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Bright Memory: Infinite (Switch) Review

by Ted Hazell - July 20, 2022, 10:36 am EDT
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6.5

Gun-Fu

The Nintendo Switch has a gigantic library of games, spanning all genres of the medium; however, one area that I feel is slightly lacking in comparison is the FPS genre. Developed by FYQD Studios, Bright Memory: Infinite is an action-packed shooter that relies on its fast-paced gameplay to create some excellent and visually impressive combos.

Throughout Bright Memory: Infinite you play as Shelia, who is tasked by the Supernatural Science Research Organisation to investigate a phenomenon that is raising ancient warriors from the dead. Your role is to uncover the mystery and single-handedly stop any evil forces at hand. During your campaign, you will be located in various regions, many of which are based on real locations in China. I found the storyline pretty confusing or hardly there at all. There was definitely something big happening, but the game didn’t do a great job of making your objective feel all that important; as long as you “gun and slice” everything in front of you, you’re golden.

One of the most impressive, yet underwhelming areas of Bright Memory: Infinite is the visuals. The cut scenes use the in-game visuals, which blend into the gameplay; however, these slower, more character-focused graphics highlight the poor quality of some textures and character models. Aspects such as Shelia’s hair and facial expressions, splashes of water, and background textures popping in through the fog hamper the tone and overall experience. In contrast, the gameplay taken on its own is actually fairly attractive.

Figuring out how to play the game doesn’t take too much effort. Shelia controls well, and the guns and blades you use look crisp at all times. The enemies and settings stand out and the environments are well crafted. The combat looks smooth—explosions, strikes and colors are bright and anarchic—provided motion blur is set to low or off; otherwise, you’re in for a high octane, blurry fight! It’s a real shame, because when you are in the thick of combat, Bright Memory is quite visually impressive, likened to the Crysis games remastered for Switch.

However, when looking at the crop of current-generation consoles, you can’t help but be underwhelmed with the visual hand you have been dealt with this Switch version, which is a real shame. Bright Memory on Switch underscores the gap in power and performance between Nintendo’s platform and other home consoles.

Bright Memory: Infinite is a fairly unique FPS, in that you have your standard variety of guns ( assault rifle, shotgun, sniper, pistol), but you also wield a katana, which can be used to slice enemies up and deflect bullets, missiles, you name it! What’s more, Shelia has supernatural abilities akin to a Jedi’s, where she can use “force-like” powers to push energy at opponents that can sometimes cause them to be torn apart. She can also use this ability to pull enemies closer and even suspend them in the air, allowing for the opportunity to put together some killer combos. All these forms of offense take a different button on the controller and can be a little jarring at first, but the game steadily introduces the mechanics through the first few missions, despite many being available from the get-go. There were times when I would mix up the button combination, and use the force-like push, instead of parrying with my katana, which resulted in more than a few chunks being taken off my health bar.

Your goal is mostly mission and objective-based, and the maps and locations are mostly linear. Some sections will test you with very basic puzzle-like elements, such as, “find a way around,” with there being only one clear way or some form of graffiti in the shape of an arrow. Thankfully the combat makes up for any lulls Bright Memory throws at you. It’s fast-paced, controls well seamlessly transitions between blade, supernatural powers and guns. Once mastered, you can make any enemy quake before you.

Before starting a campaign, you have some customizability options available to you. You can amend the color and wraps of your guns, change the look of your katana, and also choose from several skins that Shelia can wear (and yes, there is a bikini option). I love it when cosmetics allow you to change how the protagonist to suit your preference; however, with Bright Memory: Infinite being primarily in first-person, minus the cutscenes, you won’t see your customization job all that much. One thing you will see plenty of is the plain black loading screen, especially if you die or fail your mission often. The load times in Bright Memory are very, very long and should your last checkpoint include a cutscene, whether you’ve seen it or not, it’s unskippable. Be prepared to sit back and watch Shelia’s hair have a mind of its own over and over again until you get past that one boss you are struggling with!

Lengthy load screens aside, the game plays pretty smoothly. That said, I did come across some buggy enemies, and this happened one too many times for me to not mention it in this review. In one of the early boss fights, the enemy lunged toward me and I side-stepped to avoid the attack. What resulted was the enemy being frozen mid-attack, until I knocked their health down to the next stage of their assault. After this, they would focus their attack on where I was standing, not where I currently was. This only happened with one boss fight, but during objectives, random enemies would act the same, or they would get trapped, trying to run through trees, rocks, or walls. This made for a mixed experience: when these buggy moments weren’t happening, I was truly having a blast with this game. The second I noticed such issues, it completely knocked out any momentum or adrenaline I had.


I will admit, despite the faults and gripes mentioned above, I had a blast playing Bright Memory: Infinite and during my second session I was ready to commit and play through a large chunk of the campaign, only to find there wasn’t as much as I hoped. I reckon for a more seasoned player, they could run through the entire story in an afternoon. This is disappointing because what’s here is great; there’s just nowhere near enough of it.

Bright Memory: Infinite is a solid FPS and the kind of game the Nintendo Switch needs more of. Despite the few technical and graphical issues, the action, controls, and epic, high-octane combos make for a truly enjoyable, yet frustrating short experience. If you are craving a solid FPS action game on your Nintendo Switch, you can’t go wrong with Bright Memory: Infinite for the time being. Just make sure you’re here for a good time, not a long time.

Summary

Pros
  • A solid FPS, that mixes swordplay masterfully well
  • Great visuals when in the thick of combat
  • Tight controls
Cons
  • Experience enemies freezing one too many times
  • Long load times
  • Story doesn't make much sense
  • The game is pretty short
  • Too many of the unskippable cutscenes harm the gaming experience

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Game Profile

Bright Memory: Infinite Box Art

Genre Shooter
Developer
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Bright Memory: Infinite
Release Jul 21, 2022
PublisherPlayism
RatingMature
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