2064: Read Only Memories

It’s so purely fun. It’s a thrilling, charming, and humorous game that celebrates many positive things at once with an almost childlike innocence, all while containing a deep mystery that has you constantly thirsting for more information. After a difficult past year, it’s the type of thing that is sorely needed right now as we tackle this one with newfound resolve and hope. 2064: Read Only Memories, with its contemporary and thought-provoking themes, accessibility through its diverse and rich characters, and beautiful story about what it means to be human, is an uplifting experience that I’ll remember for years to come.

2064: Read Only Memories is an excellent cyberpunk adventure for anyone looking for a point-and-click title inspired by games like Snatcher. Don't forget the catchy soundtrack.

Whereas particular genre elements and features make a point of setting it in the past, 2064: Read Only Memories‘ outlook and perspective firmly place it as one of the best point and click adventure games of late.

Bugs aside, I had a killer time with 2064. Although series like Phoenix Wright and Danganronpa have successfully reinvented the Japanese-style adventure game for the 21st century, there's a certain allure to the mysterious world of menu-driven microcomputer adventures of decades past. 2064 not only successfully simulates that feeling, it welcomes players of all backgrounds and orientations with open arms. 2064's future is one that belongs to all of us.

2064: Read Only Memories is a free expansion to the original game, available on Steam for $19.99. With a cyber-punk setting and a retro vibe, Read Only Memories is filled with a host of interesting and colorful characters to get to know, a complex and escalating mystery to navigate, puzzles to solve, and a sinister plot or two to overthrow, making it a great investment for fans of the point-and-click adventure genre.

If not for the relationship between yourself and Turing, as well as the backstories, interactions, and performances of the secondary characters, there wouldn’t be much to keep one engaged. Thankfully all of that is present and make Neo-San Francisco and the stories it holds worth playing through to the very end.

2064: Read Only Memories tells a haunting story in a stylish way. Its diverse roster of characters, intriguing world, and masterful soundtrack make for an engaging experience from beginning to end. While there are some minor storytelling and structural hiccups, it nevertheless successfully combines a classic genre with modern trimmings.

2064: Read Only Memories has a fascinating world full of potential for great stories, but spends a lot of time focusing on things that aren’t as novel as its best parts.

Through its creative cast and interesting interactions, 2064 brings its pixel art world to life. Despite a few technical hitches, 2064: Read Only Memories is a step forward in the way games interact and intersect with politics and how storytelling in games can make a statement in today’s climate.

A title that will appeal to a niche corner of the gaming public, with its focus on a murder mystery wrapped in discussion of social issues. It’s also feels like quite a passive experience compared to other games that are in the same genre. There’s interactivity with objects and solving puzzles, but being dialogue heavy may put some off. The story of 2064: Read Only Memories is decent however as is the voicework, and there is replayability through making different choices.

I alternated between enjoyment and stretches of indifference. I am genuinely glad, though, that we have this addition to our growing Western library of visual novel hybrids (!).

2064: Read Only Memories is a difficult game to recommend. Whilst the story being told is decent, the sheer quantity of text and somewhat overdone approach to sexuality distracts from the actual limited gameplay present. The art style and presentation of the game is also spectacularly retro, and whilst it stands out from the crowd its not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.