Forspoken

Forspoken, published by Square Enix, features a fascinating story and incredible parkour action thats mired by lackluster combat and a game lacking ...

But there’s a decent game here, one I enjoyed and one I hope people will give a chance. I won’t reveal it here, but it felt like all of the action leading up to the final battle was cut, swapped out for an extended, partially playable cutscene. The final battle itself was also not great, a longer extension of the game’s “fight big guy with lots of health” standard. I’ve become so used to the seamless transition between controlling a character in gameplay and not controlling them in a cutscene that the fade-to-black transition felt archaic. Once Frey lands in Athia, she’s tasked with killing the four Tantas, benevolent witches who were the leaders of Athia before they went mad and started killing people and spreading a corrupting disease called the Break. Frey powers up her magic with mana that she earns either through traditionally leveling up by fighting monsters or completing quests or by picking it up in the open world. I had the most fun flipping and flying, bouncing off walls and obstacles to get to higher and higher vistas. I almost cried when the plot made Frey lose her home and her “start over fund,” and she was forced to give up her cat and her dream of getting out. The game feels unfinished, like there’s a level of technical polish missing. I became invested in Frey and her story, and I was curious as to how Forspoken would lay it all out. But because it’s almost Christmas and the judge sympathizes with Frey’s struggle to survive without parents or guidance, she is instead let go to return to the abandoned apartment she squats in with her cat Homer. She also dropped a lot of F-bombs, which you don’t really see in games, not even the M-rated ones, and certainly not as frequently as Frey does.

Want to know when Forspoken unlocks in your region? Here's a list of release times for Luminous Games' new fantasy action-RPG.

Preloads began on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at midnight local time in all regions. Having played the PS5 demo, though, I think this game's got potential, but I'm keen to get my hands on the full release on PC before I make up my mind. I personally am quite fond of the adventures of Noctis and pals, but admit that Forspoken's [self-consciously quippy dialogue](/people-hated-forspokens-dialogue-so-much-that-it-made-joss-whedon-trend-on-twitter) and [baffling system requirements](/forspokens-pc-system-requirements-are-demanding-kind-of-baffling) had me feeling a little ambivalent.

The final boss of Forspoken has leaked online ahead of the game's release tomorrow. Last week the game's opening leaked…

[breakdown of the game's various graphical modes](https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2022-the-forspoken-demo-six-graphics-modes-to-choose-from-but-what-do-they-do) so you can better choose how to experience Athia's visuals. [eye-watering PC specs](https://www.eurogamer.net/forspoken-demo-updated-due-to-feedback-pc-requirements-revealed) have also been released. [game's opening leaked](https://www.eurogamer.net/forspokens-opening-hour-leaks-online), showing Frey's early hours in the land of Athia.

Square Enix's open-world action RPG 'Forspoken' launches soon. Here's exactly when you can play it on PC and PS5.

If you pre-order any version on PC, you’ll gain access to the following in-game items at no additional charge: On PC, you’ll have to wait a little longer. However, in the United States, it releases at midnight Eastern on the early morning of January 24, meaning you can actually play it at 9 p.m. Forspoken is an open-world action RPG with an emphasis on story and combat, and while [reviews have been mixed](https://www.inverse.com/gaming/forspoken-review-ps5), it’s one that many players are excited about. Here’s what you need to know to [get started](https://www.inverse.com/gaming/forspoken-pc-requirements-ram-too-high) with Forspoken as soon as possible. [Forspoken](https://www.inverse.com/gaming/forspoken-release-date-trailer-gameplay-voice-actors-story-athia), is nearly here and it’s gearing up to launch exclusively for PS5 and PC.

There is not a single PC review out there right now, because Square Enix did not send any PC review codes out to critics. The game launches at the same time for ...

