The tale of Forspoken is a somewhat tragic one. This action RPG was developed by Luminous Productions and published by Square Enix. The publisher advertised it aggressively before its release, and fans were impressed by early glimpses of its magic-heavy action gameplay. Further trailers cooled anticipation, however. One trailer drew particular criticism for showcasing what many thought was weak, overly quippy dialogue. This lukewarm response would unfortunately persist into the release of the game. It received mixed reviews and was generally forgotten in the face of bigger successes like Tears of the Kingdom. While post-launch support for the game has been steady, its underwhelming release led to the closure of Luminous Productions. However, there are still some fans who want to experience the fantastical realm of Athia for themselves. If that includes you, here’s what you need to know about Forspoken.
Forspoken Premise
Forspoken centers on a young woman named Frey, an orphan who lives alone in New York City. After getting mixed up with a gang, Frey stumbles upon a mystical cuff that transports her to a fantasy world. There, she faces a sinister miasma known as the Break, as well as a cabal of ruling sorceresses known as the Tantas. Frey must unravel the mystery of her own connection to this strange realm in order to find her way back to New York.
From a gameplay perspective, Forspoken is an open-world action RPG. The design places a heavy emphasis on terrain traversal and speed. One of the biggest selling points of the game is the concept of flinging yourself fluidly across a fantasy landscape, using magic to keep yourself aloft and moving. Magic also fuels combat in the game as well, and there are a variety of RPG mechanics to help you build your stats. Frey can apply different shades of nail polish to unlock new abilities, and her cloak can be upgraded as well. While traversing the world of Athia, you will periodically encounter Breakstorms, which present hordes of enemies in waves, followed by a named boss.
Forspoken Main Characters
Like any good RPG, Forspoken has a hearty roster of characters. Frey’s journey across the realm of Athia brings her face to face with some striking figures. Here are the most important characters to keep an eye on during your adventure.
- Frey Holland: The main protagonist of Forspoken, Frey Holland is a lonely young woman who was abandoned as an infant in the Holland Tunnel in New York. Her troubled past leads to the destruction of her apartment and her inadvertent arrival in the fantasy realm of Athia.
- Cuff: This magical, sentient bracelet is bonded to Frey, and he serves as the source of her mystical powers. During their journey together, Cuff is determined to have Frey help the realm of Athia, but his motives remain unclear.
- Tanta Sila: One of the four corrupt sorceresses who rule over Athia, Tanta Sila is Frey’s first major adversary.
- Tanta Prav: This judicial Tanta rules over Athia’s legal system, and puts Frey on trial for her conflict with Tanta Sila.
- Tanta Olas: Known as the Tanta of Wisdom, this sorceress uses illusions to halt Frey in her adventure.
- Tanta Cinta: The Tanta of Love is the most elusive Tanta, and her relationship with Frey is one of the most mysterious.
- Johedy Kladivo: This archivist serves as an ally on Frey’s journey, and helps guide her on her quest to take on the Tantas.
- Auden Keen: Another ally of Frey’s, Auden helps the protagonist escape an early imprisonment at the hands of the realm’s corrupt rulers. Her father has been studying the Break, and he becomes key to Frey’s quest to return home.
Forspoken Games In The Series
Forspoken is a standalone title, and now that Luminous Productions is closing down, it will probably stay that way. This is bad news for anyone who enjoyed their journey to Athia. Luckily, if that includes you, there’s a bit more to glean from this fantasy world. A DLC expansion called In Tanta We Trust launched in May, extending Frey’s story and giving you another opportunity to combat the insidious Break. While In Tanta We Trust was generally received well amongst fans of the game, it’s a somewhat bittersweet way to end this nascent franchise. Here’s the full release schedule of Forspoken content at the time of this writing.
- Forspoken (2023)
- Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust (2023)
Forspoken Cheat Codes
This game has no official cheat codes, but there are a few secrets to exploit if you want to get the most out of your time in Athia. One of the most prominent is the secret shop. You can find this store in Inner Visoria. The easiest way to reach it is by traveling to the Inner Visoria Belfry and then heading west. Inside the abandoned house you’ll soon find is a merchant selling the following useful trinkets.
- Gravity Lantern: This will allow you to collect mana over a wider area.
- Comfy Pillow: Sleeping on this pillow will grant you temporary combat buffs.
- Crafting Pot: This item will let you turn natural resources into other items while crafting.
- Compass: This item unlocks the Forage option while camping, allowing you to gather more resources.
- Sewing Kit: This item will allow you to create more cloaks and necklaces.
Forspoken FAQ
Is Forspoken a long game?
If you’re interested in trying Forspoken for yourself, you’ll likely be keen to learn how much time it will take to get through it. After all, with reviews this lukewarm, putting in too much time could be a risky investment. If you focus entirely on the main story during your time in Athia, you’ll spend about 14 hours in the game. Fans who want to dabble in side content will be looking at a time commitment closer to 25 hours, while completionists could be playing for around 55 hours. All told, this game isn’t nearly as bulky as other open world games like Elden Ring or the aforementioned TOTK, but it’s not small either.
Why is Forspoken controversial?
In addition to the aforementioned writing issues, Forspoken has earned criticism for weak combat and widespread technical issues. While many modern AAA games have suffered from glitches at launch, Forspoken had it worse than most, and many players felt that the base game wasn’t good enough to be worth waiting for patches. Of course, the game isn’t without its appreciators, even now. There’s no shame in finding enjoyment in a game, even one with a tarnished reputation like Forspoken.
Can you keep playing Forspoken after you beat it?
Yes. Like many other open world games, Forspoken has an extensive post-game. You’re free to hop back into the open world and pursue whatever side quests you may have missed before you reached the final mission. The DLC expands on this post-game significantly, but it’s far from a requirement to anyone who wants to explore Athia to their heart’s content.
Is there a max level in Forspoken?
Like many other RPGs, Forspoken uses a leveling system, and fans who want to get the most out of their time in Athia might be wondering just how far they can take it. The level cap for Forspoken is 99. If you want to reach this lofty goal, you’ll need to do a bit of grinding. You’ll also need to perfect your skills in combat. One of the most reliable ways to make sure you succeed in combat is by turning on auto-evasion in the settings. This will allow you to automatically dodge enemy attacks, making combat go much smoother and making sure you pull in a lot more XP.