11-11: Memories Retold Xbox One X Review

11-11: Memories Retold doesn't attempt to tell a grand tale about World War 1, instead it decides to take a more personal approach. Following 2 soldiers as they take part in The Great War for personal reasons. The adventure is a deeply enriching tale about endurance, friendship, and honor where large-scale fights take a back seat. The abundance of collectibles and technical issues sometimes hamper the experience but these are minor issues. 11-11: Memories Retold is a moving tale of 2 soldiers trying to survive The Great War without killing thousands of NPCs and lots of guns.

11-11: Memories Retold tells the story of 2 soldiers taking part in World War 1 on opposite sides for personal reasons. Kurt is a German engineer who enlists to look for his son and Harry is a photographer who joins to impress his long-time best friend and love interest, Julia. Each one is well-written and evolves over time, with Harry beginning to see the danger of decisions and the horrors of war and Kurt seeing the enemies as people just like him.

The writers did a terrific job of capturing both Harry and Kurt. When Kurt and Harry meet the language barrier prevents them from properly communicating, instead, their actions play a large role in understanding each other and building a friendship. Other characters do join in that add to Harry and Kurt's motives such as Kurt writing back to his wife and daughter and Harry attempting to show Julia his valor through the photos he took.  What complements the story is the outstanding soundtrack that not only captures the moment for each scene but amplifies it.

The narrative does offer a consequential system, where certain actions will alter the narrative. While some are more noticeable then others some are minor. Unlike titles like Life is Strange or Detroit: Become Human the game doesn't show what decisions are more important than others. A trigger or indication would've allowed more awareness of these situations, allowing players who replay through the game a chance to know that these choices will lead to consequences.

The biggest thing players will notice is the graphics. The art style looks like a living watercolor painting that is both charming and sometimes strange. Specific items that need interacting with can be overtaken by the color palette but the developers have made the collectibles to look like a modern game to ensure players can see them. 

Speaking of collectibles, the game is overflowing with them. Despite being compact stages levels the game can include up to 13 collectibles per stage, separated into sections for both Kurt and Harry. They do offer some interesting reading material when the pieces are put together but these could've been reduced dramatically.

The gameplay doesn't share the same high quality as the narrative. Much of it relies on solving simple puzzles, collecting key items, and interacting with characters. There are specific sections were Kurt and Harry must work together to solve simple puzzles. Chapters sometimes allow you to choose between Harry or Kurt to start with but these are superficial choices that don't impact the story.

11-11: Memories Retold is short and can be completed in about 4 hours. For many, the price of $30 can be expensive considering the game's length but the multiple endings and an incredible narrative more than justified for the price tag. A large number of collectibles and tedious gameplay can become annoying but these things don't overshadow the incredible narrative where rarely you need to shoot a gun. Fans of narrative-driven games such as Life is Strange will find a lot to love about 11-11: Memories Retold.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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