Developed by FYQD-Studio and published by PLAYISM, Bright Memory: Infinite is a modern shooter that also combines action mechanics with shooting. It is the sequel to the original Bright Memory which was released back in 2020. Continuing the story from the first title, you get to experience what is next for Sheila and SRO in Bright Memory: Infinite. This is our review of Bright Memory: Infinite in which we slice some enemies and crush others with our force.
In Bright Memory: Infinite, you step in the shoes of Sheila once again who is a member of the ultra-elite SRO Emergency Inspection Team. Apart from using traditional weapons, she is capable of using various skills and abilities including a Light Blade which can stop bullets and also slice and dice everything that comes in its path. The story of the title is set in the year 2036 where you are sent to investigate a strange phenomenon occurring in the sky. Despite being an important aspect of the title, the story somehow does not really land in the same place as compared to the game’s visuals and gameplay.
Apart from looking really pretty, Bright Memory: Infinite really shines when it comes to gameplay as well. Apart from playing out like any other modern shooter, you have a lot of different abilities for use as well. Sheila is equipped with her gear including her Exo Unit Arm, Light Blade, and other weapons that you pick up as you progress in the main story of the game. Your Exo Unit Arm stores energy that you can use for various abilities in the game. These abilities range from force pulling and crushing enemies and using your grapple hook to traverse long distances. Apart from these abilities, you also use this energy to fight with your Light Blade.
Your Light Blade is your main melee weapon in the game which you use for melee combat. It uses your energy however if you shoot enemies with your guns, this energy is quickly recharged. You also use your melee weapon for taking down enemy shields because if their shields are not down, you are unable to damage their health. It’s a mix of a lot of things but when you start playing Right Memory: Infinite, you easily remember all of the core mechanics and can easily switch between your melee and ranged weapons to land combos on your enemies.
Combos play a vital role in combat in the game and normally, you would be juggling your enemies in the air to land combos on them with your Light Sword and other abilities. Movement is extremely fluid, and you can easily move around the level to give yourself an edge over your enemies by doubling jumping to heights sliding around to avoid damage. The levels do not have layers to them so mostly you are limited to the ground but double jumping and sliding can often get you out of some hairy situations.
When you start playing the game, you only have a limited number of abilities and weapons with you. Your Light Blade is unlocked early in the game along with your rifle. As you progress in the main story, you continue to get additional guns but there are only four types of guns in the game including an assault rifle, a pistol, a shotgun, and a sniper rifle. Each of them does what they are made for, and they do not have anything special to them. The main gameplay twist comes when it comes to getting your hands on new abilities.
As you play the game and explore its various locations, you will find and collect Reliquaries. These Reliquaries are scattered over maps in hidden locations, and you can find and collect them. Collecting these Reliquaries will allow you to purchase new abilities in the SRO Skill Enhancement System. This upgrade system has a variety of new skills and upgrades that you can purchase and use in the game. You have three main categories here including your Exo Unit Arm, Light Blade, and your Weapons.
Each upgrade costs a particular number of Reliquaries and if you have them, you can easily purchase a new upgrade. Your Weapons get various ammo types and other upgrades such as explosive bullets, tracking bullets, etc. You can purchase additional melee abilities for your Exo Unit Arm which allow you to pull enemies towards yourself or unleash a powerful fiery explosion from your fist. Light Blade upgrades allow you to become fancier with your blade with new killing moves and abilities for taking down enemies quickly. Combine these moves with your weapons and you become a killing machine that simply overpowers any type of enemies that come in your way including bosses. Bright Memory: Infinite offers plenty to players who want to unleash massive pain on their enemies with weapons and immense power.
To really excel in combat, you will need to master both parkour, movement abilities, weapons, and your melee abilities and weapon. The game is designed in such a way that you can literally glide through the weapons as you kill and murder your enemies. In certain sections, you will need to do some platforming and parkour to progress as well. These sections are not too technical however some of the levels have enemies in these sections as well so you have to navigate around while killing enemies as well.
The level design in Bright Memory: Infinite is excellent as well and you will get to travel through traditional Chinese cities with plenty of Chinese architecture clearly visible in buildings and temples. You will explore the outskirts and main cities during your journey as well as various other sites as well. Some of the levels in the game are actually designed with inspiration from actual Chinese cities such as Yongji Bridge of Chengyang (also known as the Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge) and the Xinjiang Qianhu Miao Village. Each level is really pretty to look at and it shows how much further the sequel has come from the original title.
Another excellent bit of the game is the enemy design. Apart from the normal enemy soldiers, you come face to face with enemies that are not from your time as well. These large enemies come wielding huge swords and shields from their own times and you will need to use your melee weapons and abilities against them to take them down quickly. Apart from the normal enemies, you also come face to face with various bosses in levels that really test your mettle. During boss fights, I noticed that you have to reply more you’re your blade and skills rather than your weapons. Still, it depends on your playstyle, and you can easily combine both of them for some really cool combos.
Bright Memory: Infinite is an amazing title and to think of it that it was developed by a one-man studio, it is just beyond amazing. I loved playing it and I am sure that all of you will enjoy the game as well despite it being really short. I am expecting to see news of a sequel soon by the developer and I hope that the next title is bigger than Infinite. The studio has come a long way from the original Bright Memory and I would love to see what they do next.
Final Verdict:
I know we all saw it coming but in short, Bright Memory: Infinite is an excellent shooter with really good gameplay mechanics, but it is extremely short when it comes to its story. The game ends when you finally get in grip with the controls and in-game mechanics, and it is just sad to see it end this way. For such a short title, all the work done on the mechanics and graphics just feels to be for nothing. I still loved playing it and it is a good change in the FPS from the traditional over-the-top cliched shooters that we are used to playing these days. If you love shooters and want one with some added frosting of parkour and cool melee combat, you must give Bright Memory: Infinite a chance and play it. A must-play for fans of shooters.
Final Score: 8.0/10
