Forspoken

As someone who finally got around to playing Forspoken, I'm genuinely surprised by the overwhelmingly negative reviews it received. While it's certainly not a perfect game, at a price point of 30 EUR or less, it's an incredibly solid experience and well worth your time. I'd give it an 8/10.

The combat, often a point of contention, truly comes alive once you unlock the second magic tree - the fire abilities. This is where the game's unique movement and spell-casting mechanics really click, offering a dynamic and engaging combat system that becomes genuinely fun.

Frey, the protagonist, has been criticized for being "annoying," and while her initial dialogue can be a bit much, you do get used to her. More importantly, many of the common complaints can be significantly mitigated by simply adjusting a few in-game settings. Things like automatic spell switching and reducing the frequency of Cuff's banter can drastically improve the flow and enjoyment. There are plenty of helpful YouTube videos that detail optimal settings to enhance your experience.

If you've been hesitant due to the initial backlash, and you can pick it up at a discount, I highly recommend giving Forspoken a chance. It's a far more enjoyable game than its reputation suggests.

Controls may be a bit clunky, might bug out a bit at times but overall I am genuinely enjoying the game, it is a silly fantasy game but we all need something like this in our lives, beginning was a bit slow but I felt picked up quick, combat kind of reminds me of Ghostwire Tokyo (another favorite of mine) and the dialogue may be a bit choppy too but again it's an overall above average experience, I love the fantasy elements and it's great to see the fantasy genre getting some love again, to me it's an unexpected surprise, game if the year contender? We will just have to wait and see, it again is not a bad game, but definitely above average.

I don't know what everyone is complaining about. The graphics and colours are extremely impressive, highly visual and explosive.

The combat, although different to other games, is immersive, unique, captivating and requires quick thinking. The map traversal is engaging.

The array of skills is also impressive. I'm about 30 hours in and clear every zone I'm in.

The main city is a bit lack lustre but in all honesty, I don't really want to spend much time there beyond what is necessary. The point of the game is to be out and about not confined to a city.

The interaction between the main character and 'cuff' could be improved and is somewhat limited and repetitive.

PS5. 120Hz. Ray tracing enabled.

First off, I just want to make a straight statement to kick off this review: DO NOT JUDGE THIS GAME BASED ON THE DEMO.

Whoever gave the green light to release the demo with all the spells and skills leveled, needs to reevaluate their decision making skills. There is A LOT to this game and it instantly will overburden the casual player.

Now on with the review: -------------------------

I can guarantee you that Forespoken rates higher than a four (4). I have been playing video games for about 31 years and this is nowhere near as low as a four. However, there are some issues, which are mainly in the controls. The most frustrating part is Faye's parkour abilities. It seemed like they were "out of pace" with the rest of the controls. It's quite clunky at first, but once you learn to manage it, it isn't as crippling as it seems. Every game has it's flaws.

For what the game lacks in easy maneuvering, it makes up for with incredible story telling and unique urban science fiction/fantasy. It is definitely new to the RPG spectrum of genres, that's for sure. The story is very impactful and emotional. Faye (the main character just had the sh******* cards dealt to her in life) is a strong character with a very realistic background, which is where the games independence of other RPGs comes into play. The story brings you from a troubled woman's urban New York City street thug lifestyle, and throwing her into a fantasy world, where the two realities couldn't be anymore coincided. It also contributes to Faye's character and makes her stand out not only to the player, but to the NPCs in the story as well. The contrast just made Faye's whole experience awkward and scary, which is also the sense you get as the player.

The scenery could've been done better, but it wasn't bad. The landscape you experience as Faye (with lack of better words) is downright weird, which fits the game in a positive way. The monsters you face up against are altered creatures of the land. I cannot explain this any further without delving into spoilers of the story.

Despite a few setbacks, it is DEFINITELY NOT in a low four rating range. I rated it an eight. This is because there's so many ways to level Faye. It's not just her magic you're strengthening. In order to level her, the game makes you explore the fantasy world that Faye was put into. Leveling could be anything from visiting a monument, reading a book, or collecting magic puddles scattered across the world. This system is very complex, but SquareEnix did a tremendous job implementing it into the game, while still being player-friendly. It might seem like a lot to take in at first sight, but truth be told, it is NOT. Another reason is the unique setting and story of Forespoken. It is truly one of a kind.

The games overall originality, while at the same time playing with new concepts is definitely an icebreaker to a potential series if successful enough. They did a rather good job, especially on the story. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel.

If I had to explain this games gameplay style in "lamer's terms," I would describe it as The Witcher 3, Final Fantasy, and Alice In Wonderland in a love triangle, which resulted in the birth of Forespoken. Then Forespoken was discovered as a NYC dumpster baby. This sounds insane, but it's actually meant to be positive.

I would recommend players give it a shot. Keep in mind that the games story comes on slow, so the more you progress the more the game will open up.

**I can guarantee that demo costed some people to wane interest from the game.

8/10.

Is it Game of the Year? No.

But is it enjoyable and worth $40 and a steal at $20 which is what I paid for it? Definitely.

The Bad: The graphics felt stuck in the PS3 era.

The writing needed some more time to bake for sure; it's pretty typical isekai so it needed to figure out how to break the mold rather than what was sent out.

There are settings you'll probably need to change to tailor to make the game better.

The Good: The gameplay is solid with the spells being easily customizable to fit your style of fighting.

The enemies and boss fights were engaging and interesting.

The traversal magic parkour was fun albeit takes a bit of work before it stops feeling clunky.