This entry comes long overdue; been waiting to write it up and post it for almost a month now, but I had a ton of course work to complete, and that must come first. Now that it’s somewhat out of the way, I’m happy to finally share with you my review on the Steam version of Amnesia: Memories! 🎵 Let’s kick Otome Game October up a notch with taking a closer look at this game I’ve been obsessing over for awhile!
After being treated to the opening movie, you can make your selection on the title screen. Note that when beginning this game for the first time, the last two options (Memories and Extras) are locked until you complete one of the guys’ routes.
The Load menu will allow you to select from previously saved files to continue where you left off. One of my few complaints in this game…is that I feel that 4 pages aren’t enough if you want to revisit other routes that you have save data on. I played without a guide for the most part, so I was saving at each choice…and there are A TON of choices to be made! This is somewhat countered with the game’s Skip Mode, but I still would have loved the option to have a ton of save space so I can save a bunch of my favorite scenes. I suppose I’ve been spoiled rotten by other VNs with save space.
The Option menu displays a variety of selections to alter within the game, like the Skip Mode, Text Window, Text Speed, and the Autoplay Speed. You can also hook up a controller and map functions to whichever button you’d like, which is a neat feature.
The plot of the game revolves around the unnamed heroine, who has amnesia due to a certain spirit accidentally bumping into her and lodging himself into her consciousness. Sounds like a pretty hectic day, huh?
After introducing himself and explaining the situation to the seemingly forever confused heroine, Orion explains that she must interact with as many people as possible to gain back her memories. Any lack of stimulation, like being sent to the hospital for a long period of time, will mean that she’ll most likely lose her memories forever. Her amnesia has been caused by a supernatural force, so going to the hospital won’t do any good anyway, since their tests aren’t designed to detect…spirits… So yes, talking with as many people as possible will help with regaining memories; having a situation which will get the heroine isolated will lead to a game over!
In order to avoid being sent to the hospital, you must conceal the fact that the heroine has amnesia in the first place. You do this by selecting the most appropriate option according to the conversation or person.
You can keep track if you’re raising suspicion by taking a peek at the Parameters screen. If you select the wrong choice, the suspicion meter will go up, which might possibly mean that you’re on your way to a bad end! Your choices also affect the affection and trust levels, which will determine whether you get a normal, good, and of course, a bad end. I had a bit of trouble with Shin’s, since I thought I chose the right options and was on my way to a good end, but I think my trust level wasn’t as high? I ended up getting his normal end first. :V
Now, a lot of people have beef with the heroine of the game being a bit too much of a doll; she doesn’t speak much, and in fact Orion does most of the talking! She does have amnesia, which…makes it kinda hard to have a personality to begin with, so I feel the amnesia is a good excuse for her lack of behavior in the beginning.
In some routes you’ll see her personality shine through though, which is a bit of a shame, since I would have liked to see more of that. Perhaps that shows more in the later Amnesia games? Anyway, as the game goes on, Orion and the heroine build a pretty strong relationship; they’re completely used to being together all the time, but they know they must part ways eventually, which makes this whole process a lot more difficult. It was really heartwarming how much they cared for one another!
As for the pursuable guys…they all have their charms that each one of us finds attractive. For me, I like Shin, Kent and Ukyo the best. Ikki is good-looking and all, but all the fan club drama is too much for me to handle. And Toma…weeellll….I am not a fan of…that kind of thing, LOL. Won’t go too much into detail because I want this to remain as spoiler-free as possible.
One thing I really liked about the game is how it displayed these illustrated cards as the game transitioned from one part to the other. Some of them are really nice to look at (see the above Shin illustration card), while some are too cute for words (ORION), and some foreshadow a grim end. They count for the gallery collection, so make sure to get them all!
The art and style in this game is SO PRETTY! *A* The CGs are just GORGEOUS! The amount of detail in the line art, to the different textures that was used in the illustrations, to the colors, and even the character’s clothing design…everything is so visually appealing! It really makes me want to hunt down the art books! It’s a shame they’re kinda hard to find normally…
One neat thing I really want to point out is the different angle the characters appear in the game at some point: you can see their back, and sometimes they’ll even turn their head to look at the heroine while still having their back to her. I’m mostly used to just the character facing you the entire time in otome games, so having them in another angle was a nice touch!
As you complete each route, I’m sure you’ll notice that certain things are not the same as you begin another world. They range from the level of interaction that the heroine has with characters, to the frequency of her work schedule, and others. The one change that stuck with me the most…is how vastly different Waka (the manager of Meido no Hitsuji and the heroine’s boss) is in each world.
