Forspoken Review

If you are looking for an RPG that boasts a story that you have come across in fantasy books, you do not need to look further than Forspoken. The story might be one that you have read several times before, but it is the flashy parkour movement system and the energetic combat that truly add life to this game. It remains entertaining, as there are side tasks that you have to complete while you are engaged in trophy hunting.

The story

You will find yourself in the shoes of Frey Holland in the latest RPG that Square Enix is offering, who is a brooding and well-acted New Yorker, who is pulled into the fantasy world of Athia through a portal. This happens when she accidentally bonds with Cuff, a talking armband. Athia has four realms that have become corrupted and the population is now in the city of Cepal.

Frey has to help the citizens with her newly imbued powers to help her and deal with the powerful rulers who are called Tantas. The story of Forspoken might come off as predictable and some might not appreciate the fact that most of the character bonding does not happen on-screen. But, the adventure takes you at least 15 hours and the snippy banter between Frey and Cuff hits the endearing level.

Frey is not interested in doing most of the tasks that you have to complete as part of the game and there is friendly ribbing from Cuff in reaction.

The skills

There are essentially two parts in Forspoken; you have to talk to the townsfolk and do side quests, such as chasing cats and feeding the sheep. The writing often leans into telling you things rather than showing, while might make things a little less fun for people. When you are visiting Cipal, you are provided with a target, but you can get distracted along the way as much as you want.

This involves using the magic parkour skills that Frey has gotten to sprint across the rocky terrain of Athia. You can flip over any obstacles and swing long distances with a grappling whip. You can also beat your enemies at different points for new equipment and more rewards. This is what you are doing for the most part when you play Forspoken.

The combat

During the course of the campaign, there are four styles of elemental magic that Frey gains, each of which are a different weapon that can be swapped quickly and also upgraded. As you open up more capabilities for Frey, the combat in Forspoken, which is filled with particle effect becomes a lot more fun.

While the enemy variety may not be very impressive, it is quite cool to fight them because of the unique quirks and elemental resistance that you have to deal with. The dodge system in the game is also quite generous, but the group encounters you deal with are going to keep you on your toes.