Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Forgotten Fragments to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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Table of Contents
What is Forgotten Fragments?
Forgotten Fragments is a 2D platformer intended for the masochist who loves to struggle through their jumping puzzles. Make sure to check out the demo.
Hook
You wake up in a strange and beautiful world without your memories. Your memories have been scattered across this new landscape in collectable fragments, and it is up to you to collect them all. But this is no simple task. The road is perilous, full of traps and difficult puzzles. Do you have what it takes to conquer this terrain? Do you have what it takes to recover all your memories?
The Game
Brave this challenge alone as you work your way through the campaign, or team up with a friend and share the frustration as you solve unique jumping puzzles. With over 120 puzzles spanning over four unique worlds, Forgotten Fragments has enough content to keep its players busy. Make sure you keep an eye out for hidden collectibles and secret levels. And for those who are a bit more competitive, each level has a time and death counter so you can chase that perfect score. If you like platformers and don’t mind playing through a hard one, check out Forgotten Fragments.
Gameplay
Each world is separated by its collection of uniquely themed jumping puzzles. Puzzles are accessed through doors at a hub, which makes progression manageable. Players must beat all puzzles in a world to progress to the next one. To beat a puzzle, players need to collect all of the available memory fragments within the level. These fragments blow up after a certain amount of time, killing the player. Death resets the level, but it does not reset a run. This means that any progress you make in a level, i.e. collecting memories, will be lost. You will need to do everything again. You can die as many times as it takes to complete the level, but the goal is to die as little as possible and as fast as possible.
Mechanics
To beat a level, players must use the game’s mechanics to not only maneuver the character, but the different objects around them. Sometimes a player needs to throw an object over a pit to use as a platformer. Other times, the player will need to bounce the memory fragment off walls without setting off an explosion. A fragment can blow up if it hits the wrong structure, like a spike. The combination of these mechanics give way for creative solutions to some very interesting puzzles.
Review
Forgotten Fragments is a fantastic platformer, especially if you appreciate a challenge. The game has some very beautiful hand-drawn art that does a good job at catching attention. I am a huge fan of the retro-vibe, but the game’s mechanics create interesting interactions for some very challenging puzzles. There are some seemingly impossible levels, the feeling of satisfaction of finally beating a level is unmatched. If you’re looking for a new platformer, this is the one to try.
Gamplay Loop
The dangerous level design leave the room for some creative solutions. Sometimes you will need to bounce your fragment off walls before it blows up, other times you need to narrowly avoid spike pits to get to collect your fragments. The game starts off hard, but does a good job at slowly adding mechanics over time to make the game feel more manageable. Every time I felt like I mastered the game, it threw something new to complicate things. Mostly, I enjoyed seeing my progress as I moved through the worlds, collecting new skills.
Difficulty
Forgotten Fragments is difficult by design. The game opens up with a disclaimer and the ability to reduce the difficulty. I struggled with the default difficulty, but I never felt a level was impossible. Even though I could have changed the difficulty at any time, I never felt the need. I enjoyed the game enough to keep trying, even at my most frustrated. This is a game where you’re meant to die a lot, so consider that before picking up the controller.
Conclusion
I enjoyed Forgotten Fragments for its unique retro aesthetic and challenging gameplay. Even though I struggled through my playthrough, I appreciate the creativity that went into every level. If you enjoy retro platformers but are looking for a hard one, go check out Forgotten Fragments.
If you enjoy platformers, make sure you also check out Worldless if you’re looking for something more unique and Smurfs, if you need something more cozy to play with your kids.