Forgotton Anne

I just loved this story. I don't know exactly what hooked me so deeply, but I completed the game twice (technically thrice because of [spoiler] two different endings and the final tarot cards that are a result of all your moral choices throughout the playthrough [/spoiler]). The first run was just for the experience, and the second time was for the achievements, particularly "The Pacifist" and I loved it just as much as the first time. All spoilers are hidden behind spoiler tags! First of all, the story of the main character, Anne, is beautiful and multifaceted. Her upbringing, job, family, and beliefs shape her personality, and you can see that no matter what dialogue choices you make, she is fundamentally a good person. It surprised me how much I liked that simple fact about her throughout the story. Second, the world of the forgotlings. Every character I met was so charming and uniquely animated, especially those who influenced the main plot. It truly felt like a lived-in city, complete with its dark and touching moments, like when you eavesdrop on a hushed conversation or read a lost, tragic love letter. Later in the game, [spoiler] you unlock the Arca ability, which lets yo…

It's okay. I kinda liked it. Forgotten Anne is a 2D platformer where you occasionally make choices that shape how characters feel about you. Your choices won't dramatically change the story though, even when it feels like they should. The platforming is interesting because Anne is just a regular human, most of the time with the limitations that come alongside that. She can jump directly vertically higher than is realistic, but other than that, she feels satisfyingly weighty and realistic; you can only jump a decent length horizontally if you get a running start and that means [i]holding down the sprint button until you jump[/i]. The game isn't long enough for its platforming to get old, which is good. However, the puzzles can be kind of bad. Not in that they don't make sense, but many of the late-game puzzles will require you to run around the room for a long time until you notice the one specific object you can interact with but thought was a background element. Puzzles are not this game's strength. Sadly, neither is the writing. If you pay attention to how one of the game's central mechanics works (as in, if you're paying attention to what's happening in front of you on …

The writing and plot are garbage. Simple as that. I hate how the game swings from cozy animated cartoon to gaslighting manipulative dialogues like a pendulum. I also hate how the game tries to force drama without earning the connection that would make it land first. Last 2-3 hours of the game are all about that. Same for platforming and "puzzles" to a lesser extent. Felt like half of my playtime is devs stretching it out by making me walk and climb infinite stairs and ladders. Frankly, there is nothing worthy of recommendation to this game apart from nice visual style. Even for a casual gamer, which says a lot.

Horrific controls that cannot be re-binded to more sane keys.

Amazing art and music, story starts strong, becomes mid, then ends on a very low note.. it felt like the game was rushed towards the end. A few things happened in the story that I thought were weak or just got a "huh?" out of me.. lower 5/10

decent