Forever Ago Review

Back in May of this year, Annapurna allowed me to revisit my youth in Mixtape, a story of growing up and preparing for what comes next. Responsibilities, relationships, and tough decisions all loomed on the horizon. I loved it, but those years are far longer behind me than I’d care to think about. And now, Annapurna are back to give me pause for thought on what comes next in Forever Ago, a tale of love, loss, and facing the passage of time in all its harsh truths. I didn’t expect to be sitting here on a sleepy Sunday morning holding back the tears, but as a wise person once said, “you can’t plan life”.

We follow the journey of Alfred, an elderly gent who is on a road trip aiming to relive some memories spent with his wife Audrey. From their first kiss all the way to their final, aged trip to Mount Williamina, we live out his recollections of their many years spent together; a familiar gas station and its ceramic pumpkins; their favourite booth as a roadside cafe; a trek to a lighthouse. 

Along the way, Alfred reminisces about their time at each location, how Audrey would always be pushing him to break the rules, or going beyond what he deems sensible, and how it always worked out, even when it didn’t. Developers Third Shift have done a wonderful job of handling each scene and location, nailing not just a sense of place but using all of the tools at their disposal to craft the exact right emotion at the right times. While exploring an old nature park, long since abandoned, we get a true sense of what this place meant to Alfred and we also get to dip into the past to see what the pair go up to, and what sorts of memories they created here.

Within each location there are petals to discover to flesh out the back story, and are well worth finding. In these, we see the younger pair together in their prime, living their best life – or not – and the performances across the board are wonderful. 

However, Forever Ago isn’t just a pure joy nostalgia trip. The passage of time waits for no man, and we really feel Alfred’s frustration as he discovers things are not always as they once were. Old friends gone, favourite spots modernised and corporatised, and a simple road trip turns into anything but when it’s hot out, the AC breaks, and we’re in the middle of nowhere. 

I found myself thinking through my memories as I played, and thinking on how much has changed in my time here. Again, Third Shift have masterfully crafted a tale that is affecting, poignant, and thought provoking, and I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences as I joined Alfred on his. It’s as wonderfully told as it is sad, and it genuinely choked me up at points as Alfred struggles to handle a situation that has been forced upon him and Audrey that they have no control over at all.

Although a short experience, there were a few foibles that knocked the experience down just a touch. Interacting with marker points was hit and miss, and I ran into a few bugs that meant a reload and replay of the last section was required because a prompt didn’t appear or a transition didn’t occur. And a few of the scenes felt a touch too dragged out – while I get what they were going for, some slightly snappier editing at some points  might have helped scenes flow and keep my interest better. Though again, the story was interesting enough overall that I was always pulled back in once things did progress.

Conclusion

All in all, Forever Ago is a wonderfully told tale of love, loss, and how we manage our emotions through the passage of time, even when we’re thrown a curve ball. The relationship between Alfred and Audrey feels genuine, and it genuinely hit me in the feels multiple times. A few technical hiccups mar things slightly, but anyone looking to have a short but sweet experience should absolutely add this to their life plan.