In 2018, the minds behind Final Fantasy 15 Luminous Productions, the studio that will expand Square Enix's AAA game lineup. With forspoken Luminous' first blockbuster game, which mixes fast-paced combat and magical parkour with an isekai story and fantasy open world, is coming soon.
I was already able to see quite a lot at a live preview event. forspoken I wanted to play it and form a first opinion. But even though I spent three hours in Athia, I'm honestly still undecided whether the long wait was worth it.
Because I saw a lot and yet far too little. Unfortunately, I was only able to play a fraction of what was already extensively shown in the numerous trailers. A PS5 demo is now available, in which you can try out even more combat attacks than I could at the preview event. Nevertheless, you'll get my full verdict, because forspoken There are still a few issues that cannot be ignored.
The good, the bad, and everything in between – here's a preview of forspoken.
An exciting story with a demanding heroine.
I played chapters 2, 3, and 5, but I didn't learn much new about the story. forspoken I didn't find out. Frey Holland and her talking but uncooperative Reif land through a portal in Athia, where a deadly fog called the "Rupture" transforms people and animals into zombies and monsters. Frey seems to be magically immune to it. The real threat, however, are the four Tantas who rule Athia. The once benevolent rulers are now a danger to the land. In the preview session, I even got to face Sila, the first Tanta.
The mystery surrounding the rift, the "corrupted" Tantas, and Frey's role in this new world offer plenty of potential for an exciting story with a twist or two. Garry Whitta, who directed the film, is among those responsible for the story. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Telltale The Walking Dead: The Game co-authored by Amy Hennig, the first three Uncharted-has brought games to life.
What still puts me off, however, is probably the most important character in the whole play: Frey. She initially adopts a "I don't give a damn" attitude, which doesn't come across as cool, but rather tiresome and even unlikeable. It doesn't help that Frey always has something to say before, during, and after fights – it's simply exhausting. I did briefly catch a glimpse of hope during Frey's interaction with a young girl, in whom she sees a bit of herself. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end – at least in the first few chapters of the game.
What makes things even more difficult is the humor in forspoken, which unfortunately hasn't worked for me at all so far. I already had these fears after the first trailers, and they seem to be confirmed. Therefore, I hope all the more – to bring this back to the beginning – that the relationship between Frey and her fringe will make up for what's been lost. Because I see a lively development there; let's hope I'm right.
Forspoken plays like a third-person shooter.
What I'm already excited about, however, is the gameplay, which consists of magic combat and parkour. In the playable chapters so far, I've only been able to try out one type of combat magic. Surprisingly, this starting magic plays like a pure third-person shooter.
You can switch between explosive, shield, and burst fire, and each mode also has a charged shot. There are also support spells that, for example, temporarily ensnare enemies. And there's much more. forspoken Unfortunately, not in the first few chapters. You gain additional abilities as you progress or by unlocking them in the skill tree.
The battles are entertaining, but the real fun probably only begins when you can mix different magic attacks. At the same time, I'm bothered by the imprecise feedback from enemy attacks. Sometimes an enemy attacks immediately, sometimes an attack is telegraphed and only follows after a long pause. At least Reif can block some damage if you do get hit.
Magic Parkour: Great fun and a joy killer at the same time
The magical parkour initially seemed a bit imprecise to me, but I also found that after a short adjustment period, I really enjoyed it. Not only do the effects around Frey's shoes look delicate and stylish, but it's also a lot of fun to travel the world nimbly and effortlessly while atmospheric melodies play in the background. And in fact, I only saw a fraction of what was shown beforehand about the magical parkour.
However: The magic parkour of forspoken It's also used in combat, essentially allowing you to automatically dodge attacks. While it looks cool, it offers absolutely no challenge. Even the boss fight against the first aunt is a joke. Apparently, there are supposed to be enemies where this isn't so easy, but in the hands-on session, this was only the case with one boss attack.
There have been so many questionable game design decisions. forspoken There are still a few more issues up their sleeve. Just as an example: Why include a stealth section in Chapter 3 that drags on forever and is simply stupid and poorly executed? Or: Why can a wanted fugitive talk to guards in the city?
Athia: A world that invites exploration
I'm cautiously optimistic about the open world. While it does seem somewhat lifeless and monotonous in places, there's a dramatic change in Chapter 5 alone – and hopefully that's just the beginning.
With such an open world, there's also a lot of side content, but it doesn't initially feel like mere busywork, at least that's my impression. But I won't know for sure until the game is released. One side quest that stuck in my mind is a kind of dungeon with a boss fight at the end. It was far too easy, but the concept definitely whets the appetite for more.
I didn't have time to try out other side quests like time trials (no pun intended). But there's hope that the quality of the quests will improve, moving more towards a... Arkham Knight goes and less imitates the repetitive Ubisoft quests.
Forspoken is running smoothly, but…
Visually, forspoken not setting new standards like a The Callisto ProtocolIt certainly doesn't need to hide its light under a bushel for an open-world game. The effects when using magic, in particular, look quite good. However, the color grading in general could use some improvement.
I have the PS5 version of forspoken You're allowed to play. While the action RPG runs without any real stuttering, and is even smoother in performance mode, the technology sometimes feels like last-gen. What I mean is: there aren't any smooth transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. This is particularly annoying when several short cutscenes with sometimes unnecessary dialogue follow one another.
Furthermore, the facial animations still look quite wooden. This makes me wonder why they include so many short cutscenes instead of just letting the characters speak without interrupting the gameplay? But don't worry: it's far from being a complete flop. Mass Effect: Andromeda to become.
Forspoken's early conclusion: What is it now?
forspoken It can definitely be fun if you ignore the humor and Frey's initially annoying character. The story and the world have potential, that much is certain. The magical parkour, paired with the haptic feedback of the PS5 controller, feels really good. At the same time, it makes the otherwise entertaining combat incredibly easy. That needs improvement, as do the cutscene-to-gameplay transitions and the stiff facial animations.
How much of it can actually be saved, we will find out at the latest. on January 24, 2023, when forspoken It will be released for PlayStation 5 and PC. More to forspoken are you reading here.
Are you looking forward to forspokenFeel free to write it in the comments!
I played the demo and deleted it immediately.
Finally, a game that's not for me.
It's not like I don't have anything to play with 🙂