Lost & Found Again: A Stolen Memories Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

Not that long ago I took a look at a recently-released visual novel called Debauched Memories. Even though I didn't feel I needed to play it to enjoy it, I started to wonder what the previous game it was a sequel to was like. That wonder eventually turned to obsession and I just had to play it for my own piece of mine. I also wondered how it was that it had 18+ content, but its sequel didn't. I'm pleased to report that I have now played the game, and I now have all sorts of answers to my questions. It's now time to review a game known as Stolen Memories. Before we go any further, shout out to Aleksey Izimov for providing me with review copies of both games. Let's get right into it!

Similar to Debauched Memories, Stolen Memories puts you into the role of a student named Slava. He returns home one day to find that his adopted elf mom (yeah I know...), named Masha, is being harassed by a group of debt collectors. It turns out these debt collectors want more money than Masha can ever hope to pay off with her current job, and it's also revealed that the main Debt Collector is the estranged father of Slava's girlfriend Alya. What follows next is a series of events where Slava studies his ass off in order to get into a good college, Masha attempts to make ends meet money-wise so she's no longer drowning in debt, and Alya seeks to finally break things off once and for all with her father. In between there are a lot of sexual escapades you won't see here, but they're more of a distraction from the main plot than anything else. Perhaps because the story has far more focus in this game, I found that the plot flows better here than it did in Debauched Memories. The characters felt more grounded, and each of the main trio have their own time to shine. It is weird that Slava has sex with what is basically his mom, but I guess we'll leave that alone for now. There are several in-game choices to be made, three endings to see, and the game feels just a bit more rewarding in its conclusion. With that out of the way, let's take a look at the differences between the two games.

Previously I raved about the visuals in Debauched Memories, but I might not have done so if I knew that much of its assets were reused from this game. Masha and Alya are the exact same models, clothes and all, and many of the backgrounds and locations are recycled too. Speaking of those, it took me this game to notice that Slava and Masha's home is actually a ramen restaurant. I'm not sure if the developer wasn't aware of what the Japanese writing on the signs says, or if it's supposed to be implied that his family lives above it or something, but it's a thing I can't unsee now. Stolen Memories also uses the same Live 2D style animation found in its sequel, but it feels just a little bit messier here. I guess that could just be chalked up to understanding the animation tools a bit better the second time around, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. Also, instead of the chibi style cutscenes form Debauched Memories, Stolen Memories features three 18+ sex scenes. These are animated as well, but they don't really stand up to what you find in other genres. They're not bad by any means, but I personally found them more funny than titillating. Perhaps they were left out of the sequel due to the fact that the animation in them never totally felt right, at least that's what I think. Whatever the reason though, I mostly skipped them here.

Other the visual stuff aside, there's the same positives and negatives here as far as sound design goes. The music is still very low in the mix by default, and the tracks themselves are still far from memorable. I'm not totally sure the soundtrack is exactly the same in both games, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. The voice acting is just as good here, and even the 18+ scenes are fully voiced. Those kind of performances are always hit or miss, and I'm pleased to say that the voice actors did a great job with them too. Nevermind that I didn't care for the scenes themselves as a whole. I was a bit let down by the fact that there wasn't a stray English voiced line for the credits, and actually the credits themselves seemed to be a little broken. Instead of taking you back to the title screen automatically, you have to go into the options menu and select the exit option. Lastly, there's still no gallery for all the game's CGs, but I guess it would've been weird if this one had one and its sequel didn't.

Straight to the point, I enjoyed Stolen Memories a lot more than I did its sequel. I'm not trying to say that Debauched Memories is a bad game, but many of the things I liked about it are lessened now that I've played this one. It even might be a little longer, and it features endings that actually feel different from each other. Though it's obvious which one is considered the "true" ending, since the sequel follows directly from it. That ending aside, one of them was so strange that my jaw dropped to the floor as I read it. It takes a lot for that to happen, and I bet other players will feel the same way if they ever see it. I played through the entire game, getting all the endings and dialogue options, and it only took me a bit over an hour to do so. It's possible that some players might double that time due to reading speeds, and if they're willing to use the skip option, but you're still looking at a pretty short game overall. With that in mind, I feel that its current $7.99 price tag is a bit high, though in this game's case I think the 18+ scenes push it a bit more towards being the right price for the amount of content you get.

Though the 18+ scenes in Stolen Memories mean that I can't give it as wide a recommendation as I did Debauched Memories, I still say that it's a great visual novel that fans of the genre should check out. It has a decently strong story, even if some of it is the very definition of random. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and you shouldn't either. As usual, perhaps wait to get it on sale to get over that slightly high price point. Either way, I think you'll have fun with both this game, and its sequel. See you in the next one!

Check Out Stolen Memories on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2590770/Stolen_Memories

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Story: A-
Gameplay: N/A
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: B-
Value: A

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ A cute, short visual novel that has a strong focus on its main cast.
+ There's some decent, if oddly animated, 18+ scenes this time around for those interested in that kind of thing.
+ Some of the sillier aspects of the plot make you forget how little sense some of it makes.
+ The voice acting is well done, as are the character designs.
+ Feels a bit more worth its price tag considering its content.

Cons:
- Still a very short experience, with only about 1-2 hours of content.
- This series really needs a gallery mode for the art and CGs.
- There's very little reason to pick this one up again after you beat it, except maybe for a refresher if they decide to make this a trilogy.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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