If you think you’re ready for Waka, YOU’RE NOT READY FOR WAKA! Also, am I the only one here who wants a Waka route?!
The characters are really well written; they have such unique personalities that makes you want to get to know them better! What struck me about the characters is that they ALL have some very visible flaws, making them a bit more believable as you discover more about them.
And then there’s the crazy stuff that they do that is just INCREDIBLE.
After completing all of the available routes, the secret Joker route opens up, which is Ukyo’s route. This one’s a bit of a tear-jerker, so be ready!
Probably the most intriguing thing in the game is that it references other Otomate games in the background illustrations!
There are posters for Otomate’s Clock Zero and Moujuutsukai no Ouji-sama in the background! Also, notice Otomate’s logo on top of the cinema banner. Maybe we can also get these games localized…right? 😉
Now, onto the unlockables!
There are plenty of unlockables in this game! Each character has their own set of CGs to be unlocked: Shin and Ikki have 34, Kent has 31, Toma has 30, and Ukyo, the king of CGs, has 41. The “etc.” gallery features illustrations of the heroine and the supporting characters, like Sawa and Mine. Each character has an ending movie that is acquired when you complete the good ending. And finally, there’s a whole bunch of endings to get: 5 good ends, 5 normal ends, and a grand total of 16 bad ends! Yikes! Hope you’re ready for those!
As you complete more routes and meet certain requirements, you’ll unlock each character’s memories, which are extra scenarios from their route, and their short stories.
This game also features a couple of mini-games you can play.
There’s the Hit ‘N’ Guard Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Air Hockey mini-games. The rock-paper-scissors game has a bit of a twist that you have to bonk your opponent’s head to score a point if you win that round of rock-paper-scissors; however, if you fail to do so, your opponent will guard against you and you miss a chance to score a point. Likewise, if your opponent wins that round of rock-paper-scissors, you must immediately block their attack in order to prevent them from scoring.
They all get so sad if you win! Tough luck, guys!
The air hockey game is pretty self-explanatory: score more goals than your opponent. The first one to have 7 points wins. Now, let me tell you of my PLIGHT with this mini-game when I was beta-testing this game…it was SO BUGGY! The mallet wouldn’t move as easily when you clicked and command prompt windows opened up if the puck ever went to the corner of the table. It was impossible to score much. I’m so glad Idea Factory International was able to patch that up, especially since you need to clear the air hockey mini-game 3 times with different characters to unlock a bonus.
Overall, the game was a delight to play. Each of the characters offered something unique that set aside this game from other otome games. The lack of a lot of save space is a bit of a minus for me, but it doesn’t detract from the whole experience; it’s just my personal preference. This game is a must if you’re an otome game fan!
Idea Factory International released a Limited Edition set of the game which came with several goodies! Let’s take a look…
The front of the box is gorgeous! It just…makes me want to look for the art books even MORE! This box is meant to be displayed and seen, that’s for sure.
When opened, the first set of items is the coaster set.
They’re high-quality coasters, designed to absorb moisture. They’ll look great on your coffee table!
The second item you’ll see underneath is the music CD, which features the soundtrack for the game.
Amnesia’s music is pretty relaxing, so it’s nice to have it playing when you’re doing some writing and reading. Not too distracting, but nice to listen to. There are a few tracks that are a bit faster and heavier to highlight particular scenes.
Underneath the music CD is the art book.
The artbook itself isn’t very big, but it does have some amazing illustrations! It just…makes me want to get…the real art books..!! *A*
Finally…the last item is…Ukyo?! Whoever packaged this is a genius. It made me not want to open it because of Ukyo’s face! Anyway, the last item is the Dreamy Summer body pillow case!
Hands-down the best item in the set. Is that Waka diving into the pool?! Everything about this pillow cover is great! It’s really soft!
It also easily fits most body pillows available at stores like Target, JC Penney and Wal-Mart. Please keep in mind that It’s NOT designed for Japanese body pillows, which ARE longer than those you find in US stores.
The only LE sets we’ve gotten over here for otome games are the Hakuoki ones from Aksys, but theirs don’t offer nearly as much as this set that Idea Factory International put together for us! It’s a real treat that otome fans have the opportunity to play the localized game and have this nice set to own along with it. Let’s hope that it’s the beginning of something wonderful for us otome game fans to look forward to in the future.
And now…for my first giveaway! To commemorate Otome Game Month, I am giving away:
- 1 Amnesia: Memories Limited Edition Set with a Steam Code of the game
- 1 Amnesia: Memories Steam Code
Click on the link below to enter the giveaway! You’ll be prompted to answer the following question: Who’s your favorite Amnesia character and why? If you haven’t played the game yet, who’s the most appealing to you? You MUST comment on this post to be entered to win; just hitting the “I commented!” button will not count, as those entries will be deleted. Two random comments will be chosen to win the prizes! The only caveat is that this will be limited to US participants only. If this giveaway has lots of entrants, I might consider doing international entries in the future.
