Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia
Gameplay 5
Graphics 6
Sound 6

Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is a visual novel with an interesting premise, but some parts feel padded out unnecessarily. It is also the first part of what was supposed to be a three-part series, but there is no sign of the other two parts yet. This makes it hard to recommend the game as there is no guarantee the story will ever be completed. It’s a pity as Forgotten Trace does have some nice elements and the art style is good, despite the low resolution.

Gameplay: The story is interesting, but ends on a cliffhanger and can be a slog to read at times.

Graphics: The resolution is fixed at 1024×768, but the art style is decent.

Sound: Japanese voice acting and decent background music

Summary 5.7 Above Average
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia

Developer: Almaz | Publisher: Fruitbat Factory | Release Date: 2020 | Genre: Visual Novel / Casual / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Nanami Kazuya has had the lifelong dream of becoming a professional soccer player. He worked towards this goal with dogged determination and just as it was almost within his reach it was cruelly snatched away from him by a stroke of bad luck. Faced with the prospect that he would probably never be able to play again, Kazuya sank into a suicidal depression. Forgotten Trace opens with Kazuya finding himself in a mysterious snow-covered forest where he meets a beautiful woman who seemingly knows him. After waking up from this encounter Kazuya chalks it up to just being a dream, but then events begin to happen that make him doubt his theory.

Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is a visual novel by Almaz that has been published by Fruitbat Factory for western audiences. Although Kazuya is the protagonist of this first chapter, there is also a large cast of supporting characters who all get their own opportunity to shine. In fact, two of them have backstories that are arguably far more tragic than that of Kazuya, which makes it a bit hard to empathize with him. For example, his crush Ibuki is missing out on a lot of schoolwork due to a heart condition that sees her having to constantly go to the hospital. There she meets a girl named Madoka who lost her mother and became confined to a wheelchair due to a very tragic incident. Kazuya also has a womanizing friend named Rei who can’t resist adding more “sweets” to his collection despite dating the richest and most popular girl in school. Finally, there’s Miu who lives next door to Kazuya and clearly has a big crush on him.

One of the things that set Forgotten Trace apart from most other visual novels is that players get to experience the story from the viewpoints of almost all the characters involved, even the villains. To help players keep track of this the game even features a flowchart showing what new segments are available and how much of each character’s story has been seen. As new entries are unlocked players can select the order in which to play them, but apart from a handful of choices Forgotten Trace is basically a kinetic novel. Players will however have to go back and replay sections to make different choices to unlock 100% of the story, which in turn opens up a whole new side story, called Miu’s Sunday. It’s a pity that this side story can be so easily missed, though, as it features a completely different art style and a more lighthearted scenario compared to the main game.

In terms of story Forgotten Trace is a bit of a mixed bag. For the most part, it plays out like a slice of life novel albeit with some darker moments mixed in. The Steam store describes it as an all-ages visual novel, which is a bit strange as it features blood, swearing, some mild nudity, and references to things like suicide. The biggest issue with the story is that it feels like just to introduction to a much larger story. This is understandable as apparently there were two more chapters planned for the series, but rather worryingly the other two have yet to make an appearance. This fact alone makes it very hard for us to recommend Forgotten Trace as there is no guarantee that the story will ever receive a conclusion.

Visually, Forgotten Trace doesn’t look too bad and features a lot of different CGs. The character sprites also look fairly decent and the backgrounds, while limited, are detailed. Along with the usual CG and background viewer, players can also unlock additional illustrations from the game while playing. Unfortunately, the resolution is set at 1024×768, which means even in full-screen mode you get large black borders on either side. Even worse, playing this way seems to result in weird issues, such as flickering. This means the game has to be played in windowed mode, which is hardly ideal for players with high-resolution monitors.

Most of the spoken dialog in Forgotten Trace is voiced by Japanese voice actors, while the internal thoughts are silent. The music is decent, but for many songs, the tunes do not loop, which means everything just becomes quiet. The controls are standard visual novel fare, so players can either click through the dialog or set the text to auto.

