The Forgotten City Review Summary

Compelling and unique story: The game features a compelling and unique storyline that is both intriguing and well-thought-out. Players appreciate the interesting premise, rich dialogue, and engaging narrative that keeps them immersed.

High-quality puzzles and gameplay: The game is praised for its fantastic puzzles and overall gameplay experience. Players find the puzzles interesting and not too challenging, contributing to a satisfying and enjoyable adventure.

Beautiful graphics and atmosphere: The game is noted for its beautiful graphics, detailed visuals, and atmospheric setting. The artistic design and stunning visuals enhance the immersive experience.

Use of myths and history: The game incorporates mythological and historical themes, providing an educational aspect related to ancient Mediterranean religions and history.

Excellent voice acting: The game features high-quality voice acting that ranges from solid to great. Players appreciate the good sound and voice acting, which enhance the overall experience.

Repetitive and short gameplay: Many players found the gameplay to be repetitive and tedious, with little replayability. The game's length was also criticized as being too short, with some players completing it in around 6 to 8 hours.

Poor writing and character development: The writing was described as terrible, with poor character development and an awful plot. The ending was also criticized as being stupid and childish.

Stiff and odd facial animations: Facial animations were criticized for being stiff, odd, and sometimes poorly synced with lip movements. This issue was noted by multiple players as detracting from the overall experience.

Plot weaknesses and holes: The plot was noted to have some holes and weaknesses, with certain rewrites making it less compelling. Some plot twists were also seen as predictable.

Subpar optimization: The game's optimization was criticized as being subpar or even horrible by some players. This suggests that the game may not run smoothly on various systems.

Narrative-driven gameplay experience: The game is heavily focused on narrative and storytelling, with gameplay mechanics centered around dialogue, exploration, and character interactions. Players engage in detective-style investigations and puzzle-solving within a strong narrative framework.

Exploration and quests: The game offers open-world exploration and a variety of quests, including main and side quests. Players can engage in non-linear questlines and interact with characters to progress the story.

Multiple endings and choices: The game features multiple endings, with four possible scenarios based on player choices. This adds replayability and encourages players to explore different paths and outcomes.

Puzzle-solving mechanics: Puzzles are a core part of the gameplay, often integrated into conversations and exploration. While some puzzles may be simple or pointless, they contribute to the overall mystery-solving experience.

Character development and interactions: The game features a variety of characters with development arcs, and interactions with these characters play a significant role in the gameplay and narrative.

Smooth performance reported: Several players reported that the game ran smoothly without any issues.

Freezing and jerking issues: Some players experienced freezing and jerking during gameplay, which affected the overall experience.

Movement and operation difficulties: Some players experienced difficulties with movement and operations, including glitches and stiff animations.

Optimization issues: Some players mentioned optimization issues, particularly with the Unreal Engine, leading to various performance problems.

Long loading times: Players noted that the game has long loading times, particularly when entering new areas.

Recommended for story and history lovers: Players who enjoy story-rich games, particularly those with historical and mythological themes, are likely to appreciate this game. It is recommended for fans of dialogue, story, and ancient mythology.

Highly recommended game: The game is highly recommended by many players for its engaging story and historical setting. It is often suggested to buy it, especially when on sale.

Worth the price, especially on sale: The game is considered worth its asking price, particularly when purchased on sale. Some players mention that it is worth playing despite its flaws.

Avoid spoilers for best experience: Many players recommend going into the game blind and avoiding spoilers to enhance the experience. It is suggested to complete all endings before watching any related content.

Recommended for mystery and puzzle lovers: The game is recommended for those who enjoy mystery, puzzle-solving, and time-loop mechanics.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 13.0h.

Story completion: 6.5h.

Endgame: 5.0h.

The game has a slow and somewhat boring start but becomes significantly more engaging and fun after the initial hours or upon reaching the first ending.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Friction: slow pacing; heavy dialogue at the start; initial lack of engagement.

Thoughtful Explorer: Exploration and conversation-focused gameplay. Motivation: Engaging story and dialogue. Stance: buy.

Mystery Solver: Adventure and mystery-solving gameplay. Motivation: Solving mysteries and exploring moral dilemmas. Stance: buy.

Skyrim Enthusiast: Exploration and interaction with Skyrim-like mechanics. Motivation: Familiar gameplay mechanics and nostalgia. Stance: buy.

The game performs well across different hardware cohorts with higher VRAM configurations showing particularly strong performance.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. The game is reported as well-optimized and provides a unique experience.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The game runs well with maximum graphics settings on a 4K display.

Steam Deck: The game has mixed reviews regarding its performance on the Steam Deck. While some users report a smooth experience with minor adjustments needed for battery life and performance, others highlight significant issues with frame drops and graphical quality. Controls and gameplay have mixed feedback, with some users finding them good and others finding them annoying. Overall, the game seems to have some compatibility strengths but also notable performance and optimization issues.

Linux and Proton: The game generally works well on Linux with minimal tinkering required. Users report a smooth experience on both desktop Linux and Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility and performance.

External guides: The game is generally well-received for its accessibility and lack of dependency on external guides or wikis. However, there are mixed feelings about the game's handholding and initial confusion, suggesting a need for better balance in game guidance.

Tips for earning money: This cluster provides advice or strategies related to obtaining in-game currency.