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Forspoken: An aesthetically and musically intriguing new Square Enix title

Square Enix’s latest action-RPG places you in the shoes of Frey Holland, a well-acted but mostly unlikable New Yorker who is drawn through a portal to the fictional world of Athia after getting attached to a similarly unlikable talking wristband she calls Cuff. The four realms of Athia have been stricken with decadence, forcing its inhabitants into the final remaining city of Cipal, and it is up to Frey and her newly infused powers to save its citizens while facing four formidable rulers known as Tantas.

Forspoken (for PC and PS5) is based on the common isekai theme, in which someone from our world is abruptly and unexpectedly transferred to another, generally a fantasy realm, where their current knowledge and perceptions work to both their benefit and damage.

The player drives Frey across the environment, defeating enemies and earning new gear while scurrying over the landscape utilising a “magical parkour” system that, while inaccurate, imparts a good sensation of speed and agility. Additional traversal skills, such as a magical grappling hook, are gained with time.

Frey switches between spell kinds and eventually components throughout combat, peppering foes from afar or slicing them up close, dancing about them and evading their strikes. These are increased by the use of equipment or by accomplishing specific challenges, such as doing a set amount of damage to adversaries from behind.

Over the course of the campaign, Frey obtains four types of elemental magic, each of which is effectively a new weapon with its own set of various fire modes and unlocking support talents – all of which may then be slightly enhanced as you play. Her initial magic is essentially an earth-based gun that may be shot quickly or charged for an area-of-effect burst, with talents that anchor foes to the ground, temporarily increase your protection, and more. You don’t even have a physical attack until you acquire the fire-based sword choice roughly a third of the way through the game, which was initially a bit bothersome.

Forspoken’s motion is far more enjoyable, particularly in the latter half of the game when you begin unlocking and stringing new elements that expand the variety of ways Frey can travel across Athia, such as slingshotting through the air with a flaming whip or controlling gravity to skate across the liquid. Even if there’s nothing intriguing to do in Forspoken—its open environment is littered with mundane side tasks like time-limited parkour challenges and photo ops—joy there’s to be had merely going to the next big plot goal. While speeding across the desolate, yet gorgeous, landscapes, the faint hum of Forspoken’s outstanding music burrows its way into your ears.

Forsakens fighting is bright and exciting enough to keep you entertained during the game’s comparably short RPG campaign, with bouts that drive you to mix up your usage of elemental abilities even when the overall diversity of opponents isn’t very outstanding.

 

Harry S

harry

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