Forspoken

“Forspoken,” published by Square Enix and developed by Luminous Productions, was widely criticized during its pre-release news cycle for following the Joss ...

Cuff and the denizens of Athia are strangely combative and argumentative to Frey, and to be fair, Frey is an abrasive character herself, given her background. Although I enjoyed Frey more than I thought I would, it’s inescapable that “plucky American with sassy British sidekick” is a well-worn trope, and “Forspoken” does little to distinguish itself from other stories of this type … Then the story begins to justify this, as the people of this land aren’t what they quite appeared to be at first blush. Initially, I thought these arguments were written in just for the sake of having tension and conflict in the story. This is on top of the fact that this is a by-the-numbers open-world video game, with a list of waypoints on a big map with various activities to do, usually in the form of battling fantasy monsters. First of all, there just aren’t a lot of action adventure games about spellcasting wizards, even fewer with a Black woman in the lead role, and “Forspoken” offers, at the very least, this. Players can also set the stamina meter to refill immediately, as it’s not exactly fun to run out of stamina running across the fields. But at least with the larger area-of-effect attacks, “Forspoken” lets you conjure up some impressive and good-looking fireworks. She’s had a very difficult life, and the game doesn’t shy away from the fact that Frey is suicidal. Being Frey only becomes liberating and powerful at the end of the game, once she’s collected and absorbed all four powers from her defeated foes. As she’s about to end her life, she finds the magical and sassy Cuff that whisks her away to Athia, a land besieged by something called the Break, which turns people mad and creates monsters. Credit goes to Hennig and story creator Gary Whitta (screenwriter for Star Wars “Rogue One”) for crafting something memorable and fun despite the game’s cringe surface.

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.

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.

The magical combat promises to develop and become more and more interesting over time, but whether that will be enough to overcome an uninspired script and the ...

[Forspoken preview,](/forspoken/193426/preview/forspoken-the-final-preview) we said, "I’m fairly convinced that there definitely is enjoyment to be found in Forspoken, but its early chapters don’t seem like the place to consistently find it. [Eurogamer](https://www.eurogamer.net/forspokens-opening-hour-leaks-online) has noted that the opening hour has leaked online and, while bits and pieces of what those first few moments of gameplay hold have been previewed and discussed previously, developers usually hold back a few surprises or key story moments that they don't want anyone to experience until the game is finally released. Luckily, it was taken down by a copyright claim by Luminous Productions, but the damage was done and that information is now out there. Please send an email to Have a tip for us? [@AdamBankhurst](https://twitter.com/AdamBankhurst) and on [Twitch.](https://www.twitch.tv/AdamBankhurst)

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.

You may have already heard that several outlets haven't had review code for Forspoken, Squeenix's magical parkour isekai game that's out today and that some ...

It's a "make of this what you will" situation, but I'll be honest and say, as I pointed out in my [Callisto Protocol review](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-callisto-protocol-review), it's never been a good sign before now, and I wouldn't be shocked if it turns out to have performance problems on PC. It's a bit fiddly, and I wonder what the controls will be like with a keyboard, but it started to get fun when I got the hang of the controls and switching on the fly to suit the enemies I was up against. There's more than one reason a game might not have review code in time for launch, and it doesn't mean the game will be bad. Maybe in the full game I'll find cities full of people, and, like, Frey will mention Starbucks and someone will say, "A stag of the sky?" My impression from the demo is that it's aaaaallright and I would like to play more - which, in fairness, is not the impression I'd want to get if I'd pre-ordered the deluxe edition for £90.

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 ...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'Forspoken' boasts a massive open world packed with things to do, so it can be a bit hard to decide what to prioritize. Here's what you should do first.

There are multiple reasons to take on the Labyrinths, not the least of which is the fact you’ll simply receive quite a bit of experience and mana with all the enemies you take on. The Founts are usually a bit off the beaten path of the main story, but it’s worth detouring to get new spells, and along the way, you’ll usually uncover more activities as well. The world is packed with crafting materials and simply by exploring you’re bound to pick up a ton, so there’s really no reason to hang onto any materials. Whenever you rest at a Refuge you should craft any upgrades you possibly can, including increasing the capacity of your material and healing items pouch, as well as boosting the stats of Frey’s equipment. When Detours are available you should always prioritize them as they can be locked out as you forward your progress in the main story. With so much to see and do, it can be hard to know what to prioritize and do first, especially if you’re not keen on 100 percent-ing everything in the [open world](https://www.inverse.com/gaming/best-games-rpgs-ps-days-of-play-outer-worlds).

Forspoken's combat is easily its most unique feature, and largely what separates it from the wealth of other JRPGs out there. Frey's magical powers give her ...

Projection is the most straightforward spell of the Green set but it also causes the most damage. The spell launches a massive water orb that traps one or more enemies, and if you strike the orb with an attack it’ll cause a massive AoE explosion. Firetrap is the best damage-dealing attack of the Red set, as it puts a fiery geyser underneath the enemy that hits twice. Using the move will launch Frey high up into the air with a jet of water, making it perfect for dodging blasts and AoE attacks from enemies. Blast Slice is one of your primary attacks, and by holding the button down you’ll throw a spear that sticks in the enemy and explodes after a few seconds. While the attack is focused on one enemy there’s a small AoE that can hit nearby enemies as well. Blue magic is heavily reliant on debuffing enemies, and Naedre is great for battles with lots of enemies. Frey’s Red magic is almost entirely melee-focused, and that’s precisely why you should unlock Blast Slice, as it’s one of your only ranged options with the spell set. This is a great AoE attack that hits any enemy in a circle directly around you, but even better is the fact that it heals you in relation to the amount of damage you cause. You’ll likely use Disperse in almost every single battle across the game, and make sure to complete the Spellcraft Challenge to boost its damage even more. Tendril is vitally important to unlock early on when Frey has only a few spells and can’t hold as many healing flasks. This spell is tremendously useful for bigger enemies and bosses, especially when combined with other spells to cause even more damage.