The Forgotten City

Just as the mystery storyline here slowly exposes itself layer by layer, so does your realization of just how exceptional it is. Not only is the premise of unraveling The Forgotten City's secrets immediately intriguing, but players can expect to feel steadily more enthralled with every completed quest and new character interaction. The story takes about ten hours of play time to complete, and there are multiple revelations and hidden-in-plain-sight secrets that makes the pacing go from a casual saunter through the town square to a frantic race against time. It's likely that once you start, almost nothing will tear you away until the game's complete. That kind of powerful storytelling is rare, and the challenging puzzles along with expertly written character arcs are perfect complements. There's no other game like this out there, which is always such a joy to discover.

Aside from some minor facial animation glitches and the desperate need for a map, there are no flaws that would likely keep players away. But it should be noted that The Forgotten City is deeply unsettling. It lives up to its promise to not be a combat-heavy title, but there are short, non-negotiable action sequences and enemy encounters that can be stressful. There are also jump scares and objectively scary sound design elements that are omnipresent throughout the tale. That's not a negative; in fact, it's even more impressive that the game's so scary without the presence of weapons, combat, or gore. That being said, players should be prepared, as this is not explicitly labeled a horror game. Overall, The Forgotten City's ideal audience would be a teenage or adult player looking for a balance of mystery and horror, not younger or casual players focused on historical realism or critical thinking skills. This distinction isn't always clear in trailers and promotional materials for the game for the sake of avoiding spoilers, so keep this in mind to prevent the possibility of regretting a purchase.