After having played only a minor supporting role in the community campaign for Remember Me, I finally got around to playing through the entire game about a week ago, just after getting back from E3. I wanted to go ahead and toss my thoughts in the pool, as the game proved to be really thought-provoking, and I don’t want its many accomplishments to go unnoticed just because of timing or whatever else. The worst irony that can befall an exciting, explorative new game IP is for it to be drowned out by news about all the exciting, explorative new things games will be doing in six months. You can play Remember Me right now.

It bears emphasis that what might appear at first glance as a straightforward sci-fi romp has with great confidence and nonchalance bagged candidacy for several “of the generation” superlatives, in my book. One is Best Soundtrack.

With recurring musical themes and striking instrumentation atypical of a game, Olivier Deriviere’s soundtrack carries a rare degree of prominence in an age where ambient and incidental soundtracks are the norm.

A keen ear will detect that the score is largely composed of poignant, moody orchestral numbers post-manipulated or embellished electronically. This not only creates something unique–it reflects on the themes of the game. Each minute electronic fizzle or synthesized accent interrupting an otherwise pristine, emotive, analog phrase of music is like the artificial memories traded and sold back and forth in Neo Paris–pure and human at first glance, but ultimately belied by the cold, corrupting grip of artificiality.

You will also discover, I hope, that Deriviere’s soundtrack (and indeed the game as a whole), while steadfastly loyal to the cyberpunk aesthetic, incorporates an element of tenderness and hopefulness rarely found in the genre. Lilting melodic lines convey an ongoing human sadness in the face of a society increasingly inhuman.

Compare this to the likes of genre-redefining flick Tetsuo: the Iron Man, whose soundtrack is quite pointedly metallic and frightening. Mankind’s doom is impending and non-negotiable. We will all succumb.

↑ From Chu Ishikawa’s clanging Tetsuo soundtrack.

Of course we can’t know if Deriviere was deliberately breaking a genre mold or simply creating the perfect soundtrack to fit a game that breaks the mold. Either way, you’ve got to give credit for his masterful interpretation of Remember Me.

If you do find this soundtrack as amazing as I did, it’s actually available on iTunes in its entirety for $9.99. It probably bears mentioning that this is the first game soundtrack that’s ever compelled me to shell out any amount of money. And I work for the damn company.