The only thing I can recommend is the music, which is quite dramatic and lovely and really wasted on such a lackluster release. Hell, if I didn’t know what this was and just saw some video I might peg it as a PS3 game, and not even one of the better-looking ones. For a game with such demanding specs that’s only releasing on PC and PS5, the graphics are shockingly last-gen. This is in spite of the fact that the PC requirements for Forspoken are quite demanding, which suggests that many PC players will have trouble running the game (or at least running it at anywhere near decent settings). I’m basically just sitting here waiting for the reports from gamers to start rolling in when the game releases tonight (it’s out on January 24th on PS5 and PC—see what other games release this month That’s at the 720p / 3o fps option, which is pretty damn low for PC gaming (does anybody on PC play at 720p??)

Forspoken's flashy combat can be fun, but it isn't enough to make its barebones world very interesting.

I’m sure there will be diehard completionists out there excited for a chance to put on a podcast and spend dozens of hours clearing every single map marker and opening every single chest (the kind of game Similarly, the parkour system is a mix of straightforward and flashy, sending you nimbly soaring across the environment by simply holding down the Circle button and pointing yourself in a given direction. Her starting magic is basically an earth-based gun that can be fired rapidly or charged for an area-of-effect burst, with skills that root enemies to the ground, up your defense temporarily, and more. Between visits to Cipal, you’re generally given a target on your map and free rein to get as distracted as you’d like along the way. That’s not so offensive on its own, but the real crime is how poorly the writing establishes any of its characters and the relationships between them – it’s like it constantly assumed I must already be invested in these people in a way it never actually made me. The performances throughout can actually be quite good, even when the writing leans heavily into telling rather than showing – but none of it is ever very fun to listen to thanks to long, awkward pauses between lines and occasional crowd noise or background music that’s so loud it drowns out everything being said.

Protagonist Frey Holland is trapped in the land of Athia and must use her newfound magical abilities to find her way home. Square Enix. From Luminous ...

The NPCs (non-player characters) of Forspoken are indistinct, and the faces lack real nuance. The on-the-hoof dialog between Frey and Cuff (which at least doesn’t freeze you in place) can be repetitive too, which is a shame, because there are some worthy sarcasm-laden exchanges. It’s a shame because, with the engaging characters, explorable world and expansive combat options, there’s a lot to like here. No other AAA title has forced us to stare at a screen the way Forspoken has. We’re here to tell you that the scenes actually loaded faster than the pauses between sections of dialog. But the mystery is presented well, and we were intrigued enough to finish the game. You may even like Forspoken better than other open-world games, because of the limited number of sidequests, which are mostly found in the town. The motive of her sidekick Cuff is more of a mystery. The higher the grade, the greater the loot, the sooner you can rev up your gear. On our first trek past the city gates, we’re met with a rugged moorland, cradled by cliffs, which provides Forspoken with a fabulous sense of scale. Then read on for our impressions of the game to help you decide. Frey Holland, a young New Yorker, finds herself bonded to a chatty armband she names “Cuff” and is transported to Athia, a world in desperate need of saving.

Rewards for completing Monuments in Forspoken are typically stat boosts for Frey. You can check which reward you'll gain from a Monument by hovering over the ...

We highly recommend visiting and completing as many Monuments as you can to make Frey stronger. You can check which reward you'll gain from a Monument by hovering over the icon for it on the map. You do not need to do anything here, once this begins you have completed the Monument. Meanwhile, understanding [fast travel](https://www.eurogamer.net/how-to-fast-travel-in-forspoken-9305) and [clearing Monuments](https://www.eurogamer.net/how-to-clear-monuments-forspoken-9305) will also help you in Fray's journey across Athia. Without further ado, we're going to explain what Monuments are, how to complete them, and the rewards you can get from them too. If a Monument has been completed, it will still have the same symbol but anything that is Purple will be removed.

From streamlining busywork to getting Cuff to speak less, here are the settings that make it easier to get used to Forspoken, Square Enix's new action RPG.

(You can essentially unlock of these perks throughout normal gameplay.) But the setting to tweak is spell-switching slowdown. Come on, we all know it’s the one true indicator of telling you how far you are from your objective. (For reference, your carrying capacity starts at 100 slots per item.) And worst of all, to get this stuff, you have to stop and pick each item up. By default, on PS5 at least, this feature is activated, but you can deactivate it in the sound settings menu. (You’ll also see options to reduce the motion blur and, if you have a compatible display, to activate the 120 Hz mode.) Like many modern big-budget games, Forspoken allows you to prioritize either a sharper resolution or a higher frame rate at the expense of the other.

