Today, publisher Annapurna Interactive and developer Third Shift revealed a new trailer for Forever Ago during the Xbox Partner Preview. A third-person single-player road trip adventure telling a heartfelt story of redemption.
Set to launch in Fall of 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Xbox, and Epic Games Store, I am just here to say that I don’t think a trailer has made me that emotional in a very, very, very long time. Based in Germany, Third Shift is a narrative-focused indie game studio founded by two best friends, and Forever Ago is their debut title.
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In the trailer for Forever Ago, we start with what could be any romance. A nice song in the background, two lovebirds talking. And then, one of them is gone. What follows is a compilation of memories and new experiences, and one central figure, Alfie.
Watch the Forever Ago Trailer Here from Annapurna Interactive
I’ve never really written a reaction to a trailer, and maybe it’s because my parents are getting older and talking about their memories more. Or maybe it’s because I have had a slew of health problems in the past two years that have made me reckon with my own mortality and the husband and dog I would leave behind. Or maybe it’s the fact that my husband is back to traveling for work again, and I am having to remember what it is like to be home by myself, but I cried.
There is a lot that happens when you fall in love and make a life with someone, so much of yourself blends with them. Memories, likes, dislikes, and even at just 12 years, I am a different person now, a better person, I think, but more importantly, I don’t know how to live life without my other half. So yeah, I cried.
There really isn’t more to this little news piece other than that. Forever Ago may have just been announced today, but it’s a game that I have now fallen in love with. Because grief is complex and love changes people, Forever Ago feels like a game that will move mountains in people’s hearts.
The official synopsis for Forever Ago is:
In Forever Ago, the player takes on the role of Alfred as he navigates the aftermath of a tragedy in his life. Which, for anyoen who has seen Up, we know is losing his wife. Propelled by his minivan and armed with an instant camera, he embarks on a journey north in search of redemption.
Along the way, Alfred will explore beautiful environments and meet fascinating new people while visiting beautiful and unique places, from serene forest trails to deserts to mountains, examining objects to help him understand his surroundings and the people who came before. He makes new memories and captures them with his instant camera, used to document his journey and solve small environmental puzzles.
When it comes to video games, they offer a tactile way to engage with stories. Unlike movies, television, books, and other media, video games directly immerse the player in a new world and narrative, then ask them to make their way through it. Because of that, it’s clear how cathartic a game like Forever Ago can be; from the trailer alone, it already hit my core.
But what intrigues me most, beyond the emotive trailer and story beats, is the trailer’s fantastical elements. While we don’t know how the game will use some of the areas of the trailer that feel closer to magical realism than slice of life, I can’t help but be intrigued.
For more information on Forever Ago, please visit Annapurna Interactive’s website.
