Written by Patrick Orquia
Title: Forgotton Anne
Developer: ThroughLine Games
Publisher: Square Enix Collective
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Platformer
Number of Players: 1
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Nov. 09, 2018
Price: $19.99
Also Available On: PS4, XB1, Steam
Ever wondered controlling the main character of an anime? Well wonder no more! Forgotton Anne is here and it’s pretty much like that: you play as Inspector Anne in The Forgotten Lands, where forgotten and discarded things end up like old lamps, unpaired socks, jacks-in-the-box, and many others. These things, now called the Fortgotlings, take a life of their own and become citizens of the world and doing mundane things, like going to work, riding trains, and pretty much just become like ordinary people. They all do hope that, one day, their previous owners will remember them so that they can go back in the real world. Inspector Anne, however, is human, and it is not explained at the beginning of the game how she ended up in the Forgotten Lands, but she’s there to keep things in order.
You begin the game with a news of a rebel uprising. The first few minutes shows the usual tutorial of basic moves and skills, like running, leaping, jumping, grabbing edges of platforms, etc. as you begin the quest getting to the bottom of the incident. You can interact with different things of interest, acquiring some of them to be included in your diary that helps in fleshing out the story. You also get to operate buttons, levers, and switches by pressing the A button that allows you to open different paths to new areas and rooms. Pressing the Y button makes you enter the Animavision, similar to the investigator mode in the Batman Arkham games, which allows you to use anima. Anima is a substance that acts like an energy source that powers different engines and machines. You can gather anima from anima tanks or the Forgotlings themselves (the process is called distillation and with the use of Anne’s device called the Arca) and carry a full charge with you, and then transfer it to said mechanisms to solve area puzzles or open new areas and progress into the game. The game is pretty linear, and you just have to follow a set path that from time to time get sidelined by you having to search some rooms and other sideways to gather stuff or operate switches/levers/buttons. You also gather info, since you are an inspector, from different Forgotlings. You can choose from two different responses from time to time as you talk to them, and your choice would have consequences in future interactions and events later in the game.
As you progress further into the game, you will learn new abilities, which include equipping a cool-looking pair of mechanical wings that allows you to leap through the air. These abilities open ways to reach new areas and solve puzzles. Again, the story is very linear almost throughout the game, but you will have to backtrack a bit from time to time. As you gather more and more information, you will shape up your investigation of the matter at hand and based on the decisions you made’ you’ll arrive at an ending. The game has multiple ones, so after finishing the game, you may want to start it all over again just to check how the game could have changed if you have chosen your decisions differently.
Like what I mentioned at the start of this review, this game looks like an anime that you can control from start to finish. It is like watching AND playing a Studio Ghibli anime, especially those directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, and it’s quite an awesome experience. From the way it looks to the framerate to the audio design and camera pans, it really does feel like an actual anime. And to complement the visuals is the equally awesome orchestral score performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra that helps you further immerse yourself to the whole experience.
Overall, Forgotton Anne (it is not a typo… that is really how the title is spelled) is an extraordinary game that just beckons everyone to play. The awesome art style, animation, and musical score will take you to a cinematic adventure in a beautifully-created world full of wonders, mystery, intrigue, and hope. It looks and sounds like an anime, and you can control it. How awesome is that? Now that it is ported to the Switch, take the adventure with you anywhere and discover the many magical moments in the game.
REPLY VALUE: High
PROS
- Amazing hand-drawn visuals: the game looks like an anime that you can control
- Immersive orchestral score
- Cool puzzles to solve
- The things to do in the game are recorded in Anne’s diary so you don’t get lost if you pause the game and get back to it again later
- Good use of the HD Rumble
- Amazing world, with cool level and character design
- Excellent voice work
CONS
- The music cuts off abruptly when you enter a new area and a new musical theme comes in
- Some puzzles are a bit vague with the lack of instructions presented to you
- The platforming parts of the game are a bit awkward to do due to the controls being not as responsive as they should be
RATING: 4.5/5 Hayao Miyazakis
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