The giveaway ends on October 23rd at 12am EST, so make sure to get your entries in by then! Good luck~ The giveaway is now over! Thank you all for participating. 💖
Until next time, happy gaming!
EDIT: Don’t worry about the comments not appearing ASAP; they need to be approved by me before they appear! This is to prevent any spam comments and the such.
Figuratively Speaking 
My favorite character would be Shin because he looks so cute when he acts all tsundere in his route. I also loved the mystery aspect of his route and how protective he was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, the mystery part of that route was done really well! I don’t normally go for tsundere guys, but there’s just something about Shin that I can’t resist! ❤
LikeLike
I haven’t played the game yet, but Ive seen the anime. Apparently it wasn’t too good of an adaption, so I’ve been hanging out to try the game since then. My favourite character while watching the series was Shin! I much prefer his look in the game though, but that’s probably just because the art is so so so gorgeous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The anime was…sure something! It smooshed all the routes into a very short series. The anime didn’t do a great job at presenting their relationships very well. At least it was visually better than…DRAMAtical Murder, LOL!
And omg yes, the art is just so very BEAUTIFUL!!! I’m going to have to find the art books and get them! *A*
LikeLike
I gotta be honest, Orion drove me absolutely crazy playing this game. He could not stop himself from telling me what to think about every scenario. It was frustrating; I felt like the game was spoon-feeding me the opinions I was supposed to have.
(Yes, I am a straight man, so I am not the target market for this game.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, when you wake up and you suddenly have amnesia and no idea who to speak to, having someone who’s been by your side from the moment you woke up to kinda guide you as you slowly gain your memories back isn’t a bad thing. Later on, you’re able to make various choices that contrasts what Orion suggests, so it’s not like you HAVE to do everything he says. Even if the heroine had remembered from the get-go who she was, you’d still have to see her own views and feelings, which may differ from the person who’s playing the game. Anyway, thank you for letting me know your thoughts even though you aren’t a fan of the game. 🙂
LikeLike
I haven’t played this, in fact I really haven’t played any otome game besides dmmd so you know I may as well look into this one! Honestly im most interested in Waka up there but you can date him lmao. He looks the best. But of the dateable ones I’m more interested in Ukyo I just like how he looks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I WISH Waka was dateable! 😦 He’s such an interesting character! Ukyo is definitely quite the good-looking guy; I want to braid his pretty hair~ ❤
LikeLike
I do have to agree that I wish Waka was an option! He’s just so cute and very driven to do what he does and to do it well, and he seems to genuinely care about his employees. It would have been easy to have made a story for him I feel, I think a route with him would have been quite enjoyable, but I’m not complaining. My favorite dateable character is probably Kent. There’s just something about a clever guy that I find very charming. That’s not to say the others are dim-witted (I mean, Ikki is also incredibly intelligent!) but Kent actively seems to enjoy education. Maybe that says something more about me than him? Haha! Plus he also plays on my glasses adoration~ Though, it really is hard to pick just one as a favorite since each boy does have their own unique charm and I can find something that I rather like from each one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg I LOVE Waka! I’d be so up for a Spade Waka route, LOL! I mean, even Clover Waka, as silent and aloof as he was, he still cared about his work; that’s what made him intriguing to me.
And omg I love Kent, that precious math nerd! ❤ It really speaks a lot of a person when they value education, and even more so the desire to learn. Throughout Kent's route, he sought to understand love with pure logic, not knowing that he first needed to learn and understand his own feelings first. I think that journey to that discovery is why Kent is such an interesting character and one of the best guys, imo.
LikeLike
One thing I’m confused is the difference between the Memories & Extras: At first I thought they were the same but now I see they’re not. What is the requirement to get the Extras as I’ve not been able to figure this out nor find an answer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I saw from what I unlocked, the Memories are acquired by clearing the routes, and the Extras are acquired by clearing the mini-games.
LikeLike
Okay, thanks! I’ll keep that in mind, even though I cleared all the mini games. Maybe there’s a requirement of playing X number of times. I haven’t gotten all the memories but that goes without saying since I’ve not played all the routes. I’ve really become attached to Kent and I can’t bring myself to play the other routes, although reading people’s comments it might be worth unlocking the Joker world just to read it. I still favor Kent above all though! To me this route/relationship is the most mature and I feel the same goes for the Heroine was much more assertive in this route. Thanks for such a wonderful review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, you definitely have to play Ukyo’s route; it’s just SO GOOD! So many EMOTIONS while playing that route! But yes, I understand your admiration for Kent, since I feel he’s one of the best guys as well! ❤ I really like how the heroine just starts out like a blank canvas and then as you play through each route, you can see a different picture when you compare the heroine in the routes.
