When we first wrote about Forgotton Anne last year we called it "an indie game that looks like a Studio Ghibli movie" and now that we've played more of it that's definitely an apt description. It's set in a city where lost items from the real world mysteriously end up—all the misplaced socks and scarves and coats that vanish from basements and under beds suddenly appear here, in the Forgotten Lands.
Something about this transition wakes those objects, giving them sentience and transforming them into Forgotlings like Fig and Bulb, seen below. Fig's a tailor's mannequin with a face on his chest who has become a debonair sword-wielding rake, while Bulb is a lightstand obscured by a hat and cloak, a source of light who transforms himself into a shadowy figure who is central to a rebellion among the Forgotlings.
On the other side of that rebellion is the game's protagonist, Anne. One of only two humans in the Forgotten Lands, she's an enforcer who keeps the peace on behalf of Master Bonku, the other human trapped in this strange city. As Anne you'll solve puzzles and leap across the otherworldly skyline in a way that's reminiscent of the original Prince of Persia. If you've ever seen the reference photos Jordan Mechner based the Prince's movement on, these animation frames of Anne will seem familiar.
Then there's the city itself, which is powered by a force called 'anima' that's also responsible for awakening the Forgotlings. It's an old-fashioned city made of weathered brick and connected by trains, which you will definitely climb on top of at some point. When we see the real world in an opening cutscene it's relatively modern, though with some pretty chunky mobile phones the world of the left-behind has a much more vintage look.
All this artwork is courtesy of Throughline Games, from an artbook that will come with the collector's edition of their game. Forgotton Anne is due out on May 15.
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