Clear memory: infinite, a title picked by Microsoft to begin a showcase for the Xbox Series X in May 2020 is finally here. When you play the final product it’s easy to see why it was chosen to take the lead that year, because frankly it’s absolutely beautiful to watch and contains production values that would make a lot of AAA studios blush. Even more impressive, it comes from a one-man development team, FYQD Studio; a fact I had to keep reminding myself of over the course of my playthrough. If I had one concern to go in? Clear memory: infinite, it’s that I thought we might be looking at a glorified tech demo, but thankfully that’s far from the case, and Clear Memory: Infinite offers a concise and blood-curdling romp that proves to be worthwhile despite an extremely short runtime.
Nonsense story
Before I start gushing about what a blast Clear Memory: Infinite is to play, I want to clarify something – and that is if you’re someone who values coherent story and deep world building in your video games, you won’t find that here unfortunately.
Players step into the shoes of Super Nature Research Organization agent Sheila and must investigate a black hole that (as far as I could tell) threatens to be used by a rival military organization for nefarious resources that were never quite apparent. There’s the main opponent, General Lin, but his motives are never made clear, which is a shame, because it reduces the waves of Lin’s goons you’ll mow down to nothing more than mere cannon fodder. There’s also a supernatural element to the game, with mythological enemies thrown into the mix early on, but again I never knew exactly why Sheila and Lin’s timeline was being invaded by these creatures, just that they were somehow way connected to the aforementioned black hole.
Plot points are obscured within seconds, character motivations are non existent, and I can’t help but think as impressive as Clear Memory: Infinite generally comes from a single developer, it’s an experience that would have benefited immensely from solid creative input. With a dedicated writer or two and a decent editor, the gameplay wouldn’t have had to do so much heavy lifting. Luckily the gameplay is true Clear Memory: Infinite really sings.
Titanfall meets Shadow Warrior
During the two-hour runtime, Clear Memory: Infinite has given me more fun than I’ve had with a single-player shooter since Respawn blessed us with Titanfall 2s wonderful campaign. Part of that feeling is undoubtedly due to: Titanfall 2 seems to be an obvious inspiration for the gunfight feel and maneuverability that makes Clear Memory: Infinite such a hoot to play.
Double jumps, wall runs, grappling hooks and deadly obstacle courses filled with parkours are all the standard here as you blast through the different levels and take on wave after wave of enemy. Movement feels almost as responsive and crisp as Respawn’s classic, which is no small feat considering how satisfying traversal is in Titanfall 2 feels, with snappy and responsive gunplay that perfectly complements the parkour elements. There isn’t the greatest variety when it comes to weapons, with your arsenal largely revolving around a fairly standard assault rifle, shotgun, and pistol trio. However, these are all good to handle and can be equipped with secondary firing modes such as incendiary or target missiles that you think you should save for Clear Memory: Infinite’s tough boss fights.
There is also a huge focus on melee combat in Clear Memory: Infinite which is more than a bit like the rebooted shadow warrior titles. Using the triangular button, Sheila is able to take down enemies with her sword and even launch enemies into the air, unleashing devastating juggling combos in the air. It’s incredibly entrenched and satisfying to pinpoint the timing of a parry, before launching an enemy into the air, juggling the sword, all before bringing them back to Earth with a shotgun to the face. There’s a rhythm to it Clear Memory: Infinite’s combat, like I’ve rarely experienced in a first-person shooter. Nowhere is this more evident than the handful of boss fights, where careful use of melee and parry are paramount to success, with the game beginning to become akin to a first-person take on the game. sekiro, that is the need to remember patterns and attack timings.
If there’s one area where things start to fall apart a bit, it’s during the more scripted set pieces. These never feel as tight or as well thought out as the freer battle arenas that make up most of the campaign. Incredibly basic stealth sections, boring car chases, and shooting sections on the rails all interrupt and feel like tick-box drills, often coming across as if the developer felt the need to tackle set-pieces, because that’s what a modern day linear shooter needs doing these days. However, the truth is that this is a short title, about two hours or so, and these sections weren’t necessary at all. Clear Memory: Infinite’s combat is excellent, and with such a short campaign, these excursions feel like an unnecessary waste of precious time.
Blink and you will miss it
I’d like to take a moment to discuss the two-hour campaign duration, because it’s likely to be a tricky issue for many people. Make no mistake, I definitely think Clear Memory: Infinite is worth its price of twenty dollars. What you get is a well-crafted two-hour campaign that delivers combat and production values that would pass as AAA if you didn’t know better and weren’t told otherwise. It is the work of a remarkable man, and this is clearly a passion project that undoubtedly caused many sleepless nights and stressful years as he strived for this level of fidelity and brilliance, and I think the end result turned out as good as it has deserves the price tag. On that basis, twenty dollars is fine in my opinion, and if FYQD Studio comes in at this price to continue with bigger and better projects, then I’m all for it.
Value is of course relative. Some people don’t have the luxury of considering twenty dollars as disposable income, and for anyone looking at the value of video games through the lens of hours per dollar, I’d say hold off on a sale. This is a great campaign, but it’s just that, just a campaign. Clear Memory: Infinite has very little replay value once the credits are rolled, and it’s likely you’ll never fire it up again once you’re beat; unless you want to show this amazing one man feat to friends or family. What I’m really referring to is that there are arguments both for and against its current launch price Clear memory: infinite, so I’d suggest weighing those before jumping in and making sure you know what you’re paying for.
Conclusion
Clear Memory: Infinite is a shining example of the power of development tools when put in the hands of someone who really knows how to get the most out of them. With its AAA production values and polished gameplay, it offers an action-packed night that entertained me in a way the genre has struggled with since Respawn’s underrated Titanfall 2. If you’re comfortable dropping twenty bucks for an experience that you know will be over in a few hours and are willing to overlook the messy story in favor of the excellent gameplay loops, then Clear Memory: Infinite is definitely worth supporting.
Final verdict: 4/5
Available on: PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, PC; Publisher: PLAYISM; Developer: FYQD Studio; Players: 1; Released: July 21, 2022; MSRP: $19.99; ESRB: M for adult
Full disclosure: The publisher has provided a review copy.
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