The Forgotten City Reviews
The Forgotten City certainly doesn’t need to answer the philosophical questions that it poses before it’s allowed to examine them in a narrative context, but the ludicrously tidy conclusions to the main story and most side quests feel like substitutes for any deep engagement. The game handily transcends its mod origins and tells an ambitious and thought-provoking story, but it eventually reaches a point where it doesn’t seem sure how to end.
Choices matter, both in life and in The Forgotten City, which uses ancient Roman beliefs about morality, ethics, and law to subtly comment on our present-day conflicts. But it’s never heavy-handed and what you’ll mostly pay attention to are the characters and their needs, your own objectives, the mysterious city, and the clever way time loops and puzzle-solving work together. Whether you play it once or try for the multiple alternative endings, The Forgotten City is a unique adventure.
A lovingly crafted title that sets a new standard for narrative-driven adventures. A must buy for anyone who likes feeling smart and solving mysteries, fans of Groundhog Day, and Roman history buffs.
I've got a few nitpicks, but when I take a moment to loop back to the good... The Forgotten City is damn great. It's a story that had me hooked from beginning to end with layers I eagerly peeled back, before realizing I was staring at an epic worthy of being told amongst the Roman and Greek greats.
The Forgotten City’s biggest asset is its intricate story with so many great twist and turns but as game made by a very small team, the graphics and voice acting are also surprisingly top notch. This is one of those great mods that has become an even better stand-alone game.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The Forgotten City expands upon the original concept of a small mod and has been developed into a rich and well-balanced experience. While its gameplay is simple, its narrative and atmosphere shine through. A great game from start to end, The Forgotten City is a perfect gem for gamers who love a mystery. More than that though, it’s a fantastic game that explores the complexity of morality and challenges players to do the same long after its completion.
The Forgotten City is a project that came to be from the fan mod for Skyrim. It's a game with an interesting concept and narrative, that suffers from weak visuals, pacing issues, and shoehorned action sections.
Review in Russian | Read full review
It’s a masterclass in storytelling and a great first release for Modern Storyteller.
The Forgotten City is a beauty to behold no matter the eye, a deeply contemplative story matched with wonderful puzzles based in classical antiquity.
An intriguing mystery adventure with outstanding writing and performances.
As far as time loop games go, The Forgotten City has the Midas touch. It’s easy to see just how much care has gone into the story of the game so that it not only pulls the player in, but dares them to test the possible realities. The characters all feel real and they drive the player to find the truth before the Golden Rule is broken and the loop must reset. The developers have been careful to create a narrative that, while repetitive in practice, still keeps the player engaged in the wider narrative of the world through exploration and discovery. Combat in the game remains questionable, but the gold bow is its saving grace. If you’re after a game that will keep you guessing as you move closer to the truth, then The Forgotten City is fittingly worthy of your gold.
The Forgotten City turned out to be an amazing adventure, with a very well conceived story and an original use of the time loop mechanic. Too bad for the lack of Italian localization, which will prevent the non-English speakers from enjoying the title.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I really can’t recommend this game enough, even with the lackluster facial animations this is an experience that shouldn’t be missed if you value narrative; in particular mysteries.
One of the better choice-driven games in recent memory that makes you feel like you have ownership over your actions and the narrative flow
Filled with interesting plot twists, clever writing, great excelent pacing and with attention to detail, The Forgotten City is by far one of the best adventure games of 2021. Play it for the story, stay for the characters, the architecture and how one event connects to the other. An absolute must have for fans of the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Forgotten City has successfully broken free from just being a Skyrim mod and came out as one of the sleeper hits of 2021. The time loop story is so interesting and full of interesting topics and characters that I just couldn’t stop thinking about while playing. It’s got some rough edges but fans of great storytelling and solving mysteries will not want to miss this one.
The Forgotten City is a fantastic emulation of Roman times and I really enjoyed manipulating the time loop mechanic. The casual pace of unraveling the mystery through conversations and testing the golden rule was intriguing and kept me wanting to find out what happens next. This was all backed up by outstanding voice acting and visuals that really invested me in each character.
All in all, The Forgotten City has surprised us with how engaging it is. The time loop mechanic is used to great effect and works much more than a simple gimmick, and the standout is the writing, which keeps you invested line after line. It's not a home run, with some overall clunkiness to the game and certain segments that could easily have been stripped out, but it's definitely a 10-12 hour adventure worth taking, with many paths and possibilities to uncover.
It’s easy to point out what The Forgotten City does right — mechanics, progression, story, gameplay, dialog, quests, atmosphere, design, voice acting, etc. — but hard to say what it does best, because it’s all supremely well done. With a wildly imaginative concept executed perfectly and poignantly, The Forgotten City will please anyone with an interest in history, philosophy, mythology, or just a good, tight exploration story. The Forgotten City is my top contender for GOTY 2021 — a distinction I don’t foresee being toppled. This city without sin may not have any exits, but that’s just as well, since you won’t want to leave anyway.