Frey Holland charges up a magical spell against a dark blue background in key art for Image: Luminous Productions/Square Enix. Forspoken, Square Enix's particle ...

Anything with a plus sign will give you experience, key if you find yourself getting your ass kicked in the current region. Every time you complete a challenge, you’ll gain a permanent increase to your magic stat, plus increase the power of the associated spell. Upward arrows reward a stat boost — similarly helpful, though you could just get the same bonus from a monument for half the effort. You can tell by the associated symbol on your map. You won’t get anything special for 100%-ing a particular region, either, so unless you’re a true completionist to the bone, it’s not worth ticking off every ticky box. Every cloak and necklace comes with a unique perk; once unlocked, you can then apply that perk to other cloaks or necklaces at crafting stations. When you have active spellcraft challenges, every time you make progress toward one, Forspoken will show you a pop-up detailing your progress toward all three challenges. All of the support spells — from the health-stealing tendril to the disperse mini-turret — are enormously helpful for early-game battles. Frustratingly, you can’t rotate the map in its default view. If you’re hopping on the train early (Forspoken is currently out for PlayStation 5 and PC), here are nine things you should know before starting. But most crucially, about a quarter of the way through the game, you’ll be able to access the spellcraft library, which allows you to select challenges that can improve your abilities. Pilgrim’s refuges are Forspoken’s way stations, small chapels that serve as places you can fast travel to and heal yourself at.

How to Craft in Forspoken, where to find more Crafting Materials and Crafting Benches explained · Crafting in Forspoken is how you can make and obtain boosts, ...

The easiest way to find crafting materials in Forspoken is to fill your inventory while you are out exploring. Simply hover over the item you want to make and the required materials will be listed at the bottom of the screen. Crafting Benches are not marked on any of the maps, so it's more of a case of you exploring a settlement and area to find some. To craft in Forspoken, you need to find a Crafting Bench or make a Camp. If you use Cuff to scan the area, any collectable materials or important crafting items will be highlighted for a short time. These have a purpose, and it's worth collecting them when you find them. Then proceed to craft items as you would do at a Crafting Bench. Select the item you want to make, and if you have enough materials, you can craft it. [Forspoken](https://www.eurogamer.net/games/forspoken) is a perilous task, so anything that you can take to make the journey easier is a good idea. Crafting in Forspoken is how you can make and obtain boosts, potions, and other useful items. You can still be attacked while sitting at a Camp, so be careful where you place it. Not to be confused with Campgrounds, a completely separate thing, Camps are small rest areas that Frey can create while out exploring the wild areas.

Here's everything you need to know about Cloaks, Necklaces, and Nails in Forspoken, including how to upgrade them.

If you want to upgrade a piece of gear that has full upgrade slots, you'll need to remove one of the existing upgrades and add your new one in. Hover over a design and the list of materials you need for it will appear to the left of the screen. To upgrade your gear in Forspoken, you need to visit a Crafting Bench or set up a Camp. Then, you should see the stats for that piece of gear alter in line with the upgrade. A description of the design and what it does will appear on the right. When you are on your 'Gear' screen, select the 'Necklace' option on the right. Open the 'Nails' menu and you will see a screen like this: This is the same menu you use to equip Cloaks. This is important to pay attention to if you want to boost specific parts of Frey's abilities and strength. Necklaces are another item of gear that can be equipped to Frey to boost certain stats and abilities. After this, you'll have unlocked 'Cloaks' which is one of the three types of gear you can collect. Here, we're going to explain what Gear is, how to upgrade all types of it, and where you can find more.

If that sounds like every fantasy book you've ever forgotten you read, it's probably because Forspoken is a remarkably generic RPG – from its bland story to its ...

