Before it rose to prominence with its hit seriesLife is Strange, DON’T NOD had actually turned its attention to a more traditional action-adventure game withRemember Me.Creating a striking aesthetic by blending grunge and futurism,Remember Mewas an ambitious game that took the tried-and-tested theme of dystopian mega corporations overriding the free will of the people and added in unique mechanics surrounding memories and consciousness. Sadly, despite receiving praise for its world-building, Memory Remixes and soundtrack,critics pannedRemember Me’s formulaic combat and design choices.
However, it was clear through its sales over the years that the game has garnered a cult following, and the ideas at the heart of the game were sound. A sequel, therefore, should have been inevitable for such a title, but many factors led toRemember Me 2not being developed, even ifDON’T NOD Entertainmentdid have plans for the series' future, and ultimately the game remains in limbo. No official development has been confirmed for the sequel, and the latest news fromRemember Mepublisher Capcom suggests the game is no longer viable under its name.
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Remembering Remember Me
In a since-removed interview with Siliconera, Creative DirectorJean-Maxime Moris confirmed that DON’T NOD had already planned out a potential sequel. Not only did he state that DON’T NOD knew what additional content it would add toRemember Me’s"recipe," but it was also aware of the game’s flaws and knew how to correct them. He ruminated that the sequel is “a game that’s ready to be made, but that decision is Capcom’s to make.” Despite this,Remember Me 2never materialized as DON’T NOD continued work on the burgeoning success of itsLife isStrangeseries following its first “season.”
Though the reasons behind why have not been officially confirmed by either DON’T NOD or Capcom, members of the DON’T NOD team who were involved with bothRemember MeandLife is Strangeseem to indicate that Capcom was responsible for theRemember Meseries ending without a sequel. Likely explanations could be that Capcom didn’t see a profitable future inRemember Me, or that attempting to fixRemember Me’s faults for a second potential mixed response wasn’t worthwhile. Regardless of its reasons, a sequel was never greenlit, andDON’T NOD moved on to other projects likeVampyr.
DON’T NOD and Remember Me’s Future
When Moris' comments about aRemember Mesequel were made, DON’T NOD was just releasingLife is Strange. Arguably, it was this second game that saved the studio from folding, as the mixed response fromRemember Mehad putDON’T NOD’s futureinto jeopardy. While it was able to salvage its sales through digital deals such as Playstation Plus, the initial release of the game didn’t perform well commercially; poor design choices aside, releasing in the later stages of the PS3 and Xbox 360 lifecycles may have harmedRemember Me.
With the backing of Square Enix forLife is Strangeand the subsequent success and awards the game earned, DON’T NOD effectively reinvented itself and focused on delivering its now widely recognized choice-driven gameplay. In its following projects, whether it continued theLife is Strangefranchise or moved to new projects likeVampyrorTell Me Why,DON’T NOD has advanced its unique style of game design. While somegames weren’t huge successes likeVampyr, it has cultivated a prestige that it didn’t have before when first starting out withRemember Me.
Therefore, if the studio wanted to, it could choose to revisit its debut game for a sequel. Given thatDON’T NOD has since moved on fromLife is Strange, withLife is Strange:True Colorsbeing developed by Deck Nine, DON’T NOD now has the opportunity to develop any game it wants. It could finally deliver its long-awaited, already plannedRemember Mesequel as its next project, provided it is able to wrest the IP away from Capcom. If Capcom never had confidence in the sequel before, this might not be difficult, but DON’T NOD’s new reputation could have the publishers reconsideringRemember Me 2’spotential.
Remember Meis available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
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