Wrapped up my playthrough on The Forgotten City (via Game pass) and I have to say....I don't quite get why this has "overwhelmingly positive" reviews. My current assumption is that it's either because its a non-combat focused game or based on time-travel which automatically makes it deep. ;).
I mostly feel like I stumbled into places and solutions entirely by accident. I somehow got to Ending #2 (there are four endings) without seeing the first one and it was just over. And that's right after it introduces a major character and I'm just going "uhh....what just happened?". It wasn't satisfying.
I thought the conversation system was going to be deeper but it's...not. Listen to everyone talk about everything and eventually you'll progress forward. Occasionally you'll run into roadblocks but they're spelled out hard and if you still fuck up...just rewind time and everyone forgets how you insulted their mothers. This might have been forgivable if the characters were at least interesting or memorable but this is one of those "deep" games where everyone eventually turns out to be The True Asshole(TM). (Gods I am so tired of this).
When I got to the second ending, the Big Plot Twist was so hilariously spelled out by the game that despite it expecting you to be Surprised Pikachu Face, I just rolled my eyes.
Doesn't help that a lot of the voice acting in the game is delivered a bit on the flat side. Several particularly "dramatic" scenes were undercut because it sounded like I was voice acting then and trying to add emotion and failing.
That all being said, the game is very pretty and the location is well built and interesting to explore. The philosophical/political discussion isn't that bad but its just undercut several times. So it just comes off as unearned lecturing. Once I hit ending #2, I just was done. They clearly wanted me to go for the final, final ending but I just don't care at this point about any of them. This isn't a bad game, but its definitely not my favorite of the year. Not even top 10.
I mostly feel like I stumbled into places and solutions entirely by accident. I somehow got to Ending #2 (there are four endings) without seeing the first one and it was just over. And that's right after it introduces a major character and I'm just going "uhh....what just happened?". It wasn't satisfying.
I thought the conversation system was going to be deeper but it's...not. Listen to everyone talk about everything and eventually you'll progress forward. Occasionally you'll run into roadblocks but they're spelled out hard and if you still fuck up...just rewind time and everyone forgets how you insulted their mothers. This might have been forgivable if the characters were at least interesting or memorable but this is one of those "deep" games where everyone eventually turns out to be The True Asshole(TM). (Gods I am so tired of this).
When I got to the second ending, the Big Plot Twist was so hilariously spelled out by the game that despite it expecting you to be Surprised Pikachu Face, I just rolled my eyes.
Doesn't help that a lot of the voice acting in the game is delivered a bit on the flat side. Several particularly "dramatic" scenes were undercut because it sounded like I was voice acting then and trying to add emotion and failing.
That all being said, the game is very pretty and the location is well built and interesting to explore. The philosophical/political discussion isn't that bad but its just undercut several times. So it just comes off as unearned lecturing. Once I hit ending #2, I just was done. They clearly wanted me to go for the final, final ending but I just don't care at this point about any of them. This isn't a bad game, but its definitely not my favorite of the year. Not even top 10.
Reviewed on Feb 03, 2022