"Mysterious, deep, and amazing...but leaves much to be wanted"

Ah. Nothing like a great mystery game to play every once and a while. Trace Memory fits this genre well, but as most games, has its flaws.

I'll be going over the Game Interface, Music, Sound, Graphics, Story, Replay Value, and Usage of the Touch Screen.

GAME INTERFACE: 10/10

The interface of the game is fairly easy - touch the screen to move Ashley, click on things to investigate, take pictures. It's the same thing every time, but for some reason still manages to hold most peoples' interests. It's hardly advanced, meaning most people of all ages can quickly pick it up. This uses the touch screen, of course.

USAGE OF TOUCH SCREEN: 7.5/10

In this game, the Touch Screen seemed like a gimmick at times, but turned out to be much more useful and interesting. Other than controlling Ashley, you could sketch a picture, turn dials, etc. However, it tends to hurt the hand and wrist after a while, because you are doing a lot of poking with the stylus. In the end it turns out to be a nice little addiction.

MUSIC: 8/10

Strangely enough, I liked the music. Though it IS the same little song repeating every minute or so, it usually fits the mood. This would be from Ashley discovering something, to a climax in the story. It always keeps a small hint of suspense, which was included in the right amount. Whether it is a pro or con to you, the music seems to be pretty basic. Nothing amazing, because it's more of atmospherical music.

SOUND: 10/10

The sounds were nice. From the creaking of the floorboards, to pressing a keypad, the sounds are very detailed. Sounds are where they should be, and don't disappoint.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

Wow. What can I say? Once you see these, you'll be amazed by the DS's capabilities. Most pictures are in 3-D, or hand-drawn, both being beautiful nonetheless. Whether you be walking down into an eerie cave, or walking by the seashore, graphics are very stunning for a hand-held system.

STORY: 11/10

>_> Yes, the story is THAT good. It deserved that score. Most of the time, the game leaves you at a cliffhanger. It's very indulging, taking you into the past of characters, and part of the game is finding your new friend's memories. The only complaint (Which I don't mind at all), is that sometimes the story seems guessable. However, this only happens at certain points (once or twice). Trace Memory also causes you to remember key points in the story after each "chapter".

REPLAY VALUE: 4/10

Ugh. This killed it. Trace Memory is awesome the first few times through (two endings), but if you're trying to get the second ending, it requires poking EVERYTHING (And that's a lot of poking). Moreover, it's not fun the third time through, as you know everything.

OVERALL: 8/10

Whether or not you like these kinds of games, give it a try! You won't be disappointed. Also, if you're REALLY that concerned about wasting $30 on this game, just pick up a used copy for considerably less.

So pick up Trace Memory - buckle in, and get ready for a deep story.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/05