By Desiree Bonilla

Losing things is part of being human, but did you ever wonder where those missing items go? I  lost my headphones once, and I remember being really frustrated because I had no way to listen to music. I spent all day looking around for them. Maybe my headphones ended up in a different universe. Forgotton Anne is a video game about a new universe where the lost things go. This video game has an amazing art design. The way the characters look makes it seem as if you are watching “Spirited Away” or “Ponyo.”

In the game, you become Anne, a woman called The Enforcer, who has to keep order in a world filled with lost items, also known as Forgotlings. All the Forgotlings want to do is cross the Ether Bridge and return to their owners. Forgotlings consist of socks, lamps, scarves and plenty of other things. There are a group of Forgotlings that didn’t like the way things were in that dimension, so they attacked the factories and bridges by blowing them up.

After the rebels attacked, the gates around the area were closed, the power was shut off, and Anne knew that she needed to prepare for battle. Anne has a device called Arca that can turn Forgotlings into nothing. Anne is more in favor of helping Forgotlings return home, but if the Forgotlings were to rebel or break rules, she would have to end them.

There are times when you have to make a choice for Anne. You can choose whether or not Anne is good or bad. For example, in the beginning of the game, a little red scarf ran inside Anne’s home right after the power went out. The scarf was trying to convince Anne that he wasn’t a part of the rebellion. In the game, you choose to either believe the little scarf’s story or to turn him into nothing.

As far as gameplay goes, one thing that I noticed was that Anne doesn’t have a health bar. So if you were to fall from a high place, Anne would just stand back up and dust herself off. In my opinion, Forgotton Anne isn’t challenging enough. All you do is pick an option or try to turn the power on in order to pass through gates.  I always seem to get bored playing the game, in part because there is more story and dialogue than action. Although Anne does have her own weapons, like the Arca and a pair of mechanical wings, they don’t really add enough excitement to the game. That’s because the Arca can be used at a distance, which makes it easier to “end” the Forgotling. The wings don’t really let you fly, they just give you a slightly higher jump.  If Forgotton Anne included more fighting and combos, it would be more interesting to play. If you are someone who enjoys a lot of action then I suggest you find another game. But if you like narrative that is as much about telling you what to do as it is about story, this may be the game for you.

Desiree Bonilla is a New York Videogame Critics Circle intern, part of our ongoing partnership with the Bronx’s DreamYard Prep School.