A Memoir Blue review: An ode to love and reconciliation

If a picture can say a thousand words, A Memoir Blue manages to tell a story without uttering a single one. When I first checked out the game, the art style immediately caught my attention. The trailer for the title was serene and accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. I was eager to get my hands on this "interactive poem."

Annapurna Interactive has arguably been one of the finest publishers in recent years, with an immense impact on the indie scene. Coming from them, I instinctively expected Cloisters Interactive's A Memoir Blue to be an experience that I would thoroughly cherish. After an hour and a half, I found that I was right, albeit with some caveats.

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A Memoir Blue: Of love, loss, pain and pride

As I dived into the world of A Memoir Blue with Miriam, our champion swimmer, I was immediately struck by the title's art and the soothing color palette. The game revolves around the strained relationship between Miriam and her mother. Her story is uniquely told through the lens of a metaphorical journey that the player takes.

The game chooses to narrate through an adult Miriam, retrospectively revisiting memories while being accompanied by the player. The playthrough is imbued with allegories, especially the visuals of water, as we move from one frame to another while watching the little daughter grow up.

As I progressed through the game, it was clear that every visual in the game had been carefully thought out and framed by the developers to evoke an exact emotion from the player. The imageries are connected as if through space and time. For example, early in the game, players will see several images as they tune a cassette player. These become integral later in the story.

The very cassette player becomes a cynosure - a central thread that connects Miriam through her childhood to where the player finds her at the beginning of the game.

Water, water everywhere

In essence, the story of A Memoir Blue does not feel something unique. Through a protagonist's daydream, the game narrates the story of a mother and daughter who ran away from an abusive father. The two had an unbreakable bond. They started a life together independently, with the mother working and providing for the family.

Miriam has been a prolific swimmer since her childhood. The story shows that she had won multiple awards as she grew up. The central conflict stems from her mother being unavailable to always show up due to her work. One such occasion led to Miriam losing her temper and leaving her home.

Her incessant winnings did not fill the emotional hole that her mother's absence had left in her. The game finally concludes with Miriam reconciling with her mother and waking up from her reverie, which was the whole game.

It is the mechanics where the game shines

As mentioned earlier, the game hits its stride through hand-drawn art and animation in the protagonist's dreamscape. Adult Miriam is portrayed as a 3-D figure, whereas the mother and daughter are 2-D characters. This creates an interesting balance between past and present, simplicity and complexity.

In a poignant moment near the conclusion, the 2-D mother calls to the 3-D adult Miriam to come and hug her. The moment Miriam decides to reconcile, she changes into a 2-D character. I found this a nice touch for a game that deals heavily with love and relationships.

The game predominantly uses the blue hue to showcase Miriam's mood. In those closing moments, it finally bursts into warm colors.

Reconciliation (Image via A Memoir Blue)

The soundtrack further enhances the experience and complements the art. In the latter half of the game, there was a moment when Miriam was going down on an escalator looking at a little fish that represented her. The background music perfectly encapsulates the poetic beauty of the moment.

A Memoir Blue plays more like an interactive poem with a short playthrough of about ninety minutes. The player has to merely click at different points on the screen and, at times, drag the objects in a specific direction.

The actions of players include pulling seaweed, clicking lights, starting the engine of a ship, or swimming across a pool. All this is done through simple clicks, and the puzzles do not require much thinking to solve. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the different ways each scene played out, this lack of input may be a downside for some.

In Conclusion

A Memoir Blue treads a fine line between interactivity and telling a story. There are certain drawbacks that the game suffers from in doing so. The lack of complexity in the puzzles one needs to solve to progress the story can be a point of contention for many. In my opinion, the developers missed a chance here to spruce up the player experience.

On the other hand, the story the game tells lacks any distinctive quality that will commend itself to the player. Even though I kept looking for a twist that would set the story apart, in the end, I found it quite predictable - almost like old wine in a new bottle.

It is in the new bottle that lies the redemption of A Memoir Blue. It is in the sheer beauty of the art that the game excels. With no words spoken, it is through the visuals that the developers evoke the intended emotions in the players.

Each frame of this emotionally charged game plays out like fluid poetry in motion. Looking at the hug at the end, I found myself teary-eyed with half a smile. I was strangely reminded of Wordsworth's lines -

"Turn wheresoe'er I may,

By night or day.

The things which I have seen I now can see no more."

Much like its protagonist, A Memoir Blue sometimes stumbles on its short journey. But it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed taking. The serenity it portrays, the emotions it brings forth, and the beauty that it embodies make it a commendable debut for Cloisters Interactive. The magical realism game will surely pluck the heartstrings of those who play it.