![]() There always appears to be an “if” or a “but” whenever I express positivity about my time with Forspoken. Enemy design is at least passable, if a tad too simple, and the strengths of combat are only really emphasized in the variety Frey boasts by the time the credits arrive. The pacing is all over the place and is likely the result of either fundamental restructuring close to launch or simply poor planning. Of course, this point will vary depending on the player. I find it difficult to care about the history of a game area when there is little worldbuilding to latch on to. Yet, my engagement with this material slowly deteriorated as the title progressed because I lacked attachment to the cast residing within said world. Athia contains countless passages players can read to learn about this land’s history, and a decent chunk of it is pretty interesting, tackling various subject matter. ![]() These issues with the writing spread to how I absorbed the lore. This is surprising because the storyline is shockingly short, being less than 20 hours, so having the urge to stop playing with an experience this brief is not telling of high quality. There were several points where I was close to dropping it altogether. Not everyone will have the patience to play through the majority of the game, though, and I wholeheartedly relate. It wasn’t until the final chapters that I felt reinvested. The writing approach of having the main character actively combat their responsibilities was fresh yet waned quickly. I’m fairly certain that Frey is a protagonist who is not intended to be likable. Still, it does a great job highlighting her personal struggles and why it has motivated her to act so selfishly, even though some of her words can never be aptly justified. It’s difficult to explain why without delving into spoiler-related material. However, I appreciated and even liked Frey’s character writing in hindsight because of how the last quarter tackles her. Still, she desires to go back home, Athia’s people be damned. Her life back in New York was treacherous, and Athia is no better, as its state is causing a borderline extinction. ![]() Humanity is on its last legs, and Frey’s sudden arrival puts her between a rock and a hard place. Athia is in dire times due to a phenomenon called the Break taking away countless lives as the four leading rulers, the Tantas, agonize their people. The cuff, whom Frey aptly calls Cuff, can speak and, via a ton of exposition, informs her of the world. ![]() Then, after Frey’s apartment burns down, circumstances lead her to discover a cuff that whisks her off to the fantasy land of Athia. The opening segments solidly depict her circumstances, emphasized by her repeated run-ins with the law, awful living arrangements, and lack of those she can emotionally confide in. As for me, I’ve ended up in the same boat.įorspoken follows protagonist Frey Holland, a New Yorker who has suffered as an orphan, never finding stability in her youth and constantly switching between foster homes. Now renamed Forspoken, these general reactions remain due to certain gameplay decisions and writing style choices leaving a collectively unmemorable, shallow impact for several players and critics. Square Enix’s Project Athia was intriguing since its initial announcement, eventually earning waves of mixed to negative reception as more news was revealed.
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