Memory’s Dogma Code 01 (MDC-01) to me is a just above average visual novel. It has good voice acting and artwork, an average and mostly linearly plot, and slightly underwhelming world building. It is probably worth full price if you like VNs that get straight into the plot, enjoy a thriller, and don’t mind unresolved minor plot points.

MDC-01 is a visual novel for people who prefer a story to get moving instead of idling through multiple slice of life scenes. This story opens with a death and a near death set in the near future where dead people’s memories can be digitally stored. As the setting suggests, the protagonist sets out to access a dead person’s memories, and the story almost never stops moving from that point.

The best aspects of the story are the great voice acting and pretty artwork. The voice acting makes every dialogue more alive by giving emotions to the characters. The artwork is pretty despite the slightly simple feeling to it.
The route structure is very simple and linear. There are several choices to make throughout the story, of which only a handful have a wrong choice that will quickly lead to a bad end. In a way, the lack of long branching routes is a good thing because it allows the reader to experience all the great voice acting and artwork without having to repeat content several times.

The world of MDC-01 is built through gradual releases of information bites, so the reader should easily understand the world. The details and plot developments are sensible at first blush, but some of them don’t stand up to scrutiny. The story’s conclusion resolves the main plot point, but offers no closure where the side characters are concerned. Current information points to the developer, LizArts, planning Code 02 and Code 03. The open plot points may be resolved then, but release dates are unknown.

Memory’s Dogma Code 01 (MDC-01) to me is a just above average visual novel. It has good voice acting and artwork, an average and mostly linearly plot, and slightly underwhelming world building. It is probably worth full price if you like VNs that get straight into the plot, enjoy a thriller, and don’t mind unresolved minor plot points. MDC-01 is a visual novel for people who prefer a story to get moving instead of idling through multiple slice of life scenes. This story opens with a death and a near death set in the near future where dead people’s memories can be digitally stored. As the setting suggests, the protagonist sets out to access a dead person’s memories, and the story almost never stops moving from that point. The best aspects of the story are the great voice acting and pretty artwork. The voice acting makes every dialogue more alive by giving emotions to the characters. The artwork is pretty despite the slightly simple feeling to it. The route structure is very simple and linear. There are several choices to make throughout the story, of which only a handful have a wrong choice that will quickly lead to a bad end. In a way, the lack of long branching routes is a good thing because it allows the reader to experience all the great voice acting and artwork without having to repeat content several times. The world of MDC-01 is built through gradual releases of information bites, so the reader should easily understand the world. The details and plot developments are sensible at first blush, but some of them don’t stand up to scrutiny. The story’s conclusion resolves the main plot point, but offers no closure where the side characters are concerned. Current information points to the developer, LizArts, planning Code 02 and Code 03. The open plot points may be resolved then, but release dates are unknown.