We’re just a week away from the launch of Forspoken!
This exciting new action RPG from Luminous Productions releases for PS5 and PC on January 24, 2023 - not long to go!
We know that some of you are excited about the game, but also still a little curious about what to expect. That’s understandable - it’s an entirely new franchise from Square Enix after all.
We’ve shared a lot about the game, revealing information about the super-satisfying parkour, the intense combat and the world of Athia itself, but we thought you may find it useful if you could see it in one place.
So, in this article, we’ll cover every aspect of the game, including the story, parkour system, combat and more. Let’s get to it!
The Story of Forspoken
Meet Frey Holland.
Named for the New York tunnel where she was found as a baby, Frey has grown into a clever and capable young woman. She’s also lonely and lost, drifting through life in the big city without many prospects and even less purpose.
A mysterious portal appears. Stepping through, Frey finds herself in Athia - a vast land of magic and beauty… and she’s not alone. On her wrist is a mysterious talking cuff that gives her access to incredible magical abilities.
Naturally, Frey’s scared, confused and even a little angry about being so unceremoniously deposited in a new world - especially since she quickly discovers that it’s full of things that want to kill her.
Yes, for all its beauty, Athia is a savage and dangerous place. A phenomenon known as ‘The Break’ has swept the land, transforming the people and beasts of the world into savage monsters, and forcing the surviving humans into the walled city of Cipal.
With guidance from a young woman named Auden, Frey learns more about Athia. She discovers the world is ruled by the Tanta - four obscenely powerful matriarchs who have also been corrupted by The Break… and they’re not thrilled about Frey’s presence in their lands.
Initially all Frey wants is to get home, but things change when one of the Tanta - named Sila - attacks Cipal. In the fire and chaos, a young girl is killed… and Frey’s mission changes from escape to revenge.
That explains the basic setup of Forspoken. As you’d expect from Square Enix, this is an epic story-focused adventure that’s full of appealing characters and unexpected moments… but to reveal more would ruin the surprises.
…and oh boy, are there surprises!
Forspoken’s magic-powered parkour
Some games make the very act of movement insanely fun. Forspoken is one of those games.
Thanks to Cuff, Frey is able to flow through the world with magic enhanced parkour, bounding over buildings, scaling cliffs and gliding across water with skill and grace.
Unlike some other games, Frey doesn’t do all this awesome stuff automatically. You’ll have to chain moves together - the more skilfully you play, the more skilfully Frey moves. This makes for an intensely satisfying traversal system that’s easy to get to grips with but has incredible depth.
There are loads of different parkour moves available, and you’ll build your skillset as you explore Athia. New moves make it easier to get around - and keep your stamina up.
Yes - stamina. For some of you, the presence of a stamina bar may give you pause. You may find yourself pondering: wouldn’t that interrupt the free-flowing parkour?
By chaining different parkour moves together, you can slow or even replenish that stamina bar. The more skilfully you play, the longer you can go - much like keeping your combo going in a skateboarding game, for example, It ensures you’re always engaged in the parkour, and makes playing well feel extremely rewarding.
Some of the moves you’ll be able to use include:
Flow: this is the foundations of the parkour system. Hold a button and Frey will dash through the world, automatically jumping over rocks and other small obstacles, and generally doing whatever she can to keep moving. It uses a lot of stamina though, so your runs will be short if you don’t chain it with other moves, such as…
Rush: as you run around with Flow, you’ll sometimes see flames emanating from Frey. A well-timed button press will make her dash forward, maintaining her top speed. Plus it’ll restore some stamina too!
Shimmy: Frey accelerates by kicking off the ground and making a short jump forward. Using it again when you land will perform another Shimmy, making it possible to leap around the world at startling speeds.
Scale: This skill lets Frey create phantom footholds to launch herself in the air. It’s an essential skill for scaling walls, especially when combined with another skill, Soar, which adds an extra jump for even more verticality.