I'm glad you enjoyed the review! Thank you for reading and commenting! I really enjoy talking about these games with fellow fans. :3
LikeLike
I would choose Shin. I uhh kinda have a thing for Tsundere types. So if there ever was that choice,I would always choose those characters
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice~ I normally don’t go for the tsundere guys, but I felt that Shin was unique among them!
LikeLike
Oh my god, Kent was my favorite hands down because of how hard he tries for you and to understand you and seeing the fireworks even though they were over… He really tries when he realizes what will make you happy!!! His perfect ending made me soooooo happy even though I felt bad because he chooses you over his dream because I wanted Kent to be happy too ;_; but eventually he gets to achieve that too. His reactions in his route are so cute too!!! I just want to hug him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg YES! You can see how much Kent changed from the beginning of his route to the very end of it; how ignorant he was on the definition of love, and how his feelings towards you blossomed into something he can’t even live without! SO. GOOD!!! *A*
LikeLike
May contain spoilers.
I really liked ukyo. Even though he killed me SO many times, I understand why he did it. He did it out of love, even if it was a really twisted way of love. He traveled across dimensions to be with heroine, and died several painful deaths. Reading his mini story from his PoV + the background music was just TTATT. He had to go through watching the woman he loved be embraced by another man while he was dying 😭. His happy ending was full of feels and yes omg he touched my heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ukyo’s route was so heartbreaking! ; ; I started piecing together all the times he appeared in other routes and figured out early on that these were alternate universes/worlds that Ukyo kept jumping around from, and then I was just sad for awhile. 😦 I mean, the emotional damage caused by seeing the woman he loved be loved by another man, and watching that woman accept that and be happy while he was watching from the sidelines wishing for your happiness? AAAAAHHH, UKYO!! ; ; His route definitely was a wild ride, and it was one of the best!
LikeLike
I haven’t quite gotten to play the game, but I’ve watched the anime! As a result, I think I’m most interested in Ukyo and his (heartbreaking) romance with the MC :’)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh man, wait until you play Ukyo’s route!!! I HOPE YOU’RE READY
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t quite gotten to playing the game, but I’ve watched the anime! It made me really interested,in Ukyo and the his (heartbreaking) romance with the MC 😦
I really hope they get a happy ending!
LikeLike
May contain spoilers.
I really liked ukyo. Even though he killed me SO many times, I understand why he did it. He did it out of love, even if it was a really twisted way of love. He traveled across dimensions to be with heroine, and died several painful deaths. Reading his mini story from his PoV + the background music was just TTATT. He had to go through watching the woman he loved be embraced by another man while he was dying 😭. His happy ending was full of feels and yes omg he touched my heart.
(It said I posted this already. Did I? it’s probably because of my poor wifi connection.)
LikeLike
Ah yes, I have to approve the comments first, so I saw your first one! :3 This is to prevent spam comments and the such
LikeLike
For some reason the comment system is glitching on me.
Anyways, haven’t played the game yet, but I’ve watched the anime! Am super interested in Ukyo and his ( heartbreaking ) romance with the MC 😥
I want to play the game to see if they might get a happy end!
LikeLike
Yeah, I saw your first comment! I have to approve all comments before they appear, so rest assured that your comments are there~ This is to prevent spam and of the sort. :3
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve only played Shin’s route in Japanese, blind…since I don’t know how to read Japanese.
And Toma’s route in Chinese, which took….weeks…lol. But I think my favorite character would be Shin, because he seems the most normal and easy to get along with. Although, Toma and Ukyo comes in close behind but Ukyo really scares me sometimes T_T…and Toma…needs to stop keeping everything in and being all secretive D>.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ukyo’s second personality…is sure something! I feel that we didn’t get to see much of that, and I wonder if that’s explored more in the other games…I’d really like to play them! ; ; Toma…I have VERY STRONG feelings about Toma, lmao. I don’t dig the whole secretive thing he did, and the CAGE ordeal?! NOPE! His love for the heroine is there…but it’s there in such a twisted form. I feel like his personality and actions are worth exploring and talking about to grasp and understand how some people may come to act like this.
