‘Forspoken’ Everything to know before the release

In case you are new here, Forspoken is an upcoming action role-playing game from Luminous Productions and Square Enix. The plot of the game centres around Frey, a young New Yorker who is transported to the stunning but unforgiving region of Athia. In order to find her way home, Frey must use her newly discovered magical powers to explore vast regions and battle terrifying creatures. The Break, a corrupting force that has plagued the world of Athia, has left its mark there – and Frey’s ability to enter these defiled regions unharmed proves to be of great value to the Athians who have survived and are now residing in Cipal.

On finding a way back to New York, Frey has no shortage of things to keep her busy, including some exciting places to explore. While the game has been delayed twice this year, we’ve got excellent detail on what to expect in Forspoken, including its gameplay and release date. If you’re looking forward to a new JRPG experience, here’s everything we know about Forspoken.

What is the Story Plot?

According to its first real trailer, Forspoken introduces us to the main character, Frey Holland, looking to escape her life in present-day New York City. She was on the verge of clocking 21 when she got cast into the perils of a more traditional fantasy world called Athia. Upon arriving in Athia, Frey was introduced to a talking Cuff which ended up granting her special powers. She will need these powers to fight the dark forces of Athia if she wants to return to her beautiful cat back home. Following this narrative means Frey is the chosen one to help Athia get rid of the monsters and Tantas that plague it.

Tanta Sila, who leads the Tantas, will probably be the last opponent Frey must defeat based on how the trailer presents her. The story also has a few additional characters besides Frey, Cuff, and Sila Tanta – which include the following:

Auden: She is described as – “a kind and open-minded young woman who prioritizes the needs of others before her own. She is quick to accept Frey in Athia and sees more in her than Frey does in herself.”

Jogedy: An archivist who will guide Frey as she explores this new planet.

It wouldn’t be a surprise how incredible Forspoken will be when we finally get our hands on it. The reason is some well-known individuals are involved in the Forespoken story. Gary Whitta, who wrote for Prey, Star Wars: Rogue One, and other comic book runs, is a member of the writers. Amy Hennig, who wrote the first three Uncharted games for Naughty Dog and Soul Reaver, is also included.

The parts of Athia we have seen appear to be classic fantasy kingdoms and castle-type civilizations, as well as rocky terrain, forest landscapes, and desert-like settings. The final remaining refuge from the Tantas is a city called Cipal, which serves as the major centre. It’s likely that we’ve only seen a small portion of the various biomes and locations that the complete game will let us explore.

Gameplay

According to the latest trailer, Frey would possess many magical powers. She would have the ability to throw a fast-firing, more regular magic blast at opponents. In addition, she is armed with a shield of some sort, explosive traps, vines, and homing water orbs. The way Frey travels around the environment is what makes it thrilling. Frey is capable of moving extremely fast! She can use magic to further enhance the smoothness, speed, and versatility of her movements.

Frey’s amazing parkour abilities allow her to easily climb up sheer surfaces, spin about in the air for an extended period of time, and even shoot out a magical rope to carry herself around. She also doesn’t appear to be hurt when she falls from deadly heights. It looks like combat may happen everywhere and is very much active rather than turn-based or tactical. The variety of opponents includes everything from birdlike creatures to malevolent humanoids that resemble zombies – and even dragons.

In addition to the gameplay, Frey is able to roam around, converse with NPCs, visit shops, and take on side missions. She can also locate cats that can guide her to places. Most important is the game’s grade system which feels more like that of the Devil May Cry grade system. Where executing combos, changing up your approach to combat and avoiding being hit can improve your grade. The higher your grade at the end of combat, the more EXP and drop rate you get. Other actions that added to your grade include performing slide strikes, stringing spells together, and getting first strikes.

Mana is another type of EXP you can earn by levelling up or collecting it from glowing spots around the world – and can be used to learn new spells. The game is said to include over 100 types of spells in total. With the new spell wheel, you can choose from eight spells and can also view your complete spell repertoire. This is probably how you’ll switch between the items on the quick-select wheel. The Pilgrim’s Hideaways are secure locations where you can craft, upgrade, and heal after combat. In addition, if you can locate and access monuments, you can cleanse them with magic to grant permanent buffs like improved health.

When is ‘Forspoken’ Release Date?

After a series of delays, Square Enix and Luminous Productions have officially announced that Forspoken would be released on January 24, 2023.

“As a result of ongoing discussions with key partners, we have made the strategic decision to move the launch date of Forspoken to January 24, 2023,”

Square Enix

Fall 2022 didn’t have a tonne of fresh releases when Forspoken’s initial delay was revealed earlier this year. But as October draw nearer, other major releases have been added, like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Gotham Knights, and even Square Enix’s own Star Ocean: The Divine Force. Square Enix is also reserving a significant number of fall release dates. On September 22 and 29, respectively, the releases of Valkyrie Elysium and The DioField Chronicle are scheduled. It makes sense that Square Enix chose to strategically postpone Forspoken to give it some breathing room amid such a busy release window.

What Platforms will ‘Forspoken’ be released on?

Forspoken will be a PS5 exclusive, but with some asterisks. As was announced during The Game Awards, it will also be released simultaneously on PC. Furthermore, exclusivity is only a temporary state. According to the text, the other platforms won’t get access to it for at least 24 months after its initial release. If you’re anticipating this game on the Xbox platform, that’s a very long time to wait, but at least it isn’t a permanent exclusivity.

How to Pre-Order Forspoken?

Now that the release date has been determined, you may place your Forespoken pre-orders on Square Enix’s website for PS5 and PC.