Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia

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Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is an enchanting all-ages dramatic mystery visual novel by developer Almaz.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

24%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

story4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a captivating supernatural mystery that hints at deeper story elements and character development.
The art style is generally appealing, with a variety of facial expressions and beautiful character designs that enhance immersion.
The inclusion of multiple perspectives through a flowchart system allows players to experience the story from different angles, adding depth to the narrative.

The pacing is excessively slow, with drawn-out scenes that detract from the overall engagement and enjoyment of the story.
The humor often falls flat, with repetitive comedic elements that feel exaggerated and unrealistic, leading to a lack of genuine connection with the characters.
The game is incomplete, leaving players with an unsatisfying experience as it primarily serves as an introduction to the characters and plot without significant progression.

story
18 mentions
22 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The story of "Forgotten Trace" is described as a convoluted and slow-paced narrative centered around high school students, with moments of intrigue buried within its lengthy scenes. While it hints at deeper mysteries and offers multiple perspectives through character viewpoints, many players found the initial chapters lacking in gripping content and emotional engagement, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the game is seen as an introduction to a larger story, leaving players hopeful for more substantial developments in future chapters.
- “You have to be brave; there’s a very good story buried in there somewhere.”
- “Something I liked here was that the game hints at the mysteries right in the prologue, so the reader knows there is more to the story than it might seem at first.”
- “While nanami kazuya is the protagonist of Forgotten Trace, the game switches between the point of view of different characters with the help of a flow chart, and thus, the reader gets to experience the story from a different side as well.”
- “The story is very convoluted and hard to follow.”
- “The visual novel tries to be dark, but the scenes last so long that it was hard to hold any shock value or interest in the story besides 'getting it over with.' The text is also incredibly slow, as you can read the same sentences five times before a new one appears on screen.”
- “Thanks to that, the slice-of-life scenes felt rather dull to me as I expected to get bits and pieces of the actual plot between the subchapters, which sadly didn't happen throughout the story.”
graphics
9 mentions
44 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game exhibit an inconsistent art style, with some characters appearing unpolished in certain CGs, while others appreciate the overall lovely artwork. While the visuals are generally deemed acceptable and typical for the genre, they lack standout features, and the presence of nudity in some CGs has sparked mixed opinions regarding the game's age appropriateness.
- “Overall, the art style is quite lovely.”
- “Features nice artwork, great background music, and multiple protagonists.”
- “Conclusion: Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is a short-length kinetic visual novel with mystery/drama elements and sensitive topics, featuring nice artwork and great background music.”
- “The art style seems unpolished and varies slightly throughout.”
- “The art style is quite inconsistent, making the characters look a little bit off in some CGs.”
- “Visuals are okay, typical for what you would expect, but nothing that really stands out.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the emotional impact of the stories in the game is lacking, with players feeling disconnected from the characters and their experiences. Despite attempts to incorporate touching moments, these efforts often fail to resonate, and the limited voice-acting in key emotional scenes further diminishes the overall emotional engagement.
- “Additionally, while voice acting is present in Forgotten Trace, only the more emotional and important scenes are voiced.”
humor
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss; while some scenes are genuinely funny, the repetition of jokes diminishes their impact. Additionally, the drawn-out melodramatic moments can detract from the comedic elements, leading to a mix of boredom and annoyance.
- “Some scenes were quite funny, despite it playing out like a typical Japanese harem anime.”
- “The humor in the game is clever and often catches you off guard with its unexpected twists.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
gameplay
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a kinetic novel format enhanced by a built-in flowchart, allowing players to explore multiple points of view and subchapters, with the current review focusing on the content from chapter 1. Future updates are expected to expand on the gameplay experience.
- “Gameplay: a kinetic novel with a built-in flowchart featuring multiple points of view and subchapters, this one covers all subchapters from chapter 1.”
- “The review is based on current gameplay (it will be updated later).”
- “The gameplay is a kinetic novel with a built-in flowchart that includes multiple points of view and subchapters, but it only covers all subchapters from chapter 1.”
- “The review is based on the current gameplay, which may be updated later.”
music
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with an excellent soundtrack that enhances the experience. It features Japanese voice acting and decent artwork, contributing to an immersive atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is excellent, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “Features include Japanese voice acting, decent artwork, and captivating background music.”
- “The background music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous over time.”
- “While the Japanese voice acting is decent, the music fails to enhance the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't leave a lasting impression, which is disappointing for a game of this genre.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players note that while achieving 100% completion is straightforward, the process can be quite tedious and requires significant grinding, particularly for achievement hunters.
- “A warning to achievement hunters: while it’s easy to achieve 100%, the process is very tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- “Repetitive tasks dominate the gameplay, making it hard to stay engaged.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing frequent flashes of light when played in fullscreen mode, which poses potential risks for users with photosensitivity or epilepsy.
- “Playing in fullscreen may trigger a lot of flashes of light in the game, which could be dangerous for users with photosensitivity or epilepsy seizures.”