![]() At every moment, it is unabashedly what it is. Yet there is an endearing earnestness at the core of Bright Memory: Infinite. During my time with the game, that jarring feeling sat with me. It seems odd to me that, having enticed you with a wide range of fascinating and interwoven combat mechanics, Bright Memory would then have you wade through 15 minutes of cookie-cutter sneaking. Then, you’re treated to a banal procession of armored mooks spouting dialogue reminiscent of a Metal Gear Solid parody. For instance, after defeating the first boss in a climactic if by-the-numbers battle, you are immediately thrown into a barebones stealth section with nothing but a hatchet to help you get from point A to point B. Unfortunately, despite excellent combat fundamentals, the game is let down by hit-and-miss level design and jarring pacing. Rough diamondĪll in all, Bright Memory gives its players combat scenarios that burst with exciting decisions to make. It’s one thing to levitate an enemy in an open environment, another to do the same in a tight, cluttered corridor where you’re already being pelted with enemy fire. Unfortunately, narrow level design occasionally hampers the fun of this mechanic. It’s immensely satisfying to whittle down the shield of a tough enemy, then launch them mercilessly into the air, allowing you to shoot them to bits. It was reminiscent of Mass Effect’s crowd control mechanics giving the player a small but significant degree of agency over the pace of combat. Though I didn’t find myself relying on this mechanic overmuch, the ability to take ranged enemies out of the equation to buy time and space to deal with their friends was certainly a relief. At this point, your shooting match has transformed into a shooting gallery your immobile enemy suspended above you and at your mercy. Another tap and you fire a bolt of energy, damaging the poor fool on the receiving end of your attack and sending them flying. With a tap of the left bumper, you can drag an unshielded enemy towards you, suspending them in an anti-grav field. Defying gravityīright Memory: Infinite also allows you to take advantage of verticality with the occasional gravity-bending mechanic. Is it better to dodge and parry, to close to melee, or to keep the enemy at range? Often there is not a cut-and-dry answer and that, ultimately, is what makes it interesting. These two bonus tools elevate the movement mechanics in Bright Memory, adding more meaningful choices to combat navigation. Charging a range-oriented enemy is not only an option but, if you parry their gunfire successfully en route, becomes optimal. It depletes a stamina bar, so is a limited resource, but in a pinch, a flurry of cuts can be the difference between life and death. Bright Memory’s blade is fast and feels great to use. Secondly, we need to talk about the sword. Though Bright Memory lacks the mobility of Titanfall 2, it does retain an echo of the responsiveness that made the mech-based FPS so iconic. It offers a robust alternative when parrying isn’t an option. The first is a Titanfall 2-esque jet-powered dash, which is your first port of call for dodging. This dynamic is improved with the addition of two more mechanics. But, at its finest, you find yourself frenetically darting between opponents, doing your best to stay out of the line of fire while retaliating as best you can. Unfortunately, Bright Memory’s level design is occasionally restrictive and handicaps the experience. Avoiding gunfire while parrying melee attacks requires a commitment to strafing and dodging worthy of the Slayer in Doom Eternal. Space gameīy offering a combination of ranged and melee enemies, Bright Memory forces you to make full use of the 3D space available. ![]() This dichotomy is the focal point that keeps you engaged with Bright Memory during its better moments. Sometimes it’s safer to keep your enemy at range and fire speculative shots from the assault rifle than to engage directly. The genius, here, is that parrying isn’t always strictly better than dodging. My own attempts at the game’s first boss required ample use of both approaches. It’s a clever move, rewarding skillful parry play, but also allowing you to brute-force through enemy defenses if needed. This shield reduces all incoming damage, except ripostes. Certain enemies and bosses are protected by a shield. Deflecting a bullet towards an unsuspecting enemy feels as cool as it sounds. Parry correctly, however, and you’ll riposte, damaging the offending enemy. Parry too slowly or too quickly, and you pay the price for your hubris. Almost any attack, even a ranged one, may be parried with a tap of the right bumper. Despite its flaws, this is something that Bright Memory often manages to get right.
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