There was some minor drama serving as a distraction to the release of Japanese developers Luminous Productions latest game, Forspoken. And while some may say there is no such thing as bad publicity, Forspoken’s poorly received pre-launch demo stretches that old adage.
Weak Plot
With that demo in the rear-view mirror, Forspoken sees you playing as Alfre “Frey” Holland. A troubled youth, played by Ella Balinska, who is transported from New York City to the fantasy world of Athia.
This sudden trip is made possible by a magic cuff that Frey stumbles upon. This cuff not only talks to Frey but also gives her magic powers. Which is just as well – the world of Athia is in a bit of a pickle. A cataclysmic event, ‘The Break’ is underway, and the place is under tyrannical rule by the Tantas.
Character Curiousity
And, of course, it’s up to you to save the day. That is, once you stop being a moody youth and reluctant hero. Forspoken‘s tale is OK but it lacks any real impact and is mostly forgettable.
No-one in the world really cares about you and most people you meet and help are just boring. Athia is just not a nice place and its inhabitants are outright nasty to Frey. They won’t really make you regret your inevitable choice not to save them.
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If you can endure the tale and suffer its world’s hostility, the story does get back on track before the credits roll. However, that’s far too long to get interesting over its 20-odd hour run time.
I am not entirely sure we are really meant to like Frey either. This is an interesting move, if intentional, as quite a few players will scarcely care if their hero lives, die, succeeds or fails.
Action Blend
What the game lacks in impactful and compelling tale, the gameplay does pick up the slack a fair bit. It blends action-focused spellcasting and parkour movement, you start out being able to shoot magic, before becoming able to do more traditional melee style attacks.
This variety does give you a number of options in terms of play styles, which once you start drilling into the upgrade system, opens up even more. Though there is an odd pacing to how these are unlocked.
More than a few aren’t given to you till the second half of the game. This means you never have enough time to play with your new skills, especially if you’re just mainlining the tale.
It feels like to get the most from them you have to focus on side missions and activities, which is a pacing issue no matter how you cut it. Plus the side stuff, plentiful as it may be, is extremely lacking in variety.
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This bleeds into the world as a whole too. Nothing is particularly memorable with even the more noticeable landmarks looking extremely same-y.
That said, for the most part you’ll be parkouring your way across the map with glee to get to your next target. Forspoken‘s dullness sometimes fades into the background when it lets the action do the talking.
Forsaken
Visually, the game is also hurt by the same unambitious and functional approach seen in its world design. Technically and often artistically, Forspoken is dull. It must be noted that magic effects look quite good with most main characters looking the part too.
Audio is good with the voice cast putting in a solid shift. Standout performances from Ella Balinska as Frey, and Jonathan Cake as Cuff sell the characters, even if the writing isn’t great at times. Plus, it’s a nice touch to have Cuff talking to you through the DualSense speaker.
Forspoken is a real mixed bag. The game tells a so-so tale that comes good near the end of a 20-hour run. It’s also set in an forgettable world and is wracked with pacing issues. Those fun mechanics are also dulled by playing as a mostly unlikable heroine in a world you won’t really want to save.