It's almost ironic for a game whose concept revolves almost exclusively around magic, but Forspoken almost immediately came across as a haunted title. A victim of sloppy marketing, this new intellectual property from Square Enix Since her first presentations, she has been surrounded by a kind of evil aura, which has led almost all conversations about her to veer towards negativity in the most moderate cases and catastrophism in the most excessive.
It is honestly surprising how many of the Japanese company's managers have already labeled it in some way as a false step that was not necessary, especially if we take into account that the project is led by a team of veterans and that Las More recent tests have shown considerable potential in the underlying gameplay... That said, this pessimism is not completely unfounded. What we saw, in fact, never managed to fully convince us, due to a narrative that started off on the wrong foot and the curious desire of the developers to limit the strong point of their creature with an introductory phase with the brakes on. In the face of similar defects, it has always been necessary to carry out a careful evaluation of the campaign as a whole and the real value of the systems implemented once all the mechanics offered have been unlocked.
When Forspoken finally reached the newsroom, we dove headfirst into the campaign, trying to understand whether, despite the obvious shortcomings already noted, it could surprise us by proving to be an incredible hidden gem in this year full of powerful releases. . The answer? The game really surprised us, but unfortunately it didn't do so only in a positive way and its flaws are serious enough to prevent it from reaching heights that its gameplay deserves to explore.
We explain why in the forgotten review.
Narrative: it was better with isekai
In Forspoken something has clearly gone wrong and a good part of that something is without a shadow of a doubt there. fiction, a paradox that is still insignificant if we take into account the illustrious names involved in its management. In fact, despite being a collective effort (as is the case in the vast majority of video games), the story and universe of Forspoken were curated by Gary Whitta, film and television screenwriter also known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, while for the narrative design the team had the support of that Amy Hennig to whom we owe the Uncharted series and Kain's legacy. On paper it should be a winning combination, certainly capable of shaping a story at least above average, but the final result is far from these minimum expectations.
Forspoken is based, for all intents and purposes, on the narrative canons of Isekai: Stories (mainly manga or novels) where the protagonist suddenly finds himself catapulted into another world. These are often stories of "underdogs" with empty or depressing lives who see their dreams come true in a parallel universe, but over the years several authors have distanced themselves considerably from this somewhat banal beginning, also managing to put into I play truly hilarious events far from the classic canons or total deconstructions of the genre. However, this is not the case with Forspoken, because the protagonist, Frey Holland, is transported to the magical world of Athia after a prologue that contains every possible cliché of "disaster life", including a last-minute escape from a gang. . of petty street thieves.
Of course, Frey's narrative backstory is heavy and should not be underestimated, to the point that it even leads the girl to contemplate suicide before accidentally coming into possession of a strange bracelet and being sucked into a purple portal. The fact is that the story does not make adequate use of these bases, due to a poorly done characterization of the protagonist, to say the least, some generally terrible dialogue, and a conclusion that comes just when events begin to take off. adding one comic shoulder in the form of a sensitive bracelet Cuff does not help, although it is at least possible to reduce its continuous comments in the options until they are cancelled.
Yes, because the problem lies not so much in Frey being a concentration of self-pity, cynicism and reckless decisions even for a lobotomized mouflon, but in the aforementioned ending that, instead of elevating the narrative, kills. with a strong blow. In fact, once you reach a certain point in the campaign, you'll find yourself straight to the end so suddenly you'll have a hard time believing it; The impact is so sudden and illogical that it suggests serious cuts to content, and a couple of interesting (but very predictable) twists are certainly not enough to save the day. Even if it wasn't enough the presentation leaves a lot to be desired, due to a strange dichotomy between the actual production values of the title and the intentions of the narrative - the developers have clearly gone to great lengths to give everything a Western blockbuster tone, particularly during the main intermission scenes . However, everything outside of the cutscenes has characteristics more similar to old JRPGs, with some really incomprehensible options. To be clear, the game does not have many side missions, except they all have pretty serious pacing problems, made even worse by poorly thought-out stages (a "stealth" stretch during the first few hours is conspicuous by its pointlessness, and it's certainly not the only moment that will make you turn your nose). the campaign) and by curious pauses once the dialogues and objectives are completed that slow down the progression even more. Even the fast forwarding of the dialogue is jarring because it causes dry interruptions in the sound, not to mention that the animations of the different characters during the game do not have a particular expressiveness, amplifying the feeling of general lack of attention to these elements.
