Abandoned cities and towers lay strewn across the landscape, many containing clues of tragic stories about The Break. Each of Athia’s four “kingdoms” is littered with icons, points of interest, and activities. Progression for Frey is tied directly to Forspoken’s open-world activities, and it’s only by exploring that you’ll increase your stats and power up your spells. With strong progression and fluid traversal, Forspoken’s world is a joy to explore, even if the narrative doesn’t back it up. It’s an unlikely point of common ground between Forspoken and 2022’s Sonic Frontiers - the exploration and traversal can put you in a kind of flow state for hours on end. At times, I preferred to take the scenic route instead of using fast travel. As you unlock additional magic, you’ll also access new parkour abilities, like gliding over water, leaping up cliffsides, and a grappling move.Įverything about the Magic Parkour flows impeccably well, and it’s so satisfying to dash across the landscape of Athia. It’s a quick way to get around that’s also vital for dodging enemy attacks in combat, a bit like Noctis’ warp evade in Final Fantasy XV. By holding down the circle button, Frey will seamlessly jump and dash over any obstacle. Combat is only heightened by Forspoken’s gorgeous graphics, with dazzling particle effects that make each and every battle feel like a spectacle.įorspoken’s other main feature is Magic Parkour. There are nearly 100 spells in Forspoken, and because each is on its own cooldown, you’ll constantly need to adapt your strategy, which encourages experimentation and keeps the action thrilling and fresh. For example, Frey’s basic Purple Magic attack shoots a quick rock projectile, but holding the button has three different effects depending on which primary spell you choose: a single explosive shot, a rapid-fire stream, or a shield. These are broken up into three primary spells and a handful of support spells. Each set has its own skill tree with nearly a dozen spells. Frey starts with one set of “Purple” earth magic, and as you progress, you’ll receive three wildly different sets that represent fire (Red), water (Blue), and electricity (Green). Combat and traversal are both built around magic. While Forspoken’s story disappoints, its gameplay systems are engaging and rewarding, with progression that encourages thorough exploration. Magical explorationįorspoken’s combat looks and feels great at every turn, and the spell system adds incredible depth and variety. On the plus side, some stellar performances - especially Ella Balinska as Frey - keep things engaging from moment to moment. For some baffling reason, the game reiterates major plot points multiple times until they’re beaten into the ground. It’s all too easy to see most of Forspoken’s twists coming from a mile away. We’re told throughout Athia has a rich history, but the narrative generally fails to do anything surprising or complex with it. Most of the story involves figuring out what happened to Athia and its Tanta, and how Frey fits into the grand scheme of things. Forespoken wastes no time introducing villains called the Tantas, formerly benevolent rulers who became homicidal tyrants. A talking bracelet transports Frey to Athia and attaches itself to her arm, and she quickly learns the world has been wracked by a magical cataclysm known as The Break. Things improve somewhat once we leave New York. Worse, Forspoken never engages with Frey’s backstory in a meaningful way, dropping her into a mostly generic fantasy yarn rather than exploring how her life in New York shaped her worldview.įorspoken fails to do anything truly interesting with its story setup, but its biggest failing is a complete unwillingness to engage with deeper themes or context. It’s a tone-deaf setup from a writing team that includes industry luminaries like Amy Hennig and Gary Whitta, especially considering critics and audiences have voiced concerns about the portrayal of Frey ever since a developer described the character as having a “hip-hoppy walk” in a now-infamous 2021 interview. Video games like the Persona series have been making clever excuses for how teens wind up alone in the big city for decades, but this isn’t one of them. In the opening hour of the game, she goes to court for grand larceny, is held up at gunpoint, and then gets transported to another world - before getting captured and sent to court again. After a lifetime spent in the foster system, Frey now lives alone in an abandoned apartment with her adorable cat, Homer. Forspoken casts you as a young Black woman named Frey Holland who was abandoned by her parents as a baby on the streets of New York.
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