Memoria Polis: Building Cities and Breaking GPUs

A city builder that tests your management skills and your patience

Launch Day Larry

Welcome to Memoria Polis, where city-building meets historical progression, and your computer’s cooling system meets its match. This early access title promises a unique blend of management mechanics and narrative elements, but does it deliver a city worth remembering, or is it more of a ghost town? Let’s dive in and find out.

Gameplay: A Historical Jigsaw Puzzle

Memoria Polis offers a refreshing take on city management by focusing on work-designation over traditional building. This approach allows players to enjoy a more relaxed experience, free from the tyranny of micromanagement. The historical progression system adds depth, as players must adapt their infrastructure through different ages. However, the eras feel like they’re on fast-forward, leaving some players wishing for more time to savor their creations.

The game’s mechanics, while innovative, aren’t exactly intuitive. You’ll need a degree in patience to master the control scheme, which feels like it was designed by someone who thinks extra clicks are a feature, not a bug. The semi-auto-generated road networks and city walls are functional but often leave players longing for more creative freedom. Meanwhile, the lack of difficulty settings and the occasional pathfinding hiccup can make progression feel like a Herculean task.

Despite these challenges, the game shines with its organic city growth and governance dynamics. The tutorial is well-written, guiding new players through the complexities of city management. However, the absence of seasonal challenges and the limited number of playable maps leave players craving more content. Overall, Memoria Polis is a promising work-in-progress with plenty of room for improvement.

Graphics: A Canvas of Contradictions

Visually, Memoria Polis is a bit of a mixed bag. The game’s “paint-on-canvas” style is charming and unique, giving the city a distinctive look that some players find appealing. The generated building system and organic city growth add to the visual charm, making the city feel alive and dynamic.

However, these artistic elements are overshadowed by significant performance issues. Even high-end systems struggle to maintain stable frame rates, with GPUs overheating like they’re auditioning for a role in a disaster movie. The game also suffers from graphical bugs, such as black outlines on Linux systems, and poor support for ultrawide resolutions, where text becomes unreadable.

The discrepancy between the polished promotional screenshots and the less impressive in-game visuals is another sore point. While the user interface is simplistic and effective, the overall graphical experience leaves much to be desired. Players are hopeful that future updates will address these issues, improving both performance and graphical fidelity.

Story: A Narrative in Need of a Plot Twist

Memoria Polis attempts to blend city-building with a narrative-driven experience, but the storytelling elements fall flat. The game is set on an island where players progress through different historical eras, but the narrative lacks emotional engagement and player agency. The story feels more like a simulation of someone else’s city rather than a personal creation.

The chapter progression is task-oriented, with little consequence for player actions. The game auto-corrects issues before players are even aware of them, reducing narrative tension. The faction system, which allows players to vote on new decrees, is an interesting feature but lacks depth and replayability.

Despite these shortcomings, the game introduces unique challenges in each epoch, particularly the transition between ancient and medieval times. The story decisions add an interesting layer to the gameplay, but the music and atmosphere fail to enhance the storytelling experience. Players are left feeling like passive participants rather than active creators of their own stories.

Final Verdict

Memoria Polis is a city builder with potential, offering innovative mechanics and a unique visual style. However, its current state is marred by performance issues, a lackluster narrative, and a control scheme that could use a few more lessons in user-friendliness. As an early access title, it shows promise, and with further development, it could become a standout in its genre. For now, it’s a city worth visiting, but maybe not one to settle down in just yet.

Score: 6.0/10