Overall, Forgotten Trace features a lot of interesting elements, such as the mysterious suicides of people who, thanks to their medical conditions, should not have been able to take their lives at all. The slice of life drama also takes an unexpected turn into almost Highlander territory later in the game. Unfortunately, this is all overshadowed by the cliffhanger ending and uncertainty about further installments of the game. Sadly, some of the dialogs in this game are also a slog to get through and we found are attention drifting during scenes that dragged on needlessly. Being able to view certain scenes from multiple viewpoints is nice, but not when 90% of it is just a repeat of the same text.

Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is not a bad visual novel, but due to the issues mentioned in this review it is one that is hard to recommend. There are so many other good visual novels currently available that there is no need to read one that might never get a proper conclusion. This will obviously change if the other three installments are released, but when that if or when that will happen is anyone’s guess.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows Vista, 7, 8, or 10
  • Processor: Intel Pentium III 800MHz or higher
  • Graphics: 1280×720 Display or higher
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 2 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectSound compatible sound card

Related posts

So Many Me

So Many Me

The whimsical visuals might fool you into thinking that this is just another easy platform title, but So Many Me packs a lot of tricky puzzles as well. Completing the levels is easy enough that players of all skill levels have a fair shot, but finding all the costumes and relics takes considerably more skill. If you are looking for a polished and addictive platformer, then look no further than So Many Me. Gameplay: A charming platformer with a strong emphasis on puzzle solving. Graphics: Packed with detail, color and personality. Sound: The catchy soundtrack is a perfect match for the light-hearted visual style.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV

Its hard not to harbor some resentment for the delay and lesser port that PC owners have received with this game, but at the end of the day it's still a lot of fun to play and a great game. As long as you can look past the technical issues that is. Gameplay: The technical issues and more "mature" feel detracts a bit from the gameplay but it's still good. Graphics: With the right hardware this game looks stunning. Sound: Decent voice acting and loads of good tunes.

Seven Doors

Seven Doors

Seven Doors is a puzzle game that challenges players to navigate their way through several unique challenges. Each room challenges players in a different way and the developers have come up with plenty of unique scenarios. There isn't really an over-arching story to tie everything together and the game is also quite short, but it's an enjoyable experience while it lasts. Gameplay: Seven Doors will challenge your problem-solving skills in several unique ways. Graphics: Not cutting-edge, but impressive enough for a small studio. Sound: Very good.

Vertical Drop Heroes HD

Vertical Drop Heroes HD

Vertical Drop Heroes HD is simple enough that you can instantly jump in and have fun for a few minutes, but addictive enough to keep you hooked for hours. All the procedural elements keep things interesting and there are tons of skills as well as traits to unlock. The game offers a lot of value for money and will keep you coming back again and again for "just one more go." Gameplay: Simple, but very addictive. Graphics: Cartoonish visuals with some nice 2-D artwork. Sound: Catchy tunes.

Legacy of Dorn: Herald of Oblivion

Legacy of Dorn: Herald of Oblivion

Legacy of Dorn is a thrilling chapter in the Warhammer 4000 saga and packs a very engrossing story. The game also makes the most of the license by packing the space hulk with all the major foes. Space Marines are designed for combat and Legacy of Dorn certainly doesn’t disappoint in this regard either. It is still a gamebook though, so if you don’t like reading or expect cutting edge visuals it is better to steer clear. Everyone else should definitely let their imagination run wild with this title. Gameplay: The story is fast paced and thrilling although a little jargon heavy at times. Graphics: Atmospheric, but mostly text and not that easy on the eyes due to the color scheme. Sound: The game features no speech, but the ambient soundtrack is fitting and unobtrusive.

Procyon PC Review

Procyon PC Review

Procyon is a game that has more than a passing resemblance to the classic arcade titles from companies such as Irem and Toaplan. It won't take long to complete the five levels on offer, but you'll have fun doing so and the game is available at a bargain price. Procyon focuses on delivering a solid shooter instead of really shaking up the genre but it is polished and very enjoyable. Gameplay: Nice, solid arcade shooter. Graphics: Not the most detailed, but plenty of colors and explosions. Sound: Great soundtrack and some pretty good sound effects.

Leave a comment

seventeen + 7 =