The release date of Square Enix’sForspokenjust got a big delay of five months, but at least fans can enjoy a brand-new trailer. Released during the latest PlayStation State of Play, the video is brief, yet filled with promising content.
Forspokenis an upcoming action role-playing video game developed by Luminous Productions, a studio that previously worked onFinal Fantasy 15. Renowned publisher Square Enix described the upcoming title as a “narrative-driven adventure,” with the player character Frey being free to roam a large open world. The game presents many typical features of role-playing titles, such as crafting, leveling, and a wide range of magical spells to learn; additionally, players may randomly encounter a “breakstorm” while exploring, an event that spawns hordes of enemies.
RELATED:Forspoken Release Date Delayed by 5 Months
The short trailer from State of Play well conveys the exciting combat ofForspoken, with several gameplay scenes showing Frey’s midair dodging abilities, as well as various kinds of particularly choreographic spells. The variety of enemies is equally impressive, including fire-wielding demons, bear-like monstrosities, huge dragons, and more.Forspoken’s focus on magic over physical combatis evident, with surprisingly few scenes featuring melee weaponry.
Considering the heavy emphasis being put on magic, with the character Frey being a young sorceress,Forspokenmust put extra effort in balancingthe player’s own powers and the enemies they will face. The trailer clearly shows how many of Frey’s powers are area-of-effect spells, which could potentially get rid of lesser mobs with a single hit.
Forspokenseems to follow many typical RPG tropes, while treading new ground at the same time. The story, that of a character with extraordinary powers being thrown into a world full of evil, is hardly imaginative, but only at first glance. In fact, there are many interesting elements that will giveForspokenits very own flavor. Theplayer character Frey Holland is a heroinefrom New York, and its chief enemies, the corrupted rulers of Athia, are a singular group of magic-wielding matriarchal leaders; both aspects being uncommon sight in fantasy games.
The next IP from Square Enix seems to hold all the cards for a successful debut, with the recently disclosed delay not necessarily being a bad thing, in a world full of unpolished products. The only grey area might be thelikely presence of microtransactions inForspoken, a mechanic often criticized, especially in single-player games.
Forspokenlaunches October 11 for PC and PS5.
MORE:Delaying Forspoken Would Be Useful but Risky