LikeLike
I haven’t played the game, but Ukyo(?) looks interesting to me, though that might be because I think I had someone follow me on am rp blog who played him or someone that looked like him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s definitely interesting! After you play the game, I hope to hear your thoughts on Ukyo then. 🙂
LikeLike
My favorite boy from AMNESIA is Ikki! The fangirls are reaaaaaally annoying but I couldn’t help but fall for him! I find him so sweet and charming. Plus, his voice actor is one of my faves, so that’s a plus!~
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ikki’s voice has to be one of my favorite features of his. I haven’t heard any of the character songs, but I bet his song is GREAT!
LikeLike
I haven’t played the game yet but I’m really interested in Kent’s route! He seems super awkward and shy so the sadist in me just wants to tease him so bad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are SO RIGHT!!! Kent is super adorable when he blushes and gets embarrassed! *A*
LikeLike
I haven’t played the game yet but I’ve been told it’s really good. I have watched the anime tho (even though a lot of people say it’s terrible; it’s okay) but I think that Ukyo’s story was just heartbreaking ;-; I really would like to see what happens in the game with his character!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The anime omits a ton of things; it’s really not the best adaptation, but at least it looks nice. Once you play the game, you’ll see where I’m getting at! The characters’ personality shine more in the game! Hope you get to play it soon, since it’s a pretty good game. :3
LikeLike
I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve been most interested in Ikki because of his seiyuu. But visual-wise, Shin stood out the most to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ikki’s VA does have a lot of great roles in some anime and game series. It surprised me when I looked it up to see his name on a lot of stuff I watched and played!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t played yet, but I’m most interested in Kent. I have a soft spot (both in games and real life >_<) for awkward, shy guys, and from what I seen, he sorta fits the bill. And he wears glasses, so he has to be intelligent, right?
LikeLike
Haven’t played yet, but I’m interested in Kent. He seems shy and awkward, which I have a soft spot for (both in games and in real life >_<). Also, glasses usually means intelligence, so that's a bonus.
(Sorry if I comment twice, logging in was weird for me)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kent is definitely one of the most interesting guys in the game, imo. You’re in for a treat! 🙂
(And no worries; I have to approve comments before they actually appear. This is done to prevent spam and unwanted/unrelated comments)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t played or watched Amnesia, however I’ve always loved what I saw of its art because its just so darn pretty. At first glance I’m most interested in Kent, because smart guys are hot and I have a thing for men in glasses. He also seems very timid and sweet. However, I’m also interested in Ikki because I love it when a playboy is shocked that someone isn’t interested and they actually have to try to win a girl’s affection. Basically I’m interested in the guys I want to tease the most. Haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The art is one of the best aspects of this game; it’s really unique and memorable! As for Kent…you’re in for a treat! I hope you’ll enjoy his route. 🙂 And Ikki’s route is pretty interesting as well!
LikeLike
It’s a bit difficult for me to choose who I like the most as I came in from watching the anime first from years ago and had really liked Shin then. However, when I played the game, I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed Kent, Ukyo, and Ikki’s routes as well. But if I had to choose, I think my favorite character would actually be Orion! I really wish we got to see more of him after a certain ending. I need an Orion route IF!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I’m not mistaken, there is an Orion route in the other Amnesia games, I think. I hope the Idea Factory International decides to bring over the other Amnesia titles for us to enjoy and support! But yes, Orion is truly precious~ ❤
LikeLike
I’ve hummed and ha’d on leaving my comment here for quite some time. I haven’t gotten to fully explore each guy’s route. I completed a route for Kent and absolutely adored him. After that, each attempt at another world I just kind of fall off. Though, I have taken a bit of hiatus so I will probably try another stab at it this week!
But, to answer the question for the contest: I have to say my favorite is Kent. He’s tall, attractive and rockin’ that “glasses-moe”. He’s intelligent and genuinely seems to care about you/the heroine despite the rocky path the two have/are taking. His expressions as he slowly began to experience/understand his emotions were adorable. It helps that my absolute favorite thing about stories is character development – which you clearly get to watch Kent grow (and embrace!) what is going on DESPITE not being able to understand logically (always trying to dissect via logic is a trait he and I share. It was easy to identify with him.)
All in all, I have a lot of strong feelings about Kent – which is why my entry didn’t come sooner.
Also, Clover Waka is a strong 2nd!
LikeLiked by 1 person
omg yay, I’m glad you decided to reply! ❤
I feel you on the character development thing, since it's one of the other reasons that I feel that Kent's route is one of the best ones in the game. Seeing him grow emotionally was amazing, and he's such a sweetheart in the end, with a lot of love and passion for the heroine! And…c'mon, just look at those math questions. They're AMAZING!
I really wish we could date Waka. I want a Waka route SO BAD *A*
LikeLike