Ultimately, it's a narrative that fails across the board as far as we're concerned, with very few moments that raise the bar and an unsatisfying conclusion. At least, it is a serious deficiency that is partially mitigated by the value of the gameplay, which is instead ingeniously calculated.
Gameplay: Goddess of Magic
Considering that much of the game's marketing to date has focused on the setting and characters, and that the story is a failure, many will probably consider Forspoken a failed project. In fact, the development team seems to have dedicated itself to game and all that attention to the mechanics of movement that was missing from the narrative element. The concept is as simple as its application is complex: allowing the player to use a magic system with an endless number of spells divided into several elements, and combine it with agile and very fast movements to drastically increase the frenzy of the action.
Described like this it may seem like a small thing, but we assure you that it is not a walk in the park to create an action game entirely focused on magic, because managing an excessive number of powers in battle can be confusing, so to speak. At least, and it is certainly not easy to balance combat when the protagonist himself can cast spells of immense power without particular limitations. Square Enix's choice to remove the first obstacle was "weapon selection wheels": In practice, every time you choose a school of magic, a support spell or an offensive power, a convenient circular menu appears that slows down time, allowing you to organize your thoughts and tactically select the desired option. Yes, it is the solution easier and more logical approach to the problem, but beware, we would not praise the system if this were the only idea put into play, because although functional, it certainly does not represent who knows what design solution. The combat designers did things cleverly even for those who want to hit enemies with rapid fire, quickly memorizing the spells to use and switching from one element to another without pauses; each of the four elements Therefore, at Frey's disposal it can also be selected with the directional cross, and there are movement spells in the game that move the girl suddenly and immediately move to the magic school to which she belongs.
The thing does not end here, because as expected, the system itself is, to say the least, elaborate. To give you as clear an example as possible, imagine that Forspoken is some kind of third-person shooter (this is not the case, due to an aiming system that greatly limits the need to aim, but pretend otherwise for the moment). Basically every item available here has three offensive spells and eight support spells available, and all three "attacks" are comparable to classic shooting weapons without any ammunition limitations. The land powers are therefore equivalent to a machine gun, a missile launcher and a kind of shotgun, the fire powers attack in melee with an additional selectable javelin, the water powers attack with a bow that hits in an area or similar to a sniper rifle. , etc. The offensive variety is impressive and is enhanced by the fact that each element has unique mechanics linked to powers, with which it is possible, for example, to instantly charge the hits of earth spells into combos with support powers, change the fire area of effect if you use them in the air, or multiply the shots in search of the electric ones if you attack the opponent first with basic projectiles. Now in the end you will become a kind of unstoppable mystical tornado capable of destroying entire armies, moving from one spell to another with sudden bursts between pirouettes. It's nothing short of spectacular to see when it all comes together, and we truly believe it's one of the best magic power systems ever implemented in a video game.
So there are no defects? Well, not really, considering Forspoken is still far from perfect. First of all, the campaign has serious pacing problems and power progression, which can lead to playing for several hours with only the first two types of magic available. Variety is already guaranteed by two schools, it's just that the combat approaches are incomparably more varied and fun when you have all the magic, and it is almost hilarious that the last element (the most fun to use in our opinion) is practically obtained. at the end of the campaign, so much so that its use is relegated only to the last lines and the postgame if you decide to move on and stop exploring.
The other deficiencies are more marginal and are mainly related to the management of difficulties and confrontations. In fact, the game's defensive mechanics correspond to an extremely wide dodge and counterattack that stuns surrounding enemies in an area after being hit. They are good maneuvers, but the first one is a little tricky because, given the large movement, the invulnerability frames are only active at the beginning of the animation (if you don't understand this you immediately run the risk of being hit frequently, thinking you are safe ). while you are in flight). Additionally, considering Frey's terrifying power, the developers had to find ways to put her in danger in the form of opponents equipped with projectiles (sometimes capable of launching or sliding towards her face in an instant) and some damage spikes that do Let the girl take a step forward. away from death if she gets hit, no matter how much defense she has. The most exploited "trick" is the unstoppable shots whose permanence on the ground is greater than the invulnerability of dodging, practically inevitable if you do not flee from the attack zone or do not take advantage of some movements with long invulnerable animations. We understand the need to use solutions like this to prevent a good player from simply staying at a safe distance, but it's a shame not to see a bit of variety in the opponent's AI, especially considering that the (few) main bosses Instead, they offer very picturesque battles in several phases with quite original ideas. We approve, however annoying it may be if you don't get used to it, the fact that the pointing out It disappears after eliminating enemies and cannot be activated during attacks: sometimes it makes it necessary to aim precisely during the most tense situations, and it prevents having an excessively easy life against large groups of monsters, of which the game is full.
