2064: Read Only Memories is an update for Read Only Memories. It takes place in 2064 and you are in Neo San Francisco where things are tense between humans and the hybrids. A hybrid is a person who has received cybernetic augmentations or modified their genes whether for cosmetic or health reasons.
A group called The Human Revolution feels that these augmentations are causing the human race to lose the survival skills that they have. Throw into the mix Humanoids. Humanoids are called Relationship and Organizational Managers, ROMS for short. They are robotic personal assistants that have taken the place of computer and smartphones.
This is the setting you are tossed into for 2064: Read Only Memories. On the site we have looked at this game before with an interview with the creators and information on the 2064 update. This an M rated cyberpunk classic adventure thriller, with voice acting, an electronic soundtrack and with anime inspired pixel graphics. The game was created by MidBoss and is available for download on Steam, the PS4, Xbox One and on the Nintendo Switch as 2064: Read Only Memories Integral.
Do Not Drink the Old Coffee!
You play as a struggling journalist who isn’t all with new technology. When you wake up in his apartment you see that he has a half dead plant, slime in the sink, old coffee in the coffee pot and an old desktop computer that barely works but at least has a keyboard and a power cord. If you try to drink the coffee you will instantly regret it; but on the upside you have a pair of headphones you got for free to write a review for!
That night after finishing the headphone review, everything will change. You awaken to someone or something in your room. A ROM has come to ask you for your help, and instead of knocking on the door he came through the window with the broken lock. His creator and one of your friends named Hayden has been kidnapped. He is working for Parallax on advanced technology with this ROM who’s name is Turing. Turing is named after Alan Turing and the Turing Test. Turing said that a computer was “thinking” if a human was not able to tell it apart from a human through a conversation. So this ROM after going through his whole database of Hayden’s contacts he decided to come to you. Turing assures you that it’s not because you aren’t his only hope, just the most statistically supported that you would help.
No Robot Will Harm or Injure a Human…
Turing is a new kind of humanoid who can learn and make his own decisions. He isn’t a traditional robot, so there are no rules to follow. So the rule “no robot will harm or injure a human” doesn’t apply here. If Turing needs, he can kill to protect his master, but he assures you that it is not acceptable to go on a murderous rampage. So you can trust him right?
You agree to help Turing find out what has happened to Hayden, why he has been kidnapped and who is behind this. Through this adventure you meet a lot of interesting characters. The dialogue with Turing is always entertaining, and at times it’s hard to decide who you can trust. Though it doesn’t take long to figure out a lot of people had motive to want to take Hayden. They know you are poking your nose into the disappearance and will do whatever it takes to get Turing and take you out.
2064: Read Only Memories is full of social and political commentary which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It was interesting to meet all the different characters and learn their views on everything. At times it felt like you were doing a lot of backtracking. Luckily the map system makes it easy to know where to go.
Save Your Game Often!
There is no auto save feature so you have to make sure to save your game often! Nothing worse than having to go back and redo sections over again; especially if you have put in a large chunk of time! Despite these couple things this game really has interesting characters with deep background stories. With so many conspiracies going on you have to figure out what is going on.
2064: Read Only Memories is has a compelling story that keeps you coming back to play more. It is interesting find out what happens to all these characters you have crossed paths with. Hopefully in the future humanoids are super cute and have a good sense of humor like Turing does. It is definitely worth checking out, and there is a free demo up on Steam if you want to see if this is a game you would like to pick up. If anything this game really makes you think about what it means to be human.
