9/20/2023 0 Comments Forspoken reviewCombat and exploration are where Forspoken really sets itself apart, even if the magic system and traversal mechanics have their own issues. It’s fun to spend time in Athia, but that’s mostly thanks to the game’s magic-based combat. And some will find Frey's characterization offputting. ![]() It’s made worse by the fact that most of the voice actors’ line delivery is flat and emotionless, punctuated by editing that frames scenes not as conversations but as characters waiting for their turn to speak.įrey, Cuff, and a few of the secondary characters fare much better, but it isn’t enough to elevate the material or elicit a major emotional response. As an open-world game, pacing typically takes a backseat to exploration but once the player digs into the main story everything still feels disjointed. It’s the presentation that further brings everything down.Īwkward cutscenes and dialogue delivery are arguably the game’s biggest storytelling weakness, with random fades to black in between a lot of the game’s story scenes. Predictability isn’t a huge issue for the story, but Forspoken doesn’t do a lot to surprise either. ![]() ![]() The world and the lore of Athia are intriguing, but the game’s narrative doesn’t do a lot to highlight that, and the more intriguing bits of Athian history are relegated to text-based collectibles. Discovering that the vambrace (called Cuff), in addition to giving Frey all the exposition, quips, and comedic relief she could possibly need, also gives her the ability to wield element-based magic, Frey seeks to help the people of Athia by defeating the Tantas and eliminating The Break.įorspoken’s story hits a lot of familiar notes in its telling of the reluctant hero’s journey. The Break’s source is believed to be the four Tantas of Athia, once-noble rulers that have been corrupted. Once a prosperous land that has all the trappings of a Final Fantasy-esque medieval setting, Athia has decayed after a mysterious airborne containment called “The Break” took over and transformed any living things it touched into horrible monsters. But as the initial prologue continues, it becomes clear that Frey is a victim of her circumstances, having been abandoned as a baby by the Holland Tunnel and left to fend for herself.Īfter finding a mysterious vambrace, Frey is magically transported from modern-day New York to the world of Athia. She has a bit of a foul mouth and when players first meet her, Frey is on trial for larceny. But in trying to deliver something new yet familiar, Forspoken devolves into a generic open world game whose combat system is its only genuine standout.Ī lot has been said about the writing in Forspoken and the characterization of its heroine, Frey Holland. Based on a concept developed by video game writing vets Gary Whitta and Amy Hennig, and written by Allison Rymer and Todd Stashwick, Forspoken feels like an offshoot of Final Fantasy in many ways, which makes sense given the Luminous team boasts a lot of former Final Fantasy 15 devs. Originally developed under the codename Project Athia and the first release from Square Enix’s Luminous Productions, Forspoken has a lot of the DNA of Square’s prior JRPG work albeit with Western twists.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |