Futuristic shooters are usually not my thing. Science Fiction/Futuristic shooters are great, but when developers try to mash jump packs and laser weapons into modern settings, that’s where I draw the line. I prefer modern and historic shooters with boots of the ground gameplay, or if it is a science fiction shooter, then I prefer extra-terrestrial settings, however, Bright Memory: Infinite has an amazing mashup of futuristic tech, science fiction/historical settings, enemies, and fast-paced modern weapons and gunplay.

Developed by a super talented one-man-army at FYQD Studio, and published by PLAYISM in conjunction with FYQD Studio, Bright Memory: Infinite is out now on PC & Steam, with the Xbox Series X|S version coming soon.

It’s the year 2036. Your character, Shelia, is an agent for the Supernatural Science Research Organization (SRO) task force. A strange phenomenon has appeared in the sky above China, much like a black hole. Not much is known of this phenomenon and you have been employed to conduct some dangerous field research. During your deployment, you discover that there is much more to this phenomenon. With the intermittent merging of another universe, things turn down a much more dangerous route. Equipped with your trusty assault rifle, energy sword, and skills, it’s up to you to dig deeper. Follow the rabbit hole to discover just how deep it goes, and find the root of this archaic mystery.

In a world of modern games, most aren’t able to be defined by one genre, and this game isn’t an exception. Primarily being an FPS with action, adventure, RPG, and fighting elements, this game has it all. Quickly after playing I felt like it had heavy inspiration from titles like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. Though Bright Memory: Infinite is not an open world, each level seamlessly flows into one another without any loading screen walls that break immersion. Armed with a plethora of weapons including assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and marksman rifles, an energy sword, or an iron-man-like gauntlet of destruction. Each gun has special ammo like incendiary rounds, grenades, and timed explosive rounds.

The sword and gauntlet, however, can be upgraded with relics found randomly throughout the map. These upgrades allow you to perform long-range slash attacks with the sword and charged-up energy blast punches from the gauntlet which can be used aerially or from the ground. With the aid of the jump pack, double jumps, and quick dodges make being able to perform huge combos a breeze, and the transition from melee to gunplay is effortless and super-fluid.

Some moves can even knock enemies airborne and stun/freeze them midair, making aerial combos a highly effective measure against the enemy foot soldiers and the ancient dangers that are summoned from the effects of the phenomenon. The game even has boss fights! From enemy commanders who have somehow harnessed the power of the phenomenon to ancient deities summoned to ruin your day. The mobility in the game definitely helps in evading the massive AOE attacks the bosses throw at you.

Bright Memory: Infinite looks amazing, with better graphics than most AAA titles today, and it being made by one person caught me off-guard. I was expecting to find it made by a AAA development team. The game ran super smooth as well, Running a 3070 Ti, a 5800x CPU, and 32GB of RAM, I held a constant 120FPS at 1080p on Epic settings. Setting the resolution to 1440p on epic was where I started to see issues.

My frames were still solid at 120, but my GPU usage was maxed out, so alt-tabbing and opening other applications caused the game to crash. The game also supports ray-tracing which honestly turns it from a game to a full-on cinematic experience. The 3D models and landscapes had a lot of work put into them and looked super realistic, apart from some that just weren’t as defined and looked out of place in this photo-realistic realm.

Equipped with a beautifully composed soundtrack the tasteful fusion of classic Chinese-styled music and upbeat synth/drum and bass, it really gets the blood pumping in those intense boss fights and helps you realize the true beauty of the game while making your way to the next destination.

One person developed this visually stunning indie masterpiece. With fast-paced action, a bunch of upgrades, and a captivating and intriguing story, I highly recommend checking this out. This little gem definitely snuck under my radar, and for one of the first games that this developer has made it’s a stand-out. What’s better is that if you own the 2019 Bright Memory title, you can upgrade FOR FREE. I’m already looking at checking out Bright Memory to play through the origins of the game.

Written by: Bigfoot