What happens to that one sock that disappears after the wash? What about those old objects you leave lying around and never use again? Where do things go when they are forgotten? ForgottOn Anne doesn’t just give these objects a home– it gives them life.
When inanimate objects are forgotten or abandoned, they fall through a sort of dimensional portal into the Forgotten Lands, where they are infused with magical energy called ‘Anima’ that gives them life and sentience. From that point on, they are known as ‘Forgotlings.’ This magic that gives them life also happens to be the most valuable resource in the realm, and it powers almost every form of technology.
You play as Anne, a young woman who operates as the “Enforcer” of this realm of the Forgotten, a form of peacekeeper who is essentially the judge, jury, and executioner of the Forgotlings. Anne has the unique and coveted ability to suck the Anima out of technology and Forgotlings alike, using a device on her hand called ‘the Arca.’ This is the primary mechanic of the game: using the Arca to transfer Anima from vessel to vessel in order to solve puzzles and untangle mysteries. Removing the Anima from a Forgotling in this manner is called ‘Distilling,’ which returns them to their inanimate forms and is the reason Anne’s Enforcer identity is rumored amongst the Forgotlings to be a ruthless tyrant. She was granted the Arca and her position by the mysterious inventor, Master Bonku, who is the only other human in the Forgotten Lands and has established himself as a sort of leader of the Forgotlings, having created all sorts of technology and brought order to the society.
The main plot of ForgottOn Anne focuses on the aftermath of an explosion caused by rebel Forgotlings who do not approve of Bonku’s self-imposed rule. Anne must navigate through the Forgotling city to investigate and bring order to the chaos the rebels have caused. Using her Arca to divert power to combat outages across the city, settling disputes between Forgotlings, questioning rebel suspects, and more, Anne’s journey to the site of the explosion is truly riveting and leaves you wanting to know more about both the plot and world itself. How did it come into being? Where exactly is it in relation to our world? How did Anne and Bonku end up there?
As I said before, most of the play consists of using the Arca to transfer Anima around into different power sources, a mechanic that I thought would get monotonous after a while. Contrary to my expectations, however, the designers managed to make each puzzle unique enough that the simple action doesn’t get old. At the beginning of the game, you may just be figuring out which generator powers the specific object you want, but by the middle you’re powering half a workshop at a time, arranging mechanisms to allow you to cross a blockade and struggling to get the timing on flipping a switch just right.
When completing these puzzles, your Arca can only hold a certain amount of anima at a time, meaning you have to be strategic in what machines you power. Certain objects and abilities also only work when your Arca is full (like your super cool steampunk wings), which adds another aspect for you to consider when completing the puzzles. You’ll probably find yourself asking questions like: should I power that generator or keep my Arca charged to fly up to that mysterious ledge? (Here’s a secret: there’s usually a way to do both!)
The other main mechanic of the game involves making dialogue and cutscene choices. True to Life is Strange’s infamous phrase, “this action will have consequences,” the actions Anne takes will affect the world around her. Will you choose to distill the rebel Forgotling or send him to work in the ominous Tower for the rest of his days? Like most things in this game, it is important to look for the path that isn’t obvious–sometimes there is a third option you may not have seen.
The game looks like a 2D side-scroller, but there is also a depth aspect, so Anne can move not only left and right, but also forward and back. Because of this, the controls can be pretty sensitive, so you might end up sending Anne a direction you didn’t expect because you pointed the joystick a fraction too much in the wrong direction. In general, however, the controls are fairly simple and intuitive, although certain actions require a combination of several buttons-–performing a long jump with your wings, I believe, requires pressing L + LR + left stick + X– which can be tricky to get right on the first try.
Unfortunately, a few hours into the game I ran into a glitch that made the game essentially unplayable, so I can’t speak to the end of the game, but I really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. Upon entering what a child-like Forgotling calls the “haunted house,” you come across several interactable books and letters that give some background on the house. These objects open a small window in the center of the screen that hold the text, while greying out the game behind it, and the glitch made me unable to close this window. The game uses an autosave system, so it’s impossible to reload to an earlier point in the game and retry this section, so the only way I’d be able to get back to this point would be to replay the whole game. I don’t know if this is an isolated incident or a common glitch, but I’m pretty disappointed that I couldn’t discover the rest of the story. Maybe one day when it isn’t as fresh, I’ll have it in me to restart the game and try again.
ForgottOn Anne is available on the Nintendo Store for $19.99, and if you aren’t convinced by the story, I’ll say this: this game is BEAUTIFUL. It is drawn in anime style, and almost plays like a movie; it’s as if Studio Ghibli made a video game. Complementing the art is a soundtrack made by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, which creates a haunting yet quirky atmosphere that makes this game truly breathtaking. The only reason it isn’t getting a perfect score from me is because of the unfortunate glitch and the unwieldy save system. Despite those tiny hiccups, I’d say it’s definitely worth a play.
9/10
Check Out the Forgotton Anne Nintendo Switch Trailer:
Forgotton Anne is available for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Nintendo Switch Review
I'm Sasha, a Game Design major currently working towards my masters degree (and getting built like Commander Shepard) on the West Coast. On the weekends, when I'm not frantically working on my Dungeons and Dragons-based thesis, I can usually be found in my bed drinking matcha and playing one of my favorite games, like the Witcher 3, Mass Effect, or even Vampire: the Masquerade (it's my guilty pleasure!). I absolutely adore any RPGs–from tabletop to MMO– and while I may not be the best at them, I always enjoy playing!
More Stories
Battle Aces Beta Impressions for Steam
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Releases New Story Trailer
Reel Fishing: Days of Summer’s Launch Date and First Screens Revealed by Natsume