I’m sure there will be diehard completionists out there excited for a chance to put on a podcast and spend dozens of hours clearing every single map marker and opening every single chest (the kind of game That’s a good thing, too, because there is a considerable amount of ground to cover in Athia, and very little of it is worth stopping to admire. Between visits to Cipal, you’re generally given a target on your map and free rein to get as distracted as you’d like along the way. For example, I loved that shielded enemies could be dealt with either by getting behind them or by charging an AOE shot and then firing it at the ground nearby to knock them off their guard. That’s not so offensive on its own, but the real crime is how poorly the writing establishes any of its characters and the relationships between them – it’s like it constantly assumed I must already be invested in these people in a way it never actually made me. The newest action-RPG from Square Enix puts you in the brooding shoes of Frey Holland, a well-acted but largely unlikable New Yorker who gets pulled through a portal to the fantasy realm of Athia after accidentally becoming bonded to an equally unlikable talking armband she calls Cuff.

Jumping into Forspoken? Here's a list of useful tips that you should keep in mind as you explore Athia.

It’s not worth staying and fighting unless you need to do so to find a point of interest or complete a Spellcraft Challenge. This can be done every once in a while, so be sure to check the map or surrounding area for marked partha to interact with--they're found in several spots across Athia, not just in the Cipal tavern. The Magic menu will also show you exactly where to find these hidden spells, so all you need to do is make the trip and jump in the fount. They’re often marked on your map along with other points of interest, so all you need to do is select them on the map and Cuff will show you the way. In our experience, they offer plenty of healing items, so, as long as you’re dealing enough damage, you should be able to outlast the waves of enemies on the way to the bosses. Complete the tasks to upgrade the spells. Like many open-world games, Forspoken has a fast travel system that requires you to unlock the locations you want to travel to. Open up the Magic menu and hold the Convert prompt over a spell to get that refund. Before you take control of Frey to venture out into the mythical world of Athia, there are a few details you should know about. Frey and the mysterious Cuff will speak to each other often, whether it be to exchange quips, discuss recent events, or just to fill the silence. Forspoken is a brand-new action RPG from Square Enix and Luminous Productions, and we've got plenty of tips and tricks for how to approach the early hours of your playthrough. You'll assume the role of Frey Holland, a struggling young New Yorker who gets transported to another world at a point when life gets tough for her.

At the start of Forspoken, you're thrust into a large and dangerous world, given incredible powers and very little explanation for how to make the most of ...

The protagonist, Frey, has the entire continent of Athia to explore, with ferocious foes to defeat, tons of spells to collect and upgrade, and plenty of things ...

Once you've unlocked Cuff Search, you should be aware that you can use this ability in the midst of battle to analyze your enemies. To use them for Fast Travel, simply select them in from the map menu and take on their challenge - you can quit from the confirmation menu immediately after teleporting there. There are three places you can spend your Old Coins, which are obtained from the plethora of locked chests that require you to solve sliding panel puzzles to open. Explore this area to find the Curiosity Shop and the Curio Collector inside - he offers some very interesting items in exchange for Old Coins. To find him, you'll need to head to the southern tip of Inner Visoria, which borders Tanta's Demesne and Academy Hills. While the earlier regions tend to be on the easier side of things, there are certain challenges that are best saved for later: For the best quality of life changes, make sure you have Automatic Item Gathering enabled and Item Visibility set to Enhanced Visibility in the Accessibility Settings tab. These are optional, long-term challenges that you can take on three-at-a-time to improve your individual spells. While the UI sort of hints at it, Frey is not limited to her initial set of Frey's Magic for the entire game - in fact, 'Frey's Magic' is only one of four different sets of spells, each of them corresponding to a different element. If you explore the Settings menu, you'll find a great roster of options that will let you personalize your game experience exactly how you want it. If you only want to make the game a little easier, turn on Automatic Support Spell-Switching and Automatically Use Healing Items. Getting to grips with Forspoken can take a while, especially as the game drip-feeds you new abilities gradually.

Forspoken is out today on both PS5, where reviews came in yesterday, and on PC, which demands a pretty high performance machine to even meet its recommended ...

[Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-5/forspoken?ref=hp). “Actually, it’s not as bad as everyone’s saying” seems to be the main point of praise for it right now, which is not especially promising. And this is one case where I don’t think the new “standard” AAA game price of $70 and no day one PS Plus launches like Xbox does with Game Pass is doing the game any favors here. I would be surprised if there was some surge of fan support for the game to propel it to become a hit on PS5 and PC, but I suppose it’s too early to tell. If we instead turn to the grand list of 2022, a 68 Metascore would put Forspoken outside the top 100 of games released on PS5 that year. I watched backlash turn into backlash against the backlash over the course of just a few hours.

Frey Holland stands in a grassy field and stares at a locked labyrinth in Forspoken. Image: Luminous Productions/Square Enix. Forspoken was shorter than I ...

Especially toward the end, I found that the chapters progressed more quickly, especially in Chapter 10, which featured a smaller and less complex area to explore than previous chapters. If your goal is to see the story through, however, this rundown should give you a sense of how far along you are to [in my review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23564015/forspoken-review-ps5-release-date-demo-square-enix-pc-specs-system-requirements), I completed the story and a healthy (if not completionist) amount of side content in roughly 16 hours.

When you first arrive in Athia, it's easy to become overwhelmed by how big - and dangerous - this world is. There are four different territories for you.

New Cloaks and Necklaces often come with new and unique buffs, which you can then apply to any other piece of equipment you own. You can get gear by going to certain locations on your map, like Locked Labyrinths or abandoned ruins, and eliminating all the enemies. One of the items you should upgrade as soon as possible is your medicine pouch capacity. Sure, these Mana Pools only give you one Mana Point each, but there are tons of them in the world, and they're usually strategically positioned, so you'll quickly pick them up when parkouring around Athia. This guide will explain all of the essential things you should do as soon as you start playing Forspoken, to help guarantee that you'll have a great experience from day one. One of the first resources you should stock up on is Mana.

Frey will start with the following attack magics: Burst Shot, Shield Shot, and Scatter Shot (each at level 1), along with the support magic Bind. To learn more ...

It works well in tandem with scatter shot for when you want to keep a distance, and it’s also great on flying enemies. Genesis: Genesis is a Surge Magic spell, a powerful attack you can use by pressing L2 and R2, preferably during sticky situations, as it has a long recharge time. It can be used on the ground or in the air and sends a huge vine sweeping around Frey in a large circle. If you’re charging Shield Shot and an enemy tries to attack you from the front, they’re in for a nasty surprise when you counter by blowing up the shield in their face. The order you learn spells is up to you, but if you think you made a mistake, don’t worry–you can always unlearn a spell to get a mana refund to use elsewhere. When enemy defenses are tough, give a charged Burst Shot a try–it can penetrate the defenses of enemies who flaunt shields at you with ease.

Being friendly with the cats of Cipal will lead you to Poppets, one of Forspoken's more mysterious currencies. Forspoken - Frey encounters a cat ...

While you can get a fair number of Poppets early on in the game, you won't be able to trade them until you reach Chapter 7. The nine Poppets that you can obtain in Forspoken are all identical - they are basically a secondary currency type, after Old Coins. There are nine Poppets to collect over the course of the game, and they're all found in Cipal.

Forspoken is an open-world RPG that sees a young woman from New York, Alfre Holland, transported to a fantastical, dangerous world: Athia.

Here is where you'll find All Things Forspoken at TheGamer. We hope you find what you're looking for! Frey is somehow able to withstand this - perhaps it's something to do with the mystical, talking Cuff that she's wearing and can't remove?

Forspoken now has a PC demo, meaning you can check whether your machine can run it and whether you want to pay its high price.

Alice B is playing it now - and the demo actually made her "surprisingly pumped for it". She event went as far as to say it seemed alright - or "aaaaallright". [Forspoken](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/forspoken)'s somewhat [unusual system requirements](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forspokens-pc-system-requirements-are-demanding-kind-of-baffling), that its demo remained unavailable on PC.