Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER Preview

Neo-SF, El Nuevo Cerrito, and other futuristic Bay Area landmarks await with the release of MidBoss and Chorus Worldwide’s Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER. Should players begin the hunt for the Golden Butterfly, or should this “Psychic Therapist” sit this one out?

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER Review

The protagonist of this story, Luna Cruz de la Vega, is making a name for herself as Esper-8801. Going by ES88, this title is more than just for show; her psychic mind-reading abilities make her a shining member of the MINERVA academy. 

With a squid-like neurodiver as her side, she is able to read and repair the memories of those she comes in contact with. 

Sounds pretty handy, right? 

While previous mind tricks dealt with missing passwords and rogue raccoons, Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER has got her dealing with a new case: Hunting down the Rogue Esper the Golden Butterfly.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse through a cybernetic city. Players will come across wild personas during this time, running the gamut from private investigators to hybrid creatures, brain breaking to bad Halloween pranks. 

There’s plenty of life to be had, with the anime-inspired aesthetics and detailed sprite work truly immersing players in its world. Characters are full of life, with even robotic assistants like L.U.C.Y. possessing some pep to their step.

The excellent voice-over talent seals the deal as well. The title is fully voiced and presented like a serialized anime, with ES88’s lively personality in particular truly shining through.

Gameplay in Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER follows the point-and-click style of play, with players interacting with different elements in its world. Some provide some simple flavor text, while others need to be interacted with multiple times.

However, there’s no denying that there is a fantastic amount of worldbuilding to be had. Put simply, the world of Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER is easy to get lost in. When paired with the fragments that players can find, it really drives its story home.

Our time with Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER truly immersed us in its “psy-fi” adventure. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for psychic detective ES88 when the full release hits Neo-SF next month.