Zip: This one’s a personal favorite. Frey launches a magical tether, which she can use to pull herself forwards or swing on certain objects. Combining it with her other moves makes it possible to clear massive gaps - and look incredibly cool at the same time.
Float: Frey calls on her magic to slow her falls, allowing her to clear wide distances or avoid painful landings.
Glide: By holding a button, Frey can surf across the surface of water. It’s super-fast, super-stylish and makes every lake and river a joy to discover.
Not only do these moves help with traversing the world, they also help Frey run rings around her enemies in combat. Speaking of which…
The combat of Forspoken
Frey doesn’t rely on conventional weapons like knives, spears or giant swords - her power comes from her magic.
Frey has access to a massive arsenal of spells that do everything from pelt opponents with stone to surrounding them in a wall of searing flames.
As the adventure progresses, Frey’s abilities will increase, and she’ll learn new magic. Each spell has its own effect and purpose - despite the vast number in the game, every single one feels useful and distinct.
What’s great is that there’s no need to set loadouts, or replace one attack with another. Thanks to a very well-thought out interface, Frey can use any spell she’s unlocked at any time… and with dozens of spells available, the options that affords you in battle are mind-boggling.
They key to success in battle is using all this magic intelligently, taking advantage of enemy weaknesses, and using parkour and the environment to stay out of trouble or get an angle on your foes. It all makes for an incredibly dynamic - and visually stunning - battle system that’s always throwing out new challenges.
Some of the spells you’ll be able to use in the game include:
Scatter Shot: Fires a stream of projectiles at an enemy. When charged, it launches a much more powerful shot
Tendril: Whips the enemy with a flexible plant, doing damage and healing Frey
Blast Slice: Launches a sear of fire at enemies that then explodes causing area damage.
Cataract: Creates a vortex of water that sucks in enemies and causes damage. If charged, it sends out destructive pillars of water or even ice!
Genesis: Barbed branches emerge from the ground, skewering foes over a wide area. If charged, it also poisons enemies.
What do you do in Forspoken?
The main quest of Forspoken sends Frey leaping through many thrilling scenarios, but when you’re not progressing the story, what do you do?
The short answer is… anything you want. Forspoken is all about giving players the freedom to play their own way, and that extends to the world itself.
Despite the desolation of The Break, Athia is packed full of things to do, from structured quests that give you set objectives to complete, to more free-form activities that reward exploration and skilled traversal.
It’s also packed full of treasures and secrets to find - you’ll find that while you’re on your way to a destination, it’s all too easy to get lured away by a new adventure or an interesting part of the scenery with the promise of loot.
Some of the activities in the world include:
Monuments: cleansing these corrupted monuments around the world will give Frey permanent stat boosts. Of course, getting to them isn’t always easy and will test your parkour skills.
Founts of Blessing: If you hear a resonance, then look around because you’re probably near one of these special fountains. They give you entirely new spells, though they’re not always so simple to find…
Flashbacks: These send Frey back in time to when The Break first affected the world. Each one presents a different challenge - for example, defending citizens for a set time, defeating hordes of enemies or reaching a destination quickly. You can replay them from the map to get better results, and better rewards.
Locked Labyrinths: These hidden underground dungeons are full of monsters and loot. They’ll force you to use magic and parkour creatively to overcome their many dangers… and earn their rewards.
Photo Spots: Take photographs of Athia’s most stunning sights for the people trapped in the city - and earn new photo mode features for your own snaps in the process!
Combat Challenges: Take on uber-powerful beasts that roam Athia. These monsters are arguably the most dangerous things in Athia - you’ll need to be at the top of your game to even stand a chance against them. Don’t feel bad if you have to run away a few times.
Tanta’s Familiars: You can befriend cats. ‘nuff said.
That’s just scratching the surface of what you can do in Athia - from Spellcraft Challenges to Trading Posts and the dice game Partha, there’s so much to find in this detailed world.
Forspoken releases on January 24, 2023.