Bright Memory

Bright Memory (and it's sequel, Bright Memory: Infinite) got an explosive and very positive reception as soon as they launched. I believe this was the main reason prompting me to try them, as I heard they were mostly solo projects, and so the popularity of the reception was very impressive.

Bright Memory is a first-person shooter where your character also has an assortment of abilities to be used. The game focuses on high action combat and rewards more points for combos, prompting for slightly flashier gameplay. There is a clear focus on graphical fidelity and combat, although there is also a story unfolding. I'm rarely a fan of stories, but even by someone else's standards, the story is not worth experiencing. But what about the rest of the game?

Honestly, I was aware that Bright Memory is a very short game, lasting for about an hour for the first installment, and three for the second one. What I hoped to get for that brief time was impeccable combat, jawdropping visuals, and just maybe, a good-looking main character, since I don't think they made revealing costume packs for her for no reason.
While none of those aspects of the game were bad, they really didn't live up to my expectations. Sure, for a supposedly solo developed game (which I have some doubts about), it looks and plays great, but I've seen both better combat and better visuals from many shooters. So I don't really understand what the huge positive reception was about.

Overall, I don't really see a reason to recommend it. The gameplay is fine, but not amazing, and the whole game is so short that even if you did enjoy it, it would be over very soon. The developer quoting monetary constraints for the second game sounds silly, since the first should have brought in on the order of several million euros. If they ever decide to make a full-length game, I might try it, but I wouldn't try another one of this length.