This Is What Happens When You Lose a Pair of Socks - Forgotton Anne Review
When I was a boy, I lived in New Jersey and was a very finicky eater. Because of this, my mother bought me a stuffed monkey and named it “Manja,” based on the Italian “mangiare,” which means “eat.” Every time we were at the dinner table and I wouldn’t eat, she'd bring out the monkey and say, “Manja, Manja,” encouraging me to eat more food. Eventually, we left New Jersey for New York City, and unfortunately, Manja was lost in the move.
I always wondered what happened to that monkey. Was he picked up by another child, thrown in a dumpster, or resold to a store? Now having played Forgotton Anne, I know exactly what happened to my long-lost stuffed toy.
[Editor's note: Last week, we held a contest where TapTap users could submit their choices for hidden gems they recommended to other users and TapTap editors. We had so many great recommendations that we couldn't wait to check some of them out for ourselves. Forgotten Anne was recommended by TapTap users @ĐäŕëĎəvïľ and @Sky Reaper. Thank you both for the suggestion, and look forward to more TapTap Explorer opportunities in the future!]
Developed by ThoughLine Games and published through the Square Enix Collective program and later by Hitcents for mobile devices. Forgotton Anne (that first word is not a typo, I promise) was initially released in 2018. It tells the story of what happens to lost, misplaced, and otherwise forgotten items. The Forgotten Lands are inhabited by “forgotlings,” a subservient class of lost items working on constructing the ether bridge. This magical bridge will allow passage back to the human world.
You play as Anne, an enforcer who keeps the forgotlings in check and one of two humans living in the Forgotten Lands. The other is Master Bonku, the lead engineer of the Ether Bridge and master of Anne and the forgotlings. The story picks up amidst a crisis when shit hits the fan due to a group of rebels attacking the Forgotten Lands. As Anne, I was tasked with stopping the rebels and restoring power to the city so the bridge could be completed.
Forgotton Anne reminds me of the Hayao Miyazaki film Spirited Away. In fact, the game felt like I was playing a movie. The art design is incredible, and this 2.5D adventure highlights the visuals through a wide variety of environments and backdrops. As you would expect, lower parts of the city look seedy and dark, while places like the watchtower are well-lit and filled with lots of items in the background. The art is beautiful and highlights the deeper themes, such as class struggle Forgotton Anne is trying to convey.
The hand-drawn anime aesthetic is only deepened by a musical score performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. In fact, Forgotton Anne’s title track was nominated for “Original Song - Video Game” at the 9th Hollywood Music in Media Awards. To bring it home, the game utilizes an entire cast of voice actors who had an emotional charge to the adventure.
The art and narrative experience are definitely the highlights of Forgotton Anne. Yet when it comes to gameplay, it also delivers. Essentially a narrative adventure, Forgotton Anne combines platforming, puzzles, and interactive storytelling. As Anne, I was running around gathering arca, a magical substance used to power the Forgotten Lands to maneuver and get around the city.
There’s no health bar in the game, and Anne can’t die, so gathering arca is a big part of the gameplay. There’s a bit of strategy to it. I could only hold one arca charge at a time, so I had to strategically choose when I wanted to use it. Otherwise, a lot of backtracking would be involved to collect and progress. This could quickly turn some people off, but I honestly didn’t mind, as I liked the backdrops and the artistic world.
As stated above, the story is clearly the priority here. You can't die, and some gameplay aspects were indeed annoying. For example, it was difficult to tell which staircases were accessible and which weren't because they blended perfectly with the scenery around them. In this way, Forgotton Anne might work better as a 2D game or simply just an interactive story. Not to mention, some of Anne’s movements felt sluggish compared to traditional platformers, especially when having to run and jump to platforms over long distances. But these small moments of awkwardness didn’t deter me in my playthrough.
What I really enjoyed was the narrative choices that affect your path as you play. On my journey, I came across a red scarf where I was given options on how to interact. I eventually killed and drained it of all its arca on suspicion of it being a rebel. No, I didn’t want to do this, but it was the direction the conversation took. Each choice has consequences, and the game contains multiple endings based on your choices. As much as I tried, I couldn’t redo my choices either, so Forgotton Anne teaches you the value of decision-making. I generally like to play the pacifist in my playthroughs, so when I met a lamp named Tiphany, I decided to backtrack to obtain the arca needed to progress instead of draining her life force.
Like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, your choices generally follow a “moral” theme. Other characters will react based on the choices you make. This again highlights the emphasis placed on the narrative in Forgotton Anne.
I had fun playing Forgotton Anne. The replay value is high, and the story was enriching enough to keep me going. For the low price of $6, I could play past the opening title sequence offered in the free version and was able to access the full game. Although the gameplay is sluggish at times, and this may have worked better as a movie than on mobile, Forgotton Anne is a game I intend to keep on my phone and finish to the end. If you’re into visual novels and don’t mind sacrificing gameplay for a good story, then Forgotton Anne is something you shouldn’t forget to download!
SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
PLAY IF YOU LIKE:
• Interactive Novels. Forgotton Anne is really for those that want to get wrapped up inside a good story surrounded by beautiful art. The gameplay is definitely secondary here. If you can accept that, this game won’t disappoint.
• Spirited Away. If you liked the beautiful art in the film and wanted to play something like that, then Forgotton Anne is the game for you, as the creators definitely took inspiration from the film.
💬 What was your favorite aspect of Forgotton Anne? Story or gameplay? And do you prefer to role-play as the good or bad guy in interactive games? Let me know in the comments section!
CHECK OUT SOME OTHER RECENT REVIEWS FROM TAPTAP:
Auto Chess Meets RPG - Mythic Legends Review | TapTap
https://www.taptap.io/post/1620432
What If Slay the Spire Was Anime? - Phantom Rose Scarlet Review | TapTap
https://www.taptap.io/post/1620130
Is This the Best-Looking Mystery Ever? - Evan’s Remains Review | TapTap
https://www.taptap.io/post/1617068
Mentioned games