Forgotton Anne review — a Ghibli-inspired tale that goes its own way

It’s easy to see similarities in Throughline Games’ narrative platformer Forgotton Anne to films from the Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli. Its hand-drawn art style and strong-willed protagonist clearly take inspiration from master animator and Ghibli cofounder Hayao Miyazaki and demand comparisons to movies like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle (based off the excellent Diana Wynn Jones novel of the same name).

But just because it takes inspiration from Ghibli doesn’t mean it’s derivative. This is a nervy adventure that commits to the idea of dark fantasy, and it impressed me with its world and the tough decisions it forces you to make.