Square Enix e Luminous Productions have created a new game, forspoken, an action RPG for PlayStation 5 and PC to be released on January 24, 2023. Before starting to examine this title, however, beccatevi the trailer!
Protagonist and first minutes of the game
The game stars a teenage girl named Fray Holland. Our heroine is teleported, against her will, into the magical world of atheia, under the control of Tantha, all-powerful matriarchs.
Fray, after the first moments in this new reality, meets/comes into possession of a sentient bracelet named Cuff. It is a magical focus that will help her navigate the vast landscapes of Athia. In addition, she will give her the means to fight the evil and corrupt creatures of this fantasy world. The ultimate goal is in fact to free Athia from her control by her matriarchs. Cuff has a cynical wit and often jokes sarcastically with Frey, who is the only person who can hear her voice.
The Spells in Forspoken
Magic will be a key component of Fray's development.
Each spell type will have basic attacks, support attacks, and parkour attacks. Magic parkour will also be very useful when facing the multitude of enemies that lurk in this land corrupted by Ruin.
The first type of magic she will learn to use will be Purple Magic which allows her to control the Earth element.
As we see in the Demo of forspoken, having fought with the first Matriarch, we will be able to use Red Magic. This new power will grant us control over the element of Fire. It goes without saying that this type of magic will be much more offensive than the others. In fact, with Red Magic we will be able to launch devastating melee attacks, with our bare hands or with a spectacular flaming sword!
Continuing in the new Open Map, we will have the opportunity to acquire two other types of magic.
The first is Blue Magic, which will ensure control of Lightning. This power, in addition to charring our enemies, will be essential for its great control power.
The last one we will have access to will be Green Magic, which will allow us to harness the power of Water.
As we use these powers, we will be able to charge the special ability of each type of Magic. Once we reach the maximum we will be able to invoke a "final attack".
ALSO READ: ELDEN RING: THEY CALLED IT A MASTERPIECE…
The Tanthas
There are three Matriarchs who control the world of Athia, now in ruins, and possess superhuman power.
The first, but not least, TANTHA SILA, the strongest and most formidable of all Tanthas. She is a cruel despot, known for her willingness to indiscriminately eliminate anyone or anything that gets in her way.
We then TANTHA PRAV, judge, jury and executioner of his realm, severe and unreasonable. She believes that everyone around her is wrong, and therefore harshly punishes anyone she finds guilty. She deprives her people of principles and true justice.
The third, and perhaps last, is TANTHA OLAS. As a Tantha of Wisdom, Olas is consumed with a lust for knowledge. She uses her magic to absorb people's thoughts and gain new information, and traps anyone she deems a threat within an illusory world.
ALSO READ: REVIEW BOMBING OR REVIEW BOMB? LANGUAGE IN-DEPTH
Forspoken Free Demo
During the same day of the Game of the Year the developers have chosen to share the point of the situation of forspoken. A free demo for PlayStation 5 was made available from December 9, 2022.
The Demo gives us the opportunity to analyze the fundamental components of forspoken and play with our heroine Fray.
The Demo is divided into chapters, interspersed with pre-built savegames. The pace of the game is thus more sustained, skipping overly explanatory moments in the story. We have a taste of Chapter 2 and then move on to Chapter 3 and finally to the last Chapter, the 5th.
After Square Enix and Luminous Productions listened carefully to user complaints, they proceeded to fix the most criticized elements, including HDR and the size of the texts. The fundamental mechanics of the game, of course, will not be changed, but on Day One players can expect a more refined experience than the one offered by the Demo.
Experience and advancements
During the journey in the corrupted Athia, Fray will have the possibility to increase the spells or even enhance them. This will be possible through the branches of the Skill tree that we will find in the menu. To enhance each tree we will need experience points obtainable by doing side quests, fighting around the world, through conversations with the few citizens still left in Athia and finally overcoming challenges.
This is not the only way to increase our Fray's skills. In fact, we will have the opportunity to equip necklaces that represent the classic accessories. Cloaks instead of armor, talismans and passives that offer a balance of buffs and debuffs, to decide how to make part of your build: the latter can be equipped with nail polish with runes to apply on top.
One thing the manufacturers of forspoken have added, always suggested by the community, is the SCORE AND MULTIPLIER of the resources during the fights. Based on dodges, variety of spells, chains of attacks, rhythm and so on, a score is obtained, a vote in combat but not only because this vote will be a drop and experience multiplier.
Having said that guys we can't wait for January 24th (tomorrow!) to put our hands on the finished game and to be able to review it at its best. So stay tuned!
