Bright Memory: Infinite is such a peculiar game. There's almost a whimsy to its total incoherence - no narrative elements or gameplay motifs make any attempt to explain themselves or appear contiguous. But perhaps the biggest disjunction is between the staggering aesthetic production value and everything that lies beneath.

Made by a solo dev, Bright Memory's visuals are just unimpeachable, but they're a façade that gets you in the door and attempts to obfuscate the poor AI, gameplay balancing, level design, and game feel.

There is a sense of fun and punch to the core gunplay that is elevated by the novel interweaving of melee combat. However it's still tied to a protagonist who feels magnetized to the ground, every inch off the ground feeling like a struggle to achieve.

Maybe the biggest issue with Bright Memory, though, is how it manages to make a two-hour experience feel oppressively repetitive, recycling the same bosses and monster closets ad nauseum.

When you enter the rhythm of its multifaceted action and enjoy the scant few particular set pieces - Bright Memory is a lot of fun. It's just rare that you are given the opportunity to get stuck into that groove. There is something of a B-movie cheese to latch onto in the game's finest moments, but it hardly justifies your playtime.