Structure and progression: a very fast open world. too much
Mechanically, not only the combat system stands out, but also the movement system. In fact, Frey can exploit a curious "magical parkour" which guarantees you move at the speed of a supercar through the maps of Athia. Imagine it as a kind of variation on steroids of the free game of Assassin's Creed, with which it is possible to climb even very high natural walls without too much difficulty and avoid any obstacle as if it were not present. Of course, these abilities also grow during the campaign, starting to become truly impressive only once you come into possession of a special flaming grappling hook and a good amount of active mana ((which in this game replaces stamina during movement and should not be confused with that used to get stronger), however, it's hard not to praise the overall fluidity of the movements when you start gaining a handful of exploration-related powers. : very rarely We got stuck or did not have the desired response from the protagonist's acrobatics, and this certainly represents a good demonstration of the developers' skill. It's a shame the same intelligence hasn't been applied to open world structure which, along with the narrative, is perhaps the lowest point of the production.
Don't get us wrong, the basic gameplay loop still manages to excite precisely because of the spectacularity of the movement system, but when you look deeper into how the world of Athia was actually built, you immediately notice its limitations. In effect, it's a handful of connected macrozones, with several shelters and towers for fast travel and a series of objectives linked 99% of the time to fights with some additional modifiers. The only reason that pushes you to explore is the desire to experiment with magic and strengthen Frey by finding cloaks, amulets and nail colors that modify the basic characteristics, or collect mana to improve and unlock spells. The only variations on the theme are the gods. linear underground dungeons with fairly basic final bosses, some big mutants to eliminate while you wander around the map and the presence of "squishy"mystical cats" to collect that serve no purpose other than to liven up the shelters.
It's a waste of potential, because the movement mechanics would have largely supported some more elaborate platforming phases (completely absent save for some difficult altar and mana source placements), or combat with multiple additional modifiers and obstacles. Overall, once the main narrative is removed, Forspoken is reduced to a large, showdown-focused arena, which only makes sense to explore on max difficulty. If that weren't enough, it also feels like a fairly rushed game, given that it's possible to finish the main story in about ten hours straight, and we completed that and a fair amount of side content in the space of about 17 hours Certainly not It's a great length for an open world. TO After the match There is, however we assure you that it is the most recycled and derivative that there can be, so do not expect who knows what exceptional surprise after the conclusion of the adventure. In short, we are looking at a game with excellent mechanics attached to a disappointing story and a banal open map; We sincerely hope that one day their systems will be applied to something more interesting and refined, because they certainly deserve better and practically manage on their own to make the experience satisfying in their own way.
As far as the technical sector is concerned, we don't have much to say. The game allows you to select a performance mode that runs primarily at 60 fps (with variable resolution). As usual, Luminous gives the impression of being an engine with some notable features, but also many limitations, given that on the one hand the particles are really impressive, but on the other hand the same cannot be said for the facial animations and the management of the predefined events (there are some invisible walls that are incomprehensible in a game with such free movement, because the player is forced to reach some important areas from specific passages). The general vision of the maps is, at least, very good, also thanks to a good diversification of the largest areas, although it would not dislike a little more optimization, given that the aesthetic deterioration is noticeable when choosing to favor fluidity . Graphic impact. Finally, the work on the interface is solid, very clear despite the large number of options available and aesthetically perfect.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (77) 6.6 your voteForspoken is a huge waste of potential: a game with excellent mechanics and perhaps the best magic system we've ever seen in an action game, but it serves as glue for a banal and limited open world, not at all reinforced by a disappointing and crowded narrative. of clichés. The value of the underlying systems is such that it still makes the experience worthwhile for anyone who likes to experiment, but we sincerely hope that what has been done with this title is taken up and used for something more refined in all other aspects. As it is, unfortunately it ends up being a forgettable work.
PRO
- Spectacular magic system, elaborate and really fun to use.
- Very fluid and well-implemented movement mechanics, which make navigation a pleasure.
- Cats everywhere
AGAINST
- Terrible narrative, so rushed towards the end that it seems truncated
- Structure of the banal open world, where everything other than combat leaves something to be desired
- It is not a long-lasting game considering the genre it belongs to.
