A Memoir Blue (2022)

Annapurna has a habit of publishing art in the form of video games and A Memoir Blue continues this trend, even if it may not come close in quality or impact when compared to the likes of Outer Wilds or What Remains of Edith Finch.

After diving into the mammoth task that was the Mass Effect trilogy for the first time, I was in the mood for something very short that I could go through in one quick sitting, and this was the title I landed on. I’d heard A Memoir Blue being described as ‘heart-wrenching’, and while I don’t necessarily agree with the intensity of the adjective, there is clearly an emotional tone throughout the entirety of this interactive experience, which I feel is a better descriptive than ‘game’ since there’s really no gameplay to speak of here. This is essentially a visual story told to you. Your input is minimal from start to finish, translated into a few clicks on every scene to ‘arrange the setting’ and move the story forward. There is no dialogue, no text, and all emotional cues are brought about by sound, animation segments and a charming art style. If you’re okay with this, A Memoir Blue is well worth its 1 hour runtime. On the surface, the story seems simple and fairly relatable. I don’t think there’s ultimately that much meaning or depth in it to have justified anything longer, and in that sense the devs absolutely nailed the ‘don’t outstay your welcome’ rule. A very short, very chill, very easy to recommend palate cleanser, especially if you’re on Game Pass. 6/10

This is a short emotional point-and-click game with incredible contrasting animation styles. The story is told entirely without dialogue with a mostly atmospheric soundtrack and melancholy vocals by Imogen. I would like to see this game implement touch controls on handheld devices as I think it'd be more satisfying to play with than a mouse.

I would particularly recommend this game to those who enjoyed Gris and Abzu.

This short narrative game is worth checking out for its mix of 2D and 3D animation, blended well with light interactive elements and music for a fresh style. Solid example of punching above a relatively low budget thanks to a little creativity. The environments and the 2D animation mostly look great, particularly when the game gets a bit abstract and surreal. The 3D animation isn't excellent but gets the job done.

The point-and-click interactive elements of this game typically don't involve controlling the main character, instead focusing on moving the story forward by manipulating objects and the environment around her in intuitive ways. Don't come to this for gameplay, but there are definitely a few neat parts and a good harmony between the interactivity, visuals, music, and story in general. By the end it definitely justifies why it's a game rather than an animated short.

The story is clearly personal and emotional for the creator, and had its moments, but didn't ultimately resonate with me super strongly. I liked some of its symbolic elements, but others felt a bit heavy-handed. Still, I thought it was not bad by any means, and a nice way to spend some time on a quiet, rainy evening. The execution of the overall water/swimming/fish theme is what made it a lot better for me.

This is on Game Pass, though I'd recommend probably sticking to Game Pass on PC for mouse controls, or trying it on a touchscreen device -- Xbox or PS are probably fine though.