By far, The Dark Eye: Memoria has been one of the more demanding games to review of late. That’s not a detriment that relates to being a bad game; on the contrary, it’s very good. It’s just that it has taken longer than I had hoped to get this review done.
Following on from The Dark Eye: The Chains Of Satinav, both from Daedalic, we’re reacquainted with Geron the birdcatcher, only this story is experienced with assistance from the past, through visions and further problem-solving.
It’s almost as if the game was made back-to-back like The Lord Of The Rings, as the two are seamless, but you do need to play the first, also available on the PS4/5. So, is it a worthy sequel, or should you stop at the first?
In the first game, birdcatcher Geron gets roped into an adventure to stop the evil Seer from enslaving the beloved people of his hometown, Andergast. In the process, he lures the help of a fairy, only to, well, fall for her. Now, however, her form has changed, and the goal is to return things to how they once were.
The two protagonists’ worlds are very different. Playing the prequel back-to-back means that Geron was already a character I was familiar with, but in this second adventure, I warmed to him even more. The voice talent is equally good, if not better, and so too is the presentation. Taking a brief hiatus from the first game and making a dent in The Dark Eye: Memoria makes you appreciate just how good the artists are in this game.
It’s essentially the same game, but on a bigger scale and more fantastical, such as when you enter the fairy realm in The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav. Again, the animation is a little janky when characters talk, but it’s forgivable. It can’t be an easy feat to sync up a game originally made in German, translated to English, while giving a hand-painted aesthetic. Like a Bob Ross art jam, for one.
You’re soon introduced to Indiana Sadja, a surly, fearsome adventurer who wants to leave her mark on history. While she couldn’t be more different to Geron – vocal, direct, confident and other archetypes – they both share anonymity as nobody truly knows the sacrifices they have made for ‘the greater good’.
With Sadja, she’s no-nonsense as she takes on a bit more wondrous quests, travelling a larger area and in tune with what one may define as fantasy. In short, she’s pretty incredible. Her surliness is refreshing and juxtaposed with Geron’s timidness, making for a good balance.
The Dark Eye: Memoria PS5 has the same way of interacting and general setup, but the inventory doesn’t feel as cluttered as before. Well, it wasn’t cluttered, but this sequel feels a bit more streamlined. The puzzles, however, are not.
One of the reasons for the later review is getting stuck on a few puzzles, which meant a few pauses, then returning to them afresh. Those breaks weren’t in frustration, more for a different outlook on the problem at hand, allowing for one of those cliche ‘out of the box’ moments.
The Dark Eye: Memoria is the better game, in my opinion, as it expands on all the good parts of the first but on a grander scale. Other than the lip-syncing, a handful of voices are awful. It didn’t help that the first character you meet feels like they’re reading it. Stick with it, though, as if you liked the first one, this is a step up. It makes a change for a sequel, at least in cinema terms.
Like an Isle of Skye whisky, a decent adventure should be appreciated at a leisurely pace. With The Dark Eye: Memoria, maybe it’s not so much a choice due to the challenges ahead, but they reward the player with an enjoyable story and associated puzzles. And, dare I say, characters you care about.
