The Forgotten City

As some reivewers have stated, "This is not a type of game I typically play". I happened upon this game by chance and never played the Skyrim mod it is build after. The game surprises, it is very well done and spite completing it with in 4h:33m, I feel like I want to go back and explorer the things I did not get to explorer and discover one of the other endings. The story drags you in from the get go and keeps you pondering for every corner you turn. Gathering knowledge and using it to change the outcomes of each time you loop in time, keeps you playing and exploring. The game world is not too large, but large enough to hold the mystery you are about to uncover. Combat is a small part of the game, nothing fancy, but feel just right and enough for what it is there for. The story itself, which is the main attraction here, is well done and polished. So if you are just slightly into mysteries and exploring, you should give this game a try. For me to give a game 5 stars everylittle thing has to be just spot on, which nothing ever is, or almost never. I have so few grifes with this game that I wish you could give ½ stars, 4½ for this one.

The Forgotten City is a first-person mystery adventure with light action and platforming. The story is focused on a modern person who gets trapped in a time loop in an ancient Roman City under a curse. “The many shall suffer for the sins of the one” translates to all denizens dying should any of them commits a “sin”. While there are several ways to accomplish objectives, including persuasion, trade, lie, bribery, and violence, not all NPCs drop the quest items they can give upon death. The characters are interesting and believable, with their own motivations and the daily routine they follow. The protagonist is customisable, including gender, skin colour, and background/class, with the latter providing gameplay advantages, and the dialogue options and actions offer roleplay, while the game itself acknowledges the actions taken and the information gathered. The knowledge and items the protagonist has carry over between time loops. There are several vastly different endings with various conditions to achieve. The combat is mostly optional and reasonably comfortable - the melee option is limited to kicking only and cannot be performed on non-hostile NPC, the ranged weapons offer 3 types of weapons, which allow to attack non-hostile NPC first. One of ranged weapons is used for puzzles and platforming as well as combat. The platforming is light and mostly avoidable, though resetting the time loop requires running. The controls are comfortable and rebindable. The visual style and graphics are impressive on any settings, and the game runs reasonably well on a wide range of hardware. The voice acting is excellent, with all lines fully voiced in English. The soundtrack is present, fitting, and non-intrusive (except for the action sequences). Overall, it is an excellent game and highly recommended.

Pros: Minimalist but sophisticated game design, straightforward gameplay without much complexity or learning curve. Visuals nothing short of excellent, the setting is very well researched and historically accurate. Diversity that doesn't feel forced, but develops organically from the setting. Believable characters with plausible motivations. At least at the beginning of the game, it feels like an original and fresh experience. Cons: From the mid-game, it feels like you're trapped in a time loop. There are moments of unexpected difficulty and non-standard game endings do not fit the expectation of playing a story-driven adventure narrative. Excessive kindergarten-nievau philosophy that pretends to have some deeper meaning, but is in reality quite superficial. (If the primary audience are 8-13 years olds, this might be just right.) Conclusion: There is a lot to love about this game, it really stands out from the multitude of games out there. Microcomputers and video games have been around for a good 40 years, and developing something new is a pretty difficult task. Given the size of the team, it's hard to believe that this game only took 3 years to develop, and that's the other superlative the author deserves.

For me this game belongs in the same tier as subnautica and return of the obra dinn. It's one of those games that makes me wish i was able to wipe my memory to play it again. It's an almost sandbox puzzle-detective game where you have to solve a mistery in a small roman town stuck in a time loop à-la groundhog day. It also delves into philosophical themes. I won't say any more because this needs to be a completely blind experience. I also loved the characters, they are each likable in their own way and make it easy to want to help them out. The OST is spectacular too. Game mechanics are fresh and well thought out and make clever use of the time loop. The most important aspect of the game is that it leaves the player complete freedom to play around with them and experiment without handholding, which is rare in today's market. Recommended at full price, don't miss out on this.

don't read up on anything don't let yourself get spoiled if you see a twist coming don't be too sure just play it yourself Best story game I've played in a long long time, if not one of the best of all time