Forged pistons are simply more durable (Stronger) than a standard piston. Changing the pistons to a forged type does not increase power as a stand-alone upgrade
Forged pistons are less likely to break if the engine is badly
Forged pistons in a well tuned car will also handle more combustion force (More power potential).
The fact that you have dead factory pistons at the moment possibly means that you have had something go wrong in the past (incorrect ignition timing, bad fuel or lack of fuel (AFR incorrect).
Forged pistons may not have saved the day but they may have prolonged the engines life before it lunched its self, depending on how bad the problem was. The fact that they are about $1,200 for the set inc rings, and pins (ARIAS) it’s a logical choice in my book.