7.7 GOOD
REVIEW

My Memory of Us Review: Beautiful, Emotional, and Over Too Soon

February 11, 2019

My Memory of Us is a moving fairy tale about friendship, hope, and survival during some of the darkest moments imaginable. The game follows two children from very different backgrounds who are brought together during a time of occupation, forcing them to rely on one another as they try to survive.

Presented through a beautifully hand-crafted 2D world, the adventure mixes exploration, stealth, puzzles, and emotional storytelling. The visual style immediately stands out, but it is the story that gives the game its strongest impact.

The narrative is intriguing, heartfelt, and often very sad, creating an experience that feels much more emotional than many traditional puzzle-adventure games. From the beginning, My Memory of Us makes it clear that its greatest strength is the bond between its two young characters and the difficult world they are trying to navigate.

Graphics 8.5

The graphics in My Memory of Us have a beautiful storybook quality that immediately gives the game a distinctive feel. The hand-drawn 2D presentation makes every environment look carefully crafted, almost as if you are moving through the pages of an illustrated book.

What makes the visual style especially effective is the contrast between its beauty and its darker subject matter. The world can look charming and artistic one moment, then unsettling and somber the next. That combination gives the game a unique atmosphere and helps reinforce the emotional tone of the story.

Overall, the visuals are beautiful, memorable, and perfectly suited to the kind of story My Memory of Us is trying to tell.

Gameplay 8.0

The gameplay in My Memory of Us is built around a 2.5D side-scrolling puzzle-adventure structure, with the player controlling two different characters who must work together to survive and progress through the world.

Each child has different abilities, and many of the puzzles require you to switch between them or have them cooperate in order to move forward. This gives the game a nice sense of teamwork and ties directly into the story's central theme of friendship.

The mix of exploration, stealth, and puzzle-solving works well with the slower, more emotional pace of the adventure. While the gameplay is not overly complex, the cooperative mechanics between the two characters help keep it interesting and give the experience its own identity.

Audio 9.0

The audio in My Memory of Us is beautiful and plays a huge role in delivering the emotion behind the story. Patrick Stewart provides the English narration, and his performance adds a powerful storybook quality that fits perfectly with the game's emotional presentation.

The original soundtrack, composed by Patryk Scelina, features 45 tracks and is another major highlight. The music can be beautiful, haunting, and heartbreaking, changing alongside the events of the story and helping some of its most important moments hit even harder.

Combined with the detailed sound design, the soundtrack creates an incredible atmosphere. The audio does more than simply accompany the adventure—it helps tell the story and evoke the emotions that make My Memory of Us such a memorable experience.

Value 5.1

The value is where My Memory of Us takes its biggest hit. The story is beautiful, emotional, and worth experiencing, but the game is simply much too short.

The main story takes around five hours to complete, while doing some additional content can push that closer to six hours. Even players aiming for 100% completion will likely finish everything in roughly seven hours.

Those hours are meaningful because of the strength of the story and presentation, but there just is not enough content here. A longer campaign, more puzzles, or additional optional sections would have helped make the experience feel much more complete.

Pros

- Beautiful storybook-style graphics that are both charming and haunting.
- Emotional and memorable story centered around friendship and survival.
- Excellent soundtrack that adds real weight to the more dramatic moments.
- Strong narration from Patrick Stewart.
- Interesting two-character gameplay that encourages cooperation and puzzle-solving.
- Great atmosphere that combines beauty with a much darker underlying tone.

Cons

- The main story is much too short at around five hours.
- Limited additional content, with 100% completion taking only around seven hours.
- Gameplay mechanics are relatively simple and could have offered more depth.
- More puzzles and optional areas would have helped improve the overall value.
- The short length makes the experience feel like it ends just as the story really begins to build momentum.

Verdict

My Memory of Us is a beautiful and emotional adventure that succeeds because of its touching story, striking storybook visuals, and excellent audio. The bond between the two children gives the game real heart, while the soundtrack and narration help make many of its moments feel even more powerful.

The biggest problem is its length. At only around five hours for the main story and roughly seven hours for full completion, the experience ends far too quickly. The gameplay is enjoyable, but the simple mechanics and limited amount of content make it feel like there was room to do much more.

Overall, My Memory of Us is a memorable and heartfelt game that is absolutely worth experiencing for its story and atmosphere. It just needed more time and content to reach its full potential.

7.7
GOOD