Forspoken, the preview of the new Square Enix game for PS5 and PC
Forspoken
The history of Forspoken is short, but already full of firsts.This is the first real game from the Luminous Production studio which in turn was the first team that Square Enix would have wanted to dedicate totally to extra-video games, only to change your mind. Furthermore, Forspoken is the first exclusive that the Japanese giant dedicates to PlayStation 5 (and PC), consequently it is also the first production signed by Square Enix designed from the beginning for nextgen hardware. Forspoken is also one of the first games to have left us speechless with its sometimes futuristic graphics, while its gameplay has remained a bit on the sidelines for the moment.
Things are about to change today, thanks to the preview of Forspoken in front of you!
An international project
Forspoken: this is Athia, the only great one city of the game Square Enix and where Frey's adventure will begin What struck us most about the press event organized by Square Enix, however, is not so much the game, which will have many opportunities to really show what it's made of, but to discover the internationality of the project which is written by American authors and has a team of a new generation of Japanese specialists behind it.Producer Raio Mitsuno speaks perfect English and is the last thing you would expect to hear when interviewing someone from Square Enix, or so it was until a few years ago. These factors will naturally affect the final result, but it is still not clear how: after all, in this first of the many occasions that will come, Frospoken has been talked about more than anything else, how it was born, for example, what its objectives are. , but we have actually been shown very little of the game.
Like the trailer?
Forspoken: Frey is a difficult girl, apparently fragile but ready to discover the warrior who hides inside her We have seen little of Forspoken yet, but that little was all true, all game. Cut and mounted this yes, but not bowed. "But it's like the trailer, isn't it?" that's probably what you've been wondering since the beginning of this damn article and the answer here it is: it comes close enough. The game is still in full development and we thank Square Enix for not hiding anything, but it must be finalized and then optimized. Also let's not forget that these streaming events are very convenient, but Zoom takes and wrinkles every image.Forspoken, mind you, will have first-rate graphics: the animations of the protagonist are already exceptional and the lighting of the Luminous Engine is more convincing than ever, but there are some critical issues. The graphic challenge of the development studio, from now on, will be to confirm the wide field of view shown in the trailers, an element that in our presentation has always been castrated with some meteorological and / or perspective gimmicks. Perhaps to hide a too brutal work in progress or to avoid fatally damaging the frame rate.
As you know, the graphics shown in a trailer will also be in-engine, created with the same graphic engine used to develop the game, but cannot for obvious reasons represent the final product which among other things at that moment it still does not exist. Sometimes then we are simply deceived by visual effects that in certain contexts seem to worsen the graphic rendering, only to be fundamental for the staging. The fog that today seems to hide, in 4K on the OLED of the living room, may take your breath away, revealing itself to be preferable to the crystalline, but perhaps too sterile scenarios shown in the beginning.
Enamel and spells
Forspoken : the fights are almost totally based on the protagonist's magic This is what we think of the current graphics of Forspoken, usually we will not have given it so much weight, but it is undeniable that the Square Enix game has attracted the attention of the public primarily for the its shining appearance and then for any associated gameplay. After all, this is also an important question, if not the most important: how much substance is behind Forspoken, the former Project Athia?The game is confirmed to be an all-round action with very light role-playing elements, now present in almost every title, where you move at the speed of light in a kinetic parkour and explore this dangerous land which extends around the city of Athia.
The fight is almost all magical, even if it will be possible to convey the powers of Frey Holland, this is the name of the protagonist, so that they can also be transformed into metaphysical melee weapons to be used in order not to lose the rhythm and the combo.
Arches of light, messianic swords, fireballs, flying rocks, the number of spells available to Frey seems very high, it will also be possible to apply special bonuses to the character by choosing the different nail polishes that we will unlock by playing . Frey is still a girl from New York and her inspiration cannot disappear even by changing dimensions. Between jumps, pirouettes and fights, during the presentation an event stands out in its uniqueness: the arrival of a storm that dramatically changes the scenario and surrounds Frey with the biggest and most dangerous enemies in the game. During the storm the girl fights hard, only to stop at the sight of a colossal metaphysical creature whose powers and dangers we do not yet know.
Japanese but not too much ...
Forspoken: the system of displacement, this sort of fantasy parkour, really looks very well thought out and fun. The plot of Forspoken is written by Allison Rymer, best known for her works on Shadowhunters, Lost and The Black Turtle, here aided by actor and screenwriter Todd Stashwick. The director of dubbing and actor performances is Tom Keegan, an industry professional who has worked in the past on products such as Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Star Wars: Battlefront II.On the characterization of its characters, the Forspoken team has worked really hard, trying to reach a humanity that guarantees truly nextgen emotions. At the center of it all we find Frey, a girl with a difficult past who suddenly finds herself catapulted into the universe of Forspoken. Frey is not a superhero in the most classic sense of the term, she remains a human with her fears, forced to face situations much bigger than her, figuratively and literally. The advent of the girl has raised concerns in the people of Athia who call her demon, are afraid of her powers, and this makes her situation even more difficult, makes her feel extraordinarily alone.
Potential in becoming
Forspoken: which creatures await Frey in his adventure? Forspoken has a lot, a lot of potential, but there is still no aspect that has that concreteness that can definitely hit you, make you fall in love with the game. The combat system seems tantalizing, but without getting your hands on it it's really very difficult to understand its depth; the graphics have some wonderful nuances, but we don't know yet if they will really live up to expectations. The story seems very interesting and the commitment in this regard is maximum, but with video games it is always better to be careful; we have seen many of open world and we know how much their success is based on elements that are very difficult to understand without the pad in hand.This first contact with Forspoken was a good way to start the path that will lead us to the final review, at the same time what we have seen is not enough to express a judgment that is not only definitive, but not even provisional. Promising Forspoken certainly is, and that's all for the moment.
Forspoken is an open world action still difficult to frame, both technically and for its gameplay. Fortunately, Luminous Production is a top-notch team, with one of the most powerful graphics engines out there, for this reason, just like you, we can't wait to finally understand what this game is made of.
