A game of memory

So I was just wondering. When I started playing chess, I was attracted to it because of its creative strategies and tactics. But as I go up to the intermediate level it's getting more and more apparent that it is certainly more a game of memory. All those openings we have to remember and at high level we have to even remember most of the famous games. WHere went the creativity and tactics then?

That is not necessarily the case.In my opinion, memory plays only a fraction of the game's ways.Most of it is about thinking ahead.If you can think ahead, you should be able to analyze your opponents' moves in every game you play.

You can still play the less popular but still sound openings to get away from the theoretical path early on. The Alekhine Defence, the Hyperaccelerated Dragon, the Larsen Opening, the Ponziani, or the Owen Defence, to name just a few, all offer reasonable game with early theoretical deviations.