The story was sweet and is sure to make more sense if you have already played other games, but I felt like I caught up enough that it was still worth playing.”
“I got this game in a bundle and I don't really like visual novel games, so I usually play them for the easy trophies/achievements. But it's a pain when you try to skip the dialog with the button that's supposed to be assigned to skip the text, yet no matter how many times you click that button, nothing happens. No text is skipped, and I'm not looking to spend 3 or more hours reading a story I have no interest in.”
“As a sequel, I feel like the new characters were simply a plot device that even the creators were too lazy to give them a name. Not that they were bad, but simply outshined by the previous game's characters and underdeveloped.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on simple mechanics, such as walking around an island to collect gems, which many players find bland and lacking depth. While the mechanics are easy to learn, they can feel clumsy at times, and the minimal gameplay elements serve mainly to facilitate story progression rather than provide engaging interactions. Overall, the gameplay is criticized for its simplicity and lack of variety, making it feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.
“Mechanics are easy to learn (attention: the buttons now do different things).”
“Minimal gameplay elements that work for what the player has to do to progress.”
“The mechanic where we collect memory fragments is better than reading certain articles in the first game to get on someone's route.”
“The actual gameplay is just walking around a basic island collecting gems. I know visual novels rarely have any actual gameplay in them, but if you're going to include it, don't make it so insultingly bland.”
“Mechanics were clumsy during the mapping scenes, but the story wasn't bad.”
“The mechanic where we collect memory fragments is better than reading certain articles in the first game to get on someone's route, but getting a bad ending in the second half of the game was as ridiculous as the curry side story.”
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some users praise it as perfect and enjoyable, others feel it falls short compared to other visual novels, citing a lack of originality and depth in the overall sound design.
“Awesome story, music, and voices.”
“Enjoyable music.”
“Music is perfect.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful visual novel art style and fantastic artwork, contributing to an engaging storytelling experience. The game features full voice acting and superb localization, enhancing the overall visual narrative, though some users noted a lack of conversation choices until the end. Overall, it offers a compelling visual experience that elevates player involvement beyond traditional choice-making.
“Good story, good visuals, and voice; great visual novel experience.”
“Fantastic artwork, great storyline, superb localization, and a novel way of involving the player in the visual novel that goes beyond picking choices on a screen.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its impressive designs and depth, noting that it surpasses that of BlazBlue in terms of character history and overall development.
“The character designs are amazing!”
“The character development, backstory, and various other elements are far superior to BlazBlue.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful growth in the characters throughout the game.”
“The story arcs are predictable, and the characters don't evolve in any significant way.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by repetitive and tedious gameplay, with a focus on recycled content and filler elements that detract from the initial intriguing storylines. Players find the puzzles unengaging, leading to a sense of monotony throughout the experience.
“The game starts with two intriguing storylines, but they are quickly overshadowed by a gratuitous plot filled with recycled material and excessive fluff.”
“The grinding mechanics are tedious and repetitive, making the gameplay feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
“The puzzles are boring and lack creativity, contributing to the overall feeling of monotony in the grinding process.”
