Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER review

There’s no greater sign of a video game having told a great story than when it leaves you thinking about it after the credits have rolled. Of course not every game needs this level of narrative quality, but when one comes along and knocks you off your feet there’s very little better. I finished Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER a couple of days ago now, but very little else has occupied my brain in the time since. If there was any feasible way to spend more time with the characters of this wonderful point and click game and shirk my other responsibilities I would, but alas I suppose I should write this review to ensure others get to experience this wonderful adventure too.

Our protagonist Luna is what’s known as an Esper, which is essentially someone with psychic powers. With the help of a slightly bizarre sci-fi fish called the Neurodiver, Luna has the ability to jump into the memories of people who need her help to explore and repair them. Even in the futuristic setting of Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER this is cutting edge technology, but Luna (or as she is renamed in her new role at megacorp MINERVA, ES88) is hopeful that diseases like Alzheimer’s could potentially be cured using her unique powers.

Although Luna is determined to use her powers for good, that doesn’t mean that all Espers are as just and true. With cases of psychic attacks on the rise, your boss at MINERVA tasks you with helping people with unexplained memory issues and finding the person who is responsible for making people forget key details in their lives. Although nervous she’ll be handling such a huge issue, Luna thankfully won’t be doing so alone. With a whole host of friends and colleagues at her side, Luna’s task is a whole lot more manageable.

The character you and Luna will spend the most time with on your sci-fi adventure is Gate, a former military android turned kind hearted defender. Gate is assigned to keep you and the Neurodiver safe, but more so than that wants to do so because she cares deeply about Luna as a person (and maybe more). Whereas Luna is earnest, goofy and nerdy, Gate is quieter and tougher with an incredibly caring gooey centre she doesn’t reveal to just anyone. Their dynamic is a joy to watch grow as you progress through the game, and I’d struggle to pick a favourite between the two.

In Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER you’ll spend most of the game pointing and clicking like any other classic adventure game. Environments are packed full of interesting people to talk to and objects that Luna will comment on to flesh out the world. It’s usually fairly obvious what your next task in the game is, but if you’re struggling the quest log will point you in the right direction.

Once you start diving into memories though the game is shaken up a little. In each memory you explore you’ll encounter corrupted fragments that need repairing, which you do by finding related objects and using them to restore the truth. This starts off pretty simple with you helping find someone’s forgotten password by learning about their pets and interests, but before you know it you’ll be fixing the damage from psychic attacks in the minds of all sorts of colourful characters.

In a world where rogue Espers can potentially affect the minds of anyone they choose, you can probably expect there to be some seriously wild twists and turns in a game like Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER. The last hour or two of the game especially is a hell of a ride, and I simply couldn’t put it down once I hit the home stretch.

Alongside telling a cracking story, it’s the whole package that makes Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER special. The voice acting is absolutely superb, and the colourful visuals that walk the line perfectly between lovely to look at and being easy to distinguish the important elements you’ll need. Other than the occasional too tricky fragment there’s not a lot I didn’t love in NEURODIVER, and I’d recommend it to any lover of narrative games.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER is a wonderful sci-fi adventure game which tells a great story, features incredibly likeable characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged. If you spent your formative years pointing and clicking and fancy a fantastic throwback with a sprinkle of modern joy then playing NEURODIVER is a no brainer.