With Forspoken, Square Enix was looking to change things up from its usual role-playing games with a modern take on the classic Alice in Wonderland tale.
Forspoken follows the story of Frey Holland (Ella Balinska), a down-on-her-luck New Yorker who happens upon a magical, sentient bracelet named Cuff (Jonathan Cake) and utterly upends her life. Upon donning Cuff, Frey is teleported to the magical world of Athia. As she begins to explore this wondrous new world, Frey comes to learn that it is ruled with an iron fist by a group known as the Tantas. These magic-wielding gods, once loved by all, have been corrupted and become vengeful evil beings. Wouldn't you just know it — it's up to Fray to save Athia’s future from their grip.
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Forspoken’s plot throws plenty of twists and turns at players throughout. While a few suffer from foreshadowing, there’s one standout plot development late in the game that proves to be a wonderful surprise, and adds new levels of complexity to the world of Forespoken.
As for our cast, it’s hit-or-miss. While many of the supporting characters and villains are a strength of Forespoken, Frey herself doesn’t quite live up to those around her. The issue is largely down to dialog and her constant use of profanity. It's not that the language made this reviewer clutch their pearls; rather, it felt forced, distracting, and unnecessary.
That's not to say Frey doesn't have her moments. Some of her interactions do land beautifully, particularly those between Frey and Auden, a medic she meets and strikes up a friendship with. There is this fantastic sexual tension between the two women, whenever Frey and Auden are in a scene they are always slyly touching each other or staring longingly at one another. Get ready to see a new legion of ships based around these two and that crackling chemistry.
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The world and story are fantastic, which is no surprise considering the pedigree of its creators, including Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Amy Hennig (Uncharted), Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys), and Allison Rymer (Shadowhunters).
Composed by Bear McCreary (God of War: Ragnarok) and Garry Schyman (Bioshock: Infinite), Forespoken’s score is one of the game's standout elements. It brings emotion to the forefront of the more tense scenes while delivering a sense of danger when Frey comes up against formidable foes in the wild.
The main quest clocks in at about 15 hours, but if players want to spend more time lost in Athia, there are plenty of side quests to be found on the map. They’re worth pursuing as they represent a great way to add MP (Magic Points), which are used to upgrade Fry’s spells, and unlock new nail designs, cloaks,or necklaces, all of which alter her stats.
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This is crucial, as magic is Frey’s only means of attack. Thankfully, the game does a fantastic job of conveying the destructive nature of these magical attacks. Magic is also used to add flourish and speed to Fry’s movements, and as she clashes with enemies, it's an explosion of spectacular lights to experience.
Ultimately, the sum of Forspoken’s parts come together to deliver a cinematic action adventure worth embarking on, despite some rough edges — like its main character. Luckily the game, like her, has plenty of things going for it.
A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review on PlayStation 5.
