Developed by Throughline Games
Published by Square Enix
Released for Xbox One (5/15/2018)
Also on iOS/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch
Forgotton Anne (no that's not misspell, it's the actual title) is the first release from Denmark-based developer Throughline Games. The best way to describe Forgotton Anne would be, in the words of the developers, a cinematic adventure with light puzzle platforming and meaningful storytelling.
The game first released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in May 2018. June 2018 would see a release for the Mac and then the Switch in November of the same year. The final port (as of April 2020) was for iOS devices in June 2019. Throughline Games did a good job getting the game out to multiple platforms, so without further ado let's look at what it is and if it's one you should play...
Forgotton Anne takes place in the mysterious Forgotten Lands, where Forgotlings dwell. Forgotlings are everyday objects that were tossed aside and forgotten by their owners, longing to be remembered by them. These objects are all alive and each have their own personality. Early on in the game, while having a conversation with a blanket I was reminded of The Brave Little Toaster, an old Disney movie I saw as a kid with a similar premise of objects taking on a life of their own. Speaking and interacting with objects might sound silly at first, but you'll quickly warm up to it as more characters are introduced, some of them being quite memorable.
The game places you in the shoes of Anne, an enforcer in this magic land that helps keep order among the Forgotlings. Anne reports to Master Bonku, who is building an Ether Bridge which he claims will send them back to the human world. Master Bonku informs you that there's been a problem with rebels who are interfering with his plans to activate the Ether Bridge. As Anne sets off to thwart the rebellion, she'll learn many truths and discover quite a bit about herself in the process. There's some excellent storytelling going on here and the voice actors did a great job delivering the dialogue. You'll have to sit and watch cutscenes often, so if that type of thing bothers you this is probably not the game for you. It's never overbearing with its cutscenes and none of them felt like they ran too long. I'll refrain from dropping spoilers since the story is definitely one of the game's strongest points, but I'll tell you it's well-delivered and there's a nice payoff at the end. There are also 2 possible endings to help add a bit of replayability. Upon completing the game, there's an epilogue and also an area you can explore and use to access certain chapters through the story to replay them.
The platforming aspect of Forgotton Anne reminded me a lot of the old cinematic platformer classics like Another World and Flashback, with a similar method of climbing up platforms and a familiar run/jump mechanic to cover gaps. The platforming is a tad stiff but you'll warm up to it and the game never presents anything to difficult in that regard. There are light puzzles, which typically involve Anne transferring power to and from objects using a device on her wrist. There are also lots of levers and switches to pull along the way, but none of the puzzles are too perplexing so you likely won't find yourself getting stuck at any point. There's quite a bit of exploring and talking to Forgotlings to be done, with the game doing a good job of balancing between the platforming/puzzling/exploring/conversing so it never feels like you do any of these more than the other. The gameplay loop is simple, but the story is compelling enough on its own to keep you moving forward.
Featuring an orchestral score, hand-animated visuals, excellent voice acting and an interesting story, Forgotton Anne delivers on a lot of fronts. The visuals are striking, with hand-drawn sprites featuring an impressive amount of animation along with some detailed backdrops. This is one of the better-looking games I've seen running on the Unity engine and it really looks like you're playing a cartoon at times. Forgotton Anne will last you around 8-10 hours and while these aren't the types of games you typically come back to, this one's worth that one playthrough if you like a good story with some light puzzle & platforming mixed in there. There's a lot of polish and effort that went into this one and it really shines through in all departments. While the premise will likely be too silly for many, those who dig in and give it a shot will be pleasantly rewarded.
Final Verdict: Forgotton Anne is a cinematic adventure with puzzle and platforming elements, featuring hand-drawn art and an excellent story, this one is easy to recommend.
Related Links:
Buy Forgotton Anne - Microsoft Store
Throughline Games - Official Site
Square Enix - Official Site
Fogotton Anne - Metacritic
Fogotton Anne - GameFAQs
Fogotton Anne - True Achievements
Fogotton Anne - Xbox Achievements
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