The Forgotten City

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 159 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 123 out of 159
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 159
  3. Negative: 7 out of 159

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  1. Traxillion
    Dec 11, 2021
    7
    Unique, well-written, surprising, and interesting throughout it all, The Forgotten City is a great game that deserves your time.
  2. AllNewSuperfake
    Jul 30, 2021
    5
    I love the idea of this game, and the score is my way of saying: I don't want to rate this. I want more games like this, and this is obviously the work of people who had a great idea, and talented writers and programmers worked hard to make it, and given the size of the team the result is impressive.

    But under the thin veil of a decent presentation and some nice writing even the short    I love the idea of this game, and the score is my way of saying: I don't want to rate this. I want more games like this, and this is obviously the work of people who had a great idea, and talented writers and programmers worked hard to make it, and given the size of the team the result is impressive.

    But under the thin veil of a decent presentation and some nice writing even the short time span that you spend in the "forgotten city" - again and again - is enough to break any immersion with technical issues and shortcuts in it's mechanics.

    While the story and underlying mystery are certainly interesting and the characters well fleshed out, the developers cut too many corners when it comes to the consequences of your actions. The lack of interactivity and interaction in the city makes it feel small, dead and less and less believable. Every time you enter the market place that has no customers filled with nothing but silence, where nobody reacts to you or whatever happens - even when it's a shrine coming down on a lunatic with a weapon - it becomes harder and harder to feel engaged or take it serious.

    You can't screw around because the developers didn't seem to see any potential in that, and every interaction and every object is directly tied to your quests. You can't really experiment because everything is quiet straightforward, which also takes out planning or getting creative and the satisfaction that comes with that.

    When you change history you never get something like a butterfly effect; you are lucky if you get additional dialogue. Everyone seems oblivious to what's happening right in front of them, and with very few exceptions most people just stand patiently in place until something sets of the repeating Armageddon that you are trying to stop.

    On top of that the game has small technical issues like long loading times that make you think the game crashed whenever you move around and hit one of it's invisible inner borders that put another dent into the illusion that you are in a living, breathing place that is alive even when you don't do anything. There are only very few things to explore or observe or watch, and everyone sounds like they are reading to you.

    So yes, I don't want to rate this, but I also can't recommend it only because I want it to be good.    … Expand
  3. Underpants158
    Aug 21, 2021
    7
    This is a story focused game. Literally the only combat is an occasional area that you fire your bow in where the enemies take two hits and all they do is rush you if they see you. I never came close to dying by an enemy so you shouldn't either. If that sounds fine with you then keep reading.

    The premise is you have been transported to a lost ancient Roman city that is cut off from the    This is a story focused game. Literally the only combat is an occasional area that you fire your bow in where the enemies take two hits and all they do is rush you if they see you. I never came close to dying by an enemy so you shouldn't either. If that sounds fine with you then keep reading.

    The premise is you have been transported to a lost ancient Roman city that is cut off from the outside world. AND you are stuck in a timeloop. It is your duty to explore and chat with everybody, discover leads, follow leads, and break the timeloop. The city area is not so big but I think it is the perfect size for this game. I'm going to spitball and say there are about 12 people in the city. The characters and the mystery are enjoyable. The characters will probably not be so memorable in the long run but I imagine the mystery will be.

    In a game such as this there is a lot of possibility for the little annoyance of needing to repeat your actions everyday if you want to build off of something you previously did. There is no such annoyance here I am glad to tell you. For one, there is a very nice, overly trusting man that will run and do your important errands at the beginning of the loop. Also, all the characters you interact with are totally cool with being blunt and cutting to the chase.

    There are 4 endings and one of them is THE ending. The others are options but they don't leave you satisfied. So why do I think this game is only a 7 out 10? It is not that the game does anything wrong I just, for whatever reason, don't have any strong feelings toward it. It is good. It is solid. If you like this kind of thing you will enjoy yourself. I enjoyed myself.    … Expand
  4. sekiro-hate
    Jan 24, 2022
    5
    The game is decent, but I don't understand the hype, though I must say I played around 1h and I have gave up. For me it is so boring because dialogs are flat, life of the city is not better than Skyrim NPCs and we have 2022 not 2011. There is too overwhelming pathos: music, dialogs. Maybe it was fine back in the day but today I feel it makes narrative flat. Interactions with the world areThe game is decent, but I don't understand the hype, though I must say I played around 1h and I have gave up. For me it is so boring because dialogs are flat, life of the city is not better than Skyrim NPCs and we have 2022 not 2011. There is too overwhelming pathos: music, dialogs. Maybe it was fine back in the day but today I feel it makes narrative flat. Interactions with the world are boring and even though I tried 3 times I can't force myself to play more in this game.… Expand
  5. bancandrei
    Feb 19, 2022
    5
    Came for the story, stayed for the graphics. That is of course not ideal. I expected to be more impressed by both the story and the interactions. I was thinking 2 things while playing it: boy, this writing sure pales in comparison to Disco Elysium and this kinda feels like a Fallout New Vegas Vault. It probably worked much better in its original incarnation as a mod
  6. Ratingss
    Apr 24, 2023
    6
    A woke groundhog day in ancient rome, the timed quest and npcs chimping out and locking you out are annoying, you dont have multiple ways to progress, you will follow the same path up to a point, and then choose which of the obvious 4 endings to follow through with. But as far as story centered walking simulators go, this is decent.
  7. phuchaitt3
    Oct 22, 2022
    6
    Not a game for people who dislike a lot of reading and running around aimlessly. I like the mysteriousness but I dislikee the lack of direction. The city isn't interesting enough to keep you running around looking for clues.
    There are quests that I have no idea how to complete. There will be a lot of time spent testing out a clue, or an idea and then be disappointed that it doesn't work    Not a game for people who dislike a lot of reading and running around aimlessly. I like the mysteriousness but I dislikee the lack of direction. The city isn't interesting enough to keep you running around looking for clues.
    There are quests that I have no idea how to complete. There will be a lot of time spent testing out a clue, or an idea and then be disappointed that it doesn't work out, and then stuck without knowing how to make the story progress.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2021
45
#45 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Games.cz
    Nov 30, 2021
    80
    A brilliant game that’s all about conversations. You get stuck in a time loop which sounds potentially frustrating but actually isn’t because you don’t have to repeat yourself in any way. It’s just a shame that the game’s a bit ugly and the puzzles a bit trivial.
    Read full review
  2. Riot Pixels
    Oct 17, 2021
    78
    Modern Storyteller did right by rewriting its popular mod for a new world. Aside from some rookie mistakes and an apparent lack of budget, the story is exciting and memorable, and I really did not want to leave this cursed city. I definitely wouldn’t mind a few additional quests.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Oct 12, 2021
    80
    It’s a very good game, but it was tailored for a specific audience. If you put the story above everything else, you’ll have a great time playing The Forgotten City. However, if you’d like to feel the adrenaline rush at least once in a while, it’s probably not a game for you, because there’s barely any action here. Oh, don’t be afraid of the whole time loop thing – this integral mechanic is forgiving and won’t erase your progress without a serious reason. If it resets, it’ll be a consequence of either wrong choices or a conscious decision. [10/2021, p.32]
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