Analysis of the forgotten city

Going back 2,000 years is the least of these in The Forgotten City

The mod world has taken some very interesting directions. Several times, These changes made by the users themselves have surpassed the benefits and popularity of the original installments. There are quite a few examples, even if they come out above all from Counter Strike, coming from Half-Life 2; DayZ, born from Arma 2; or Dota 2, which emerged from another great work such as Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. A similar case is the one that occupies us today with The forgotten city. It is true that the work created by Dead villagers and Modern storyteller It can not compete with its original work (neither more nor less than The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim) but it offers a very original game concept that we do not find in the work of Bethesda.

The nature of mankind is incorrigible

A city without sin. Certain inhabitants who cannot afford to have underpants. This is the forgotten city, a cursed city steeped in the past where its inhabitants lead a strange life. We will go back 2000 years and end up within its walls, and of course, we will have to do everything to get back outside. Fortunately, we will have a very unique gift that will save our skins on more than one occasion: the ability to go back in time and revisiting this city for the first time… once again. That is, we will have a regression and we will come back to the starting point.

Don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie

I don’t know if you know the origin of the word “Tenth” (or tithe, translated today). It comes from a very strict punishment in Roman times for the reign of justice. If there was a mutiny or serious act of cowardice among the legions, Ten soldiers were selected from this cohort and one was executed at random, guilty or innocent. This forced the entire remaining army to act with vehemence and responsibility, for, Although we haven’t committed any crime, we could end up being executed the same way.

Something similar is happening in The Forgotten City with what they call the golden rule. If one of the inhabitants of this city commits an act of vandalism, the golden statues that populate its streets come alive to curse its citizens whether they have done good or bad. This makes each of its inhabitants fearful of what may happen and acts with caution to maintain order and balance. But the human being is bad by nature, and in the end the worst always happens …

Culture shock with spectacular results

The historical context in which we are going to operate is incredible. Everything is very careful. Characters with whom we will speak, their cultures, the way to face the curse, their concerns … No two people are the same. In addition, some have come to terms with their condition and are trying to lead a “normal life” within the city walls, while others are aware of the situation they find themselves in, despite the fact that they are trying. to behave “as naturally” as possible. .

Time traveler

To escape the walls of the forgotten city, we will have to investigate what happens in the first place. Observe models, walk its streets, help people and start conversations. In some situations we will have to help those in need by completing all kinds of missions. And the grace is that sometimes we can’t help them in a first “pass”, but we will have to go back in time with everything we have learned in the past to expose it differently in “the next loop”.

Even if at first it’s a little overwhelming trying to talk to everyone, As we get to know each character more, we will become more involved in the narrative. The game catches in a brutal way, and in my case, until I completed a side mission, I couldn’t stop playing. Moreover, everything is connected, and if, for example, we prevent the suicide of a slave, later that person can help us to incriminate another citizen who commits dishonorable acts.

the power of the word

Exploration and deductions will be essential to the success of the adventure. It’s true that there will be times when we roll a bow that turns everything it touches into gold, although this more “action-oriented” part is not mandatory. Right here cunning and the use of thoughtful conversations are more rewarded with the locals. For this we have a classic dialogue system where we can choose the answers we find most appropriate.

Avoid doing what you would criticize others

Think of the forgotten city as a The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim mod This can generate an erroneous view of the product. Be in a closed environment, everything is fine. The fights (the few that exist) are better resolved than in the base game and our protagonist moves well in any environment. There’s also not as much freedom as in Tamriel, and that makes fewer bugs or weird things happen.

Scenarios are also extremely neat, both outside and inside. Nothing has been left to chance, and everything takes on a meaning that must be deduced from it. We will even read citizens’ notes and notes with interest to soak up more of their problems and find the cause that broke the golden rule.

At the end, It’s hard to explain the feelings with the game. It is an experience that must be lived. You must feel the problem, live in this crazy town it does not fit our schedule. And act appropriately if we are to achieve an optimal ending (yes, there are many ways to end the adventure, some better … and some worse).

Conclusion on the forgotten city

It has been a long time since an exploration adventure with great conversational skills caught up with me so much, and the work developed by Dead Villagers and Modern Storyteller has succeeded. We’ve rarely seen its original proposition in a video game, and if you get into its mechanics, I doubt you can get out of it until the end of the plot.

The context, the characters, the problems with the golden rule, the curse that haunts all the inhabitants… it’s a very interesting mix of concepts that fit together perfectly. If we also mix it up with the regressions in the time loop, the use of the arch, and the Greek / Roman way of life curiosities, we’ll be eager to visit The Forgotten City and not leave it for a long time.