Capcom and Dontnod Entertainment have just made the first Gamescom announcement of any real note. Remember Me, an action adventure title set for release on PS3, Xbox 360 and on PC, is set to be launched on May 13, 2013.
The game is set in a futuristic Paris (circa 2084), and players will assume the role of Nilin, a cyber terrorist who, part of a wider network run by a character called Edge (who keeps in constant communication throughout), operates as a memory hunter - accessing target's brains through jack-points in their neck, and hacking or remixing them for objectives.
Nilin's world is turned upside down when she too has her memory wiped, and she must embark on a mission to recover her memory.
From the Show Floor
We were shown two pieces of gameplay - one a live demo, the other a trailer cut together for the conference - and it was the latter that really shone. While the first was an extended chase scene from a trigger-happy helicopter that showcased the futuristic Neo-Paris location, as well as some main gameplay mechanics - Prince of Persia-style platforming, Arkham City-style combat - the second dug deeper into the hacking element that'll be this game's calling card.
Nilin can use her sensation engine - something installed into everyone's neck which allows them to digitise and upload their memories - for multiple uses. We see her override doors to work her way through the level, generate a mini-arm shield to block attacks, and - in a more more aggressive move - do a takedown move that overloads the target's system and explodes their brains.
Fun - but the demo ended with her "remixing" a target's memory - and the game switches to an almost point & click adventure style. We cut to a particular scene in that target's memory, watch the scene unfold, then alter key elements - like take off a gun's safety - so the target believes he shoots his girlfriend accidentally. New memory in place, we cut back to the now, and watch the ripple effect take place - and the target kill himself believing he'd taken his girlfriend's life.
The plot evokes memories and themes from several seminal science-fiction works, most notably Total Recall, Blade Runner, and more recently Inception. If Capcom can produce something with a similar level of quality to those films, Remember Me might just be the surprise hit of next year.
The game was originally called Adrift, and last year the following art was released to support the announcement.