Difficult to feign surprise with the scenario of The Memory in the Skin which explodes the borders. The trilogy, which is inspired by Robert Ludlum's novels, has burned down all the cinema screens on the planet, which considerably reduces the element of surprise in a game that naturally takes up the main script lines of the first episode. The quest begins in the open sea of Marseilles, when a trawler picks up Jason Bourne, whose body was bathed in the mouth of the sea currents, in the absence of that of a shark. Once aboard the boat, the ex-US government agent desperately tries to collect a few scraps of memories to recover his memory, and thus put a name to his face. High Moon Studios did not try to follow the story of the film stupidly, but really brought a personal touch to The Memory in the Skin, by embedding between the scenes taken from the film of the missions in the form of flashbacks, which represent the past of Jason Bourne. Thus, before witnessing the renunciation of the Treadstone mercenary to execute the African dictator with a bullet to the head, while the gentleman's children are on board his luxury yacht, the player will have the privilege of discovering the one of the very first secret operations entrusted by the CIA to its assassin. We play the game willingly, especially since the developers have maintained a certain consistency throughout the game, which greatly facilitates immersion. But what is even more exhilarating in The Memory in the Skin is the way in which the psychology of the main character is portrayed. The developers at High Moon Studios didn't really seek to dig into the soul of the original Bourne played by Matt Damon, let's be honest. One could even say that they contented themselves with scratching the surface to minimize risk-taking and remain efficient. But the infernal pace to which the player is subjected throughout the game is enough to make it clear that time is not a luxury that can be afforded in La Mémoire dans la Peau. A choice that the game assumes perfectly, by imposing nuclear quick time events where the slightest hesitation is paid for in cash.
Caught up by his past
The Memory in the Skin is a game that is not enjoyed as a "Trainee", nor even as an "Agent", but as an "Assassin" to take full advantage of all the subtleties offered by the game when the AI rebels at each corner of the corridor, even if the most vicious of players will quickly find the flaws that crack the game's combat system. It's a weakness, and a strength at the same time. A weakness because this technical fault contributes to the repetitive aspect of the fights. A strength because the notch always represents a luxury escape, when facing enemies who take on the appearance of invincible after two straight lines. The Memory in the Skin plays it a little Ninja Gaiden, by integrating notions – hitstun and blockstun – specific to fighting games. They are badly applied, it's true, and that's probably also what makes the game at times insurmountable, at least in "Assassin". When you manage to get the upper hand on your opponent in hitstun, you no longer have this amount of time that usually allows you to place devastating combos. More specifically, when the player manages to hit his opponent, the latter immediately puts himself on guard instead of suffering a series of attacks rewarding the risk-taking. Suddenly, the fights become more strategic, less instinctive, and lose fluidity. Paradoxically, blockstun fares much better in Memory in the Skin, with charged blows that effectively stun the opponent. Nevertheless, a heavy kick will tend to add distance between the two characters in an abusive way, a detail that is very important when you are about to challenge a boss in the game. But the most annoying thing remains without doubt the mood swings of the camera which fails to stabilize in cramped quarters. We then find ourselves with a completely invisible adversary on which Jason Bourne distributes headlines blindly.
Apart from all these technical considerations, the choreographed combats of La Mémoire dans la Peau provide immediate pleasure, thanks in particular to a simplified handling. The equation is simple: Y/Triangle for a heavy punch, X/Square for a quick mandal, and A/Cross for protection. Naturally, the objective will be to find the most devastating sequence, in order to ensure maximum damage while maintaining a comfortable safety window. Some members of the editorial staff have a preference for the XYY / Square-Triangle-Triangle which allows you to slap a slap at the speed of light, and follow up behind with two very heavy kicks. The XXY / Square-Square-Triangle isn't bad either, but exposes the player to a blistering counterattack if the third hit doesn't hit. Finally, the YXX / Triangle-Square-Square also caught our attention, even if it is more difficult to place against infinitely tough opponents, since the combo starts with a relatively slow hit. In the end, The Memory in the Skin has eight combos in all, which leaves the player the choice - not infinite either - to face the enemies according to his style. Each of the attacks can inflate the Elimination bar - or Adrenaline, it depends -, a concept that allows you to complete a thug at once by pressing B / Round. Effective when it comes to extricating yourself from a desperate situation, Elimination is just as effective against end-of-level Darons, since it activates a one-time regeneration of the vital gauge. Well seen. This home-made Bourne movement is also an opportunity to rely on decorative objects, as long as you are near one of them. Without necessarily torturing the player's neurons, interactivity plays an essential role in La Mémoire dans la Peau, especially when dealing with an enemy armed with a blade. By seizing the famous pen from the Parisian apartment, or the fire extinguisher facing Divandelen, one can disarm the individual to avoid having his face scarred, and falling into a coma after two brushes.
Duty of memory
Divided into three parts, the adrenaline gauge also allows the player to kill several opponents in the same turn, when it is at its maximum. As a result, you have to be fast enough to press the buttons correctly during Quick Time Event sessions. These are not scripted, and the order of the buttons may change from sequence to sequence, even on failure. The cut scenes are truly murderous, and can surprise anyone who is likely to believe in the cinema. But High Moon Studios has taken the vice even further, since the QTEs can just as well slip surreptitiously into classic game phases, without necessarily being announced by a big cinematic; even if we still feel them coming, it's true. If the sweaty hands allow to assess the degree of stress, it is especially the QTEs initiated by the bosses that are in shambles. Also capable of performing Eliminations, you have to show enough composure not to crack at the first Quick Time Event. Not as developed as those of a Gears of War, the gunfights play a less important role in The Memory in the Skin. even if they make it possible to vary the pleasures in terms of action. Jason Bourne's arsenal is made up of two weapons: one handgun, the other a little heavier. A simple press on LB / L1 allows you to switch between the two weapons. A cover system, albeit limited, has been implemented via A / Cross as soon as one approaches a hideout, knowing that certain elements of the environment offer much stronger protection than others. A few bullets are enough to perforate a plank of wood, which requires moving from time to time, but not in a perpetual way.
Indeed, The Memory in the Skin does not allow you to pass from one barricade to another without exposing yourself to enemy bullets, even crouching. From then on, the hunting ground was considerably reduced, and the shootings lost momentum. Moreover, we also regret that the targeting is done almost automatically when the reticle is a few centimeters from the enemy. A fault of taste which penalizes the function of Adrenaline supposed, here, to help the player to locate the eyes closed each attacker. The other dark point of the gunfights of The Memory in the Skin, it is that one cannot take aim to target the enemy correctly. In order not to shoot completely blindly, we therefore benefit from a first less imposing reticle which allows you to adjust your aim for the first time. Yeah. As much as the title's bare-knuckle fights are spectacular and enjoyable to watch, the gunfights are sorely lacking in punch. The realization of the game is of good quality, even if certain passages seem to hate the textures from the bottom of their heart. Faithful to the eponymous film when it comes to the script, La Mémoire dans la Peau paradoxically struggles to offer some visual landmarks to those who know the trilogy inside out. The streets of Paris are unrecognizable on board the Mini, including buses and metros, and only the banks of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower will manage to remind us that the scene takes place in France. The character design is quite effective, even if the characters sometimes display square knees and elbows. Where La Mémoire dans la Peau crashes royally, on the other hand, is at the level of the cutscenes which are not at the level of what we can see in other productions of the same genre; lumps have never been good for the tongue and eyes. Hats off on the other hand for the French dubbing which deserves the detour, as well as the musical atmosphere of the title which takes up official themes orchestrated by John Powell.
