"I'm going to make a game about grief that is so sad," is probably what the lovely folks at indie game studio, Third Shift, thought to themselves when they channeled their inner Sue Sylvester while making Forever Ago. If you're after a third-person, story-driven, slow-paced game that you can finish in one sitting, this is one for you — but you might want to grab a box of tissues before locking in.
Forever Ago follows Alfred's road trip adventure after the death of his wife, who he has been married to for several decades. Told in a beautiful graphic novel art style, you play as Alfred, revisiting all the places he had been with his wife. You take photos, meet various NPCs with different points of view on life, and even make an uncanny friend along the way.
In some places, Forever Ago is funny and it makes you smile, but the overarching themes of grief, loss, love and redemption are omnipresent. Though it's a very short game, it's a must-play for anyone who enjoys emotional and reflective narrative adventures. As soon as the credits rolled, I knew this was one of my favorite indies of all time. Let me show you why.
Minor spoilers to follow.
The power of memory
Forever Ago is a gut-punch from the get-go. At the beginning, you play as a young Alfred who has only just begun dating Audrey. Audrey finds a camera at a yard sale and starts taking photographs, but as you learn throughout the story, Alfred was the one who took to photography more than she did. You don't see Audrey much in the game — but her impact is lasting, as she passes away from a long illness, and an ageing Alfred is left to grieve on his own.
The premise of the game is simple: Audrey wants Alfred to visit all the places she'd been with him when they were together. As you travel to different locations through the game, the narrative builds. Each location has sets of orange petals you can collect, and completing each set reveals a memory, triggered by Alfred taking a photo.
Armed with Audrey's journal and a camera attached to his satchel, Alfred sets off on a road trip, hoping to reach Mount Williamson in the north. Audrey's journal specifies your objectives and you can refer to as and when needed. As you visit different places, you capture photos and are limited to just 12 per level if you want to print them out to stick in your journal at the end of each chapter.
As someone who loves photography and even tests the best cameras for a living, the photography aspect in Forever Ago hit me like a truck. Alfred and Audrey immortalized many of their adventures through this medium — like I do in my life — and Alfred continued to do so after his beloved wife's passing, too, only because she didn't want his love of adventure to die.
The importance of slowing down
As someone who loves action adventure games and RPGs, like Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I wasn't expecting much from Forever Ago, and I certainly wasn't expecting it to leave its mark on me in the way it has. But then again, I've also cried over indies like Neva and Endling: Extinction is Forever.
Unlike the fast-paced titles I love playing, Forever Ago is a slow game. Alfred can't sprint or run — the most he can do is walk briskly on certain surfaces. He can't jump or crouch as and when he wishes either. Though he has a final destination to reach, there's no sense of urgency that makes you want to rush.
This isn't a very long game — it took me about five hours to complete — and I took my time admiring the art style, exploring every part of every level, allowing every dialogue that was spoken to wash over me, and matching Alfred's pace, really. Forever Ago is an important lesson to us, the gamers, that it's okay to slow down and take your time, and that a short game can be just as impactful (if not more) as a long one.
Grief, loss but also redemption
Throughout the majority of the game, Alfred is grumpy and doesn't want anything to do with anyone, and he has every reason to be. Grief isn't an easy emotion to deal with, and you don't just "get over" the passing of a loved one overnight. Alfred's loneliness comes across with great clarity through his interactions with NPCs.
Asking a grocery store attendant to leave him alone, struggling to accept help from a young woman who offers to fix his camper van, and even making comments like, "I have no one left to call" — it's clear that Alfred is all by himself.
But he doesn't have to be, and it's something he eventually realizes as the game progresses. A dog is a man's best friend, and Forever Ago drives this message home by introducing a fluffy four-legged companion who refuses to leave Alfred's side. You get to name her, play fetch with her, pet her. Alfred's cold demeanor eventually melts.
He also makes friends with a man hiking with his ageing dog during one of the levels. It's a brief encounter, but it tugs at your heartstrings through exceptionally well-written dialogues, and of course, photographs, which Alfred makes sure to take plenty of.
Even when Alfred is at his lowest, crying out for Audrey to come back, and on the verge of calling quits on his road trip, it's certain encounters with NPCs in the game that keep him going. The brains behind Forever Ago have done a fantastic job of showing that human connection is important, and perhaps more important than ever when you're bruised and beaten like Alfred is.
Forever Ago might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I truly believe it's a game everyone has to play at least once. The art style, storytelling, writing and calming music are just so charming that they draw you in instantly and make you feel like you're part of Alfred's world.
I didn't think a story of grief and love told through photos and memories would have me feeling existential for a whole evening, but that's the kind of power Forever Ago holds.
Forever Ago will be available to buy on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, starting 8 October.
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